#how to create stable coin

[lostintransist]

The Second Duchess

Y'all, Noona's brain worms got me again. AO3 | This will be two parts. | This will end bitter. A/B/O dynamics, vaguely victorian, there will be an actual ghost in part two, odd power dynamics.

When John found you, a foreign lady, visiting a neighboring earl, he thought he had found redemption.

His first wife had been designationless, like you. He and his pack, Johnny, Simon, and Kyle, had ill-treated the first duchess. Her final words, left in an open letter, lingered over them all, even now.

You were supposed to be better. Every tale of you spoke of your bravery, your dedication, your loyalty. I found them all to be lies. When my corpse haunts your memories, may you think on it with more fondness than you ever did me.

The people who claimed the right of parentage over you had sent you to a foreign court in the hopes that someone would take pity on you. Foolish attempt really. No one at home wanted you; no one here would either.

All your life you had been discarded. Set aside for your lack of designation, you learned to cope. The scarred skin at your neck where your gland had failed to grow in the womb became your favorite place to decorate. If not with necklaces, then with art. You had learned how to paint on your body and create wreaths that wound round your neck; you set new standards because you could not do much else. If people were going to stare, why not give them something to look at?

Running wild became your favorite way to use your lack of designation. You could ride a horse side saddle or sitting forward like a man. You could ride better than most men in either seat. The stable hands at home got used to a horse disappearing for a few hours. You always stabled the horses you used, fed them, and brushed them. They stopped complaining after they saw how well you cared for the animals.

You hired art teachers and painted nude bodies. Music teachers taught you how to listen to the lewd songs sung in the taverns and play them at dinner parties. Languages were mastered; the curses were the things you memorized first. The cooks blustered when you demanded to be taught, but when you threatened to hire someone to teach you they quickly gave in.

The maids taught you on the sly the cant and candor of the working class. When they told you of the needs in the community you worked directly with the women who headed each group in need. Connections were gathered like coins in a purse and guarded like a hen over her chicks.

Without quite knowing how you became a woman of influence. A whisper or a word in the right ear and you could turn the tide on harmful policies. If you declared a business untenable for their use of child labor or the way they treated their workers the working class would not patronize them again.

That same level of leverage never breached the bubble of the aristocracy; hence, how you found yourself shipped away to start again.

The weeks warning your mother had given you had been enough for any in your contact to fire off letters to kin and foe alike of your coming. Even letters to foes told of your abilities to conquer changes.

Dock workers had a penchant for overindulging in your country. Men overindulging left women and children bereft of comfort and stability. You had been working at the underpinnings of fact before you had been shipped off.

No one noticed where you wandered, even here in this new country. No one cared. Just this morning you had sat down with the head of the laundress of the city to see what pieces you could shift. Their letter had arrived first, and tending to their needs would become your first priority. They needed childcare.

Children often needed tending and older children needed to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. An aging governess or two could be convinced to play school teachers and a maid without a reference could become a tender. Most of the legwork would arise from connecting with the women who would care for and teach the children. The juxtaposing issue would be where to house them and the children during the day. The price per child needed to be reasonable to the laundress and enticing to the governesses and the maid.

Censure, while a familiar disrespect, never became easier to bear. It bit at your flesh like the slap of hands. You had been relegated to the piano in the corner of the room while the other women partook in after-dinner sherry.

You hated sherry. You hated all alcohol really but sherry most of all. It tastes of lies and disappointment in its syrupy sweetness. Shuttering those memories, you focused on playing through a key change and into a jaunty tune; lewd would be a more accurate word, for the song you had learned down at the docks.

All these thoughts swirled through your head as your fingers played without you. Being so deep in thought you failed to notice the men had rejoined the party.

The knuckles rapping the top of the piano before your eyes brought you back to your body. Your motions paused the last notes you played lingering in the air. It is doubtful anyone was listening to you anyway.

A broad man leaned against the piano. His hair was cut short and sprinkled with gray. A neatly maintained beard, sun-kissed wrinkles around his eyes, as well as the fine cut of his coat completed the look of a lord. Being unfamiliar with this county’s aristocracy you offered a demure smile.

“Can I help you, my lord?”

“Where did a thing like you learn a tune like that?” His voice is rich and cadence firm.

“It is astounding the things musicians will teach you for the right incentive.” Settling your hands back to the keys you began to play a medley of your favorite drinking songs.

“Why do you not hide it?” His voice is as a surprise as it is unexpected.

Decorum meant different things here. Like it being acceptable to ask about one’s secondary gender.

“Why would I hide something I am not ashamed of, my lord? I am not causing harm to others by existing,” you lift a brow as you glance at him quickly.

He stared at the paint ringing your neck. The style of dresses here, that your great aunt had draped you in despite your protests, involved low necklines and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The corset cinched around you held up the dress. You had painted flowers and vines. Now, if anyone stared overlong you could assume they were observing your skill with a brush and not the scar where your scent gland should be.

Transitioning into a light, airy tune that has been well accepted by “higher” society you stole glances at the lord. You had yet to be introduced, but his dismissal of decorum intrigued you. Not many men approached you for a chat, even less without being introduced as an oddity first.

“Would you take a turn around the room with me?”

And there went your interest. Like with anyone who did not conform to society’s standards, you were propositioned every so often. Pursing your lips, you don’t look at him again.

“If you can gain an introduction before I depart for the night, I will consider it.” Focusing back on your fingers you played around a key change into a moving piece.

This bit of music sounded a bit like weeping when you played it.

He would not find your aunt anywhere near this room. She had consumed a fair amount of dairy in the soup course and would be leaving rancid deposits for the maids to clean in the morning. Once she felt well enough to travel she would send someone to collect you to the carriage. No one else here could claim acquaintance to the point of introductions.

As you predicted the lord could be seen drifting from person to person questioning and pointing toward you where you played still. All shook their heads and peered around for your aunt. Nearing forty minutes later a maid approached you, hands clasped neatly in front of her white frock.

“Ma’am, your aunt awaits you in the carriage,” her voice is mouse quiet even as her eyes dart to and for.

“Thank you for telling me. Can you inform the butler I will need my things?”

The notes lingered before dying, suffocated under the volume of conversation. The lord noticed though. As you slipped around seats and finally into the front hall, he followed. The aged butler held out your shawl, gloves, and hat.

One glove on and buttoned at the wrist you started on the other one when he appeared. The lord gave a near-silent dismissal to the butler. When you turned you found your hat and shawl held hostage.

“My things, my lord,” your hand extended for your things.

“While I was not able to obtain a formal introduction, I wanted to introduce myself. Duke John Price, at your service.”

Plucking your bonnet from his hand, you hum. Duke Price glared at you as tied it in place.

“How wonderful I avoided the misfortune of being introduced to a duke then being as lowly as I am, hmm?” You glanced at his face.

His sun-kissed wrinkles are now plucked with frustration.

“Will you be returning my shawl or shall I brave the night with bare shoulders, Duke Price?”

You let the title remind him of his place in the scheme of life.

The blue of his eyes reminded you of the center of a flame, scorching in its heat. You saw the decision in the tilt of his head. Standing stiller than the statues you saw dotting this land, you did not fight when he settled the shawl around your shoulders.

“Travel safe. I look forward to our upcoming introduction,” Duke Price held to the end of the shawl as you stepped back.

“Must not have much to look forward to in this country,” you let derision drip from your tone.

One more step back and you are free. A hand behind your back finds the doorknob and you are out. Now the footmen are looking to the door as you descend the stairs.

“What kept you?” Your great aunt’s voice bites from the dark of the carriage.

“It took some time for the butler to gather my things,” you lie. Climbing in and sitting forward on the bench to peer out the door window, Duke Price watches you from the door.

Sliding back the darkness hides you from view.

John fired off a letter before the sun had risen. I have found her. I will return when wed.

It took weeks before he secured your acquaintance. He tried though, gods, the way he tried. You would have laughed if he didn’t disrupt so many damn meetings.

A local Chaplin had agreed to offer room and board to the two governesses and the two maids who would be watching and teaching the children. A different church, whose Bishop agreed, would serve as the care space and classroom. The two churches would have no fees, but negotiating the prices that would remain fair for the laundresses and the women caring for the children became the sticking point.

The women all raised their voices. It was as if they could shout a little louder than their neighbor they might be clearly heard. In times like these, you were grateful for your nose blindness. Someone had once explained that the overlapping scents of anger reminded them of a barn fire, acrid and dense.

You finished finalizing the numbers on your page before standing. Snatching up your mini abacus, because math in your head forever alluded you, you placed it in a pocket of your skirt. Both hands lifted your skirt. Once your feet could move freely, you stepped onto the chair and then onto the long table where the discussion had devolved.

Both boots planted firmly you released your skirt and shoved fingers in your mouth to whistle. The piercing sound cut through all of the noise. All of the women sat down and glowered at each other, and you.

Movement at the door of the room tipped your annoyance into rage. Duke Price stood in the doorway. This was the fourth meeting he had appeared in.

“The Duke of Price has two seconds to be gone from this room or he will be funding this project for a year.”

Your pointed glare and sharp words caused all the women at the table to turn and do the same. These were proud women. They would not accept charity, and the offer of it would be seen as offensive. The duke narrowed his eyes and stepped back into the shadows.

“Close the door, my lord. If you are incapable of such a feat one of these lovely women would be happy to assist.”

The iron lock clicking into place turned all eyes back to you. Pinching your fingers to the bridge of your nose you shut your eyes and took a deep breath.

“Here is the pricing that accommodates everyone. The women handling the children will not need to cover room and board, which will reduce their incoming monies. In turn, that reduces the burden per child for the laundresses. Now, you must decide among yourselves,” you open your eyes and scan the laundresses now, “If you wish to pay a per child fee or a flat fee. Tally your votes and inform me of your decision. This scheme will begin on the first.”

The women who handled the dirty laundry for the city nodded and rose. They spoke among themselves as they exited the room.

The older governess, Brenton, if you recall correctly spoke up now. Her white hair gleamed under her dowdy cap.

“Who will be supplying the learning materials? The pay for watching the children will not cover that.”

You climbed down as you thought over how to obtain the needed materials.

“There is an irksome lord that I will make pay for the displeasure of my constant annoyance.”

All four women shared a look. They had worked under several lords and ladies and knew this would be a formidable task.

“Well,” Miss Brenton clapped her hands twice, “We will leave you to your trial ma’am. If we can be of any assistance before our work begins, please reach out.”

“Thank you. I know this is going to be an odd period of transition for all of us.” Settling at the head of the table as the other stood, you gestured to the door. “Miss Brenton, if you don’t mind, could you play chaperone for a moment?”

“Must say, I am interested to see how this plays out.” Tucking her skirt back down Miss Brenton sat back down.

Pulling out a clean sheet you began to note down the needed items, chalk and chalkboards, readers, nappies, blankets, cribs, the list went on. The click of heavy-soled shoes stopped at your side. Paying it no mind, you continued. A second sheet joined the first, transferring a list of vendors that would help funnel money to the bottom where it was most needed. Some were spouses of the laundress, others were brothers, fathers, or uncles. All were low class and would provide solid work.

A total of three sheets filled you ensured each was dry before stacking them. Folding them into neat thirds, you turned and handed them to Lord Price.

“You are a difficult woman to make an acquaintance of,” he took the papers held in proffer. “What is this?”

