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ancientcraftnoccultism · 1 year

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Beginner Class - Four Pillars of Magic

Ancient Craft & Occultism

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By KB

Introduction

Welcome back to class everyone! Today, we're going to get a bit more in depth on ceremonial magic. We're going to talk about the four pillars of magic, also known as the witch's pyramid. Now, this is a Wiccan term and ideology, however, it is also used in several other occult circles as a basic foundation for knowledge. Not only will we discuss that, but we will talk about my personal four pillars of magic, which differ a bit from the traditional witch's pyramid. I hope you're able to use this lesson as a way to expand your personal practice and build a solid foundation for your craft.

The Witch's Pyramid

The witch's pyramid is a philosophical structure intended to demonstrate the foundation of magical arts. The name derives from the fact that a pyramid, a symbol of enlightenment, has four corners that support the construction equally. While this idea is well known in Wiccan circles, there is evidence that it dates back to Hermeticism, if not further. The most supported claim within the community is that Eliphas Levi created this term [originally Power of the Magi] in his Doctrine of Rituals and High Magic in the late 1800s.

To Know

To Will

To Dare

Silence

Aleister Crowley later added on to this ideology in the earlier half of the 1900s in his book, Magic Without Tears.

To Go

The broader witchcraft community didn't adopt these five powers until about the 1950s (give or take a decade), at which point they became known as the Witch's Pyramid. Even though The Witch's Pyramid isn't necessarily accepted by every culture as a formal system of philosophy, the ideas are very much the same everywhere. So let's examine these five powers collectively referred to as the Witch's Pyramid today.

To Know [Nescere] -

Correspondences - Air, Intellect, Wisdom, Intuition, Logic

This implies that we constantly work to increase our knowledge and apply it to both our daily lives and our magickal work. It entails having a thorough understanding of the craft. The more a witch knows, the more powerful and effective his or her magick can and will be since, as the proverb goes, "knowledge is power." Always seek the truth, and be prepared to adjust your viewpoint as you learn more. Know yourself, master your trade, and never stop learning.

To Will [Velle] -

Correspondences - Heart, Desire, Emotion

We effect change with our will when practicing the magical art of witchcraft. Believe in your ability, your craft, yourself, and your spells. Through regular meditation and visualization practice, as well as having the motivation, we can learn to focus our mind. Keep sending out energy with the conviction that it will accomplish your goals. Keep your entire attention on what you are doing, why you are doing it, and the pertinent energy. We must desire the magic to work if we want it to. Our commitment and vigor are what cause manifestation.

To Dare [Audere] -

Correspondences - Fire, Discipline, Action

We are brave in everything we undertake and overcome any fear or hesitation. We don't hesitate to try new things because we have confidence in our skills, knowledge, and abilities. When we venture into astral regions, for example, we dare to transcend physical limitations and give ourselves over to the universe. We have the courage to interact with entities and spirits in this world and others, and we are receptive to their knowledge.

Silence [Tacere] -

Correspondences - Earth, Stability

Both internal and external peace are related to keeping silent. After casting a spell, we typically avoid talking about it or wondering if it was effective because doing so could make someone doubt their own abilities and undercut the work they have already done. In the same way, we also consider our words and our information before sharing it, especially with people from other worlds. We shall adhere to witch etiquette and refrain from disclosing any material that is subject to an oath, but we won't always share everything we know about witchcraft.

To Go [Ire]

Correspondences - Spirit, Growth

We will keep moving forward, manifesting, and evolving. By bringing the four powers of the base of the pyramid into perfect balance and utilizing them in ways that balance the light and dark, we will be able to master them.

KB's Four Pillars

What I consider to be the four pillars of magic, the cornerstones of the trade, would be the ideal place to begin, in my opinion. Cursing, Blessing, Cleansing, and Protection. All other magic may be connected to one of these four pillars, and once you learn them, you will be able to perform any spell or working and use them as launching pads for additional study in uncharted territory. Starting with a solid foundation is the greatest approach to position yourself for success in anything you do with magic as it is a craft that is constantly evolving and is the subject of ongoing research. My personal biased of the four key elements of magic are listed here, along with my justifications for each one.

Blessing

With a traditional blessing, you are requesting divine help, or help from something other than yourself, to bring about a desired outcome. Additionally, it is not always a good thing. Although they frequently have a pleasant meaning, blessings are only a method of casting a magic in which the power and workings of the spell originate from an outside source. Asking a deity to guard your home against harm is a nice illustration of it. Since the spell's energy invokes a deity to grant protection, it is regarded as a blessing. While blessings can be a bit more difficult to use, they do not bind the caster to the work itself. Your energy is not connected to the spell itself and is not constrained by the spell's effects as you are requesting divine or other assistance in the spell. However, as a result of this, you essentially have no influence over the working's outcome, course, or duration. The only thing you have complete control over is whether you do the spell since you are not the one casting it. That said, blessings are quite potent and shouldn't be taken lightly because anything involving the divine can turn out a bit theatrical…

Cleansing

While shielding is excellent at preventing outside influences from interfering with spellwork, spells sometimes resemble cars and require maintenance. Cleansing is crucial for removing the accumulated energy that can attach themselves to people, places, and things. Like a car, magic has a lot of moving parts, and the key to ensuring sure any spell is effective is to make sure that the car is filled with oil and that all of its components are greased. As an illustration, let's imagine that after performing a blessing and requesting heavenly or cosmic assistance, you turn around and want to do a curse using nothing more than your own energy. If the divine energy is not removed, it will remain and find its way into the curse, causing it to behave differently, act against a different person, work against you, or maybe not work at all. You may remove negative energies from your possessions, workstation, and yourself by cleaning them. This might be a constructive or destructive force, or it might be chaotic. Keeping in mind that like attracts like in physics and quantum mechanics, magic must abide by these criteria.

Cursing

When I use the term "cursing," I don't mean the Hollywood interpretation of a malicious spell cast on someone; rather, I mean magic that is fueled solely by your own will and nothing else. A curse, as opposed to a blessing, is when you directly control the world with your own will in order to shape it the way you wish. A curse is merely a different technique to cast a spell, and it can be used for good or for bad. When casting a curse, all of the energy used to power the spell originates from you; neither divine intervention nor requesting the assistance of an element are involved. As a result, curses are significantly more potent and adaptable than blessings. You have some degree of control over how the spell is written, how it is cast, how it turns out, and even how long it takes to function. Nevertheless, a curse uses your energy and will, so most individuals feel drained and occasionally ill after casting a spell. Additionally, because curses link you to the spell, any effects it may have on the spell may also have an impact on you. Most people associate curses with unpleasant things, but in reality, a curse is just someone changing their environment via the power of their own will.

Protection

Protection magic is usually performed before most workings and is crucial for both you and the people you love. There are many different types of magic, and protection magic can be as simple or as complex as you like. By using and understanding different types of protection magic, such as circles, wards, crystals, elements, etc., a practitioner can expand into other types of magic. This is something you might expand on as you get more skilled with protection magic, guarding not only yourself and your loved ones but also your possessions, your land, your precious objects, etc.

Conclusion

We live in a magical world. It is in the atmosphere, audible in the sound of wind-sighing trees, in the early hours of the morning when the sun just so happens to reach the skyscrapers, and in the pitch-blackness of the night when it is just you, your thoughts, and the stars. Working with magic and the craft allows you to take control of your own universe and reality and shape it whatever you like. Magic is almost a separate thing even though it abides by the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, and quantum mechanics. You will have all you need to embark on your adventure and follow the route, wherever it may lead you, after learning and practicing.

#elder witch #baby witch #witchblr #beginner witch #witchcraft #dark witchcraft #astrology #tarot #aesthetic #divination #witchcraft 101 #witch community

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joels-darlin · 1 year

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Take Care

Pairings: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Warnings: fluff, brief mention of alcohol, mentions of stress.

Summary: After a rough week at work Pedro wants to take care of you.

Word count: 1289

Author Note: I woke up this morning inspired to write and this little piece came together as I was getting ready to start my work day. Hope you all enjoy, any feedback is appreciated <3

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It was late. The house being virtually silent except, coming from the office in the next room, the sounds of you clicking away furiously at the keyboard. The atmosphere was particularly comforting to him as he sat mulling over the script for the next job lined up.

You worked too hard he already knew that and on multiple occasions had expressed that you didn't have to work at all, he had enough for the two of you to live comfortably. But he also knew that you loved your job, eyes lighting up with pure passion every time you spoke about it. A wave of worry washed over him briefly remembering that it was a very busy period, the project you where working on just a mere few weeks away from release so it was all hands on deck. The only comfort being that he knew you had a great team around you who where a solid support system. Everyday you made him proud and the moment he sees your name on something you had poured your soul into then his heart will probably burst of out his chest.

Leaving the iPad to one side for a moment he left the couch in search of you, mainly to put the niggles at the back of his mind to rest but also ask if anything was needed. He had eaten alone early in the evening as you where stuck in endless meetings. No bother to him but he was concerned you weren’t getting enough nutrition - making a mental note to ask if food had crossed your mind yet.

Stood in the doorway of the office he took in the sight of you hunched over at the desk, fingers working away furiously. You had a small scowl on your face which told him something wasn’t right, there it was again that wave of worry sharp in his chest. Opting for the mix of comfy but professional then your upper body adorned a smart t-shirt and then on the bottom half those damn Grogu pyjama pants you absolutely wore to death. He loved that you where a bit of a nerd, it was cute. Pedro’s mind wondered for a second upon laying eyes on you again. He knew you where a fan when you met, the sheer surprise and acknowledgement in your face as you locked eyes with him for the first time - there was also that well worn Grogu backpack you clutched so tightly like a prized possession.

What he loved the most though you treated him like the normal human being he is, it was refreshing to say the least. After accidentally bumping into you whilst at his local coffee shop (completely at fault and too busy looking at his phone). The contents of the cup once held in your tiny hands ended up spilt on the floor. Apologising profusely he quickly ordered you a fresh one, holding your small hand up to stop him from continuing to grovel and with a simple but breath taking smile said “Accidents happen, don’t worry”. Pedro knew he was done from that moment and quickly suggested fetching a table. Normally he wouldn’t stay and chat in fear of being recognised but you caught his eye leaving him wanting to know more. It was just general chit chat but he hung onto every word that familiar sparkle in your eyes showing through so clearly. He still felt bad for the coffee incident and at least wanted to make it up to you but on some level this felt different. After for what felt like hours the conversation was interrupted by a phone call from his agent and he had to dash.

It happened again a week later in that same coffee shop (minus the bumping and spilt coffee this time) he spotted you instantly when ordering his drink - tucked away in the corner head buried in a book. Grabbing an extra coffee on his order he headed straight for your table, eager to talk again. Both knowing this was probably going to become a habit you exchanged phone numbers and what started out as friends for the first few months grew into the solid loving relationship you where in now, 2 years later. He knew how lucky he was.

”P…you okay?” your voice brought him back to the present moment eyes searching his. Completely lost in his thoughts, unsure of how long he had been stood in the doorway. “I’m okay mi amor, I came to check on you but obviously got distracted” he chuckled moving from the door to behind the office chair. Pedro wrapped his warm arms around your shoulders planting a gentle kiss atop your head. You leant into his embrace taking a moment to breathe, the stress of the day was starting to get too much and you knew it was time to clock off. “Worried about you cariño, have you eaten today?” he half-whispered against your ear. As if on queue then your stomach growled “I’ll take that as a no then…come on or I’m resorting to other tactics” he laughed softly tapping your shoulder and freeing you from his embrace.

Curious you spun in your chair facing him cocking one eyebrow “Tactics hey? like what Pedrito?” Oh he loves it when you use that nickname, it’s gets him. Every. Damn. Time. Pedro didn’t even think his lips just smashing against yours kissing you passionately. Moving to wrap your arms around his neck pulling him closer you continue the heated exchange, his hands coming up to cradle your face gently. He moved back leaning his forehead against yours after a few moments, both breathless. “How about a frozen pizza & some wine? then we can spend what’s left of the evening on the couch”. You pondered for a moment. Technically you had done all your tasks for the day as well as the extra thrown in last minute (hence why you where working so late again). Plus it was Friday - with no work obligations for the next day then you where free to enjoy after a stressful week. “That sounds perfect to me…I’ll be out in a minute” you smiled at him.

