#people do lose interest in the journey when they know the destination

[peprallyataroogas]

Regarding the new Hazbin Hotel trailer

There's good pacing

Then there's bad pacing

Then there's "Give away your midseason twist in the first official trailer for your cartoon coming out in a month" pacing

[bengiyo]

23.5 Ep 6 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Ongsa took the big lie too far for me. They all attended Sun’s birthday party, and Sun explicitly asked Earth to attend the party as well. Ongsa failed to tell Sun the truth, let Sun cry, and continued the lie even further. Aylin got picked on again, but Luna has decided she’s not going to let that happen on her watch.

I like Alpha getting Aylin to go talk to Ongsa.

I feel so bad for this poor dog. He is panting in every scene.

The person who posted that Ongsa is losing to herself is so correct.

Episode 6: The Apocalypse

Ah, yes, the boys have also fallen in the makeup wars. I get that beauty product companies help fund our shows, but goddamn.

I respect Mawin for outing himself rather than be misunderstood as straight and interested in the wrong person.

Shout out to my boy Euro for having Mawin check out Tinh when he wasn’t looking.

I don’t mind meddling in this case, because it’s clear Ongsa is too paralyzed to move forward on her own. Still, I feel bad that even more people know before Sun even though I am amused that this sleepover is high-key turning into a double date.

Okay, Luna, that was a really decent opening you created there. I love the way View is playing Aylin’s increasing frustration with Ongsa. That lean over was great.

This bedroom scene is solid emotional work for View and June. I’m starting to see the vision.

 KABE-DON! I WANT TO SEE HER MAD!

Ongsa, let’s take a ride. We need to talk.

Mhmm, and now Sun is finding out on her own.

“’Spies and thieves!’ she spits. ‘Spies and thieves!’”

Ongsa, you can’t run away from this!

Damn, Milk sold that fall.

Je ne sais pas aussi, Sun.

Ongsa, you got your whole family scared and running around in the streets like this. It’s too much!

Thankfully, Sun is bisexual and processing this fairly quickly.

Oh good. We’ve got decent parents and siblings in this one.

Oh, Ongsa. I remember being this young. I do not miss it.

“I’m sorry for being a girl.” Hold on, let me go lay down real quick.

Well well well. The “Let me think about it and get to know you better” era has reached GL.

Journey before destination? I love Sun, too.

Next week looks fun! Thank you for the reassurance.

Lord, Ongsa had me stressed all episode. I don’t ever want to be that young and anxious ever again. I felt so much old closet trauma welling up in me the entire episode. I need to go take a walk!

Doing a soft reset at this point is kind of interesting since we're at the midpoint. I'm curious how the back half will unfold.

[wejustvibing]

I think in the past it was more about the destination rather than the journey. And I’m trying to enjoy the journey as we go, the struggles that we’re having, the ups and downs that we have, and just the day-to-day parts of life and being a racing driver. Each weekend you’re still trying to take risks and trying to get that car to do something that it doesn’t want to and that’s something I enjoy doing. If and when the car is willing to go further, I’m willing to go further. I’m willing to go as far as it needs in order for us to win.

Year on year you just learn to be more efficient with your time and with your energy. At the end of the year we’ll – Bono [Lewis’ race engineer Peter Bonnington] and I, and Shov [Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin] – we’ll go through a list of things that worked and which didn’t work and just be honest. I think the communication has improved massively in this past year and I think it’s been a really interesting process for people to be able to sit down and say: ‘You know what, we made the wrong decisions, can you work with us to help rectify it and move forwards?’ And that’s what we’ve done this past two years. I think it has been a growing experience within the infrastructure.

I have to probably try to commit even more time just through sheer will and wanting to get there. I think everyone has. But I don’t mind this because we don’t like to lose and we love the job that we do. So I’m enjoying it. - LH

[neuroticbookworm]

Soulmate Skepticism vs Romanticism in La Pluie

I am a soulmate skeptic. I don't believe there's one person destined for each of us on this planet.

I'm also a staunch pessimist on matters of romance and love. I constantly conduct a cost-benefit analysis in my head for every romantic relationship I see in my life. "It doesn't make sense" is almost always the first thing that pops into my head when I see people in love.

Do I sound an awful lot like someone from La Pluie? Why yes, it's our resident Soulmate Skeptic and Slenderman wannabe, Lomfon! That must mean that I liked him immediately, right?