“The bill.” Standing, you let the chair legs scrape against the floor. “Miss Brenton, can I interest you in having company on your walk home?”

The shrewd woman looked near apoplectic at your handling of a duke.

“This is a lengthy bill.”

If you didn’t know any better, you could have sworn there was a hint of a smile in his voice.

Lord Price’s eyes were upon you when you finally let your head finish turning. No smile graced his lips. Shame. For all he had made your last few weeks as painful as a throne in the thumb, he was nice to look at.

He wore a blue today. His eyes shone with the gold stitching on his jacket and vest.

“It has been extraordinary lengths you have gone to bother me; this seemed a fair request.”

Neither gaze shifts when Miss Brenton choked on air.

“Consider it done,” Duke Price tucked the list into his inner coat pocket. “May I join you ladies on your journey?”

“Of cour—”

You cut Miss Brenton off with a hand and a sharp look. Turning that sharp look on the lord, you speak your piece.

“No. I do not know what your intentions are with me, and frankly, I am tired of finding you amidst my business. The only men who pursue me do so for my,” you gesture to your scarred neck, “eccentricities.”

A string attached to your stomach could not have pulled tighter than if it were looped to a kite. This conversation made you wish you could skitter into a hole, a church mouse hiding from god. This would be the sixth time you had told a man no.

The duke huffed a laugh.

“I have enough eccentricities roaming my home. What I seek is a chance to see if we would get on well.”

His blue eyes left heated trails as they worked across your face. Goose flesh rose on your arms. Chest and further down where you dare not think of the flesh continued to rise. Every bit of you reacted.

“Why?” The question is breathy, haunted with questions.

Duke John Price held the sword of Damocles at your neck. The blade yearned for a taste.

You spent your days in the shadows. Confronting men who could take what they wanted was the only time you thought you knew what it was like to be whole. Acid bullied the back of your nose.

“I am in need of a wife. Someone who has the skills to manage others.”

He is not done. You don’t care.

“Choose any of your fashionably young countrywomen then.” Ripping your eyes from him, you stack your papers and close your ink well for travel. “There is a full troop of them yet unwed who would kill for the chance to lay in a duke’s bed. They have all been trained to manage households.”

The string in your body is cut. A tangle now lives in your chest.

“Miss Brenton, was it?”

“Yes, m’lord.”

“Can you give us the room for a moment?” The kind command would take more fortitude than the aged governess possessed.

A beseeching look to the matronly woman did not save you. Her wrinkles quivered as she slowly stood.

“I can give you three minutes m’lord.”

He inclined his head as if accepting a toast from a royal.

As the door swung shut you formed a plan. Stepping to the opposite side of the table, for distance and a barrier, failed. The toe of your boot caught the leg of the table. Papers fluttered from your hands as your knees cracked against the stone floor. Duke Price was there in an instant. He lifted each paper, laying it neatly in a stack.

Tears pricked at your eyes. You hadn’t moved from your fallen position. Head hanging to your chest you held back from weeping by the breadth of a string.

“Why will you not leave me be?” The words are harsh, strangled by the tightness in your throat.

“When hunting foxes, one strategy to attempt is sending them to ground. Where do they hide when they can no longer run?” His demeanor was cool, his voice soothing. “You run in circles, managing to better every bird, twig, and rock you brush against in your escape.”

Sniffing, you set about finding a handkerchief to wipe your face; you refused to face the laundress’ if they knew you used your skirts as rags.

A blue handkerchief in a gloved hand drifted below your nose. Lifting it, careful to not touch even his glove, you dab your nose.

Somehow you had managed to drip ink into the crease where your nail becomes flesh. Gloves hurt your hands after a time. You had managed to work around wearing them. No one noticed. No one ever noticed. And if they did they didn’t care to police a grown woman who had no prospects.

“I have a pack, they are wonderful and I would burn the world for them. I need a wife who can see. I am looking for someone who notices the needs overlooked, connects with those unheard, and sends war captains on impossible journeys. If you had allowed an acquaintance between us weeks ago, I could have courted you slowly.”

Duke Price holds out your papers. They crinkle in your delicate grip as you press them to your breast.

“I do not believe you.”

His cloth pressed to your nose cannot prevent all the vile feelings filling up your bones from injecting themselves into the words.

No one wanted you. Even the one who had lied in word and deed to make you believe he did.

Brokenness allowed you to see because you could not smell; that did not make you valuable.

“And what would make you believe me?” He curls nearly in half to peer up at you.

A duke is on his knees, craning his need to get a look at you. What the hell had this world turned into?

Sniffing again, you straighten. Plans. You can make plans.

“A contract. Legally binding even in marriage. Make it two. One to court me and become engaged and the second retaining my rights to leave this country unhindered, if I so desire, if marriage were to come to pass.” You study him now. The wheels are turning in his mind.

“And what of the consequences of reneging on either contract?” A single brow is lifted in your direction.

“I imagine your solicitor has worked with you a long time, my lord. If he does not think of something suitable, I would be happy to revise and return it for review,” you lift a brow in response.

Games were easier. The rules never changed. Once understood, you could slide below notice and return to living life and helping where you could.

The man before you lifted both cheeks into a full smile. Your heart dropped into your heels still below your butt. He had a beautiful smile.

“They will be at your door for review before the week is out.”

“You have not yet gained an acquaintance, my lord, it might be rejected at the door,” you gave him a saucy wink and a watery laugh.

“I think a contract will be introduction enough.”

He held out a hand. You shook it, grip firm. Twice it bobbed before he turned your hand over and laid a kiss on your knuckles.

Catching sight of your lifted brow from his position he threw you off balance, again.

You had been to sea. Once only, were you out during a storm.

Then you had clung to the railing until a man in a slicker had slid a rope around your waist and helped haul you below deck. That wild energy that had commanded you to land came now. This time though? You longed to dive below the waves. If only to see if the storm could touch the seabed below.

Solicitor Allchin sat stiffly in the sitting room of your great aunt’s home. He wore black as if born to it, hair flounced the appropriate amount to show he would be fastidious and dogged in a task.

Your nails, trimmed short, bite into the fabric coating the arms of the wing-back chair. The crazy fool had actually done it. Two contracts lay strewn on the tea table before you. Unable to continue to read, they had been thrown down.

“Allchin?”

The man startled at being addressed. He had been taking surreptitiously deep breaths. If anyone believed you to be afflicted with no scent gland upon meeting you would call them a liar.

“Yes ma’am?”

“What is your opinion of Duke Price?”

You refused to call him John. It felt like ceding ground in a war you didn’t intend to entrench in.

“He is a fair man, mostly. Cares well for those that he considers his, discards those he doesn’t.” Allchin spoke firmly. Confident in his honesty.

“Thank you. That will be all. I will return these with any adjustments within three business days.” Standing would be beyond your power. If you rose the only thing you would manage is the three steps to vomit in an oriental vase.

“Ma’am,” Allchin rose, tugging his coat neatly into place. “If I may? I have a question.”

“You may not.”

Rage fluttered in your chest with hummingbird wings; it stung your eyes, water filling them.

Allchin nodded once and saw himself out. Lifting the paperwork, you read what you could. He had tilted everything in your favor. If you agreed to an engagement you could keep it quiet until the bans were read. Either party could break the engagement and you would receive a settlement for cover “pain and suffering.” You would retain full autonomy and legal status as a person in the event of a marriage. Property bought or sold in your name would remain yours.

Working itself out seemed to be working in Lord Price’s favor.

Someone, and if you ever found them you might actually hurl them down the stairs, had told your great aunt about the visit and the paperwork.

“What is this I hear about an offer?”

The testy old woman had called you to her office like a child. She opened and shut a fan in one hand. Open. Shut. Open. Shut.

Blinking slowly, you release a breath.

“I did not think you could hear at all anymore, Aunt.”

Slam. The fan cracked against the edge of her desk.

“Do not test me, child! Have you had an offer?” Her frail voice betrays none of her age as she shouts.

Disdain drips from your canines like blood from a throat you clenched between your teeth.

“I lost my childhood to bigotry and hate. I will not lose my adulthood to it as well. Any business between myself and any man who might make an offer is none of your damn business. Only those who care about my welfare are welcome to that knowledge.” The temperature in the room changed, flashing cool before heating up with a rage you knew waited to boil over.

Turning on a heel, you stride from the room.

Any calls from your aunt fall on deaf ears. You lock yourself in your room and squirrel away the paperwork. Not well enough.

One of the maids must have found them. Word reached you as you were fitted for a wedding gown that your aunt had offered a hefty reward for the person who could pry the information from you. You thank the young woman pinning the skirt and ask after her children. She smiles as she tells you of her daughters and their clumsy attempts at stitches.

Masterlist | Part 2

[nikitallymessy]

how would you and your crush be in a relationship?

→ liked the reading? support me on ko-fi!

ᯓ. introduction: this could be a celebrity crush, your real-life crush, and so on...

ᯓ reminder: this is a general reading made for entertainment purposes, so please take what resonates and leave what doesn't ^_^ If you're unsure of what pile to pick, I've put down zodiac signs for each pile :p

ᯓ how to pick a pile: close your eyes, take a deep breath, and choose the picture to which your eyes are drawn to.

from left to right - pile 1 to pile 6

PILE 1:

scorpio and capricorn

six of wands, the empress, six of swords

With the two six's, this relationship will be a very give-and-take, balanced one. You two would be a great match and would live in harmony with each other. The six of wands here represent that you would be considered a "power couple," and show those around you what a strong relationship is. The empress card only strengthens that power couple vibe I'm getting. You may be treated extremely well by your crush, I'm seeing them giving you just because gifts, lavish dates, and so on. This relationship will be an extremely healing one, a dream.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡

PILE 2:

pisces and gemini

page of coins, ace of coins, nine of cups (reversed)

In the beginning of this relationship, it seems as though it is a fulfilling and bright one, but as time goes on, it ends up not being what you expect. It will be all puppy love, romantic, movie-like love, but as time goes on, it will end up not being as fulfilling as you imagined. For this relationship to work, you need to function as a unit with your crush and to work hard for your love. Maybe it's just not meant to be?

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡

PILE 3:

aries and aquarius

the emperor, five of cups (reversed), ten of cups

This will be a beautiful and healing relationship for you guys. For some, your crush may embody the emperor archetype, someone who is reliable and structured in life. This will translate well in their relationships, thus creating a well-grounded and healing connection. This is a relationship that I see heading toward something more permanent, such as marriage or a long-term commitment to each other. You will learn many lessons with this relationship and go through ups and downs that will build both of you to be stronger than before.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡

PILE 4:

libra and virgo

king of coins, knight of coins (reversed), and ace of swords

With the king of coins, I see that your relationship with your crush would be one wherein you both support each other in your goals and aspirations in life. I see this as a slow relationship, like the aesthetic of scenes of a marriage (before they started fighting). This relationship could be a slow-burning one, where it'll take a while for you both to be official but you know you like each other. It has the potential to be a stable relationship, but there may be moments of impatience, anxiety, or uncertainty with the reversed knight of coins. But with communication and honesty with each other, the relationship will flourish.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡

PILE 5:

leo and cancer

king of coins, nine of wands, the hierophant

This relationship, much like pile 4 (if you feel like you resonate with it as well, it may be for you!), is a stable one, but before you reach that stability, you need to work for it. One of you may be hesitant going in the relationship with the nine of wands in reverse, this person may have trauma with past relationships which causes them to have these strong barriers that the other person has to slowly bring down in order to achieve a successful union. With the hierophant, this relationship, once the barriers are taken down, is a very traditional one. This can take effect in many ways, like if one stays at home as the home-maker, or if you take the traditional route and get married. Your partner would be a very loyal one as well.