It wasn’t a minute…more like 10 when you had finally logged off and headed for the kitchen, finding Pedro stood near the hot oven sipping on a glass of wine. “Got your favourite…” he beamed pouring a serving in the empty wine glass “and pizza is nearly done, go get on the couch querida”. Like a true gentlemen he doted on you bringing the pizza fresh from the oven, stealing a slice for himself of course, and topping the wine glass up when required . He knew it was a rough one and aimed to care for you the same way you do for him when he has bad days at the office. One bottle of wine in and a random film was playing on the TV. No idea what was even going on though because you did not pay any attention - too busy wrapped up in your head about the man snuggled up next to you. Turning your head to look at him for a moment before reaching over, laying a hand flat on his chest for support, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. This caught his attention eyes locking with yours. “Thankyou P” you said softly. He didn't need to ask why, he already knew, flashing you a toothy grin pulling your frame closer to his. Life wasn’t always perfect but with Pedro in it then it made things a hell of a lot easier.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fic #pedro x reader #pedrito

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bonzos-number-1-fan · 8 months

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Sam Messed Up + Tria Prima Ramblings

There are a few solid CAT# but one I really like is that it's based on if an incident affects the body, mind, or soul of the victim. This started off as an offhand example I used to explain how they could work, but there are a lot of fun links to it and will now make a semi-baseless accusation to continue to support it

Sam can't file documents correctly even when being told explicitly what to do.

Anyway, CAT#'s have been shown to have the following values, either in the show or on the Klaus doc: 1/2/3/12/13.

It stands to reason that if 13 can exist these are non-mutually exclusive categories and so 23 and 123 can also exist. And if an incident can be both 1 and 3 it would appear that these represent discrete facets of an incident's manifestation.

Given the show's obvious alchemic motifs it's not a huge leap to link that to the tria prima, alchemy's three primes; soul, spirit (mind), and body. These are represented by sulfur (🜍), mercury (☿), and salt (🜔) respectively. Each of which can be found on the OIAR's logo.

The strongest link here is that 3 is Body/Salt/🜔. Daria's transformation (full) was CAT3, ink5oul has 🜔 on their insta bio, and body is even the third thing in the list. Which is a great start.

We've also got transformation (eyes) at CAT23 which also helps back that up. There was an elemental of paranoia and mental manipulation to it as well as the transformation itself. That tracks really well for Spirit/Mercury/☿, which in alchemical terms is mind as most people would think of. CAT2 was also the watching doll which does also track.

The problem for me is with the last of our categories. CAT1 in the show has only been seen for reanimation (partial), combined with the extra context that said reanimation was "amalgamative", and I don't think that lines up well with a basic idea of Soul/Sulfur/🜍. If this was CAT13 I'd be all over this but I think given there is a strong emphasis of the physical body being an important detail here then it's not entirely convincing. Greater context could make it a stronger case though, if lots of undead ends up in CAT1 then it'd probably a sure thing.

The real problem with this idea is that Dr. Webber's incident seems to almost entirely disprove it. It was CAT2 and while it obviously had a strong mental component it's undeniably a huge physical transformation so it'd have to be CAT23 to really make this all make sense.

Which brings us to Sam. Sam definitely made one obvious mistake with the case number of Ep 3's incident. I think he also made a major mistake in its header. Both of which have solid foundations in the show's text. But I also think, somewhat seriously, that a third mistake has been made with the metatextual reason of obfuscating the meaning of this system.

So, after the incident plays and Sam talks to Alice about it she pretty explicitly tells him what it should be filed as. She says "“Infection” comma “arboreal”. Cross link it with “guilt” if you’re feeling fancy.", but this is what we get instead:

CAT2C8175-03042009-22012024 Infection (full body) -/- arboreal

Ignoring the header for the time being there firstly a very obvious and inarguable mistake. He missed out the R, and they all get the R because it's just a label. The header is also close to being different than what Alice mentions and arboreal as a crosslink specifically doesn't seem to fit in with the more emotional or mental elements crosslinks have had to that point. Arboreal doesn't fit in with regret, trespass, or dysmorphic, but guilt does. Which would make this the seemingly more correct case number and header:

CAT2RC8175-03042009-22012024 Infection (arboreal) -/- guilt

But based on the tria prima theory I'm now wondering if it's not meant to actually be this:

CAT23RC8175-03042009-22012024 Infection (arboreal) -/- guilt

And the 3 was removed to obfuscate the case numbering format. Because the stuff that was "wrong" is fairly obvious to find if that's all that was wrong with it but removing a digit from the CAT# is basically impossible to show unless you know for sure what's meant to be there. It's the sort of mistake that hides really well in ignorance, which makes it a great data point to screw with because of how it breaks ideas.

#the magnus protocol #tmagp #tmagp theory #tmagp speculation #tmagp spoilers #yes this is a cracked theory #no I don't care and neither should you #klaus is the backlog #klaus = kl4-u5

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bengiyo · 10 months

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Last Twilight Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Mhok began working and was pleased with his salary. He may be rough around the edges, but he was doing his "easy" job. He had some initial friction with Day around moving his things and taking care of the fish, but things came to a head when Day tried to run from strangers seeing his condition. Mhok got triggered, thinking Day might hurt himself, and broke into his room. Mhok got fired, but Porjai came to talk to Day about Mhok putting himself through an exercise to understand Day's disability more and the two have reconciled for now.

I like the two of them straightening Day's room together and understanding the system to help him find things. It's a relief to see Day having fun with it.

The inflatable dino costumes are so silly. This is fun.

Now, Mhok, you know better than to swipe through someone else's pictures.

They saw Day making progress around the house and made him instantly clam back up by suggesting he go back to school.

Mhok's relationship with Porjai is used very well here. I love that she has moved on from Mhok and is happy, so I don't feel bad about her giving perspective and wondering about some jealousy plotline.

I like the pace of the relationship between Mhok and Day so far. Day is already asking Mhok for help on his own.

I will always love teachers who refuse to let students give up on themselves.

Mhok is a good listener and supporter. I like that he doesn't involve himself in the conversations between the family or the teacher, and that he aids Day's attempt to avoid notice.

Said the name of the show. Finish your drinks.

Thank you for keeping the lights on, Oishii.

I like how Mhok plays with the preconceptions that he doesn't know much to encourage Day to figure out some things. It's a very gentle approach that uses Day's own ego to move him forward.

WE HAVE FINALLY USED THE BANGKOK METRO SYSTEM IN A BL. 🎉 IPYTM came close, but we never went inside.

I love that Mhok tried to prank Day with the pink shirt. Later, in the dressing room, we know he's watching out for Day because he confirmed that he knew what was on the shirt he picked.

I like the way the physical tension between them around Day's exposed body is building.

And Day made Mhok get the pink shirt! I love this.

Mhok being sure to include Day in the conversation with the bookstore owner is a great touch. I like that he didn't let Day give up and insisted they find the book today.

Even if it's a bit artificial, I like Mhok slipping the book where Day would find it to help him have a sense of accomplishment since Day had been also sifting through books.

The last page is missing? How will we know the ending? Okay, Aof. I see you.

Increasing the price because he's Mhok's friend was so fun. It's the kind of detail that makes the world feel like it has a history. It was clearly a joke and let Day have fun.

Oh, we were having such a good day, and now Mhok feels like he has to defend Porjai and in a fight against Porjai's two-timing boyfriend. Now Day is lost.

Oh my goodness, did Mhok switch to the pink shirt to make himself more visible? I am going to melt.

Mhok is so ready for people to look down on him that he immediately owned his own history rather than let the mom hold it over him.

Oh shit that was great eye shine from Jimmy when Day started saying how much he appreciates Mhok.

Not sure what all is going on with Night and Day yet, but I like that he came to Mhok's defense after they left the room.

That was a really well done wind down for this episode.

More of Film next week!!

So, I'm really loving this show and so glad that a GMMTV show is back to sound episodic structure. Jimmy and Sea both feel much more attuned to their characters and their chemistry feels a lot easier than their last outing. This is a solid watch

#last twilight #thai bl #bl series #last twilight the series #Ben watches

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rivcog · 3 months

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riVen 1997 / 2024

Fellow explorers, fans of the Fifth Age, here we are in the year 2024. A lot has happened over the course of 27 years. I'm here to focus on one thing. Riven. What's changed? Is it really worth discussing amidst the absolute bloodshed befalling humanity? This is, after all, just a video game. Who gehndamn cares about a little video game in a time of such a crushing and gaping rift between people and state power?

I do. If any of the following apply, please do not read another word.

Have not played 1997 Riven

Have not played 2024 Riven

Played 2024 Riven, and feel it's a solid 10 out of 10

Had any hand in the making of 2024 Riven

If you're still here, I have quite a bit to say on the subject. Please read with a grain of salt, you may or may not find what I have to say valuable or relatable. And that's perfectly ok. Every sentiment laid out is purely my perspective. 100% subjective. I simply have to get this out of my system. I apologize in advance.

1997 was profound for me. Riven is a stroke of art unlike any before and after. I will never forget installing Riven, running the start screen. Calibrating the brightness, testing the sounds. then starting the game. The opening logo, unforgettable. Back in that cave we left Atrus, there he is again… writing. Glad to see me. But something is wrong. The air is thick, his disposition… grave. Rand, you performed so well. This opening was heavy, and awesome. The tone was set. The music, perfect. Just enough information given to still not know really what the hell you're about to do. And then falling into that beautiful, broken Riven screen. Truly a masterful opening.

Navigating Temple Island for the first time. Wow. Mind, instantly blown. Exploring the Gate Room. Watching that thing rotate… oh my goodness. The nuanced movement, with the sound. You could feel that thing's mass. But nothing could truly prepare me for the maglev ride. Taking the maglev from Temple to Jungle for the first time completely shattered my expectations of what a sequel to Myst could be. To anything for that matter. Nothing has impressed me as much ever since. Not from a computer at least. A form of entertainment by way of fiction. It was better than perfect. The detail and nuances expressed and possessed by that single ride is hard to encapsulate in words. It was, at the very least of all things, thrilling.

And then we are arrive at disc 3. Jungle Island. It is immediately apparent you are somewhere interesting as a strange ball in the rock wall captures your attention. You click on it, and it swivels, beautifully… but makes a sound… an interesting sound. It feels important, and you have no idea why. The intrigue is deep. It's a simple device, clearly installed there, by somebody. I wonder who? Why? What's the significance of the sound? What the heck are these symbols all about?

This is just the beginning of 1997 Riven. Before I continue, the following must be stated. To all the devs and artists and creators and participants of Riven 2024, I bow to you, your work is gorgeous. Very pretty. Truly beautiful. You are wonderful, talented, and I'm grateful for you and your work. Deep bow. Please do not read the rest of this. To anybody who has not played or experienced 1997 Riven, especially back in the day on the old 1997 CRT monitor, this writing may not land on you at all. It's ok, it's not for a lot of people, as a matter of fact, I'm writing for probably the enjoyment of 25 others. A niche of a niche fan base. I am going to criticize some aspects of 2024 Riven. If you've never played either version, waste no time, if you've the computing prowess, close this window, open a new one, and buy the Tay out of this game. Experience it. It's very pretty, and probably engaging. If you are a fan of any flavor of 1997 Riven, hopefully you've not hesitated. It you're computer crutched, and unable to support the specs, find a walk through, hopefully a talkless one, and experience it vicariously. Opening the door and walking out into 233rd is worth every Gigabyte and millisecond spent getting there. There's not much to do there, and that's ok, it's gehning gorgeous. It's what every fan's been wanting for 27 years. And it looks spectacular. Thank you, Cyan, or Starry Expanse? At this point whatever. I still hold a hard salute to the Starry team, I miss you. You were doing god's work, truly.

OK, I want to talk to a few primary aspects of 1997 and 2024 Riven. 0 > Friction 1 > Nuance 2 > Point & Click 3 > Cut scenes 4 > Puzzles. I was considering posting this as an article somewhere, but really, why? It belongs here, in this spectacular community of fans. The only place I've really ever connected to people who love Myst and Riven. I've always loved this crowd, still do. Even if tumblr crumbles over night, I'll never forget this group. So let's get started.

0 > Friction

In Riven 97, there is not a whole lot to stop you from exploring large portions of the Fifth Age. Some things require a bit of work, but they pay off well. Garden Island for example feels entirely majestic by the time you arrive. At Temple Island, you can work on the Gate Room if you prefer, you'll need to eventually so why not. But no pressure, if you just want to go for a walk about through Jungle Island's Village, no problem. And with a keen eye, you can even open the wahrk totem's maw to the maglev from Jungle to Garden. Might as well check out Book island while you're at it. Take in the environment, get a taste of what you're dealing with. Let the the islands sail you off to another world.

This is important in capturing the explorer's attention. We are initially rewarded with a lot to see and interact with. We can take in the world quite freely without much friction at all. Incidentally discover a few things along the way, that may have us thinking, ah, perhaps I should look a little more closely at that one thing back there. We become captivated by Riven, before we really even begin cracking any codes.

In Riven 24, the pathway is much more linear. Without any other option, you must manipulate the Gate Room to access the maglev outside the temple. Once you get to Jungle, you cannot just explore the village. You must get to Garden first to take that maglev over to Jungle, whereupon you'll be able to access the Village submarine transit, which takes us behind the drawbridges for open access to the Village for full exploration. But first, your initial visit to Garden requires a trip to Book, and access to Gehn's lab, opening access to Garden and then Jungle's Village.