Love is not a competition that you can win or lose. It's something you feel and share. There are a million things in and around love that can be made sense of, and added up like a math problem, like interests, hobbies, morals, desires, and fears, but the feeling of love itself is not logical. And I hate the part of me that can't get over that fact, and I'm working on it.

That's why I was initially so wary of Lomfon. I thought the show was gonna let him run amok and then teach him a "lesson" about love, after all the destruction is said and done. And then, episode 8 came around, and Lomfon became the character with the most potential for growth in the coming episodes, and I was so excited to see how the show would take him on this journey.

How do you teach a skeptic to believe? You give him a situation that he cannot logic his way out of, aka, two potential soulmates. This is the story I expected to play out last night, but of course, they subverted this expectation because this show is made by people who are much smarter than me.

Episode 9 is crafted to make skeptics believe in spontaneous, head-in-the-clouds love, rooted in coincidence, but the target is not Lomfon, but me. And possibly you. And all of us, the audience.

I'm going to take a broad, but confident guess that the people reading this piece are non-believers when it comes to soulmates. It sounds too good to be true and so fantastical to ever happen in real life.

Soulmate trope exists for a reason. It's comforting to think about a person who exists right now who might cross paths with us on a random day and change our lives for the better. When life is cruel and relentless and we long for better times, we wish we could reach into the future and get a hug from the person we haven't even met yet, but who will someday mean everything to us and more. When life is kind to us, on a warm sunny day, we could be hit with sudden melancholia for a lover we have not loved yet.

In La Pluie, Patts and Tai wanted to defy their destinies at different points in the show. And they did, in their own way. In episode 8, they decided to be with each other not because they could hear each other when it rained, but because they like each other and choose to be together.

The show constantly puts the soulmate trope under a microscope and analyzes it, criticizes it and subverts it. But episode 9 was different. It leaned into the trope. It established a connection between Patts and Tai that was completely circumstantial and could end abruptly at any given moment. And it did, with the death of Patts' grandma.

I've been wondering since last night: why take this detour? And I believe that the show knows its audience, know that our cynical brains would get extremely excited by a piece of media dissecting the idea of fated love and commenting on it. How choice matters more than anything else. And I see episode 9 as its attempt to nudge us in the opposite direction, ever so slightly. Because while the Rainverse of La Pluie can bring many complications to the love lives of the main characters, real life is much, much worse.

In the sport of modern dating, a clear mind with sound logical abilities is the key skill required for success, according to all the self-proclaimed relationship experts on social media. Our guts are not to be trusted anymore, since we are all traumatized and will automatically seek a shitty relationship because that's the one that feels familiar. Love-bombing is a manipulation technique, you must read about it and be aware of the ways to spot it. Do you know what Negging is? The red flags, green flags, and beige flags? Every action, every gift, every romantic gesture might have a sinister intention behind it.

Finding love is an exhausting process. Yes, it is important to be informed and safe, but in the process, we tend to forget the beauty of the very thing we are trying to find. The beauty of love is not singular in the choices that we make. Mature and time-hardened love is beautiful in its strength and choice, yes, but budding, fledgling love can also be beautiful in its spontaneity. And while finding your perfectly compatible person can feel pretty amazing after hours of meticulous swiping on apps, so can the knowledge of finding out YEARS later that your lives were ever so briefly intertwined in the past and you didn't even notice it at the time.

Emotional maturity and compatibility are necessary to sustain love, but spontaneity, silliness, and sometimes, happenstance are the ones that sweeten it. The show appreciates the skepticism about destiny and fate, but it also makes sure to never position itself against romance. Against the possibility of life surprising us in the moments we least expect it. Because while we strive everyday to make some sense of the chaos life throws us into, it might not hurt to let our heads float to the clouds, every once in a while, and see the beauty in chaos.

[shivunin]

Helloo ^^ I come bearing some distraction/company while you write! Mostly, I was curious: who would you say has influenced your writing style the most? And/or what writers do you admire for the way they write?

Happy writing!! I hooe you get lots done today XD XD XD

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the company 💗

Hmm that's hard to answer! I have always been a voracious reader, so it's hard to pinpoint major stylistic influences. I absolutely devoured everything by Robin McKinley (and she remains one of my favorite authors ever) from a young age, so I think a lot of my ideas about what narrative should be come from her. I also read a variety of poetry, so rhythm is something I edit for when I'm working on a project. And translating lots of Latin---I think I have funny ideas about sentence structure because of Ovid especially c:

One thing I will say (and I am not specifically recommending the series, because these books are really not for everyone) is that the way I write close third person was heavily influenced by the Downside Ghosts series.