I see that this relationship would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it in the end.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡

PILE 6:

sagittarius and taurus

nine of wands, queen of coins, ten of wands (reversed)

My initial reading for this pile is that... you're better off without your crush. You represent the queen of coins, someone who is good-natured. This relationship would not treat you well, it may even scar you emotionally. This may be a relationship where the other person will just take and take until you're stretched out too thin and cause you to burn out. Maybe it's time to rethink why you like them, is it just a happy crush?

[kestrelmando]

I'm back with more LADs lore predictions 🤔

1. Miss Hunter's origins as a celestial being made into a humanoid form --

By the game's definition, protocores are; dropped by Wanderers once they are killed and carry celestial energy that can be harnessed for many applications.

We've seen several specific protocores:

A. The Creatio protocore, during Zayne's Foreseer myth. This protocore is said to contain Astra's power and Zayne says "Astra's power is yours to wield" after Miss Hunter absorbs it. Interestingly, he also mentions prior in the myth that her heart condition stems from "resonance with it" and that the Creatio protocore was growing stronger by "draining away" Miss Hunter's life.

B. The specific protocore Xavier searched for and found during his time on Philos. I don't believe it's ever named. I'm not convinced this wasn't Miss Hunter being vague and telling Xavier a cure existed to give him hope so I don't really include this one.

C. Destructio, I'm not sure this was ever confirmed as a protocore but I'm making an assumption here. The "energy" of Miss Hunter from Caleb's myth as A-01.

D. Construo, same as above I am assuming this is a protocore. The "energy" of Caleb as X-02 in his myth. Interestingly, A-01 and X-02 appear to be able to switch these energies -- creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin. I think there are meant to be one protocore. Perhaps this a situation where Miss Hunter has one half of it and Caleb the other.

E. The Spatium core, spatium literally meaning space or displacement or even the distance between two points. In the story, it's been used to influence spaces and create new ones.

F. Special shoutout to the Aether core class, a rare fragment or complete crystal filled with celestial energy. Aether meaning the sky, the dominion of the gods (assuming they are using the mythical definition) and the god of light. A complete Aether core has its own energy shield to protect it. Aether cores come from "the very core of the cosmos". For a long time, I assumed Sylus's eye contained half of Miss Hunter's Aether core and that was why it's unstable. But Zayne says "the energy in your heart has always been stable" and that it "forms a shield when attacked". Miss Hunter's Aether core is in one, complete piece.

G. The Origo core, recently introduced in Death and Rebirth. It descends from the cosmos and finds (seeks out?) dying planets. Then a "tiny protocore" is born from destruction after a planet "collapses inward". and dies. This introduces a chicken and egg problem for me: was there an origin Origo core? Or a planet must die for one to be produced? Was the cosmos made from THE Origo core? If so, how was the very first one produced? By who/what?

SO - Miss Hunter? The game keeps making a point to inform us that it is time AND space that is being altered/bent.

She appears to be based on the Greek Gaia or the Egyptian Nut.

Nut is summarized as the goddess of the sky, stars, the cosmos, mothers, astronomy, and the universe.

Gaia is summarized as the Earth personified, the mother of all life.

She will likely be a combo of the two inspiration wise, given that there supposedly more planets in Deepspace besides Earth.

She travels the universe, comes upon/looks for dying planets and plants a seed of herself in the planet's core. This seed is an Origo core and is powered by her essence. The Origo core builds a new planet and eventually the Origo core houses itself in a human/humanoid personification of her.

These human seeds become our Beloved Bride, Sea Witch, A-01, Thief, the Master of Fate's companion, Knight, Queen, Dragon, and Gladiator. I still maintain my earlier stance that these lives do not intersect nor happen on the same planet or timelime since Miss Hunter's Origo powers allow her to part time and space.

Overall, I think she will be a mix of various mythologies.

Astra seems to have a particular grudge against Miss Hunter, her being part of a pantheon would make sense. Something clearly happened between her and Astra. He seems to be following her across time and space, even if he isn't named explicitly.

In the end? My money is that she is the goddess of life and free will while Astra is the god of death and fate -- two sides of the same coin, locked in an unending battle. I still maintain Astra is the big bad. And what makes her immortal is the Origo protocore.

2. Miss Hunter's latest iteration --

If indeed Miss Hunter seeded all the planets that would presumably include Earth. So is our Miss Hunter a seed that has been on Earth for millenia and recently awakened? I'm not so sure.

I realize this is Zayne and his mystery mission to the Arctic, but the imagery makes me wonder if there IS a Miss Hunter for Dawnbreaker, the OG Earth seed, but she is trapped somewhere by Astra or somehow dormant....perhaps stuck in the Arctic in a different time/space pocket?

In short, I think our latest iteration of Miss Hunter is the gladiator version of her with Sylus. They agree to run away together and something happens to split them up. I believe this is where Sylus ends up in the time space prison and Miss Hunter?

The Deepspace Tunnel being described as "vast" is interesting. It feels like the Temporal Loom from Loki. There is one Deepspace Tunnel, and everything branches from it. Deepspace Tunnel = an Olympus of sorts in the middle/a pocket removed from time and space?

She falls through the Deepspace Tunnel to Earth. If she can manipulate time and space, as it appears she can, she could be falling through multiple times/spaces of the Deepspace Tunnel and "jumping" in her distress.

But our Miss Hunter has protocore syndrome and lacks the power she's supposed to have? The Deepspace Tunnel tore them from her during her fall and they fell from her as protocores. She doesn't have a weak heart -- she's incomplete. The specific, named protocores are easily and "accidentally" absorbed by her because they belong to her, they are pieces of her.

She's going to be weak and unstable until she is complete. She's gotta pull a Thanos and collect them things!

And when she does? Along with sorting thru her memories? She's gonna be scary.

3. But wait -- what about her weak heart in the myths with boys?

This circles back to she can manipulate time and space -- perhaps the Deepspace Tunnel was originally her means of travel and something went wrong? Altered by Astra? Either way, she appears to be incomplete in some (all?) of the myths as well. Her heart with Xavier and Foreseer Zayne, something is "wrong" with her power with Master of Fate Zayne, etc.

If the Goddess version of her is where all the seed versions of her draw their power from, is something wrong with the Goddess and that's why her seeds are weak?

It also occurs to me the boys could have pieces of her as well from their origins and that explains the inexorable draw to each other. Their choice to fall in love but the type of locked eyes with a stranger in a crowded room and can't look away draw.

Or perhaps the boys are celestial bodies as well, I did see a theory to support this (would love to credit the original person who thought that one up, please let me know) on various platforms -- Miss Hunter seeds the planet and becomes intertwined with it.

I think that's all for now 😅😆🤣🤣🤣

[dark-corner-cunning]

🌑 New Moon in Taurus – Grounding, Growing, and Building What Lasts 🌑

New Moon Blessings!

This New Moon in Taurus brings a welcome shift into steadiness. Taurus is the sign of the builder, the gardener, the one who knows that good things take time. This moon invites us to slow down, reconnect with our values, and start planting the seeds��literally and metaphorically—for what we want to grow over time.

This moon falls at 7° Taurus, and it’s sitting close to the North Node, pointing us toward long-term growth and a deeper sense of purpose. There’s also a supportive connection to Saturn in Pisces, helping us give structure to dreams and spiritual goals. If you’ve been hoping to ground your ideas into reality or bring more stability to your life, this is the moon to begin.

🪵 Taurus New Moon Themes:

Long-term intentions and goals

Financial stability and slow, sustainable growth

Body care, home care, and self-worth

Connecting with nature and the land

Building routines that actually feel good

---------

🌿 Folk Magic & Appalachian Wisdom

In traditional folk practices—especially those passed down in the Appalachian region—the dark moon in an Earth sign like Taurus is considered a strong time for planting, blessing, and working toward prosperity. This isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about setting intentions that you’re willing to tend and care for, like a garden.

Ways you can work with this moon:

Plant something in the earth with a spoken intention.

Make or refresh charms for steady income and resource flow.

Work with oils or candle spells focused on abundance or security.

Whisper your goals into a jar of dirt from your home and bury it beneath a favorite tree or near your front steps.

Here’s a simple folk charm you can try:

Steady Hand, Full Pocket Charm Gather:

A small square of green fabric

A coin rubbed with money drawing oil (optional)

A pinch of dried basil or bay leaf

A string or thread

A taglock from you

A petition (optional)

Wrap the herbs and coin in the cloth and tie it shut with the string. As you tie it, say:

“Steady hand and steady heart, Let blessings grow and never part. By leaf and coin, by root and thread, Bring me fortune, daily bread.”

Keep it in your pocket, purse, or on your altar until the Full Moon in Taurus later this year.

---------

🌱 Reflection Questions for the Taurus New Moon:

What am I ready to build or invest in long-term?

Where do I need more grounding in my life?

How do I define security—and what steps can I take to create it?

What routines or rituals help me feel stable and supported?

This moon is about choosing what’s real, what’s worthy, and what’s worth the effort. It’s a beautiful time to begin a new chapter in your relationship with money, your body, your home, or your purpose.

May this moon bless the roots you plant and bring you the steadiness you seek.

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP IDEA #26

History hates Lovers

Imagine dis…

When Batman got lost in time it was said that he made some signs or even some symbols that send a message in the future. For example, a portrait that looked exactly like him or even a cave painting of a bat that looked too modernized to be from the early cavemen.

But it seems that we have forgotten that every change that he made whether it was just standing in a portrait as a background has a severe consequence in the time stream. The butterfly effect rests on the notion that the world is deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system. The effect is named after an allegory for chaos theory; it evokes the idea that a small butterfly flapping its wings could, hypothetically, cause a typhoon.

Small changes could result in another and entirely new timeline, whether the changes were small enough that people don’t notice or large enough that people merely conceived it as normal.

But at the end of the day it still changes, so how did the timeline remain stable as it is?

(I am no expert in time travel so don’t get your hopes up, I do enjoy a good time travel or time travel -fix it fic in A03)

…

Bruce didn’t know where and when he is right now. Still weak and disoriented from the consent way he fell from each timeline. One moment he could be in the middle of a group of cavemen and then he was at the edge of a town in the Middle Ages. 

He kept sending messages subtle as they may be, as long as they survived the passage of time and arrived to his future. He just hopes that his teammates can see his messages, especially with the flash in their midst who had both knowledge and experience in time travel.

He tried to fit in every time he tried to send a message as the last thing, he needed was to change the time. 

…

But little did Bruce know the little messages he kept making and sending, despite their subtleness still created a butterfly effect. It makes some of the people in the period who were supposed to be in time to some event pause and take a look at the mysterious symbols and signs that Bruce made. Thus, making them late or even have some delay, thus creating a large domino effect that started small. From insignificant people, people who are just literally background characters who just have a very short greeting or meeting with someone in the event made the entire timeline crack.

Clockwork was looking at the time stream due to the fragile situation at hand. CW knew that this event was crucial for the Red Robin’s growth as a detective and vigilante. But the small cracks are turning into something unchangeable, CW knew that this was the only communication that the Dark Knight could send as well it was his way to get back to his own time.