97 Riven treated it's explorers with more freedom. More trust. In the players and most importantly, itself. It did not guide their actions much. You were presented a world to explore. There are things to do, but they are so embedded in the natural state of the place you could easily miss it, and just explore. You could simply, be there. The friction actually presented in 97 is intense and lies almost entirely in it's 2 overarching puzzles. So much so the game doesn't need to bother with hindering your general pathway from island to island. The fire marble and moiety puzzles are hard enough on their own. They both require serious observation. The moiety observing nature, and Gehn observing mechanical constructs. The friction is thus this way very natural to the world of Riven. Truly masterful. A puzzle doesn't present itself as a puzzle. As a player, you're not even sure what isn't accessible yet (Book Island lab, Tay, 233rd). You enter Riven, see it's scope, and save Garden Island, have free reign to explore at your will. Any obscuring of areas yet to be accessed, leads to the joy felt upon finally seeing them. And I mean full on unknown areas. Even the lab on Book island was obscured until you worked enough to get there to at least see it, let alone access it. And in accessing it, details mattered. The frog/ytram for example, is important for the larger moiety puzzle.

In 97, you are given enough to get sucked in to the environment. You aren't given everything of course. You can't just get into the Village prison. Where any friction lies in your navigation, it was well employed and enticing. Book Island lab is the perfect example. You enter the island, and can see that path up there… there's something important there… but you don't know what yet. You just know you can't wait to see it and explore it. You've already been given enough of the world to see freely, now it's time to work. To get in the lab. To get into the domes. To get into Gallows prison.

24's friction largely lies in navigating to areas and islands. There seems to be an intended route to take in this game. It feels a lot more linear. 24 is a very different game as a result. On Jungle, you aren't allowed access to the meat of the Village. The pathway to exploring the adobe neighborhood is… long. You have to hit Book and Garden first to do it. It's a different style of friction, that 97 simply didn't need. It feels quite literally forced.

An example of navigational friction not all will experience was the collapsed Book / Temple bridge. Particularly during the task of capturing Gehn. I didn't try to touch the panel upon the initial offer from him, as I'm used to doing on the second go. In order to signal Gehn, you must link out to Riven, and back again. In 24, a link to Riven means a link into the lab on Book Island. Without bridge access to big ol Goldie, it's a very long journey back to Temple. The quickest way I found was to link through the Marble Domes, manipulate that thing in the expanse, and then swivel the Gate Room 5 times to get back to the 233rd book. Gosh, how much I missed the bridge in that moment was equal to my radiant respect for 97. It is unnecessary friction to solving a problem and accessing a new area. It didn't feel… rewarding. In felt… punishing.

To crystalize what I'm talking about with navigational friction, here's an example every player will experience: From game start, getting to initial maglev ride to Jungle Island

2024 spin gate room 4x -> unhinge locked exterior gate -> lift gate lever -> spin gate room 2x -> lift gate lever -> spin gate room 2x -> spin gate room yet 2 more times -> open spider room door -> sit in chair -> throw lever -> walk back through great gold dome -> through gate room -> cross bridge -> open temple door -> press maglev button

1997 cross bridge -> open spider chair door -> throw lever -> open spider chair door -> open temple door -> press maglev button

This was a substantial and clearly intentional change to Temple Island. I wonder why? What was the logic that was so pressing that the spider chair had to be moved? It made perfect sense where it was, the man behind the curtain style. It allowed a player to easily explore more than just Temple Island, leave the mysterious Gate Room for later in all of it's magnificent mass. It's an odd change as it presents immediate unnecessary friction, in so much as it may turn some new players away. Let em get sucked into the Jungle a bit and Book too… encouraging deeper exploration into previous areas. Let em work on the Gate room when ready, not force them into it immediately, potentially generating disdain for it. Let them at it at their own pace. The Gate Room is something to love not hate. 97 gave you a lot of Riven immediately. A few areas with friction, but you knew there was something to find, hidden. You knew that from the very cover of the game box itself. That dark beehive tree village definitely was not in the Fifth Age.

97's puzzle friction has deteriorated into more navigational friction, creating a narrower corridor for exploring with keen observation. The path becomes more linear. Puzzle pieces, more obvious. That may be ideal for today's gamers? Better for VR? I really don't know. Just some important notes on friction differences that set 97 and 24 well apart in the vast starry expanse.

1 > Nuance

I wanted to describe some of my 1997 Riven experience earlier to touch on this a bit. Riven hit me hard back then, because of the excruciating detail in the realistic animated movement of things. Don't get me wrong, the water in 2024 is surprisingly awesome. But when something like the Gate Room moves… something is lacking. It doesn't feel real. It's starts pretty good, but stops suddenly. No nuanced settling. The spider chair, same thing. Doors throughout the game are all this way. Everything's kind of quick and without physical nuance. Riven 97's animations are exquisite. Suspension of disbelief, immediately achieved. That kind of animation with sound design, goes millions of miles for the total experience of a digitally rendered setting. Will touch on this a little more in exactly one second.

2 > Point & Click

Player controls and animation nuance are connected subjects. The movement of things includes the player, that is, your perspective. 24 experience forgoes steadiness and stillness in player movement for full 3D navigation. The natural world of Riven is animating all around you. The animation quality of many objects is already not that great in 24. But the scenery is gorgeous. Sit still in 24, and just soak it in. Anywhere on any island, in any book. The scenery is spectacular. No need to animate it by my own movement. It breaks the realistic quality of the scene. It leads to an… unreal sensation. Today's gaming community will largely disagree with me on this, but Riven suffers from full 3D navigation. Without modifying anything else, a point / click interface would vastly improve the actual beauty embedded in 24's Riven. It would be a large step closer to bringing 24 into the realm of a hires remake of 97.

I was excited to navigate Riven in full 3D. The effect of this surprised me and highlighted something from the past. The stillness of the frame in 97. And in the clarity of gorgeous hi resolution imagery, I can't think of a better setting to hold the camera steady.

It's a key difference between the two Fives. The nuance of the animated objects and the distraction of navigating a 3D environment. 97 let's you observe everything, every frame. 24 guides your 3D navigation and hopes you don't sit still too long to notice some of the more impatient animations.

3 > Character cut-scenes

The opening of 97 is on par with the opening of a great film. It calmly and swiftly sets the tone, goals, and feel for the rest of the entire experience. It is perfect. Emotional, grave, serious, engaging, intriguing, respectful, and executed just so well. You don't interact with anything, you don't need to. I wonder why this was not done in 24? By comparison, it's disastrous, everything that made the 97 opening is lost. Even Atrus' script is watered down. The tone is much less serious, and much more casual. It's uninteresting. And then to have to navigate in 3D to click on the screen… it just breaks the fabric of the opening in half. In short, 97's opening is dramatic, whereas 24's is operational. It's barely serviceable. It is sterile. They are starkly contrasted. Truly shocking. It's 27 years later, shouldn't this scene be immaculate?

I can't think of one scene in 24 where an animated character is talking to you, and you need to interact with it. With that said, I'm not arguing for fmv, although 97 absolutely executed this with near perfection, I am wondering why couldn't pre-rendered high resolution animated cut scenes been used for these moments? Where the characters look near real, at least as real as the environment around them? A gollydarn pixar animation would do. Really, anything so long as it conveys the nuance of emotions, and does the job well. 97 Riven used real people footage over digital renders. And it looked amazing. Truly a stand out for that sort of thing back in the day. No game did it that good. 24 has done the opposite. Created near photo real environments in realtime 3D, with animated characters that don't look like they belong there. Even the wahrk looks… not nearly as good as 97's wahrk. Again, the excruciating detail in 97's animations is lost in 24. You can feel that with things like creatures, doors, and maglevs. And you can definitely feel that with 24's newest animated objects, the people. The character cut scenes are not even close to comparable. And yet again, here we are, 27 years into the technological future with something that feels less realistic than it's predecessor from the dustbins of scsi drives and crts.

4 > Island/puzzle modifications

2024 Riven is not 1997 Riven. Literally, things have changed so much, it's a different game. Garden/Survey Island for example, has lost a lot of its charm and feels nearly useless. In 97, the magic of this place compounded upon every movement more inward. The firey volcanic, gorgeous elevator used to transport you down not merely to a maglev, but thematically and dramatically aligned and led you down to an underground, underwater throne/observatory. It made sense an elevator like that would take you to you to a place so dark and intriguing. 24's beautiful elevator down simply gets you to another poorly animated maglev ride. The new pathway down to Gehn's underground throne is a sudden, swift and simple cart elevator ride down a shaft. Fairly straight forward, mildly jarring, and not very interesting. There's almost nothing to do up top where the fire marble dome resides. The entire fire marble puzzle has been so seriously simplified, the surveying apparatus to locate fmd's on islands is entirely absent in 24. Apparently this area has become a place where Gehn and his minions kill moiety people by way of wahrk attack. Gehn was a madman in 97 and sacrificed moiety/Rivenese at the Gallows, but if we are to talk character here, Gehn 97 wasn't just a murderous maniac. He was power corrupted. Dominandi inebriated. His sacrifices were public for many reasons. 24 Gehn feels a little more like a shallower bad guy. Now's he's simply murdering everybody. You know, like those nasty shallow one note hollywood villains do. 'He's just so terrible!' I like how Gehn had layers in 97. He still has some now, but you'd be lucky to notice or care for that matter. We get some depth with 233rd's imager, but Garden Island paints him too maniacal. 97 is a patient, largely quiet journey through a gorgeous series of interconnected islands. It was not rushed and felt introspective. Everything in Riven, islands and objects, developed Gehn's character. As a player, you intimately explore this persons art. Disposition, and get a good taste of the symptoms of power. 24 seems more like a place mass murderer Gehn happens to control, and I am supposed to be nervous he's after me too. This approach doesn't work well for me as a 97 fanatic. This Riven rewrite may serve new players well, I hope it does. It makes sense, but I miss the steady, calm, patient, explorative, almost eerie comfort of 97.

Over on Book/Boiler Island, Gehn's lab is no longer very inviting. It feels more like a laboratory with over the top, slightly out of place, scientific instrumentation. A bit cluttered and distracting. What was a book lab in 97, has become a fire marble lab in 24. 97's lab is very much enjoyable to explore and just be in, featuring a gorgeous potbelly oven as the room's centerpiece to boot. In 24, I suppose comfort is not quite the aim. It is, after all, Gehn-the-Terrible's domain, so by the threads of story, it makes sense. But there is something so seriously unappealing about Gehn's lab now. I'm not even sure I can put my finger on it. 97's lab is rewarding. It is gorgeous and elegant. 97 makes sense with Gehn's style (that being the entirety of Riven). A place I wanted to just sit in and think. How one breaks into the lab has dramatically changed as well. I could probably write a lot about the modifications of 24's Book Island, as with Garden, they are changes largely baffling to me and detrimental to the captivating intrigue these places possess in 97.

In 24, the Village in Jungle Island has expanded, and it's wonderful. The moiety stone room remains in tact, surprisingly, and it's beautiful in there. The moiety animal puzzle itself has been completely rebuilt. I prefer the minimal and totally interesting swiveling numbered animal noise balls in walls from 97, but the in your face, unmissable totem-moiety-number, moiety-lens-revealing-animal-symbol thing works fine. Once one finally manages to enter the actual Village, it's wonderful in there. I found myself wanting to explore even more. The water tower worked for the animal puzzle, but part of me was wanting something else. Something cultural up there. Maybe related to Tay. Not sure, maybe present a little friction to access those adobes of highest elevation. Perhaps a more protected area higher up the huts, where a moiety school exists, to counter the d'ni school below. A good place one could spend time learning the moiety numbers et al, after you've already amassed the symbols from totems or balls in walls, you could then finally translate the numerals. It's just so darn cool up there in huts-ville. All in all, very well done additions, without many modifications to the village in 24, except of course the moiety puzzle, as mentioned. Actually another excellent, major modification to 24's Jungle is the submarine dry dock area, accessed near the maglev to Garden Island. I found this to make a lot more sense on the story lines, and was enjoyable to use. The sub's piloting mechanisms were simplified as well, which I thought benefited the Village/Gallows explorations. It was easeful.

But why did 24 have to make accessing the sub dry dock so convoluted? Why couldn't we simply find that little switch to open the Wahrk elevator in the Jungle? Much of the subtlety of 97's Jungle has fallen into the fissure. 97's moiety puzzle is so wonderfully elegant. Minimally integrated into the environment and culture. 24's totem structures all look fantastic and culturally rich. But as a puzzle element, they are not only in plain view, but strongly highlighted. Perhaps the beautiful totem stick people things could be used for something else of importance, culturally. Maybe a cemetery of some sorts for the lives sacrificed? Let's see that spooky girl trip through a cemetery patch in the jungle maybe. Totem stick people, perhaps with flowers adorning a few. Maybe there's a special significance to one in particular. Who knows, all kinds of things could be done with the totems. They look so good, and feel like Rivenese constructs. Excellent. In keeping with 97's ingenuity, I could see the moiety puzzle untouched, and totems added for more depth in new areas. That tree out back… awesome, but as a mere puzzle piece, it feels unimportant. At the end of the day, beautiful assets all over this island and perhaps my favorite island in 24.