It's set in a ghost post-apocalypse. The protagonist is a witch, one of the few capable of investigating and dispelling ghosts. She is also a drug addict and her love interest is the enforcer for her dealer, for whom she (illegally and secretly) investigates ghost things on the side. Chess, the MC, struggles so much with who she is and it is so vivid and compelling that I was shocked to realize the whole series wasn't in first person. There is also a whole dialect of English spoken by the people in her neighborhood that was so interesting to me (anthropology degree rears its head lol). I don't think it's a style I necessarily echo, but the series really altered my perspective of writing in third person---and I think I can do a lot more with it than I used to be able to specifically because of these books. I went in skeptical that I'd like them, but I think I read all five in two days.

As for recommendations...

Lately, I've been reading a lot of urban fantasy, so Seanan McGuire (I recommend really anything by her, but my favorites are the October Daye series). She has this really, really beautiful way of winding plot elements throughout the story so that when they come to a head/find resolution, the reader gets this gorgeous moment of aha! of course! that still feels very earned. Everything cycles in her writing in a way that I cannot praise enough; the beginning is the end is the beginning again, and I love anything where the story is also a little bit about story itself. If that makes sense!

I also enjoy Ilona Andrews (especially the Kate Daniels series, but the Hidden Legacy series is also great--ignore the covers). They do a great job with action sequences, which wind up feeling neither too long (I am...not partial to fight scenes in books) nor gratuitous. The worldbuilding is also really consistent and thoroughly researched, which I value highly.

Again, Robin McKinley, who has a way of layering story in such a beautiful way. I just love how her writing is structured. It might be a little slow for some people, but her books are very much about the journey over the destination and that's what I love about them. Juliet Marillier is another author I love for the same reason.

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. (I know, I know, my thing with memory loss...) It's about a chief administrator for a secret society of magical/superpowered people. She wakes up in the rain having no memory of who or where she is and discovers letters from herself in her pockets. Past Her knew that she was going to lose her memory and prepared all these materials to help her adjust or disappear. The book switches between letters from Past Her and the life of Current Her as she tries to solve the mystery of who took her memory. I really enjoy the style of it because it switches between formats, and I think the tension between these two versions of her who will never meet is unique and compelling.

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: Forging Silver Into Stars (Brigid Kemmerer)

Rating: ★★★★★/5

“She looks up at me. ‘I always wish for the best for my people, Callyn. I always expect the best. I know it is seen as a weakness. I have heard the gossip. The rumors that I am not as strong as my mother. That my husband has somehow tricked me or is using his magic against me.’ Her voice turns to steel, and she glanced at the guard in the doorway. ‘But expecting more from my people is not a weakness. It is hope. It is patience. It is grace. But those virtues don’t mean the absence of viciousness. The true weakness is to think a queen is powerless.’” I LOVED THIS. There truly is nothing like a good YA fantasy for me, and when they come around, they restore my faith in the genre and basically life itself. Jax is a blacksmith in the village of Briarlock. After losing his foot, he knows he is destined for the forge for the rest of his life. However, his father is a drunk, and he is behind on his taxes - and he will do whatever he can to save the silver to prevent their family from losing their livelihood. Likewise, Callyn, Jax's best friend and town baker, struggles to make ends meet; when a mysterious stranger asks Jax to hold a potentially treasonous note for them, Jax bargains for coin, but agrees to do so. Meanwhile, Tycho, King's Courier, has just arrived in Briarlock for a shoe for his horse and maybe a bite to each - and life will never be the same for anyone. I love the idea of revisiting settings from previous series years into the future. We still get time with Harper and Rhen and Lia Mara and Grey, but seeing them established, with different struggles, just hits me in the feels so hard. I loved those first books so intensely that getting to follow up with them like this just satisfies me in a way that I didn't know it would. And getting to be inside Tycho's head for the first time is just as wonderful as his predecessors'. But the new characters here are just as great too. So complex, with such parallel yet distinct journeys of their own. Jax is a sweetheart with this iron will underneath it all, this hidden expert marksman with a soft soul. Callyn has this tough exterior, born of having to care for her sister when her parents died, but she is just looking to be loved underneath it all and give her family a good life. I honestly didn't see the romantic pairings coming, but that made them all the more interesting. And! A fantasy where 2/3 of our leads stay in the same place for the entire book?! I thought that was SO COOL. It's so rare to not have a physical journey involved; sure, Tycho goes all over the place, and that was fine, but I loved that Jax and Callyn had these realistic lives. It made the whole thing feel balanced and not rushed, like their relationships could develop naturally and didn't have to rush while they were off fighting monsters. I also loved that magic is frowned upon in this universe. The court politics, the magic, the scravers, the Truthbringers - I just found it all fascinating and engaging and original. I love that this series has begun. I can't wait to see where we go from here.