Yet CW can see the cracks getting larger and larger, with each move that the Dark Knight made creating more holes in his known future. Usually, such events as the Dark Knight's faces don’t create any consequences or even affect the time stream of the said dimension as it was meant to be. An event unavertable in the end is more justifiable than the means.

But due to the Flash family going back in time as well the countless time traveler visitors made the time stream in that dimension week and prone to break in any given time. It was just a surprise to CW that it lasted so long.

CW found a solution in the form of his apprentice/ grandson, Phantom. Despite the young ghost being an Ancient of Space as well as the King of Infinite Realms he still needs a mentor to not only guide him to his new duties as an Ancient but also his responsibilities as the future High King.

Space and Time are two sides of the same coin thus CW ended up being the mentor of the young Phantom. 

Clockwork sent Danny to not only seal in the cracks in the flow of time but also want some great-grandchildren, if you heard the last part then you heard nothing from me.

…

Danny didn’t know he was getting in when Clockwork sent him out to another errand at another time. He should have gotten used to CW’s vague and cryptic errands through time when he was a teen, but as he was sealing another crack from time, he saw something that shouldn’t be in the period. A man clearly from out of time trying and failing to fit in, though he may have fooled the locals but he had been traveling and fixing time since he was in high school. 

At first, he looked perplexed but if CW didn’t mention anything then he won’t do anything.

But slowly Danny realized that whichever period the guy was in, it was where the next set of cracks would be, so Danny decided to follow the guy.

…

Bruce may still be weary and tired from the constant falling through time but even in his tired state can see that there is someone following him.

Every era there that man was, seemingly walking around aimlessly but then he noticed that he kept a good distance away from him.

Eventually, it led to and confrontation between the two males.

…

Danny who explained that despite having the power to travel through time cannot help Bruce as his little messages are creating small cracks in the time stream and are merely there to seal up the cracks, but offers news that he will get back to his own time.

Bruce who is just wishing for human contact that relates to him as well in the verge of going off to the Flash to stop going back in time for another chance to eat a breakfast that tasted better than before.

…

The two began conversing with one another and slowly fell in love.

…

Bruce is the first one to fall hard, Danny whose light-heartedness brought Bruce out of his shell. It had only taken a few conversations with each other to lose his shield around his heart. Danny both accepted both Bruce and Batman within him. Danny’s smile lights up Bruce’s world, at first Bruce tries to hide his feelings to Danny so as not to lose his only companion throughout the ordeal.

…

The two began dancing around their feelings and Bruce in an out of character of him sent a love letter and a poem to Danny when the ghost was needed somewhere else to seal the crack.

As old as I am, I have had the most dreadful experiences in love. I have a very dark past and I'm a damaged soul. My past experiences have groomed me into believing that there's no such thing as true love, but with you, I feel different. You make me fall in love with myself too. You always make me smile, and I'm scared. I'm scared to fall in love and get broken again, I'm scared to give my all, only to be used again, to get shamed and embarrassed. I've seen how careful and caring you are around me, but sometimes you give me a cold shoulder, and it's small things like these that break me. Please bear with me and be fragile. I come from a very painful past where I had to be a woman and have no say. All this love and affection is a little scary to me because I'm not used to it. I'm falling for you and I'm falling hard. I hope our love story has a happy ending. Know that I will always love and cherish you.

 (Mmakoma Kamogelo. "My Confession." Family Friend Poems, September 6, 2016. https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/my-confession-2)

Danny who received the letter burned red from reading the poem to the point his freckles were the only thing prominent on his red face, Danny knew that this man was from the future and couldn't help but feel a little bit insecure. That man, the Batman is someone out of his league but sends out a letter and a poem of his own.

Published by Family Friend Poems September 2016 with permission of the Author.

My love for you is uncontrollable.

 My feelings for you are unstoppable.

 Can't go a day without thinking about you.

 Without you, I'm not complete.

 With you, my heart finds its beat.

 My heart is filled with joy because of your love.

 You are my strength, and without you I'm weak.

 Before you came into my life, I was

 Hopeless, lonely, sad.

 When you showed up, I knew that you were sent to me. (Namely CW, Danny just knew that old Ancient did something)

 You are always here to support me.

 Your smile makes me shy,

 And sometimes I wonder where you have been all this while,

 But I'm just glad that I managed to get you in my life...

 YOU FILL MY HEART WITH JOY!

(Mmakoma Kamogelo. "My Confession." Family Friend Poems, September 6, 2016. https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/my-confession-2)

…

When the two realized both were pinning to one another began sending each other little love notes, in the form of short poems to full-blown letters.

Both males whenever received a letter when one was apart, collected and hid it in a box to reread each stroke of the letter from the other, and whenever they were together, they just spent the entire day basking in each other’s presence.

Their little note exchange didn’t stop whenever Bruce fell to another period, Danny just followed him and started a new exchange mail of letters.

Of course, both used pseudonyms in their letters ranging from initials to fake names using only the letters from their names.

…

When Bruce was saved by Red Robin, he felt relieved as he could now stop falling into another period but another shock as he didn’t get to say goodbye to Danny.

Bruce knew that someday it come, but he was going to offer Danny the future with him. He is going to offer Danny the world, but it seems that it was never meant to be.

Maybe that’s why his past self never met Danny, too disappointed, too dejected to meet him once again.

…

It has been a few months since he came back to his future, it was another family outing organized by Dick.

It was a museum featuring the latest found by archeologists, as Bruce was surveying case to another case, he fell upon a worn-out parchment with his handwriting.

Wide-eyed, Bruce looked closely at the exhibit and found that the description said the letter was about a man named “Brooks” confessing his love in the form of a short poem to a woman named “Daniella” who had the same feelings as him but had other responsibilities to fully go where he is.

Bruce began looking at the other exhibits and there along rows and rows of his letter exchange with Danny from different periods. 

Jason and Tim who were a few cases away from him began having a heated discussion with a stranger about the supposed woman in the letters being a man the entire exchange is between a pair of male couple, and the so-called Historians are hiding the fact that it was between men.

Bruce was about to interfere with the upcoming verbal fight when a stranger beside him commented that “Daniella” probably missed “Brooks” as the last letter and poem to the exchange when “Daniella” noticed that “Brooks” is no longer responding is…

(By E.E. Cummings)

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

 my heart)I am never without it(anywhere

 I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

 by only me is your doing, my darling)

                           I fear

 no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)i want

 no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

 and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

 and whatever a sun will always sing is you

 here is the deepest secret nobody knows

 (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

 and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

 higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

 and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

 i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

 (E.E. Cummings. "[i Carry Your Heart With Me(i Carry It In]." Family Friend Poems, https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/i-carry-your-heart-with-me-by-ee-cummings)

Bruce is startled as he doesn’t even notice Danny’s last letter to him when he takes a good look at the stranger…

…

There he is, Danny in his early 30’s looking at him with softness and deep love in his eyes and a gentle smile. As if he hadn’t waited centuries for Bruce to appear once again, and what looked like willing to wait once again for him.

…

PS: If someone out there wanted to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so, don’t forget to tag me though.

PPS: As you can see, I have never fallen in love and please mind my poor and lack of love life in my life to relate to my work.

PPPS: I decided to post a bit early, I've got something going on to the actual February 14.

[jazzywrldastro]

Sun in the Signs ☼ Part one-

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ☀︎︎ for all my posts

here is my notes from my TikTok-

sun ☼- celestial being of light - represents self, identity, worth, will and motivation

the Sun sign is an important indicator of a person's personality and character. It represents the essence of a person's identity and influences their behavior, preferences, and overall outlook on life.

aries sun

individuals have a fiery and dynamic personality that comes with its fair share of strengths and challenges. On the positive side, these people are natural-born leaders, brimming with energy, enthusiasm, and a go-getter vibes. they're known for their honesty and authenticity.

popular famous aries- Kristen Stewart, Robert Downey Jr, Lady Gaga, and Elton John.

taurus sun

like the dependable rocks of the zodiac. On the positive side, they're known for their unwavering determination and reliability.

When they set their sights on a goal, you can bet they'll see it through, no matter how long it takes. They're patient as all get-out, which can be a blessing when others are losing their cool. Tauruses are also practical and down-to-earth, making them great at handling their finances and building a stable, comfortable life.

famous tauruses- Megan Fox, Melanie Martinez, Adele, Audrey Hepburn, Rami Malek

gemini sun

are like a two-sided coin, always flipping between their challenging and positive traits. On the sunny side, these folks are the life of the party, chatty and sociable, making friends faster than you can say.

Their curiosity knows no bounds, and they're quick thinkers, always ready with a witty remark or a clever solution to a problem. I've seen that the sun in Gemini people have a lot of hobbies and things they like to do in their free time.

famous gemini people - Angelina Jolie, Chris Evans, Lily Rose Depp and her dad Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter

cancer sun

these people are incredibly nurturing and empathetic. Their strong love for fantily is what makes them amazing. Their in ution and emotional depth make them great listeners an friends, and they often have a deep sense of loyalty and dedication.

They realso creative and have vivid imagination, which can lead to yonderful artistic endeavors and a knack for creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere in their homes.

famous cancer people- A mana Grande, Lana Del Rey Selena Comez, Margot Robbie (she thinks she's a Gemini tho lol) Tom Hanks

leo sun

leos possess natural magnetic charm and a zest for life that's hard to miss. On the positive side, they exude confidence, which often translates into leadership roles where they excel. Their radiant charisma draws people in, making them wonderful friends and partners. Creativity flows through their veins, making them shine in the performing arts or any field where self-expression is key. I'm a Leo so this is accurate. I'm a shining star!

famous Leo people- Shawn Mendes, Daniel Radcliffe, Halle Berry, Jason Mamoa, Jennifer Lawrence

Part 2 coming next.

Make sure you get a reading, to get more guidance! I do natal chart readings and tarot readings!

[pilgrimattinkercreek1974]

REPORT FROM BEYOND BY MICHAEL BAZZETT

In paradise the work week is fixed at thirty hours and manual labor is only pleasantly more tiring than typing so that a morning chopping wood is barely enough to make the ham sandwich and the cold bottle of beer a bit more delicious at the rough wooden table afterward

Punctuation is underused because words flow one into the other like branching streams of snowmelt wrinkling over rough granite into alpine meadows where tiny stars pass themselves off as flowers and the children weave green stems into crowns which are the only trappings worn by the rulers who are wise and listen intently to their subjects without merely thinking of what words they will offer in response

The parks are clean the social system stable and the new eight day week has created a gentle hammock of time in what used to be Sunday evening where the bells toll and streets are closed so families might stroll the avenues

Old men still wear their pants too high public fountains are still fish-scaled with coins the authorities have yet to solve how the smell of frying food hangs in the air for hours

At first the great beyond was to have been quite different each life was to have comprised one note in the harmonious thrum of a cosmic chord but they found it too difficult to reduce even simple lives to a single sound and a gluey paste kept getting caught at the back of the angels’ throats

God has yet to make an appearance but this absence is common fodder for the rumors which suggest he wanders among them as a breeze so they see not him but his evidence

[mrfrogmouth]

Love and Family and Violence

I want to take a moment to talk about Kara and Lena and love-- not about romantic love, that’s a bit separate in this case, but about Familial love and what it means to the both of them. 

I’m going to go a bit more in-depth in relation to sibling relationships later, but first, I just want to focus on what familial love means for the both of them. Family is meant to be your stable point: it is your formative environment, and it shapes how you approach all future relationships. And when I start digging into family and those two, the first thing I find-- the overwhelming thing I find-- is death. 