Conclusion

I would love to see a high resolution of Riven 1997 with these points addressed. Riven 2024 is wonderful, and I appreciate all the folks involved in it's making. When I initially caught wind of The Starry Expanse project here in tumblr, I was skeptical. I said softly to noone, "No, please don't do this." I thought the nuance and realism of Riven could not be done in realtime 3d. And at the time I think I was right. But as that project continued, one demo after the next, I saw it's progress. And by the time the Jungle Island demo was demonstrated, I was blown away. It looked gorgeous, and felt like Riven 1997. It wasn't complete, but I could see it's potential. It is possible.

The Starry Expanse was the ideal group to get it done. Cyan has already made Riven once, now twice. Cyan has financial constraints. Starry did not. It could have taken as long as it needed. A volunteer project (i think…?) to remake Riven in all of it's original glory. People who had no hand in the original undertaking. Just hard core fans of the work. No better person to hold faith to the original material. It remains a dream. And that's ok. We have Riven 1997. Riven 2024 may be the 1997 for some new gamers. I hope that's true. But for us still taking the bridge from Book to Temple, I'm still looking for Atrus to get me back to the place that I came from.

Riven 2024 is good.

Riven 1997 is god.

Please forgive me, fellow explorers. I apologize for this. And thanks for reading. Take care, my friends.

#myst #riven #d'ni #misc #1997 #2024

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marlynnofmany · 2 years

Text

A Completely Problem-Free Delivery

The city-ship was right where they’d said it would be, all swoopy lines and strange architecture that told me it certainly hadn’t been designed on my home planet. But more concerning were the blast marks and the floating space junk.

“Hang back while we do a couple more scans,” said Captain Sunlight with a stern look on her lizardy face. Since she was in the copilot’s seat today, she hit the buttons and levers and whatever for those scans herself while Wio the pilot dutifully brought us to a stop. The cockpit lights made the blue stripes on Wio’s tentacles shine extra bright, which always reminded me of a blue-ringed octopus.

Wio probably wasn’t venomous. Probably. Someone would have told me if she was, right? At any rate, it wasn’t polite to ask.

I was still pretty new on this courier ship, though finding my feet with respectable speed. And I’d felt confident enough to ask if I could watch our approach from the cockpit. Captain Sunlight had even said yes.

“I count over two dozen military ships,” she told Wio. “They look to be allied with the city, in guard formation.”

“No active kerfuffle, then?” Wio asked, tapping the console idly with one tentacle while wrapping and unwrapping several others around the chair’s central post. She was never still. I wondered if aliens ever had ADHD. Again, not going to ask.

“I think not, but there was clearly recent trouble, and they’re braced for more.” Captain Sunlight looked at the clock. Probably thinking about the shipment we were due to deliver, and whether any delays would mean trouble for us. “Well, we’re hardly any safer out here,” she decided. “Plenty of asteroids in quickflight distance; who knows what raiders could be hiding with scanblockers? Let’s do business quickly, then be gone.”

“In we go,” Wio said with a tentacle flip in place of a nod. She angled the solar sails and manipulated a bunch of other controls I didn’t recognize, and in moments we were zipping toward the city-ship. Specifically toward one outstretched curve shaped like a shark fin. A docking bay opened as we approached. Right next to a blast mark that was worryingly deep.

I spoke up. “Should we wear exo suits during the unloading? Just in case?” I grasped the edge of the barstool-sized passenger seat, feeling like a kid on a car trip with opinions about which detour to take.

But Captain Sunlight was nodding. “Couldn’t hurt,” she said, pressing another button with a yellow-scaled hand. “I’m sure no one will blame us for not trusting the life support systems of this wing right now.”

“Speaking of which,” Wio said as we approached the door, “Looks awfully dark in there.”

“It does.” Captain Sunlight flicked on the high-beams. “Let’s help them out with that.”

The lights showed us a wide enough empty space to land in, among other ships and various storage crates in what looked to me like suspicious disarray. Wio folded the sails early to get them out of the way, and set us down by the door, which closed behind us.

A pair of Waterwills approached calmly enough, with no weapons to be seen anywhere about their gooey bodies. If you picture a circular fridge made of jello, which has been stirred with musty pond water and half a fridge’s worth of solid objects, then you’ve got a Waterwill. I’ve rarely seen more than a couple of them in one place, and I had no idea how they worked. But they were generally polite in my experience. I had one question about this pair.

“Can all Waterwills jump like that?” I asked. The Waterwills bounded across the dock like the goofiest of slow-motion cartoons. Then their speed registered. “Ohh, the gravity here is low, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and it’s not supposed to be,” Sunlight said with a frown. “I hope it’s just this wing. That could cripple a city.” She hit the in-ship intercom. “Exo suits for everybody, and be prepared for low gravity. This is a whole-crew job, as quickly and safely as possible. Go.” With that, she unbuckled and hopped down from the chair, pointing at Wio. “You stay and monitor everything we’ve got sensors for. You go get dressed,” she said to me.

“On it,” I said, standing up from my own chair and hurrying for the door. I was much taller than she was, and it wouldn’t do to loom over the captain. Plus we had urgent work to do.

The rest of the crew were either already at the cargo bay, or on the way there. I stepped over and around the various tails, tentacles, and bug legs of my crewmates to grab the only human-sized exo suit and put it on in the hallway. Not so crowded there.

I could hear the faint sound of Wio’s voice over the external speakers telling the Waterwills that we would open the door in just a moment; patience please. It really was just a moment. This crew had gotten fast at putting their suits on. I should probably practice. I’d just gotten it zipped and sealed when Captain Sunlight did the airlock check.

“Ready!” I called, adding my voice to the rest. It was over-preparedness, since nobody was in the airlock yet, and I was back in the hall anyway, but being over-prepared sounded like a great idea today.

The airlock worked fine. The loading dock had air anyway. The local gravity was low, but usable. Everything was okay. I told myself that as I joined the rest of the delivery crew in wrangling boxes through two different levels of gravity.

“Whoop, that’s awkward,” I muttered at my first step off the ship. Good thing I’d picked a small box to carry, since the step that carried me over the threshold drifted much farther than I’d expected, and I almost tripped. Got it under control, though.

A Waterwill pointed with what passed for an arm, and I did my hop-skipping best to follow the directions for where to put the box. We were making a stack against a wall. Quickly, efficiently, hoppingly, and with the crates all lined up with tidy lines. Good for us.

“Your ship lights are helpful,” said the nearest Waterwill in a bubbly voice. “Our backup lights only show you how much you can’t see, and the main ones have been out dead since the impact. Not like the gravity. That’s been—”

I found for myself how that had been when the gravity suddenly doubled. Good thing I’d already set down my box. I collapsed to my knees, caught off guard, gasping for breath in the exo suit. Thuds and exclamations of pain filled the dock. I stayed on all fours, taking deep breaths and staring at the condensed blob of goo that was an irritated-sounding Waterwill.

Then the gravity released, and everything drifted gently upward. The Waterwill stretched out to normal height like one of those toys with a spring inside. Somebody was swearing loudly. Sounded like Zhee’s glorious exoskeleton didn’t do much for his joints in extreme gravity. Poor guy.

I drifted to the floor again, and realized that the gravity was back on a low setting. We could still upload without swimming through the air. I didn’t relish the idea of trying to wrangle this many boxes in zero G.

But we might have to, I reminded myself as I straightened out sore knees and bounded toward the ship. Here’s hoping the gravity holds steady.

It mostly did. There was a brief stint of normal Earth levels, which was enough to make the Frillian twins stumble where they were team-carrying a heavy crate. I was close by and jumped forward to lend a hand. Together we set it in place, and they both thanked me for the help. I didn’t admit that it was more of an instinct to avoid being crushed. I was totally a helpful mini-hero; yay for me.

But then we were actually done unloading, and Captain Sunlight had signed everything over to the Waterwills, and next came the hard part.

Picking up our next delivery.

It was three large crates, made of purple wood, and each one taller than I was.

“Mur, how many hoversleds do we have right now?” Captain Sunlight asked.

“Only one big enough for those,” Mur said. He draped a blue-black tentacle over his pointy squid head, making his clear exo suit squeak. “A couple of the small ones will probably work in pairs, though.”

Captain Sunlight grimaced inside her helmet: many displeased sharp teeth. “Let’s do it. Everyone be very careful.”

We were. Nobody got any toes or other body parts anywhere near crushing range, and Mur steered the sled into our ship during another patch of standard gravity. That crate was fine. The next one was a disaster and a half.

It was damaged, to start with: a smashed corner that had happened before we arrived. Captain Sunlight made sure to note in the documentation that it hadn’t been our fault, and she got the Waterwills to confirm it. They were reasonably sure that the stuff inside wasn’t damaged, and that the actual owners wouldn’t be upset. These folks were just dock-working intermediaries, not the owners themselves.

With that vote of confidence, we got the movement underway, only to be slammed with enough gravity to completely lose the crate off the sleds. It hit the floor with a boom; the sleds shot off in opposite directions; everyone fell down. Something smashed against the far wall.

“Just a trash can,” said a Waterwill, puddled on the floor. The other one burbled in frustration.

The gravity went light again after that, which was the perfect chance for trash to float through the room, along with a variety of things from the broken corner of the crate.

It was such a mess. The trash was mostly dry, thankfully, though something had spilled inside the crate to make most of what was drifting out damp and green. One of the Waterwills muttered something about it smelling like kombucha. So now we had a bunch of kombucha-scented … cloth? Silks?

Aw man, I thought. That looks expensive. And there were other things too, which could have been paperweights or precious gems or who knew what else. I sure didn’t.

“Blip, Blop, you two shove the broken crate to the side,” Captain Sunlight directed the Frillians. “Let’s get this other one loaded, then assess. Everyone stay close to the floor.”

That seemed like good advice. I grabbed some of the wet silks floating past, and made my way over to stuff them back into their crate, hopping with both feet together and my knees bent, as ready as I could be for the malfunctioning gravity to jerk us around again.

It stayed light for a longer span than I expected, but no one was complaining. Well, not about that, anyway. The silks got stuck on every sharp corner in the room, of which there were many. One clump even lodged above an emergency light. No one was eager to go up that high and grab it.

I looked at Zhee, who was limping past with a pile of mossy-looking cloth that he was trying to keep from snagging on his praying-mantis pincher arms. “Think we should leave that one for somebody to get later? When the gravity works and they have a ladder?”

“Yes,” he said before I’d finished talking. “Not worth the risk.”

An urgent beep nearby turned out to be a communicator that had been hidden somewhere among a Waterwill’s floating bits — gross and not worth thinking about too long — and which proved to be a phone call from the owners of the crates. They were returning to their wing of the city-ship now that the danger was over, and they wanted to check on their belongings.

“Uh yes, see you soon!” the Waterwill said, looking at the phone in a way that said the call had already been ended. “Aw, plasma. Hey, all folks! The ambassadors are on the way! Be on your best behavior, because they are cranky and important. But you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Duty noted,” Captain Sunlight called back. She urged the crew to finish getting the unbroken crate onboard. Gravity was still light, but it could change at any time.

The Waterwill with the phone spun in place, a worried pirouette. One little arm extension pointed at the silk caught on the light. “Do you have any long-reach grabbing tools?” the Waterwill asked Zhee.

“Don’t think so,” Zhee said, “That bit might have to wait.”

But the Waterwill was rapidly becoming an anxious mess, concerned that the ambassadors would pitch a fit about their belongings strewn about the loading dock. It sounded like these were people who could cause trouble for lowly workers who displeased them.

What kind of ambassador acts like that? I wondered. Aren’t they supposed to be tactful all the time? Maybe they’re just rude to The Help. I’ve certainly met that sort of people before.

My thoughts about entitled jerks from home were interrupted by the Waterwill actively trying to recruit someone to climb up the wall and grab the cloth. Zhee refused, Paint said her arms were too short anyway, and everybody else was busy.

I sighed deeply and took stock of the small handholds in the architecture. “I’ll do it,” I said.

Zhee called out, “Try not to break yourself on the job,” but was otherwise no help.

Paint was worried. “The gravity could change again,” she objected, rubbing the fingers of her suit together in a way that normally made her orange scales click. Stress gesture.

“I’ll be fast,” I said. “Can you move one of the spare hoversleds under me, just in case?”

She did, rushing off to grab one while I bounced over carefully and started testing handholds. If the gravity increased to normal while I was climbing, I should be okay, but extreme crush might be a problem. I didn’t want to get my fingers stuck. That was a quick route to a potential amputation, even with the exo suit.