[stheresya]

Okay lemme ask you something. Been digging your pro alexander posts and stuff. I basically learned about sab via tumblr and was so sad when I realized they made the darling the big bad despite being groomed by his mom more or less aND that Alina gives basically the equivalent of her like… supernatural “blessed” help-others powers to “be regular” when half the narrative seems to be about settling conflict between these two really different groups of people which she has unique insight into, as someone raised non-grisha but finds out that she IS ACTUALLY grisha. Im bummed the ending isn’t like.. darkling redemption, Alina helps heal the fractured society, 100 years of peace or something. Sad and disappointed lol. Should I even get into sab. And read it, really. Or have I learned everything I need to know from tumblr at this point to have a happy au fanon experience, lol.

The themes of the story are very inconsistent. Alina spends the entire trilogy trying to escape the Darkling and owning her power, only to lose it all in the end, and have the narrative framing that loss as just a small price to pay for... I don't know what exactly. Because Alina did everything she was supposed to do in order to defeat the "big bad" but in the end she was still punished. The author wanted a Mal & Alina together-ever-after so bad that she didn't care if it was at the expense of stripping Alina off herself, since being grisha was a crucial aspect of her being, almost as important for her survival as breathing.

As for the conflict... well, it's there mostly as a motivation for the villain, but our main character doesn't give much thought into it. The main concern is stopping the Darkling at all costs without proposing new alternatives to put an end to grisha genocide, or the wars that have been tearing their country apart. And as the story goes on, the Darkling becomes reasonably more unhinged, because he's been oppressed since he was born (even if he found a way to work around that), he's been watching his kind be murdered and tortured for five centuries, and then comes along the girl who was supposed to be his balance and she sides with the people who've been enabling grisha genocide all along, ruining every single one of his plans to better the lives of grisha. Of course he loses it. And the narrative uses his rightful despair as all the more reason as to why he needs be stopped.

The narrative entertains a story about conciliation with its "like calls to like" and "you were meant to be my balance" quotes. But it wasn’t about balance after all. The prevailing of good is symbolized by the sun summoners having multiplied while the shadow summoners being all extinct. It's a very childish idea that light is good and darkness is bad. Even though we know the world can only function with a healthy balance between the two. I'm not sure about Aleksander being redeemed, but what I can say is that, as it was, the "good" guys' victory at the end didn't feel like victory at all, because the Darkling wasn’t the real villain, the hostile world was, and the Darkling was simply taking action based on that hostility. Extreme circumstances require extreme measures and so on...

As to whether you should get into sab... I don't know. It's up to you. If you know all that happens and you wish to draw your own conclusions then, by all means, go ahead and read it. It's possible that you may not even see things the way we do. But if you don't think the destination is worth the journey, then, move on to other stories. I'm sure there's no shortage of good fantasy series out there with interesting main characters and consistent themes that are worth your time.

[touringcom]

The Power Of Regional Knowledge In Choosing The Right Tourist Guide

Journeying to brand new areas is actually a fantastic, enhancing experience that increases the thoughts and wakes up the detects. Every area possesses its own distinct culture, building miracles, nearby flavors, as well as natural beauty that supports its appeal. When looking into a new place, having a tourist guide that understands whatever concerning the area can boost the expertise significantly. Within this post, we will check out how critical nearby understanding is actually when selecting the appropriate tourist guide for your next adventure.

Comprehend the nearby lifestyle as well as customizeds

Among the most significant advantages of possessing a Bali tour guid is actually that they fully grasp the personalizeds as well as culture of the location you are seeing. They understand the customs, the foreign language, the behavior, as well as the idiosyncrasies of the area, and may guide you on just how to communicate along with local people and appreciate their personalizeds. For instance, if you plan to visit a spiritual website, a nearby guide can easily notify you regarding the dress code, ideal shoes, and also the satisfactory actions assumed in that area. To find out additional information on tour, you must check out bali tour package site.