For Lena, her mother is dead. Her father is dead. Her brother is a mass murderer who tries to kill her. Her adoptive mother is a mass murderer who tries to kill her. And she loves them-- all of them, and desires their affection even when she knows that they are nothing but sorrow and ruin for her because they are her family. 

For Kara, her entire house burned to the ground around her. Her aunt is, by all accounts, fucking insane and a mass murderer who tries to kill her. Her uncle is a mass murderer who tries to kill her. Her parents, people she idolized, are the reason her world is gone. Her mother responded to the betrayal of her sister by sending her to a hell dimension for eternity. Her father created bioweapons. Her adoptive father is dead because of her-- because he loved her (whether this is true is up to interpretation, but Kara believes it). Alex is her closest companion. Alex, whose duty from when they were children was to keep Kara out of trouble, to keep Kara alive. There has never been a moment in their relationship where the threat hasn’t existed, where Alex wasn’t Kara’s guardian as much as Kara later became Alex’s. Death and violence are inexorably tied to every familial relationship Kara has. 

As for siblings-- Lena’s issue is obvious from the start. Her brother’s love and care were entirely conditional and, at times, an intentional social experiment. He’s violent, he’s manipulative, and he’s a psychopath. Kara and Alex’s issues are a little more subtle in the context of the show, but when you take a step back, they are horribly codependent. That eases a little as the show goes on, but not significantly (and more from lack of attention than resolution). I’ve touched on Alex’s whole duty as the older sibling to 

Keep Kara hidden at all costs, Your father is already dead. The government may come any day and kill us all. If we are caught, it is your fault.

and later in her life her duty of 

Keep Kara safe at any cost. If Kara dies it is your fault, even if she walks up to a robber with a loaded gun and puts the barrel against her skull, it is your fault

and it was explored to some extent on the show, but we do need to look at the other side of that coin: 

This girl is how you stay alive. Your place here killed her father. You may yet be the reason she is killed. But she is how you stay alive. She is how you learn to look normal. She is the only friend you have who knows who and what you are. She is the only one who knows about your nightmares, and your ptsd, and your home, and your faith. She is the only one who can ever know. Knowing may get her killed.

God, what the fuck does that do to your psyche? The anxiety these two display towards normal adult separation is frankly unhealthy. There’s relying on each other, and there’s whatever the hell those two have going on. I love my sister, truly, I do. I see us, sometimes in Kara and Alex, but most of the time all I can see are 2 massive trainwrecks only kept from completely derailing because they’re propped up on each other. 

I mean, obviously, Kara and Lena are psychologically all the way fucked, but can you imagine what this does to a person? To have your entire idea of family tied to the worst moments of your life? To desperation and necessity? To abject terror? No wonder they have no idea how to function in a normal relationship. No wonder they are so ride or die with each other from the beginning. It’s two people who’ve never had a healthy relationship dynamic in their lives trying to work their way through a friendship. 

(To those who would bring up Jack Spheer and Sam-- you’re totally right and Lena did have those totally stable relationships with other people, but I see two options with this. 1.) These limited normal relationships are literally the only reason this woman is still sane. 2.) If the show does not want to acknowledge their existence or impact outside of their single episode arc or season, then I won’t either. Supergirl introduced like 5 different “Lena’s ONLY FRIEND EVER” across it’s running time.) 

(To those who mention Winn and James, I argue: One of those involved Winn falling in love with Kara and being very obvious and weird about it the whole time, and the other Kara immediately falling in love with James, obsessing over him for a year and then suddenly realizing she wasn’t really that interested. James and Kara had enough emotional baggage of their own due to his relationship with Clark, even without the romance plot. Those relationships were never going to have an even push and pull as is typical in a friendship. Kenny is probably the closest thing in canon we see for Kara, and we all know how that ended)

Something that really stuck with me was the scene in the fortress in 5x07, when Kara is trapped with kryptonite by Lena, and she asks “Are you going to try to kill me?”. Lena is, of course, disgusted by the very idea of it, and takes it as a personal insult. You can argue that Kara was justified by the kryptonite and Lena’s theft and obvious hurt, you can argue that the line was OOC. I used to think that. That one line bugged the hell out of me. But I do want to explore it through this lens of family and violence. Kara has, many, many times, taken the place of Lena’s family in supergirl. Romantic or not, it is false to say that Kara did not love Lena. 

So Kara is standing here, imprisoned, in horrible pain, and she asks the question. “Are you going to try to kill me?” 

And honestly, why wouldn’t she think that? She knows Lena has killed. Lena just confessed to killing Lex. Lena killed Lex for her-- a life for a life. She knows Lena has tried to kill before (see: Morgan Edge). And if, for her, love is always this heightened, tense thing-- dangerous. Something that could drive regular anger into violent, murderous betrayal, is it not perfectly natural for her first assumption when confronted with any violence from a loved one to jump straight to mortal danger? 

And she doesn’t even think Lena will succeed! Try, she says. Try. Astra tried, failed, and later saved her life. Try is impermanent. Try can be fixed. Try is hopeful.

Lena takes this statement as the ultimate insult-- proof that at the end of the day Kara has always thought she was just like her family, that Kara has never truly loved her, and never understood how much Lena loved her in return. But Kara does love Lena, we know this. Kara does not think Lena is just like her family, we know this. So maybe, just maybe, Kara isn’t associating Lena with the Luthors, but with Kara’s own family, with her own, deeply unstable understanding of love and anger and betrayal. 

[brokenheartsrecords]

track three: voices in the wall words: 0.7K tw: none taglist: @lxvebelle , @that-daughter-of-hephaestus find track two here

YOUR MOTHER IS A BIT TOO glad about your almost-ruined reputation. As she runs around the sitting room, planning the engagement and wedding breakfast and oh, God, the wedding night, you feel compelled to make her stop.

“Mama, what if I have a secret lover I will elope with? What will come of your planning then?”

You, in fact, do not have a secret lover. It’s not because you aren’t beautiful, it’s just that people see you more as a friend rather than a potential bride.

And, yes, you’ve rejected quite the lot of suitors because you just didn’t like them.

You can’t be blamed.

“If you had a lover, I would’ve known by now. If it weren’t for this wedding, you’d be a spinster your whole life! This is a sign from God, darling. He orchestrated this because you and Lord Hawthorne were meant to be together! It’s His holy word.”

Good luck telling Lord Hawthorne that God orchestrated this, and not me.

You know that Grayson Hawthorne thinks that you somehow created this situation, when it really couldn’t be far from the truth. You could try to break it off, but that would dishonour not just his, but your family too.

It didn’t matter how you’d break it off if the result would always be the same.

And Grayson was too much of a gentleman to break the engagement off himself.

You tried to find faults in him on the carriage ride home. Like how he was too uptight, or if he gambled (how would he gamble if he never took a stroll in society, though?). Maybe he had a secret collection of horrid paintings, or he hoarded Marie Antoinnete’s fatal guillotine? 

But you couldn’t find a single fault in your memory, unless the fault was him being too gentlemanly. And what type of fault was that?

“Tulips or lilies? I would go with lilies, but I wonder what Skye will say about that.”

And just like that, you had an idea.

“Mama, if I marry Lord Hawthorne… wouldn’t Ms. Skye be part of the family?”

Your mother stilled, a light frown pulling at her lips. “She would. But that does not matter, because all household tasks will be shifted to the Lady Hawthorne. And Lady Hawthorne would be you. Skye would hold no responsibilities in that house, child.” She came over to you and patted your hair, which you had left loose down your back. 

Slowly, your mother gathered the strands and parted them into three, beginning the foundations of a braid. “I might be too happy for your wedding, but that is because I never really thought I’d be able to attend it.” She says, her voice but a whisper. “I’m truly overjoyed for you, and you secured such a great match, too! Trust me, your marriage will be nothing like mine.”

The house was too large. Too silent. The only sounds came from outside the sitting room, where the maids were running through the staircases to prepare baths. Your mother’s husband wasn’t to be seen.

“Can I speak to Lord Hawthorne tomorrow?” You ask, trying to shift your mother’s attention.

You can hear her smile. “Of course. I’ll send a letter to Skye.”

In your room later that night, you can’t sleep. You blame it on nerves, but you know that that is not the case.

Outside, you see a light approach the stables, and it slowly disappears. 

It’s probably a stableboy walking back to the servant’s quarters, you assume.

Until you hear shuffling from the walls.

“Report.” A female voice says, and you jolt up in your bed. 

A deep breath. Not from you, but from someone else in the walls. 

“There is a wedding being arranged, madam. I know nothing more.”

The tinkling of coins, and the hard sound of them falling into someone’s hands. “Tell me more.”

The voice is soft, seductive. 

“The wedding is to the Miss. Lord Hawthorne and the Miss. They will be calling at the Hawthorne residence on the morrow. Please, that is all I know.”

“Shame.” The voice says, and you can hear the frown. “Matthias, you know what to do.”

Footsteps.

You don’t hear the second woman again.

[tarotwithavi]

Sun in Signs

The Sun sign in astrology represents a person's core identity, ego, and the essence of their character.

Sun in Aries

Sun in Aries individuals have a fiery and dynamic personality that comes with its fair share of strengths and challenges. On the positive side, these people are natural-born leaders, brimming with energy, enthusiasm, and a go-getter attitude. They're not afraid to take risks, and their determination is off the charts. They're adventurous and thrive in competitive situations, often pushing the boundaries to achieve their goals. Their straightforwardness can be refreshing, and they're known for their honesty and authenticity. However, his same boldness can sometimes tip into impatience and impulsivity. They might rush into decisions without considering all the consequences and can have a bit of a short fuse when things don't go their way. Also, they may struggle with listening to others' viewpoints, as their assertiveness can sometimes overshadow empathy.

Song : King's Affirmations by Iniko

Sun in Taurus

People born with the Sun in Taurus are like the dependable rocks of the zodiac. On the positive side, they're known for their unwavering determination and reliability. When they set their sights on a goal, you can bet they'll see it through, no matter how long it takes. They're patient as all get-out, which can be a blessing when others are losing their cool. Taurus folks are also practical and down-to-earth, making them great at handling their finances and building a stable, comfortable life. Taurus has a stubborn streak wider than a bull's back. When they dig in their heels, it's tough to sway them, even if they're heading in the wrong direction. Their love for comfort can make them a bit lazy and resistant to change, causing them to miss out on new opportunities. Plus, their attachment to material possessions can sometimes veer into materialism, making them a bit possessive.

Song : Circus by Britney Spears

Sun in Gemini

Sun in Gemini individuals are like a two-sided coin, always flipping between their challenging and positive traits. On the sunny side, these folks are the life of the party, chatty and sociable, making friends faster than you can say "Gemini." Their curiosity knows no bounds, and they're quick thinkers, always ready with a witty remark or a clever solution to a problem. But, flip that coin, and you'll find their challenging side. Gemini Suns can be scatterbrained, easily bored, and prone to gossip. They might struggle with commitment, flitting from one interest to another like a butterfly. In relationships, their duality can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the day. So, with a Gemini Sun, it's a mixed bag of tricks, but there's never a dull moment when they're around. I have also seen that the sun in Gemini people have a lot of hobbies and things they like to do in their free time.