“I’m just going to jump up there,” I announced when Paint brought the sled over. She looked even more worried, but the Waterwill urged me on. The ambassadors would be here soon.

Deep breath time. The cloth was stuck at about twice my height, a green-and-gold filmy bundle drifting lazily on the air currents. Pipes and seams and suchlike made a path below it. I could have moved boxes over here to build a staircase with, but high gravity might put my foot right through one, and anyway there wasn’t time.

I got a running start and tried to sprint toward the wall, though the best I could do was a series of hops with increasing speed. I jumped off the hoversled in a way that was probably against several rules, got a toehold that was just barely big enough, and leapt upward.

I almost missed and drifted back out into open air — my heart rate did not like that — but I managed to grab the silk. Yanked it free, clutched the light with my free hand to pull myself closer to the wall, then rebounded off a pipe on my way floorward.

I touched down on the hoversled just as the gravity increased again. At least the sled bounced a bit when I collapsed onto it, spinning away from where Paint and the Waterwill were laid out on the floor, their hoorays turned into ouches.

This stint of heavy gravity was brief. I rode the sliding hoversled over to the broken crate, waving the silk like a banner. My suit was probably going to stink of kombucha, but that was a small price to pay for victory. “Got it!” I declared.

“Nice,” Mur said, grabbing the silk and hurrying to stuff it back into the hole while everyone else was getting to their feet, or the equivalent. Like the Waterwills, Mur didn’t fall down so much as squish. “That’s the last of — Waugh!” He jumped back as something small and gray scrambled out of the hole and made a mad dash for the boxes.

“That’s a rat!” I said, somewhat stupidly, but maybe it wasn’t as much of a Captain Obvious moment as I’d thought. No one else recognized the animal.

“A what?” Mur demanded.

“Is it dangerous?” Captain Sunlight asked quickly while the rest of the crew shouted about it.

“Not really,” I said, watching in surprise as the furry little beastie found a hiding spot between boxes. “I mean, some do carry diseases. But their teeth are small. Well, not sharp, anyway.”

Nobody liked that answer. Not the captain, worried about danger to the crew; not the Waterwills, worried about what the ambassadors would say; not Paint, hyperventilating in a corner. Blip patted her on the shoulder.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” I insisted. “We’re in exo suits. Let me see if I can catch it before the ambassadors get here. Where’s that trash can?”

Way over by the far wall. I pushed the hoversled like a surfboard for more speed, and zoomed over to grab it in a way that wouldn’t put me in danger of a high-grav faceplant. Wish I’d thought of this sooner. I dumped out the last of the soda cans and whatever, grabbed the lid off the floor, then zipped back the way I had come with the dented trash can in tow.

Now, catching a rat is normally a time-intensive process that involves traps, patience, and bait. We had none of that. But we did have excellent luck, and a patch of normal gravity.

The trash can was squareish, which meant no open spots when laid on the ground with some hastily-retrieved silks crumpled inside to hide among. At my directions, everyone shoved boxes into rows, making a corridor that led to the trash can. Then I flushed the rat out of hiding.

Ooh, it was a quick one. Scuttled right by me in the wrong direction, only to be menaced by Zhee into changing course for the corridor. The rest of the crew (most of them) were lined up behind the boxes to funnel the rat toward the trash can. (Those with soft exo suits that could be bitten through, like Mur, hung back with the Waterwills. And Paint, because she was apparently afraid of rats for some reason. Not judging.)

The rat dove into the silks, just as I’d hoped, but when Blop moved to slam the lid on, it zipped right back out.

Many hands reached for it, but the rat was wily and panicked; it dodged every one and leapt off the captain’s shoulder.

Then the gravity went gloriously light, and that befuddled rat sailed, squeaking, right into my waiting hands. I got it in a no-bitey grip with my thumb under one foreleg and my finger under its chin, cradled the butt with my other hand, and moved it safely into the trash can before the gravity did anything else stupid. Closed the lid, snapped it into place, then sat on it for good measure.

To wild approval.

It was while everyone was cheering and singing my praises that the ambassadors walked in without exo suits. Hopped, really, looking just as cranky as expected. They were human though, and that was a surprise.

A disappointing one.

“What is happening in here? What kind of professionalism is this?” demanded the gray-haired pale guy.

“Who is in charge?” asked the matching woman in tones of deep disapproval.

The Waterwills greeted them with humble apologies, followed by Captain Sunlight with levelheaded patience. Neither made much of a dent in their attitude.

“It’s damaged? And who do we have to blame for that?”

“Clearly someone wasn’t handling it well. Don’t try to blame this on low gravity; that just sounds like an excuse for incompetence to me.”

Nobody had mentioned the rat yet. I picked up the trash can and strolled over.

“What’s this?” asked the woman.

I set it down. The rat inside scrabbled madly at the sides. “You will be pleased to know,” I announced. “That at great risk to life and limb, we have re-captured your pet.”

“Pet?” the woman asked.

“What pet?” the man said sharply.

“Your rat,” I said with false innocence. “Little gray cutie—” I was cut off by a flood of objections. “If it’s not yours, then why was it in your crate? We all saw it jump out, and assumed you would want it back.”

“No we don’t want it back!” the man yelled, getting a bit red in the face.

“Oh, that’s a pity,” I said.

“You’re telling me a rat got in there too?” the woman asked. “After someone here broke it open?”

“Oh no, not at all,” I said, then I wiped the smile from my face. “I’m telling you that your shipment contained a potentially-deadly animal, and if not for the damage sustained by gravity fluctuations due to the city-ship’s recent impacts, we would have been obliged to bring that risk onboard our own ship. Where we do not wear exo suits in our day-to-day lives.”

They had a lot to say, but I went on.

“I’m sure you are upset about the damage done to your shipment, and I agree; that is unfortunate. The rat has probably made quite a nest inside the box. I recommend a biohazard team handle it from this point forward. But any concern for material losses must come second to the very real risk you have introduced to this loading dock, and possibly the city. Where was the crate packed?”

The woman answered my question with a name I’d never heard of while the man objected. “What are you talking about, ‘deadly risk?’” he sputtered. “It’s a rat!”

I adopted a concerned expression. “You are familiar with hantavirus, are you not? Salmonellosis? Rat-Bite Fever? Rodents carry many diseases, and if this isn’t a pet, then it’s anyone’s guess what contagions its bite contains.”

The ambassadors could have been reasonable people, and owned up to the problem, or at least blamed it on who ever had packed the crate. But no, they were jerks who tried to blame it on us.

They stormed out into the hallway, shouting for some sort of officials who had escorted them there, and immediately began trying to spin the situation.

Luckily for us, the officials (human too!) had already had enough of this pair, and easily believed our account of things. Especially once I fished out a chunk of wood with bite marks from the broken crate. I’d glimpsed it earlier when putting away the silks, but I hadn’t thought about what kind of marks those were until now. Sure looked like the rat had been trying to get out before the crate broke.

“Well, how about you pay these nice people,” the lead official suggested, with the faintest smile on her face. “There’s been no harm done, and they’ll want to be on their way delivering your other two crates. Unless we should check those for pests too?”

The ambassadors said of course the other two crates were fine, and since the cameras in our cargo bay had been repaired, Captain Sunlight was willing to allow them onboard under supervision. Assuming the ambassadors signed for potential further damages, on the off chance that another problem animal did show its head during the short trip.

This was even less pleasant for the ambassadors to swallow, but under the polite insistence of the officials, they finally agreed. Grumpily. Then once the form was signed, they flounced off with as much dignity as the low gravity allowed.

Captain Sunlight put a small hand on my arm. “How much of a biohazard should we clean for?” she asked quietly. “I can have Wio get the sanitizing hose for all the exo suits before we board, though it will be messy.”

“It’s probably not that bad,” I murmured back. “Just tell her to bring the medical scanner to check the rat.”

“Got it.”

Wio was out in a flash, and the gravity behaved while the trash can lid was cracked open for the scan. What do you know, the rat was perfectly healthy. Not even any fleas.

The official woman smiled. “Well that’s good news! I wonder if it’s an escaped pet after all.”

“You’re welcome to adopt it,” I said, pushing the can forward a smidge. “Though I will give you all the warnings about handling it without gloves. You don’t want to get bitten, even by a healthy rat.”

“We’ll see if anyone has reported a lost one,” she said. “Then who knows? I might just have somebody in mind who’s always wanted a pet that’s a challenge.” She exchanged looks with the two quiet officials beside her.

“All yours,” I said with a dramatic wave toward the trash can. I looked at the Waterwills. “Should they bring the can back afterward, or will you be getting a new one that’s not dented?”

“New one,” burbled the closer Waterwill. “You can go ahead and recycle that.”

“Well!” said Captain Sunlight with a clap of her gloved hands. “This has all been exciting, but we do have a schedule to at least attempt to keep.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” said the official. “Thank you for handling this mess and catching the rat.”

“All credit goes to Robin here,” Captain Sunlight said with a gesture toward me. “Our resident animal expert and quick-thinker.”

I tried to compose a proper aw-shucks reply, but the official just shook my hand with more thanks. “Robin, is it? Well, we are grateful. What’s your surname?”

“Bennett,” I told her, and she nodded with the kind of look that said she was committing it to memory. That was more of a compliment than the words, really. It’s a fine thing to have people in authority think well of you.

There was another round of general thank-you-goodbyes, then we all trooped back onboard. The city-ship’s gravity was still light, which made the heaviness inside our ship feel foreign. But by the time I got my exo suit off, it was all just about normal. I gave the gloves a wipe-down with some cleaner while the engines rumbled to life. It really did smell like kombucha.

When I left the cargo bay, I met Wio coming to find me. After a moment of “Who’s flying the ship?” (Kavlae was taking a turn), Wio said she had questions.

“Just how common are those diseases you mentioned?” she asked. “Was it actually a big risk?”

“Well, not with the suits,” I said. “And they’re less common than they used to be, but still something to keep in mind with wild rats.”

“Do the wild ones look the same as the domesticated kind? You really can’t tell at a glance if it was a pet?”

“Tame ones are usually a little more delicate, but they’re the same species,” I told her. “We never really bred rats for anything specific, not like we did with dogs.”

“So you just decided that the disease-ridden, bitey little things chewing on your belongings would make perfect pets as-is.”

“Yup, basically!” I said. “Except for the disease. Most of our pets could be described as bitey little troublemakers, but that’s part of their charm.”

She patted my leg with a blue-striped tentacle that probably wasn’t poisonous. “Likewise, I’m sure.”

“Hey now, I haven’t bitten anyone since I was a kid,” I said.

“Oh asteroids, I was joking!”

“Sure you were.”

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of Robin Bennett, the spacefaring veterinarian from A Swift Kick to the Thorax. No idea how many I’ll write, but I’m not done yet!

#my writing #the Token Human #humans are weird #long post #seriously this was not meant to be so long #but I like to think it's worth it #humans are space orcs #hfy #haso #science fiction #this is the story I was talking about last night #with the 'I have no idea how the spaceship works' bit at the beginning #I stand by that

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xeno-bio-sociology · 8 months

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Would it even be possible for a Mother Grub-like creature to exist on a humanoid species scale without magic, considering the vast caloric intake it would need just to exist even without constant egg-laying? Speaking of, how fast do you think it could produce eggs? I'm trying to figure out numbers for the troll population and that's my starting point.

Woof, hmmm....

It's interesting because I have wondered some of these things myself before, wanting a place like Alternia or any other giant-animals & dragons world to be plausible, but I don't have the background to get into the actual science of it. But let's see how far I can get and then hope that someone else can fill in the gaps.

Okay, so the three major constraints we'd be working with here are: structural integrity vs gravity and square-cubed law, air intake and blood circulation vs square-cube law, and calorie intake vs food chains and square-cube law.

For those who don't know, the square-cube law is the principle that the mass/volume/weight of an object grows faster (x3) than its surface area (x2) or the measurement of its height/length/depth in one direction (x1). An ant, being much smaller than a human, needs proportionally less muscle to fight back against gravity. Its exoskeleton doesn't need to be made of a super-tough material to withstand most of the impacts it receives or to easily contain all the bodily tissues. It needs less oxygen and what oxygen it has can reach all its tissues even without a special tube system to pump it all over the place, and it can survive on a very small amount of calories. If you simply embiggened the ant to a human size it would collapse and be unable to breathe.

So let's take this one at a time: structural integrity Our mother grub needs to be made of much stronger material than an ant is. There is precedence for this, found in other animal kingdoms. Elephants manage to move around despite their size, as did the dinosaurs before them, with huge dense bones and similarly meaty muscles. And both the scaly-footed gastropod and some rodents integrate metals into their bodies to toughen their shells and teeth respectively.