Discover neighborhood concealed jewels

Neighborhood tourist guide resemble depository of hidden know-how, particularly when you are actually looking at a Bali tour package. They recognize all the secret locations, hidden gems, as well as off the beaten track internet sites that are actually certainly not detailed in regular travel books. They can take you to a nearby bistro in Bali that provides the very best sea food, or show you an impressive point of view on the island that few visitors know about. A neighborhood guide can easily offer you valuable understandings specific to your Bali trip deal, enriching your travel adventure along with special and real meets.

Save money and time

Traveling to a brand new area can be difficult, especially if it's your first time. Along With a Bali tour guid, you won't have to lose time and also money trying to find your means around the place. Rather, you'll manage to explore additional areas, adventure a lot more points, and acquire even more away from your journey. A local area guide knows the general public transportation system, the most ideal times to explore destinations, and one of the most economical and also valuable activities to do in the region.

Get a tailored experience

Local quick guides provide more than just a scenic tour of the views. They use you a customized knowledge that is tailored to your specific needs as well as interests. For example, if you are actually a foodie trying to find the very best local area cuisine, a nearby guide can take you to the most ideal food markets, where you can easily take pleasure in authentic nearby foods. If you are actually an architecture fanatic, a Bali tour guide can easily get you on a walking scenic tour of the most sensational structures in the area.

Possess a secure and also safe journey

When taking a trip to a brand-new spot, protection is actually a leading priority. Local area tour guides understand the safe as well as dangerous areas in their area and also can easily guide you on the most ideal areas and options to avoid. They likewise maintain you informed of any prospective safety dangers or climate that could affect your itinerary. With a Bali tour guide, you'll feel confident as well as safe and secure when checking out a new destination.

Verdict:

Deciding on the right tour guide can bring in or even crack your trip experience. A local guide with comprehensive knowledge and also knowledge of the area can easily enrich your trip knowledge, give useful ideas, and aid you save money and time. Through understanding the neighborhood lifestyle and also customs, finding concealed gems, enjoying a customized experience, and also having a safe and also safe and secure journey, you can make one of the most out of your traveling adventure. When planning your following trip, opt for a respectable regional scenic tour guide, and also open up a world of extraordinary moments.

[sowingseedsandshootinghoops]

Know Thyself: Unlocking Your True Potential

Note on the text: I used Madeline Miller's Circe as published in 2018 by Back Bay Books

Circe is a different kind of woman. This book makes an excellent companion piece to The Odyssey. This book really explores the character of Circe in a really interesting way. She's not quite a goddess but not a human either. She's something in between, and her journey towards self discovery is what makes up the central story of this book.

"When I was born the name for what I was did not [yet] exist" (3). It's obvious from the very beginning that Circe is something different. Because although her father is the sun god Helios and her mother is the nymph Perse, she never feels like she really belongs among them. She's not like either one of her parents. In fact, she's not really like any of the gods that she grows up with. The gods, including Helios and Perse, are vain and cruel creatures who believe that the "world's natural order [is] to please [them]" (4). They're incredibly self centered and don't particularly care about how their actions affect others. Circe is different though. She cares about other people. Pretty early on in the book Circe recounts how her dad told her that on earth there were people

called astronomers whose task it was to keep track of his rising and setting. They were held in the highest esteem among mortals, kept in palaces, as counselors of kings, but sometimes my father lingered over one thing or another and threw their calculations into despair. Then those astronomers were hauled before the kings they served and killed as frauds. My father smiled when he told me. It was what they deserved, he said. Helios the Sun was bound to no will but his own and none might say what he would do" (11).

Remorse is a foreign concept to the gods, even the lesser ones. Pasiphae, Circe's sister, is delighted by the amount of destruction that her son, the Minotaur, will bring because it means that people will talk more about her. Even Boreas, the god of the north wind, would rather kill his beloved than risk losing him to Apollo: "you think I'd let Apollo have him? He does not deserve such a flower. [So] I blew a discus into that boys head, that showed that Olympian prig", and whereas Helios feels no remorse over the death of those people, Circe feels incredibly bad for them (26). Prometheus however is the first god to show Circe that she can be different.