Song : Clumsy by Fergie

Sun in Cancer

Having the Sun in Cancer means these people are incredibly nurturing and empathetic. Their strong love for family is what makes them amazing. Their intuition and emotional depth make them great listeners and friends, and they often have a deep sense of loyalty and dedication. They're also creative and have a vivid imagination, which can lead to wonderful artistic endeavors and a knack for creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere in their homes. In a nutshell, Sun in Cancer folks bring a whole lot of heart and warmth to the table, even if they have their share of challenges. These individuals can sometimes be a tad too sensitive, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. They're prone to mood swings and may retreat into their shell when faced with criticism or conflict, making communication tricky at times. And their strong attachment to family can sometimes lead to them being overly protective, making it challenging for loved ones to have their own space.

Song : Luna by Iniko

Sun in Leo

Individuals with the Sun in Leo possess a natural magnetic charm and a zest for life that's hard to miss. On the positive side, they exude confidence, which often translates into leadership roles where they excel. Their radiant charisma draws people in, making them wonderful friends and partners. Creativity flows through their veins, making them shine in the performing arts or any field where self-expression is key. However, the challenges lie in their constant need for attention and admiration. This can sometimes be perceived as self-centeredness or arrogance. Their strong-willed nature can border on bossiness, as they prefer to be in control. Striking a balance between their desire for the spotlight and consideration for others' feelings can be their life's ongoing challenge. These people can shine anywhere and anytime.

Song: Me too by Meghan Trainor

Sun in Virgo

People with the Sun in Virgo are like the detail-oriented perfectionists of the zodiac. On the bright side, they're incredibly organized and practical, the type who'll always have a plan. They're reliable, the ones you can count on to get things done right. Their sharp minds make them excellent problem solvers and analytical thinkers. They are really calm and like to observe their surroundings. They pay attention to the nitty-gritty, making them superb at any task that requires precision. However, their quest for perfection can sometimes tip over into nitpicking. They might be a bit too critical, not just of themselves but of others too. They're the kings and queens of worrying, always thinking about what could go wrong. Striking a balance between their high standards and a more relaxed approach to life is their lifelong challenge.

Song : Girls like me don't cry by Thuy

Sun in Libra

These people are all about balance and harmony. On the positive side, they're the peacemakers of the zodiac, always striving to keep things fair and pleasant. They've got an innate sense of justice and are fantastic at seeing both sides of any situation. Plus, they're charming as heck and can charm the socks off just about anyone. They know how to rock every outfit and hairstyle. They love art, beauty, and all things aesthetically pleasing, often having a great sense of style. However, the flip side is their indecisiveness. They can be so focused on avoiding conflict that they sometimes struggle to make decisions, even the small ones. They might also bend over backward to please others, sometimes forgetting their own needs. They might struggle with expectations. They act how they're expected to rather than being their own self. Sometimes they might come off as "Fake" according to some people.

Song: Scars to your beautiful by Alessia Cara

Sun in Scorpio

Sun in Scorpio people are a real enigma, let me tell you. On the plus side, they've got this intense, magnetic vibe that draws people to them like moths to a flame. They're passionate and fiercely loyal, making them amazing friends and partners. When they set their sights on something, they go all in, and their determination can move mountains. They're like a detective in their own lives, digging deep to uncover hidden truths, which can be a superpower in relationships or any mystery-solving situation. Their intensity can sometimes come off as intimidating or even a bit obsessive. They don't do anything halfway, which can lead to power struggles or jealousy in relationships. They also have severe trust issues. It's all about finding that balance between diving deep and not getting lost in the shadows. They also have a tendency to hide things. And they'll rarely ever invite you to their place.

Song : Heathens by Twenty one Pilots

Sun in Sagittarius

People with the Sun in Sagittarius are like adventurers of the zodiac. They're all about exploration and expansion. On the positive side, they're enthusiastic, optimistic, and love a good adventure. They have a thirst for knowledge and are always eager to learn something new. Their sense of humor is infectious, and they're great at lifting spirits. They can sometimes become restless or overly blunt in their honesty. They can sometimes seem tactless because they value truth over sugarcoating. Commitment can also be a bit tricky for them, as they often crave freedom and don't like feeling tied down. So, they're a bundle of fun and adventure, but sometimes they need a little grounding. They have a hard time taking orders from people. They are the type of people who'll Quit their 9 to 5 job and start their own business on a random day because they got bored of their routine. They'll never do something they don't love as a career.

Song : price tag by Jessie J

Sun in Capricorn

People with the Sun in Capricorn are like the ultimate goal-setters and go-getters. On the bright side, they're responsible, practical, and hardworking individuals. They're the ones who'll climb the career ladder with determination and discipline. They've got this natural sense of ambition that's admirable. They're reliable friends and partners, always there when you need them. But they can sometimes come off as too serious or even a tad bit workaholic. Their drive for success might make them seem a bit distant, and they can struggle with letting loose and having fun. They also find it difficult to talk about their feelings. And they'll always prioritise their career/job/profession over anything else. They have mad respect for their work and do it with full determination.

Song : High Hopes by Panic! At the Disco

Sun in Aquarius

People with the Sun in Aquarius are a unique breed. On the upside, they're the free spirits of the zodiac, always marching to the beat of their own drum. They're innovative thinkers, often ahead of their time, and they love shaking things up with their progressive ideas. They are also humanitarian.These are the friends you want for stimulating conversations and brainstorming sessions. They're super open-minded and accepting of others' quirks. They can sometimes come off as aloof or emotionally detached. They value their independence fiercely, sometimes to the point of seeming distant. They might even be seen as a bit rebellious, challenging the status quo just for the fun of it. However I have also seen people dislike them for no apparent reason. Maybe it's because they are so different and others have a hard time understanding them.

Song : Yosemite by Iniko

Sun in Pisces

People with the Sun in Pisces are like the dreamers of the zodiac. Honestly I think they should be fantasy writers. On the positive side, they're incredibly compassionate and empathetic, always willing to lend a listening ear or a helping hand. They have this innate ability to understand the unspoken emotions of others. Their creativity knows no bounds, often channeled into arts, music, or imaginative pursuits. They're like a sponge, soaking up vibes and feelings from their surroundings. But, there's a challenging side too. Their sensitivity can be a double-edged sword, as they easily get overwhelmed by the harsh realities of the world. Sometimes, they might struggle with setting boundaries and end up feeling drained. They find it difficult to live in the "practical World".

Song : Jericho by Iniko

[mariacallous]

On a 5K screen in Kirkland, Washington, four terminals blur with activity as artificial intelligence generates thousands of lines of code. Steve Yegge, a veteran software engineer who previously worked at Google and AWS, sits back to watch.

“This one is running some tests, that one is coming up with a plan. I am now coding on four different projects at once, although really I’m just burning tokens,” Yegge says, referring to the cost of generating chunks of text with a large language model (LLM).

Learning to code has long been seen as the ticket to a lucrative, secure career in tech. Now, the release of advanced coding models from firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google threatens to upend that notion entirely. X and Bluesky are brimming with talk of companies downsizing their developer teams—or even eliminating them altogether.

When ChatGPT debuted in late 2022, AI models were capable of autocompleting small portions of code—a helpful, if modest step forward that served to speed up software development. As models advanced and gained “agentic” skills that allow them to use software programs, manipulate files, and access online services, engineers and non-engineers alike started using the tools to build entire apps and websites. Andrej Karpathy, a prominent AI researcher, coined the term “vibe coding” in February, to describe the process of developing software by prompting an AI model with text.

The rapid progress has led to speculation—and even panic—among developers, who fear that most development work could soon be automated away, in what would amount to a job apocalypse for engineers.

“We are not far from a world—I think we’ll be there in three to six months—where AI is writing 90 percent of the code,” Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, said at a Council on Foreign Relations event in March. “And then in 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all of the code,” he added.

But many experts warn that even the best models have a way to go before they can reliably automate a lot of coding work. While future advancements might unleash AI that can code just as well as a human, until then relying too much on AI could result in a glut of buggy and hackable code, as well as a shortage of developers with the knowledge and skills needed to write good software.

David Autor, an economist at MIT who studies how AI affects employment, says it’s possible that software development work will be automated—similar to how transcription and translation jobs are quickly being replaced by AI. He notes, however, that advanced software engineering is much more complex and will be harder to automate than routine coding.

Autor adds that the picture may be complicated by the “elasticity” of demand for software engineering—the extent to which the market might accommodate additional engineering jobs.

“If demand for software were like demand for colonoscopies, no improvement in speed or reduction in costs would create a mad rush for the proctologist's office,” Autor says. “But if demand for software is like demand for taxi services, then we may see an Uber effect on coding: more people writing more code at lower prices, and lower wages.”

Yegge’s experience shows that perspectives are evolving. A prolific blogger as well as coder, Yegge was previously doubtful that AI would help produce much code. Today, he has been vibe-pilled, writing a book called Vibe Coding with another experienced developer, Gene Kim, that lays out the potential and the pitfalls of the approach. Yegge became convinced that AI would revolutionize software development last December, and he has led a push to develop AI coding tools at his company, Sourcegraph.

“This is how all programming will be conducted by the end of this year,” Yegge predicts. “And if you're not doing it, you're just walking in a race.”

The Vibe-Coding Divide

Today, coding message boards are full of examples of mobile apps, commercial websites, and even multiplayer games all apparently vibe-coded into being. Experienced coders, like Yegge, can give AI tools instructions and then watch AI bring complex ideas to life.

Several AI-coding startups, including Cursor and Windsurf have ridden a wave of interest in the approach. (OpenAI is widely rumored to be in talks to acquire Windsurf).

At the same time, the obvious limitations of generative AI, including the way models confabulate and become confused, has led many seasoned programmers to see AI-assisted coding—and especially gung-ho, no-hands vibe coding—as a potentially dangerous new fad.

Martin Casado, a computer scientist and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz who sits on the board of Cursor, says the idea that AI will replace human coders is overstated. “AI is great at doing dazzling things, but not good at doing specific things,” he said.

Still, Casado has been stunned by the pace of recent progress. “I had no idea it would get this good this quick,” he says. “This is the most dramatic shift in the art of computer science since assembly was supplanted by higher-level languages.”

Ken Thompson, vice president of engineering at Anaconda, a company that provides open source code for software development, says AI adoption tends to follow a generational divide, with younger developers diving in and older ones showing more caution. For all the hype, he says many developers still do not trust AI tools because their output is unpredictable, and will vary from one day to the next, even when given the same prompt. “The nondeterministic nature of AI is too risky, too dangerous,” he explains.

Both Casado and Thompson see the vibe-coding shift as less about replacement than abstraction, mimicking the way that new languages like Python build on top of lower-level languages like C, making it easier and faster to write code. New languages have typically broadened the appeal of programming and increased the number of practitioners. AI could similarly increase the number of people capable of producing working code.

Bad Vibes

Paradoxically, the vibe-coding boom suggests that a solid grasp of coding remains as important as ever. Those dabbling in the field often report running into problems, including introducing unforeseen security issues, creating features that only simulate real functionality, accidentally running up high bills using AI tools, and ending up with broken code and no idea how to fix it.

“AI [tools] will do everything for you—including fuck up,” Yegge says. “You need to watch them carefully, like toddlers.”

The fact that AI can produce results that range from remarkably impressive to shockingly problematic may explain why developers seem so divided about the technology. WIRED surveyed programmers in March to ask how they felt about AI coding, and found that the proportion who were enthusiastic about AI tools (36 percent) was mirrored by the portion who felt skeptical (38 percent).