This is an alien from a different planet and evolutionary tree after all, we do not have to stick to the traits we can observe in the insect kingdom on our own planet here. Calling trolls and mothergrubs insects or insectoid is simply a shorthand for convenience and we can decide that they've convergently evolved these adaptations or whatever else we might invent to allow them to work as we wish, we just have to make the actual function make scientific sense. So, the mother grub's exoskeleton is metal-infused, and she might have a secondary internal skeleton to hold her up as well, as a solid core to hand things on is more structurally sound and mobile than a can around it. Or perhaps a more honeycomb-like approach, with supports scattered throughout; like a building with rooms. Maybe it evolved in a kind of opposite way to how a turtle did, where it had an internal skeleton that then grew into a shell. Or perhaps it is a new structure that we do not have an equivalent for in our insects. Either way, that's the exoskeleton out of the way.

As for muscles, while I think it's possible for them to have evolved them to the point that they can have the typical thin limbs of an insect, since we can see that mechanical devices can operate under such contraints, I think it's likely that that the limbs in general and the weightbearing and locomoting legs especially are significantly chunkier than we would see on an ant.

I will say however, that it is entirely possible that the mother grub in particular is not especially expected to move around by herself, and typically relies on drones and jadebloods to do much of anything. Pretty sure that’s how termites do. Perhaps Kanaya's virgin mother grub is also smaller than she is depicted; though the opposite could be true and most mother grubs do not regularly attain such sizes and either the lusus fluke or her being unmated contribute to her being as large as she is. We simply do not see any other mother grubs, though the implication that the skull on Terezi's scale is from one would suggest that the inverse is true and mother grubs can be enormous indeed. Either way, she probably doesn’t fly unless she’s much lighter than she looks and maybe filled with helium. Perhaps the wings are decorative? Or maybe they function as part of a heat-dissipation system or even for oxygen exchange themselves?

In any case, onto the next issue: air and blood circulation

As you probably already know, insects have a much different respiratory system to vertebrates. Instead of a central hole or three to breathe from and a sac to breathe into, where it dissolves into the blood and then a bunch of tubes all around the body to take the blood to the tissues, they tend to have what are called "spiracles," a bunch of little holes in their skin big enough for the air to enter and a tube to take the air to the tissues directly. The problem with this on a large scale is 1: less surface area:volume means you have less space for spiracles, 2: more volume:size means it's harder to get the oxygen to all the tissues you've got packed in there. Letting the oxygen essentially just passively absorb just isn't very efficient.

In past eons some invertebrates have gotten around this to get much larger than they are today by the simple expedient of there being significantly more oxygen in the air than there is these days. We can also get a heck of a lot more leeway by updating our mother grubs to have a heart and blood and veins and such. Something more complex than the simple book lung that spiders and such have. For reference, while the largest terrestrial invertebrate that ever lived was a 110lb millipede we think that the blue whale is pretty much the largest an animal can get with a mammalian circulatory system before the heart just can't pump the blood through the body fast enough, and it comes in at 199 tons (two-hearted whale when).

So pump up the oxygen level (not too high or there's fire explosionsm especially under the alternial sun), and maybe decrease the gravity on the planet and things can grow pretty big. Maybe you could even switch out oxygen and carbon as the main elements we're looking at here and get a boost that way too. I’m not big on chemistry or how things work, so maybe oxygen and carbon are the only things that’ll work here, but for instance the atmosphere on earth is 78% nitrogen and only 21% oxygen and humans don’t even do anything with the nitrogen, so even assuming that humans have to breathe the same air as exists on alternia (not a safe bet, as each species would have some wiggle room in terms of air composition and all humans were godtiered and capable of surviving in the vacuum of space [or at least the medium] by the time they were face-to-face with the trolls, and Earth C is both dubiously canon and potentially contains species that are not quite the same as those on either earth or alternia) you’ve got plenty of space to fill with some alternate gas in there.

So we’ve got a metal-plated, well-muscled mother grub who maybe doesn’t move around so much and has anatamy containing lungs, pumped blood, and veins. Maybe she’s got spiracles still and they work like our own airways or maybe she’s got a big honker of a nose like humans do, but either way we’re cooking with fire here. We’ve made the planet lighter and changed the O2 content and maybe we’re working with a silico-hydrate base for all our flesh-building purposes and thicken up the air so it’s soupy and bouyant. Heck, maybe we shrink everything we see over on alternia and the trolls themselves a bit, and they’re only depicted as of equal size as humans for story reasons or maybe everything gets resized to a default setting once it enters the medium for convenience’s sake. Whatever, it’s not important cause now comes the problem that I keep running into headlong each time I try to tackle an alternia-like ecosphere. The food web.

Cause, see, the mother grub by her self and trolls as a whole, they’re not a problem. (Well, not until they start taking all those nutrients to space)

The problem is this: Lookit how many giant predators and hyper-predators there are. Lookit this dragon. That is canonically a newborn. She can fly and breathe fire. Lookit this horrorterror. She canonically eats a ton of land and surface dwelling meats and isn’t just subsisting off of chemical vents or something.

All that mass, the energy to go flying off into the sky with extra to (literally) burn? That’s gotta come from somewhere. And on the one hand, we have maybe a partial answer: the sun. Specifically, that it is implied to be extremely hot and strong and maybe close. Not explicit, since Trolls could be unusual in their being nocturnal and even looking at our sun for long will blind a person, but the implications are there and we can run with them to a big, hot, super energy source ripe for the taking. The problem with that is that energy typically doesn’t flow down the food chain very far. We like to think of the food web as being a self-sustaining perpetual motion machine, but that’s just not true. So much energy is lost at each step, often as heat. And then that heat dissipates into the atmosphere and then escapes out into the greater universe. Think about it; how many seeds does a bird have to eat to grow to its adult size, and then to sustain it every day? Then how many birds does a cat have to eat to do the same? And how many cats does a fisher eat, and how many of those does a puma need in its life? It’s a lot. It’s exponential at each step, since a creature must spend so much energy just maintining its daily life and can’t put it all on body growth. And then all of that big long chain has to be sustained on vast quantities of plant matter, who generate their own bodies from the sun. There is of course a secondary chain that “starts” with detrivores like fungus and flies, but is by necessity focused on a much smaller amount of resources than the main chain.

So we’re limited by the following:

- how much energy the sun makes

- the % of that energy that makes it to alternia

- the amount that bounces off alternia or its atmosphere before it can be harvested

- the % of that energy that photosynthesizers can harvest

- the % they can store

- the % they need to live and propegate until they are eaten

- how much the herbivore needs to grow and live and eat and reproduce

- the efficiency with which the herbivore stores the energy gain

- how much the creature that eats the herbivore needs to use

- how much ITS fat can store.

- and so on

We can mess with any and potentially all of the steps in the chain to increase potential length of it and allow more and more massive and widespread superpredators at the end of it. We’ve already started that by increasing the potency of the sun, but each change will have repercussions. For instance, if energy is so widely available then why bother to evolve anything more complicated than photosynthesis itself? I once heard an author say that one needs to have two levels of answers to worldbuild convincingly – to solve the first problem and then to solve the follow-up question. That after that people will be satisfied. Something about fighting nuns. Where did the nun learn to fight? In the sewers. Why was she in the sewers? To fight the crocodiles.

So: We amp up the sun. Why bother evolving herbivory? The sun is too hot and withstanding it is costly and resource-intense. Not everything can be a plant because not everything has the sun-blocking resources, and there is a niche for nocturnal herbivores who don’t have to invest in sun protection. Why carnivory? The sun-block also makes the plants tough and hard to eat and digest; eating meat is relatively quick and easy.

The same thing can be done at other steps. Maybe we make animal life on alternia more efficient: they can do all work of living without creating much waste-heat, and their versions of digestion and fat pack in more calories denser.

But again, the nitty gritty science is not my area of expertise, and these are the questions that can keep me awake at night. What kind of solutions could make the food chain more efficient? What kind of pressures would encourage long food chains, large fat stores, and giant hyper-predators? How can we engineer an environment that will predispose this planet to logically evolving dragons?

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roseharpermaxwell · 9 months

Text

RWRB FirstPrince Single Parent & Parent Recs

My favorite single parent or parent recs below!

I Dissent! by Mel_1999. G, 1.4k. A police officer is coming to give a safety talk at school and, as a lawyer, Alex has a lot of things to say about it. Those things include planning an entire presentation for their son's class about their constitutional rights.

Henry is horrified, but supportive.

The Evening Routine by TuppingLiberty. T, 1.8k. Henry comes home late and joins Alex and their daughter, Isabella, in their night-time routine. Domestic fluff with a fade-to-black sex scene and adult language, so rated T.

(even though you want to) please try to never grow up by @coffeecatsme. T, 1.8k. “You better have a good fucking reason for sending me to voicemail, Hen.” He glares at the phone for one second before he actually sees the screen, and then his face melts into something Henry can only describe as fond. “Oh,” he whispers, dropping his mug of coffee onto the counter so he can lean in closer to the phone. “Look who’s there.”

“Yeah.” Henry keeps his voice so low he isn’t even sure Alex can hear him. He doesn’t seem to mind, eyes taking in the picture in front of him with parted lips, the edge of his finger covering the camera when he undoubtedly reaches to caress his daughter’s head.

Or, Alex misses his daughter when he goes back to work after a long paternity leave.

(We) Loved Her First by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. G, 2k. When I thought about all of the things I wanted to say to you both today, my initial urge was to write a letter. I could borrow Dad’s fountain pen from his top desk drawer and watch the ink soak slowly into the cardstock paper, to blow it dry and carefully crease it in three places before sliding it into an envelope and sealing it with the wax seal Papa bought a few years back, that he said we could use to send our Christmas cards to Sandringham in a more formal way so that Uncle Pip wouldn’t expect to find us wearing matching Christmas tree onesies inside.

But then I realized, a letter isn’t your style. It isn’t our style. Your story, the same story weaved together countless times throughout my life into a tapestry of your love that blanketed me at night whenever I needed comforting, was told through a series of pixels swirling through the air and crossing the void of space and time within moments. So, I decided it was only fitting to continue that tradition and to follow in your footsteps…an email, it is.

Alex and Henry's daughter sends them an email just before they walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

Teachable Moments by @everwitch-magiks. T, 2.1k. Alex is a single dad. His daughter, Elena, is as curious as she’s clever and quite a handful. Luckily, Alex has a solid support system—he can always count on Elena’s aunts, as well as on her kindergarten teacher. Her very wonderful, very attractive kindergarten teacher.

But kindergarten doesn't last forever.

even children get older by blueberriesandcream. G, 2.2k. on her grandchildren's first day of school, ellen claremont looks at alex and has some regrets. (alex makes it better for everyone.)

Giving Yourself Grace by TuppingLiberty. T, 2.9k. Isabella is very young, and Alex is home alone with her for the first time while Henry is away for the shelter. He learns some dark truths about himself when he struggles to help Isabella.

fully booked by riversdeep. T, 3.2k. A hand tugs at Henry’s sweater as he’s rearranging the Austen section, and he smiles, abandoning his books and crouching down. “Hello, Sophia.”

Today, Sophia's decked out in a Spiderman costume, complete with a matching tiny backpack and camera.

“Hi, Mister Henry.”

“Yeah, hi, Mister Henry.”

Henry laughs, heart impossibly warm. “Hello to you too, Alex. The books are on the counter, I’ve had them set aside for you.”

A little off the top by @clottedcreamfudge. T, 3.4k. “How old's David? Mine's almost 4 and she's cute but a lot of work.”

“Oh! He's 5 – it was his birthday last week, actually.”

“No kidding? Did you have a party?”

God, this man sees right through him. “With cake and invitations and a themed piñata, for my sins,” he confesses. “Does that make me awfully gauche?”

“Nope,” Alex says, popping the 'p' and winking at Henry's reflection. “But that might mostly be 'cause I have no idea what that means.”

Henry has literally never had such a good time while having his hair cut.

look in the mirror (and show me who you see) by blueberriesandcream. G, 3.5k. henry comes home to find alex in a predicament when their daughter gets bubble gum in his hair

Lost and Found by @sherryvalli. T, 3.9k. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I distinctly remember telling you to stay.”

“Sorry,” she said, not sounding very sorry at all. Henry made a mental note to teach her how to at least pretend to be contrite.

“You’re… she - you can speak English?”

Henry looked up. The man was turned towards him now. His eyes were the first thing Henry noticed. Wide and a deep brown, with impossibly long and dark eyelashes that seemed to touch his cheeks every time he blinked. And his mouth - it was open now in surprise and disbelief, but it was perfectly curved and bitten pink, and Henry had no problem picturing it curled into a smirk. A handsome serial killer, then.

Single dad Henry loses his daughter at the Met and ends up finding more than he bargained for.

kiss me on this cold december night by blackrose1002. M, 4.7k. “Hey, can I get an Americano to go? With double espresso?”

Even though he’s not working the register – because he’s making the bloody gingerbread nightmares – the simple order is enough to catch Henry’s attention and he looks up.

He immediately wishes he didn’t.