“Undoubtedly AI will change the way code is produced,” says Daniel Jackson, a computer scientist at MIT who is currently exploring how to integrate AI into large-scale software development. “But it wouldn't surprise me if we were in for disappointment—that the hype will pass.”

Jackson cautions that AI models are fundamentally different from the compilers that turn code written in a high-level language into a lower-level language that is more efficient for machines to use, because they don’t always follow instructions. Sometimes an AI model may take an instruction and execute better than the developer—other times it might do the task much worse.

Jackson adds that vibe coding falls down when anyone is building serious software. “There are almost no applications in which ‘mostly works’ is good enough,” he says. “As soon as you care about a piece of software, you care that it works right.”

Many software projects are complex, and changes to one section of code can cause problems elsewhere in the system. Experienced programmers are good at understanding the bigger picture, Jackson says, but “large language models can't reason their way around those kinds of dependencies.”

Jackson believes that software development might evolve with more modular codebases and fewer dependencies to accommodate AI blind spots. He expects that AI may replace some developers but will also force many more to rethink their approach and focus more on project design.

Too much reliance on AI may be “a bit of an impending disaster,” Jackson adds, because “not only will we have masses of broken code, full of security vulnerabilities, but we'll have a new generation of programmers incapable of dealing with those vulnerabilities.”

Learn to Code

Even firms that have already integrated coding tools into their software development process say the technology remains far too unreliable for wider use.

Christine Yen, CEO at Honeycomb, a company that provides technology for monitoring the performance of large software systems, says that projects that are simple or formulaic, like building component libraries, are more amenable to using AI. Even so, she says the developers at her company who use AI in their work have only increased their productivity by about 50 percent.

Yen adds that for anything requiring good judgement, where performance is important, or where the resulting code touches sensitive systems or data, “AI just frankly isn't good enough yet to be additive.”

“The hard part about building software systems isn't just writing a lot of code,” she says. “Engineers are still going to be necessary, at least today, for owning that curation, judgment, guidance and direction.”

Others suggest that a shift in the workforce is coming. “We are not seeing less demand for developers,” says Liad Elidan, CEO of Milestone, a company that helps firms measure the impact of generative AI projects. “We are seeing less demand for average or low-performing developers.”

“If I'm building a product, I could have needed 50 engineers and now maybe I only need 20 or 30,” says Naveen Rao, VP of AI at Databricks, a company that helps large businesses build their own AI systems. “That is absolutely real.”

Rao says, however, that learning to code should remain a valuable skill for some time. “It’s like saying ‘Don't teach your kid to learn math,’” he says. Understanding how to get the most out of computers is likely to remain extremely valuable, he adds.

Yegge and Kim, the veteran coders, believe that most developers can adapt to the coming wave. In their book on vibe coding, the pair recommend new strategies for software development including modular code bases, constant testing, and plenty of experimentation. Yegge says that using AI to write software is evolving into its own—slightly risky—art form. “It’s about how to do this without destroying your hard disk and draining your bank account,” he says.

[springswallowtarot]

5/14/2025

I might end up doing a mixture of daily draws for myself and going back through old posts on my IG to see how I can recontextualize my interpretations. I also think I'm at a stage in life where I won't just draw obsessively until the deck gets mad / I hear what I want to hear. I think tarot is a really powerful tool for self-reflection though, if we can be aware of why we want to pull what we pull.

Deck: CBD Tarot de Marseille. This is an Italian made deck that is in French (probably because of linguistic drift) from the 15th century. It predates Rider Waite and is intriguing for the work that went into restoring this printing as well as the lack of clear orientation for the minor arcana.

I did a reading on E and myself, C.

E: 4 of Coins Reversed

C: Queen of Coins

Together: Queen of Swords

It's definitely worth noting that the first few readings I did with this were very confusing because my French is Not Good (tm) and I didn't expect all the minor arcana to look as they do

I also want to note the blank card in the deck. I think of it as a blank slate, bringing in some of my exposure to blanks in other things, and also an indicator of limitless potential. I shuffled many times, not knowing there was this blank and yet it was the first card I pulled. I set it aside and continued drawing as normal, but I do think it's as good an omen as anything. Upon looking at the restorer of this particular deck, he says

treat the blank card literally as a “carte blanche” – meaning, the universe is giving you an open card, anything is possible for you now. whatever you ask for, you will get.

which I love.

Now, onto the analysis.

First of all, the things that stick out to me is the presence of two queens, the presence of coins twice, and the presence of the queen of swords. I have received the Queen of Swords in other readings but was told specifically by the practitioner who introduced me to the Marseille deck that the Queen of Swords can mean being overworried or overthinking, but it's also about planning ahead, preservation, and protection. This is additional nuance that RW often doesn't provide (/ the positive aspects of swords are underemphasized in rider waite) This reminds me, each suit has a high and low road in theory, another thing to talk about.

Coins appearing twice: coins are associated with hard work, dedication, commitment from my understanding. This suit is also associated with the steadfast earth. It deals with the physical and external, how we interact with our surroundings and how we shape and grow with them. They also deal with ego, self-esteem, and self-image (this surprised me, since I would probably associate that with cups first).

The predominance of the element of Earth is significant to me in this reading as well. "Earth is tactile, earthy and tangible. It creates the foundation from which the planet can grow and develop, and it supports and nurtures the plants and trees. Earth is grounded, stable, supportive and fertile. It is a feminine element that is receptive – it takes in nutrients and sunrays and then uses this energy to sustain the life that grows out of it."

The appearance of coins and swords (swords being associated with air and intellect) is interesting, given that this is a relationship reading.

Four as a number is something that always gives me pause, but in the context of western tarot, it represents stability, power, and manifestation.

THE FOUR OF PENTACLES REVERSED (positive card)

This four of pentacles reversed (with curiously, 3 fleur de lises) should be interpreted as such in my opinion:

The reversed Four of Pentacles can appear when you are re-evaluating what’s important to you. You may have misprioritized.

In the page I'm excerpting from, it indicates misprioritizing money / career over love, but I don't think that is the applicable interpretation in this case. I do thing the profound shift in priorities is important to pull from this though.

Given this shift in priorities, I want to look back at the 3 fleur delises depicted--three is associated with movement, teetering--rebalancing if you will. Sometimes it's associated with coming together or unity as well, but I think the more typical rebalancing interpretation is apt here. Further information on the 4/ Pentacles reversed:

it can appear when you are in self-protection mode. You have a strong desire for security, stability and certainty and you are doing everything within your power to create a stable environment for yourself. Even when your outer world seems chaotic and in a constant state of change, you can create more certainty for yourself by controlling your inner environment

Further Information;

In a general context, the Four of Pentacles reversed Tarot card can indicate that you are ready to let go of people, possessions, situations or past issues. You may be releasing toxic people or situations that are no longer healthy for you, shedding old issues or letting go of regrets or fears. This website also delves into specific meanings in the spheres of love, money, and health.

In general the 4 of Pentacles reversed is a POSITIVE card to get.

The Queen of Coins (positive)

The Queen of Coins is a positive card to pull whether upright or reversed, in my opinion.

There's a lot of information to wade through on this, but some things that stuck out to me are that the Queen of Coins is an affirmation to trust in the forces that have taken care of you thus far. That the Queen of Coins is a balanced and nurturing individual. I particularly liked this:

In every case, she does not see the benefits that exist in her life as belonging solely to her. She feels the needs of her people and will spend freely of her time, energy, skills, money to see that nobody is left out. 

Biddy Tarot had a lot of interesting text, but it was a little ard for me to synthesize it. The Tarot Guide seemed a little too specific too, or perhaps typing about it feels too self-indulgent to me. The different emphasis on caution and entrepreneurship (vs problem solving) from site to site intrigues me. Labyrinthos stuck out to me because of the emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency. Ultimately my takeaways are stability, abundance, and nurturing. Labyrinthos and Tarot Guide have quick reference keyword tables for card in the context of love, career, and finance (and health and spirituality on tarot guide)

Finally, we have the QUEEN OF SWORDS

I think this is a positive card, or at the very least is not a negative one. In this instance, as a card drawn on the interactions / synergies it should be used to examine the context / situation. I hesitate to use it to be prescriptive of anything but I do feel that the key words make quite a bit of sense, especially "clear boundaries, direct communication." In RW, the Queen of Swords is associated with Wind and the suit is associated with ongoing change, which feels appropriate.

I draw Queen of Swords for myself frequently--to refresh, RW often emphasizes the negative aspect of overthinking, but it is also associated with planning and protection. The Queen of Swords represents clear boundaries and no bullshit. Her left hand is prepared to receive the future, as is she. Her sword is straight, pointing towards an unerring desire for truth. With the emphasis she provides on boundaries, she can also indicate a need for freedom and independence. The Tarot Guide (I referenced this less for Queen of Swords). This website, which idk what I think of it.

Here's a website on the Queen of Swords in the context of Marseile deck specifically. Here, we really see the aspect of protection, rather than overthinking, come into play.

OVERALL I would consider this a positive reading, with indicators of solid grounding, but nothing too prescriptive. I think that it makes sense in the context of the query even if the lack of Wands or Cups seems a little odd, given the sphere of concern.

I won't speak to how I feel any more about the draw of the 4/Coins reversed or the Queen of Coins, but I will say that the Queen of Swords speaks accurately to clear boundaries, old wounds and protection, openness to the future and compassion, and truth.

The queens themselves speak to having your shit together and I love that.

An additional note on coins

Coins (or pentacles, or disks...) are, like I said above, representative of pregnancy, which also means that they represent accomplishment and fulfillment. This suit also stands for hard work and the virtues of work. They also represent matters of family. On top of that, since they're, well, money, they also stand in for matters of money and business endeavors.

[rielzero]

Look at this handsome man, he's also on artfight: https://artfight.net/character/4027934.nymrod

And with this, I've reworked Nymrod's backstory!

Nymrod thinks he's a tiefling that was once a half elf, but his story is a little more complicated than that.

Before Nymrod, he was Ardere, the draconic sorcerer. He is a dragon hybrid, the child of a red and silver dragon, with an egg-twin brother named Ishard. He and Ishard took the forms of Half elves while his father presented as a high elf and his mother as a mortal human. They lived far away from other dragons in order to live unbothered, appearing as a rich and noble family of wizards and sorcerers. Ardere's sorcerery was highly unstable and powerful, just like his nature, like two dragons clashing inside of him, unfortunately this lead to an accident that resulted in the death of his twin brother. Not being able to cope with the loss, his personality distorted and took on traits of Ishard, while completely becoming uncomfortable and fearful of his own magic prowess. Taking advantage of his mental state, his parents sealed his awareness of his own nature away in hopes of protecting Ardere from himself.