Right there, currently paying for his normal, boring coffee, is a man that’s possibly the most beautiful man Henry has ever seen. With his dark curls and beautiful brown eyes, eyelashes so long they don’t seem real and a smile lighting up his entire face, the man is simply stunning.

Henry would make anything for him.

Any coffee, including the goddamn gingerbread latte.

Or his bed, after getting thoroughly fucked into his mattress.

(Or the one where Henry works as a barista and one day the most beautiful man in the world orders the most boring coffee and saves Henry's sanity)

Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful by Liloandbitch. M, 5.6k. No one will ever believe him when he tells them Henry said the word DILF.

that's the way love goes by @waterloolovers. M, 6.3k. “Daddy. I want a little sister,” Dani had announced one day. Henry choked on his tea while Alex dropped the spatula straight onto the floor. “Um.” Henry cleared his throat. “Your papi and I will have to talk about that, okay?”

The Eternal Struggle by Celaestis. T, 6.7k. "Love, we can't put 'gender is a social construct, bitches' on an official royal birth announcement."

Five times parenthood beat Henry and Alex, and one time they won parenting.

Secret Ingredient by floatingaway4. T, 8.2k. It’s not unusual for the shelters to call each other when they need temporary space. Henry doesn’t normally take children that young, but he can accommodate them in an emergency. He just has to make sure the staff keeps an eye on this kid.

What could possibly go wrong?

Oh what a laugh it would have been by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. E, 11k. When Alex dresses as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, their five-year-old daughter makes an extra special, last-minute Christmas wish. AND

Alex leaves his Santa suit on for a private evening with Henry while everyone else is snug in their beds.

in paper rings, in picture frames, in latte art series by coffeecatsme. T, 15k. “You little menace,” a voice says from the door, entirely too fond to be anything mean. “I told you to wait by the car, not go inside.” The man steps inside, shaking the rain from his hair, and Henry is treated to the sight of the most beautiful man he’s seen in his entire life, standing in the middle of his shop with clothes dripping to the floor and raincoat bundled up around him. He notices then the umbrella clutched in the little boy’s hand, the innocent wide eyes watching his father, and the picture forms in his head.

Or, five times Henry makes a piece of art for Alex's son on his drinks, and one time he does it for Alex himself.

Confidential Memorandum by sherryvalli. T, 17k. "Hello, Mr. Fox-Mountchristen's office. How may I help you?"

"Hello, can I speak to Mr. Fox-Mount-krishen, please?"

Alex blinked. After two weeks of hearing nothing but the voices of snooty men and frazzled secretaries calling in, the person on the other line now sounded decidedly neither snooty nor male nor in any way adult.

It was a little girl.

"Mr. Fox-Mountchristen's unfortunately in a meeting right now,” Alex began slowly, “but I could take a message?"

"Oh." The girl paused. "You're not Mr. Hunter."

Alex starts a new job as Henry's new assistant. Henry's daughter keeps calling the office and leaving him messages.

Longer Than Most by @happinessofthepursuit. E, 26k. “Oh,” Alex says. “Sick.”

Henry can’t help but grin. He can’t believe he’s so bloody gone on a man who says sick and dude, who he’s slept with all of one time and proceeded to knock him up. Henry’s a cliche, honestly.

“It is, indeed, sick, as you say.”

Alex rolls his eyes, but his cheeks darken a shade, giving him away a bit. “Listen, the closest I get to poetry is your fucking face. Excuse me if my vocabulary doesn’t quite compare to yours.”

Or, Alex and Henry have a one night stand. That is, until a baby’s involved.

Family Lines series by @cultofsappho. T, 41k. Henry turned his attention back to the girl in front of him, she seemed to be pivoting from star-stuck to actual distress. “Are you okay?”

"I'm gay!" She blurted the words out before slapping a hand over her mouth like she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.

Henry chuckles, his cheeks flushing pink. "Me too."

Henry and Alex had been thinking about fostering for years now, they were just waiting for the right kid to (aparently literally) fall into their life.

True Love Stories Never Have Endings series by @historicallysam. E, 69k. “The beauty of love is that you can fall into it with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.” - Ritu Ghatourey

Henry expects the coming school year to be much the same as the previous ones. He couldn't be more wrong.

orion in your fingertips series by acastle. E, 168k. “She truly is your daughter, Alex,” Henry sighs, defeated.

“Fuck off, sweetheart,” he laughs, a soundbite of the sun. Henry forces himself not to physically react, the term of endearment sweet and menacingly familiar coming from Alex’s lips. It’s been years. “You know they’re useful.”

“Ah yes, eyelashes, truly a formidable instrument in managing international relations.”

Alex grins, and Henry is too late to catch the slightest downward lilt on the corner of his mouth, “Worked on you once, didn’t it?”

Oh, did that ache.

(Much had happened since the time Henry had told Alex to leave. Alex had passed the bar, gotten married, had the most beautiful daughter. And Henry, well. He stayed right where he was.)

*And podfic of a flicker, a spark by the incomparable RattleandHum @thirdeye1234.

I only tag an author once per post, but I'm still figuring out firstprince author handles. If you see one I may not know or find a broken link, please give me a heads up!

Master List of RWRB FirstPrince Recs

Master List of Recommendations

#firstprince #rwrb fic recs #rwrb #alex x henry #red white & royal blue

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blorbologist · 2 years

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Yknow! I'm very, very intrigued by the implications of Gwendolyn still being a child and the twins being teens or very young adults - matching the portrait dated to roughly a decade before this point in the timeline.

Because though their ages could have been shifted around, Vesper's can't. She was a baby in Dalen's Closet, she's Beau's age. She's 30-31 while the next oldest siblings are teens, maybe very early twenties at best.

Which implies a fair gap between the firstborn and any other kids.

It got me thinking -

In the epilogue, initially, Percy seems extremely set on continuing to adventure. Not settle down - just drop into Whitestone to have kids then keep on wandering. Which, no, young man, that's not how babies and kids work. I'm fairly certain Tal and Laura hadn't discussed Vex being pregnant with Vesper by this point in the timeline when this conversation happened, given she's on a pretty similar page and not smugly going 'surprise! Baby #1 is on the way!'

My original way of integrating Percy's post-campaign wanderlust with canon was that they'd planned to keep looking for trouble, but Vesper was an accident and both just. Absolutely wanted to give her the very best (see, Syldor being an asshole and Percy's parents n siblings being murdered) so they buckled down and fell in love with the family life to have the twins a few years later. And with another kid or two popping out every few years, there would almost always be one small enough to really need the parents' on-hand and the stability + safety + support of the castle, so roadtrips would become a distant dream for a decade or two.

Now, with this age gap between Vesper and her siblings? I wonder if they did get to have roadtrips.

Not immediately, not for a few years probably, with just a few days break here n there when Cass or Keyleth could watch Vesper.

But once Vesper's, like? Kindergarten age?

The family could have adventured a bit.

Obviously only safe stuff, but the image of Percy, Vex and Vesper taking little escapades into the wilds or down the roads often for the next few years, hell potentially for a while, is very sweet to me.

That or leaving Vesper with Cass once she's old enough to see it as a treat and not a terrible thing, but! Percy with Vesper on his shoulders while Vex cheerfully haggles down the cost of a room! Vex holding Vesper's hand steady so she can cook a treat over the campfire. Family cuddle piles! Vesper tossing scraps at a raven watching them and Vex fucking crying!

And obviously either something Bad Happened, or they realized this was no way to raise Whitestone's heir long-term, or Vex was like 'shit I'm pregnant again', and they settled a little more permanently. Because the age gaps between the twins and Gwen (and thus between them and Vax’ildan) seems a lot smaller, so maybe they got it out of their system.

With Leona and Wolfe in ranger leathers, though, the older kids are likely enjoying the wilds under Vex's watch to some degree and I for one am thrilled at the idea of complete de Rolo family adventures.

Also, Vesper being their only child for a while Absolutely changes her character as many of us imagine her - a solid dose of only child syndrome and being way older than her siblings! Much to think about!

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #critrole spoilers #vex'ahlia #percival de rolo #perc'ahlia #percahlia #gwendolyn de rolo #vesper de rolo #wolfe de rolo #leona de rolo #de rolo kids #de rolo family

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beautifulpersonpeach · 2 years

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Hi BPP,

You must have seen the solo versus OT7 drama that’s been happening on Twitter or seen discussions relating to this on Tumblr. I’d like you to weigh in with your opinion on this.

To those fans who are new to this fandom, say post hiatus or just slightly pre hiatus, this could seem to be very toxic; although, it could be these same new fans who are pushing back 💁🏻‍♀️

Ultimately, the BTS anti wins - seeing a solid fandom crumble in this manner. It seems as though some of these OT7s are Sacrificing Jimin to make a point.

I hope though that Jimin does make the sales he needs and has the impact we think he shall have and that antis don’t win at pulling him down.

***

Hi Anon,

Oh I saw it. Not on Tumblr (I’m yet to see any of those discussions here thank goodness), but definitely on Twitter.

This is one of those situations that causes me to rub my temples because it reveals stupidity everywhere, like tech bros inducing a global banking collapse-type stupid, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. But these exact sort of situations are what’s expected to happen given how the fandom has changed since 2020, and it’s why the byline of my blog references a fandom implosion. Because it’s coming. It just has to. Lol.

I referenced 2020 for a reason. This isn’t the first time the fandom has had to navigate supporting solo work. We’ve done it in 2015, 2016, and 2020, but because of how the fandom has changed since 2020, conflict and implosion is nearly guaranteed.

Many things changed in the fandom in 2020, but one major thing that happened is we had a huge influx of k-pop noobs into the fandom. We all know many of these people happened to be from Western/European countries and typically skewed female, white, and opinionated. According to that ARMY soc med survey, these people now account for roughly 50% of the fandom, and I reckon roughly the same amount found their way into solo stan and shipper spaces. Most of these people aren’t bad in any real sense, but what I’ve observed is they lack the history to have an understanding of the 2nd and 3rd order implications of certain actions within a k-pop space. This is something solo stans are notorious for, for example not understanding the 2nd order implications of sending a truck to HYBE claiming HYBE is mistreating your favourite member, or the 3rd order consequences of trending hashtags to make a point, as another example. Ordered thinking can be intuitive to some people, but to most people they need to have experienced a history that shows what happens 2 or 3 steps down the line when you’re only concerned with the immediate reward, forgetting that nothing in k-pop happens in a vacuum.

Anyway, I’ll say what I think on each player in the drama yesterday.

The Solo Stans

Pre-2020, solo stans would have had the sense to not even make that request to ARMYs in the first place. That was their first mistake. Those funds would have eventually made it into ARMY buying channels (because ARMYs have the widest and most efficient systems for chart placements, solo stans do not, despite their enthusiasm), but no solo stan in their right mind would blatantly publicly request ARMY participation - it would’ve moved through DMs or solos creating ARMY cosplay accounts for that purpose. Pre-2020.

You might be wondering, what’s the damage? What’s the big deal in just telling ARMYs there’s 10 grand sitting somewhere that they can request? Shouldn’t we all put aside our ego to support Jimin?

Lol.

The thing is, Solo stans are fundamentally different from ARMYs in that they view the other members as rivals that must be defeated (1). ARMYs are inclined to support any member who needs it. And so, many solo stans simply do not trust ARMYs to spend the funds only on Jimin. And they’re right to have that fear. Most ARMYs obviously would use it for Jimin and what I’ve seen is trusted ARMY buyers and funders are responsible and provide thorough accounts of their activities, but it would be stupid to ignore that hyung-line diet solos, shippers (aka taekookers), etc, would take advantage as well. PJMs were only setting themselves up for grief by doing what they did.

Another reason it was plain moronic to publicly and blatantly announce the funds available and demand ARMY partnership with solos, is that it would set the precedent for Taehyung and Jungkook solo stans during their debuts. And I promise you, $10,000 will only be the starting amount. PJMs didn’t think beyond putting that amount of money to work, forgetting that they’ve now created a situation that demands ARMY working with taekook solos to the tune of $50,000 at least (that’s the amount I recall seeing by their fanbase in 2021 earmarked for their debuts). Nobody was paying closer attention to that drama yesterday, than other akgaes and antis. There's a lot of eyes on the fandom. PJMs, bless their heart, are often just loud, uncouth, and myopic in their thinking.

Because:

At the end of the day that money isn’t going to be sitting somewhere idle. It will definitely be spent on Jimin during his debut. Solo stans of previous eras would have had the sense to privately approach ARMY buyers and use the rest of those funds (because of course most of it will be used to get Jimin’s high chart placements in the 1st week), to support the release from week 3 which is when streams/radio typically fall off, supporting the efforts from the core of the fandom, to give Jimin’s tracks more longevity, and stronger support - a better indicator for a song’s success on the charts. But the only thinking present here yesterday was to get as many 1st week buyers with those funds to make the biggest splash as possible at debut.

The ARMYs

As I’ve said before, too many ARMYs are just plain stupid. It’s not an insult, just the facts of the matter I’m afraid. Going by how ARMY typically operates, over the course of this week (week of the release), ARMYs would have raised well over $10,000. Obviously. It’s not something the fandom typically advertises (another key difference between ARMY and solos), but anyone who has worked within these channels would tell you a lot of money gets generated in a very short amount of time and there’s a literal army of buyers in those networks. For pre-2020 ARMYs, it would’ve been enough to say, “we’re good supporting Jimin, thanks.” And blocked the solo stans right away because they’d kick up a stink the moment you actually engaged with them and lead to the exact same situation that happened yesterday. It’s the same playbook to use with taekook shippers. But that’s not what happened, which again, is another key difference between how pre-2020 ARMYs would’ve handled this vs. newer ARMYs.

ARMYs are generally wary of working extensively with solo stans because of (1) above, as it guarantees that solos will weaponize any and all achievements to tear down the other members. As an ARMY (who could bias any member) it makes zero sense to work with anyone who literally actually wants to see another member leave the group, using any solo success over their bandmates as reasons that member should do so. A second reason is that solo stans often belong to rival fandoms a.k.a. Blinks, NCTzens, Shawols, Exols, etc. and the unfortunate reality of what goes down in k-pop fandoms is that people’s lives can get ruined over pointless shit. An Egyptian ARMY who is a dental student in Egypt, was doxxed by Blinks four days ago for saying Yoongi dances better than Jennie. She’s had her living address, family address, faculty information, and medical conditions leaked by Blinks on Twitter. And one traced the leak to providing her information for a BlackPink album giveaway last year. We can joke about how these online fights are silly but ARMYs have seen enough to have more reasons against working with solos and akgaes, than they do to work with them.

It’s frankly not really about ego. It involves money and personal information and there’s real risk here.

Now, why did I say ARMYs are stupid? Because they opened an avenue to have this discussions publicly in the first place. Nothing good comes from hashing things out on the TL (there's too many eyes on the fandom), much less an issue as nuanced as this and even more so when ARMYs had already worked with Hobi and other member funding bases before on previous releases. (But on significantly smaller amounts and not directly through the largest ARMY funding bases.)

It’s not easy to explain all that in a tweet, and I doubt a lot of newer ARMYs even understand the real issues - I suspect many of them just move in a herd and think “solos bad” without fully understanding why it’s a bad idea to approach things the way solos suggested yesterday - so those ARMYs instead used nonsensical arguments like bringing up the Hanbok issue in early 2021, that solos want to take ‘credit’, and the ARMYs who have nowhere to tuck in their insecurities as it concerns Jimin (because there are definitely ARMYs - usually hyung-line and other maknae-line biases - who are extremely sensitive to any mention of how Jimin differs from the rest) let it all hang out yesterday.

Pre-2020, ARMYs would have shut down that argument on the TL as soon as it happened (and that’s if it would’ve happened in the first place), blocking solo stans which would’ve caused (pre-2020) solos to make cosplay accounts and deal with this all in DMs. It’s easier to develop trust and hold accounts accountable (lol) one on one. That’s one way the fandom did this in 2015 with Joon’s solo, in 2016 with Jimin’s Lie and other solos, and in 2020 (although for BE, solo stans tried to sabotage that release by boycotting the album… but like I said, these sort of changes started in 2020).

The Exiles

I describe the Exiles as those within the fandom who think they’re not in the fandom. We’ve all seen them, in fact I suspect some of my followers are them - they’re people who constantly think the fandom makes them ‘look bad’ and so they don’t want to be associated with its label. Many of them are sympathetic to solo stan arguments though they wouldn’t call themselves solo stans and could even despise solos for the same reason they hate ARMYs. But at the end of the day, the Exiles still play a role. Because of course they do. Most of the Exiles today also joined the fandom around 2020, and many of them haven’t ever really participated fully in supporting a release, and so they don’t have a real understanding of what goes down, and why it’s a bad idea to do exactly what Jimin’s solos were publicly requesting yesterday. But these types are often very opinionated and just fanned the flames yesterday lmao. But the plus side is this group of people will end up being the bridge when D-day arrives. It’s what I saw happen with Hobi-biased people who don’t consider themselves part of ARMY, for On The Street.

The Takeaway

Consider that mess the dress rehearsal for Taehyung and Jungkook’s solo debut, and we have PJMs to thank for that. Taekook solos would have demanded ARMYs support either way, but now they have additional ammo thanks to PJMs and they’re significantly more in number than any other member’s solo stans. More vicious too. And the core of the fandom will be in worse shape by their debut in the sense that it will be more fragmented because I’m sure yesterday’s mess left a nasty dent on some more impressionable people. These kinds of things are bound to happen given the players that have become dominant in the fandom in the last three years. What I suggest is focusing on the small pockets of followers and friends within the fandom that you know and trust - whether you’re a solo stan, ARMY, or Exile. If you’ve never participated in buying/funding, ask those people questions. Get into the habit of streaming on multiple platforms, and for God’s sake learn how to resolve shit in the DMs.

Jimin will have a lot of competition on March 17th and 24th. The deck is already stacked against him. And maybe I’m weird but all that does is make me excited because whenever things are like this for Jimin, he just… he blows it all out of the water. Contrary to popular belief, most people in the fandom, whether they bias Jimin or not, actually love him. It’s impossible not to. And they will give this release everything they’ve got. I’m already seeing it happening, ARMYs just don’t advertise it publicly because all eyes, including journalists, are on the fandom. Focus on what you can control, find a group of people who love him as much as you do, and enjoy the music when it comes.

#jimin #park jimin #bts army #bts fandom #fandom behaviour #kpop

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kakiastro · 1 year

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Your Moon sign is the energy your mother was in when she was pregnant with you

Elephants is ruled by the Moon. I love Dumbo as well

I talked briefly talked about this in my short random astrology post pt 1, just scroll down on my page. I’m digging deeper on this topic.

Your moon sign + house is the energy your mom was in when you were conceived. The moon rules over memories so in a way, we are our mother memories during this time. I wonder is this why so many moms clash so much with their daughters? This is where healing begins.Check the placidus and whole sign system. If you are a mom, you can use this for yourself as well. What energy were you in when you conceived your child? Your child moon sign will tell you.

For example : I’m an Aquarius moon 7h in placidus and 8h whole signs. My mother was a teen mom and was the most scholastic one so her pregnancy came as a surprise because how involved she was in her studies. she was also in her rebel era (Aquarius) against my religious grandmother (7h) because she didn’t like or approve of my dad and didn’t approve of their relationship (7h) but the kept seeing each other in secret and mom didn’t know she was pregnant until 5 months along (8h) and surprise! Here I am! lol

But you see how that played out???

So I’m going to break down different scenarios of the energy of your mom and in the end answer the poll to see if it resonates with you

Ready?

Aries/1h

- may have had lots of conflicts or arguments with your dad or men in general

- got with father quickly and ended pregnant early in the relationship

-may have lacked patience with the people around her during this time

-a brand new start in her life such as job, home, relationship

-Aries rule the head so people or her may have had head injuries or scars. May have suffered from headaches during this time

Taurus/2h

-may have been building a solid foundation or may have been suffering from lack of

-financial struggles or prosperity

-may have moved into a new home or a new living arrangement was made

-may have had troubles with the bank or opening up a bank account

-she or you either felt really confident or struggled with it during this time

-she could’ve been spoiled with gifts and adoration while pregnant

-if you or your mom loves singing, you may have did lots of it during this time. Music may have been important for her

-lots of food was eaten lol

Gemini /3h

-siblings may have played a big part in the pregnancy. May have took her/you to your doctor appointment or was an emotional support

-education could have played a part such as parental classes or baby care classes. Buying nursery, baby books to get ready. This was an intellectual time, it was “omg , I need to learn as much as I can about the baby before they get here” energy! Mom could be a teacher or work in education

-communication was really prevalent during this time. A lot of people especially your neighbors may have been nosey during this time “so who’s the child father?” “What are you wanting a boy or girl?” They may have given you/her unsolicited parental advice. LOL

- short travels may have been a theme, nothing too far away, may like the next town over or something

-writing and journalism could be a theme too! If your mom are a writer or just like to write.

-could’ve gotten a new car or it got totaled during this time

-Gemini rules the mind and thoughts so she’s going to be in her head a lot during this time

Cancer/4h

-could’ve gotten really close to the mom during this time period, mom could’ve done things for you.

- may have been more of a homebody and stay at home to enjoy pregnancy

-emotional time and probably felt overwhelmed with them

-ate lots of home cooked meals

-surrounding yourself with family was important

-learning more about family heritages and family stories.

-became more of an introvert toward people

-comfy clothes only lol

Leo/5h

-I noticed people who have Leo moons/ moon 5h may have been the first grandchild or first granddaughter/grandson. If not, they got a lot of attention lol

-mom may have been excited shopping buying all kind of clothes, toys and accessories before the child is even born.

-the father may be heavily involved during the pregnacy such as taking care of the mom, I noticed lots of Leo moons are named after someone on their father side lol

-may have had a pregnancy glow and got lots of compliments from strangers

-may have been around other children whether it’s siblings or nieces/nephews. Mom may work with kids

Virgo/6h

-mom probably worked all the way up until you were born lol

-may have been getting everything in shape and ready for the baby. changes up daily routine

-similar to Gemini because they’re both mercurial so this is also going to be an intellectual time but the difference is that’s there’s going to be lots of note taking on parental stuff lol.

Virgo rules our health so mom may change up dietary routine or they may health problems during this time. May suffer from lots of morning sickness due to Virgo ruling over the stomach

-co-workers can play a part in your life during this time. They may take over a shift for you while you call in sick. May come to your baby shower and bring the most gifts

-if you’re in school, teachers may play a part by letting you make up assignments. maybe you’re a teacher

Libra/7h

-may have been in a stable relationship with father, could’ve just gotten engaged or your arrival made them get engaged

-this could’ve been a peaceful time, maybe everyone was getting along and if they weren’t, mom was probably the peace keeper

-businesses could’ve been a topic around this time. Mom could’ve been a business owner or her favorite business was a huge topic for her.

-beauty and aesthetic could’ve been important like cute maternity clothes

Scorpio moon/8h

-a death may have occurred in the mother family during this time

-mom may have suffered a miscarriage before you were conceived so there’s some pain and hesitation around that

-there maybe some family secrets that’s been kept under wraps

-mother may have been going through painful time or something traumatic happened

-mom could’ve gotten a divorce or something was going on in the marriage especially finances. Scorpio rules over marriage and partner finances

-on the flip side, this could’ve been a empowering and transformational time for her

-she could’ve been interested in occult studies or true crime type of stuff. Maybe she watched a lot of horror movies lol

-you may come from a long line of witches for all you know lol or she know people who are.

I know Scorpio moons gets a bad re but it’s not all bad.

Sagittarius/ 9h

-may have come from a family of refugees or immigrants. You may be first or 2nd generation in a country

-mom may have travelled overseas a lot while pregnant

-mom could’ve been in college or a college professor

-may be religious and actively involved a church

-may read lots of scholarly books and articles during this time

-may be close with your father(husband) if. Married. May be close to your grandfather as well

Capricorn/10h

-having a stabilized structure home may be her main focus

-may have a age gap with other siblings

-being disciplined during pregnancy such as taking her diet seriously or following the doctors orders to a T

-making sure her career is stable before you are born

-may continue to work to save up money, talk know capricorns need to be doing something valuable to them lol

-grandmother may be a big help or play a big role.

Both of my younger brothers are cap moons and my gramma was a huge help to my mom during both pregnancies. My mom had just started her new job as well when she was pregnant with my first brother and got a promotion when she was pregnant with my 2nd brother. There’s also a huge age gap between my brothers and I lol

Aquarius/11h

-you were probably a surprised pregnancy

-you may have step siblings

-pregnacy through IVF or surrogacy

-mom was searching for her freedom and may have been rebellious

-her social circle was around more during this time and you may have had lots of play aunties and uncles growing up Lol

-may have been emotionally overwhelmed but didn’t show them so this is where the detachment comes from

-sees their child as a new friend coming along then your regular child-parent relationship

Pisces/12h

-may have lived near water or a water port city

-may have felt isolated and alone during pregnancy especially by your father and family

-may have travelled overseas or took a cruise

May have had some type of spiritual awakening during this time

-if mom is a creative, then she may have been doing lots of creative projects

-hopefully this isn’t the case to anyone who read this but this can indicate having a mom who served jail time during pregnancy

-may have did lots of daydreaming on the type of child you would be and put you up on a pedestal before you’re even born.

-you may be seen as a miracle child

This took forever for me to write lol but did any of it resonate with you regarding you and your mom. You and your child?

Tell me your stories! Book a reading with me!

#astrology #astrology community #knowledge #love astrology #astro observations #advanced astrology #moon astrology #mother astrology #healing

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