He lives as a half elf for about 40 years, completely clueless of his losses and takes on the desires of his dead brother to become a fashion designer rather than a powerful sorcerer.  He particularly grew to dislike his innate magic as he had gained the tendency to freeze things when he got nervous. As a result of his unstable powers and clumsiness, no one would take him as an apprentice so he had to teach himself how to sew. Struggling with what to do with his misfortunes, he briefly joined a band of friends on a few adventures. During a tour to Elturel, he got really drunk and passed out.. Only to awaken when Elturel was pulled into avernus. The sudden shift of planes made him subconsciously shapeshift into a Dainty, soft looking Tiefling, unrecognisable to himself and his friends. They swiftly abandoned him in order to flee. Left with little else to hold onto, Nymrod is who he became. Acting docile, foolish and helpless, his appearance and behaviour gave him his name, a combination of ''Nymph'' and ''Nimrod'' Passed around several devils as a pretty pet to look at. Hiding his intelligence and using his charm to remain unharmed. He sold his name ''Ardere'' to a fairy in exchange for a luck blessing, which further distanced his memories off his family and made all those who knew him before forget about him. When Nymrod was about to be sold to one particularly cruel Devil in exchange of dozens of soul coins, Raphael ended up coming to his rescue. The Cambion recognised what Nymrod is even if he doesn't, becoming the only safe space were Nym could form a new identity. Nym is very indifferent about the conflict surrounding Avernus as he had to prioritise his own survival. Due being abandoned by his only friends in his time of need, he stopped caring for those who do not value him. Since then he has gotten used to his body, still feeling somewhat strange about it. His sense of self is greatly warped due everything he has been through.

Just some clarifications just in caseeee- Because I am a nervous wreck.

-When I mention ''personality warping'' I'm more talking in the reigns of how untreated mental health problems sometimes changes someone's entire identity, people's personalities can shift over time, ''warp'' is when he becomes somewhat opposite to how he used to be. He used to be proud, flaunting, and very much in love with his magic, now he is insecure, uncertain about himself and averse to casting magic. He's not entirely stable. -When he takes on traits of his brother, this is a subconscious coping mechanism, feeling the need to keep his brother alive somehow. This doesn't mean he ''splits'' or creates an alter, Nymrod is Ardere, with Nymrod being his mask. He does not have Dissociative Identity Disorder. The amnesia is a result of sealing, cptsd / selling his name to a fairy. He is somewhat aware of his brother's absence but convinced himself there never was a brother by taking on his traits. He does not experience plurality, just dissociation. -When you have friends, or people you love, or heck, even despise, sometimes you unconsciously take on little traits from them. He'd likely take on traits from Raphael as well. -Not thoroughly mentioned or stated, but Nymrod is kind of an alcoholic (Even before he became Nymrod.) As a dragon (even if unaware that he is one) he can hold liquor pretty well so it takes a lot of effort to become drunk or to stay drunk for an extended time, as his blood burns it out pretty fast. -Struggling with your sense of self is a pretty common experience, trying to find your own identity when your brain is messed up is difficult.

[pinksatinsashes]

The end of the year is the best time of year for us self improvement obsessed girlies because the planners are out, everyone's making vision boards and its finally time to write a nice long list of New Years Resolutions and achieve precisely nothing! Nothing!

Then the end of that year comes and we start the cycle again, making lists, checking them twice, achieving absolutely nothing, staying exactly the same and sometimes worse! How exciting! :)

When I was 16 I thought I'd have my life together at 18...lol! When I was 18 I figured I'd be totally together when I was 20. I'm 20 now...I think I've genuinely gotten worse.

But this year I am determined! I have said absolutely no more, absolutely no way is another year going to pass me by and I'm going to be stuck here in the exact same place. I NEED change.

Your 20's are meant to be the 'best years of your life'!

This is probably the easiest I'm ever going to have it! I have no children, no husband and I don't pay rent yet, if I don't do it now I will never do it..I don't want this to be my life forever.

Want to know how I'm going to make this year my year? Keep reading.

About two weeks ago I coined 2024 as the year of the Glow Up and started to meticulously plan out exactly what I wanted out of it.

My main goals for 2024 are:

To Hit My Goal Weight.

To Save Up Enough Money to Move to London.

To Be 75% of my Dream Girl

There are tons of other things I want to achieve of course, but If I don't achieve those three 2024 would genuinely have been a waste of time for me.

Now a couple years ago I would've just written those two goals down, put them on a vision board and went about my business...but Oh No, not this time.

I had a nice long think about the person I wanted to be at the end of 2024, financially stable, clear skin, goal weight, ready to move in spring 2025, closer to God, found her signature scent.

Each of these goals had a wider theme:

Routine

Fitness and Body

Food

Skincare and Hygiene

Beauty & Makeup

Hair

Clothes

God

Books & Brains

Music

Budget

I fired up Notion, created a home page that had a sub page for every month and then finally I created the Overall page, which has a sub page for every Goal Category and then I broke down each goal into lots of SMART goals. (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-Based)

So my 'get down to my goal weight' goal became:

Fitness and Body:

[ ] Size 10 clothes or under and 140 lbs (I'm 5'9 with naturally big boobs so this is my ideal weight)

[ ] Hour Glass Figure, building up glutes and upper body

[ ] Maintain Goal Weight for at least 3 months

[ ] Able to Stair Machine for 10 minutes

[ ] Able to go on a full Run

[ ] Do at least one form of Excerise a day

[ ] At least one form of Excerise a day

[ ] Take the Dog on Daily Walks

Food:

[ ] Try 12 New Recipes

[ ] Learn How To Cook 4 Different Nigerian Recipes

[ ] Form Consistent Eating Routines

[ ] Eat out twice a month or less

[ ] Stay in a Caloric deficit until I reach my Goal Weight

See how much more specific this is?

Having my goals listed like this makes everything so much easier because I'm tackling multiple things at once. First I'm changing the majority of my goals to habits or tasks (things I can control) from outcomes (things I may not be able to control).

Now I know that if I do all of these things written out, staying in a caloric deficit and excising daily there's a 90% chance I'll reach my goal.

This is much more effective than writing an outcome with no plan on how to achieve it.

From here, I'll break the Goal Down Even Further, into monthly goals.

For example, to reach the goal weight Goal by the end of December, January may look like this:

Eat at 1500 calories a day or 10,500 calories a week (to allow for the high calorie company lunches I often attend as part of my work, I'll simply eat less on the other days

Go to the gym 4 times week,

Complete X Fitness plan

Go on one Dog walk a week

Meal Prep ever week.

Lose 10lbs

To Save enough Money to Move to London by the end of the year, January might look like this:

Prep for no Spend Months in Feb and March (stock up on skincare, budywash etc)

Meal plan every week

Sell £200 worth of clothes on Vinted to spend on Spring Wardrobe (I'm not buying any clothes unless I use the money I get from selling my current clothes)

Stick to Budget

My Goal to get Smarter and Stop Mindless Scrolling may look like this in January:

Read at least 1 book

Listen to 4 Podcast Episodes

Limit Social Media use to 1 hour a day

Write 6 Blog Posts

Watch one Documentary

Setting the tasks in this way also allows me to feel a sense of achievement, every month I'm able to tick off my goals which can increase my motivation, instead of writing down a list of things to do and forgetting about it until the end of the year. It also allows me to recognise when I'm going off track faster and adjust for the next month.

You see how this is better?

I was strategic in using notion because I knew that I could then use it not only to set out my goals, but as a home base, a setting point to house all the things I could use to achieve them.

Under each section I've also included a bunch of things to help me, the Food section for example has a list of my go to recipes, so that when I can't think of anything to eat and want to run over to the closest KFC I have something to choose from. The Hair section has a list of hairstyles I've done and the Pro's and Cons, the Skincare section has a list of the products I've tried, if I liked them and If they worked for me.

Each month has its own page with a section for each wider goal and a spot for me to have a monthly write up, detailing what works and what didn't work so I can change and approve the following month and prevent falling behind.

I'm determined to make this year my year so let me know if you'd like me to keep you updated, feel free to ask any questions or send them to my asks. Also let me know if you want my notion template, here's a little peak-

Till we speak again!

-hannah🤍

[thesweetestdevotion]

jhope future spouse please? 🫶

BTS J-Hope Future Spouse:

Dice: Mars, Taurus, 8th House

Tarot:

Personality: Page of Wands Reversed, The Star, Death Reversed, Ten of Coins, The Lovers

I see that this person is mature! Very well balanced and harmonious, the type of person who just seems to get along with everyone. They feel secure in themselves, no need to show off their skills or personality. I think they’ve accepted themselves and are very self assured. They are not insecure or shallow, someone who has lived life and enjoyed it. I think they’re very grounded in their personal, almost do grounded to the point they may see a more dreamy personality as naive hehe. They live in reality and might be resistant to change, stubborn, and traditional in many ways. They’ve worked hard to get where they are and they feel as is there is only kind of way to ensure success and make dreams come true. Very hands on type of person too, the type to take charge in a situation and be a leader. They may be someone other people find boring or drab tbh 😭. I just think their background sort of created this close mindedness in some ways, where they lost fire and passion in order to ensure stability and success. They are predictable and people may even think they are lacking in creativity and ambition. I dont think it’s bad though hehe, just how they go about the world at this moment in time. It definitely contrasts a lot with what i know about his personality that’s for sure! Opposites attract i suppose heh.

Career: Four of Cups Reversed, Two of Wands, Four of Coins, Ace of Coins

Okay like i said this person maybe in some traditional role in their life, including their career. I just heard Money, Money, Money by ABBA (lollll) which is fitting because I see a lot of emphasis on wealth and material possessions. They may work in some sort of financial field, especially by looking at their dice, the e8th house is the house of other people’s money and can show a career in finance or business. Im getting like, investments, retirements, banks, finances, corporate. Something related to foreign lands as well, so maybe an investment firm for something to do with trade. It’s definitely a traditional career, i really dont see any celebrities indicators. It’s a stable job and highly regarded, they worked very hard to get there. I also think they are extremely grateful and happy to be there as well. They have a lot of fixed energy and i also see they are fixed in their career, they dont see themselves doing anything else and are prone to holding onto their position too strongly hehe. This is big boss vibes and i love it !

Their Relationship: Seven of Coins, Eight of Swords Reversed, Eight of Coins, Four of Wands, Five of Wands, Ace of Wands Reversed, Ace of Swords

So i dont think they’ve met before tbh, and maybe they might meet way off into the future. I think they definitely clash heads a lot! They may have different personalities and views on life which makes them disagree in many ways, but they also lead each other to new perspectives and sorta allow each other to communicate their thoughts and feelings. I think they’re perfect for each other in that way, someone who challenges your ideas and brings you a fresh perspective, also they ground each other in ways that make them grow as people. I think they both enjoy hard work and persistence, they’re willing to build themselves up from the ground and stick to what they love. I also think they wont step in each other’s toes, they’ll cheer each other on and be the best support that they can have. I see a lot of happiness alongside the challenges hehe, they keep each other humble and happy. They’d challenge each other’s ideas while also allowing for a collaboration between them. This is a power couple it’s very sexy!!

How They Met: The World, The Emperor Reversed, Nine of Coins, The Empress Reversed, Nine of Swords, Queen of Swords, Three of Cups

So i see they will meet in a situation outside of work, somewhere where they are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor but not in a professional setting. It could be a party, a gathering, or they are introduced by a group of friends. I do see that they are not in the mood though hehe, they do not feel like engaging in a romantic situation, there may be an external situation in both their lives where they feel lost and confused, leading them to be closed off. There is something about an ending for both of them, which leads to a beginning once they connect. They’re definitely not in the energy for it at the beginning though, they may come off as harsh or cold, or maybe too professional hehe, which is funny because it’s not a formal setting. Im getting serious vibes for both, very cerebral, they might be having a conversation about business, career, stuff that is material, not emotional or lovey dovey hehe. They’re definitely slow burn vibes too, it’ll take them time to adjust towards that path.