When she first meets Prometheus he is being punished for bringing fire to mankind as an act of mercy. He saw the people suffering down below and decided to help them, in defiance of Zeus' specific orders no less, and when she asks him why he says that "not every god need by the same" (22). This winds up being a very telling moment for her because when she asks him what a human is he says that "there is no single answer. They are [all] different" (22). She does not know it yet, but what she comes to learn is that gods and humans aren't so different. The problem here is choice, and just like the gods can choose who they want to be, so can the humans. Human beings can choose to live a life that is meaningful. In fact, the fact that every human is destined to die pushes them to do so. The gods for all their power tend to live a life that is purposeless. They don't live for any reason other than to satiate their most basic desires. They, other than Circe and Prometheus, never choose to live for something outside of themselves which means that, even though they are immortal, "they are more dead then anything[.] For they are unchanging" (485).

Humans have the ability to change in a multitude of ways. On the one hand, they have the ability to change themselves. They, unlike the gods, can regret what they done and choose to be better. Daedalus regrets playing the role he did in bringing the Minotaur to life, Telegonus regrets accidentally killing his father Odysseus. Circe, for her part, regrets trying Scylla into the horrible monster that she becomes. On the other hand, humans also have the ability to change the world around them through "practice and diligence, tending [to] their skills like gardens until they glowed beneath the sun" (135). It is in this way that Circe realizes who she is and is able to tap into her power. It is in the realization that she is a sorceress as opposed to either a goddess or a human that she is able to unlock her full potential:

Let me say what sorcery is not: it is no divine power, which comes with a thought and a blink. It must be made and worked, planned and searched out, dug up, dried, chopped and ground, cooked, spoken over, and sung. Even after all that it can fail as gods do not. If my herbs are not fresh enough, if my attention falters, if my will is weak, the drought goes stale and rancid in my hands. By rights, I should never have come to witchcraft. Gods hate all toil. It is in their nature. The closest we come is in weaving or smithing but these are skills, and there is no drudgery to them since all the parts that might be unpleasant are taken away with power. The wool is dyed not with stinking vats and stirring spoons but with a snap. There is no tedious mining, the ores leap willingly from the mountain. No fingers are ever chaffed, no muscles strained. Witchcraft is nothing but such drudgery. Each herb must be found in its den, harvested [at the proper time], grubbed up from the dirt, culled and stripped, washed and prepared. It must be handled this way and then that to find out where its power lies. Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again. So why did I not mind? Why did none of us mind? I cannot speak for my brothers and sisters, but my answer is simple. For a hundred generations, I had walked through the world drowsy and dull, idle and at ease. I left no prints, I did no deeds. Even those who loved me a little did not care to stay. Then I learned to bend the world to my will, as a bow is bent for an arrow. I would have done that toil a thousand times to keep such power in my hands. I thought: this is how Zeus felt when he first lifted the thunderbolt (83-84).

And just like that Circe, the little nymph-reject of Olympus, found a power inside of her that rivaled Zeus'. Humans are like gods in that way. The power we have over our lives is very real. We have the ability build real, meaningful lives for ourselves and that power is very, very real. That is the only kind of power that actually matters.

[itzabouthealth]

Essential Fitness Tips for Beginners

If you are new to fitness, getting started can be a bit intimidating. There is so much information out there, and it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. But don’t worry! With the right guidance, you can achieve your fitness goals and lead a healthier lifestyle. In this article, we’ll go over some essential fitness tips for beginners that will help you get started on the right foot.

Importance of Warm-Up and Stretching

Before starting any exercise routine, it’s important to warm up your muscles and stretch properly. This helps to prevent injuries and improves your performance during your workout. A good warm-up can include light cardio exercises such as jumping jacks, jogging in place, or cycling. Dynamic stretching is also a great way to warm up, as it involves movement and prepares your muscles for exercise. Examples of dynamic stretching include leg swings, arm circles, and lunges.

Start Slowly and Progress Gradually

It’s important to start slowly and progress gradually when beginning a new exercise routine. This allows your body to adjust and prevents injury. Start with low-intensity workouts and gradually increase the duration and intensity as your fitness level improves. Remember that consistency is key, so aim to exercise at least three to four times a week.

Find Activities You Enjoy

Exercising should be enjoyable, not a chore. Find activities that you enjoy doing, whether it’s swimming, hiking, dancing, or playing a sport. This will help you stick to your routine and stay motivated. Don’t be afraid to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.

Set Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals is essential when starting a fitness routine. Be specific about what you want to achieve and set a deadline. Whether it’s losing weight, building muscle, or running a marathon, having a goal in mind can help keep you motivated. Just remember to set goals that are achievable and realistic for your current fitness level.

Mix It Up

Doing the same exercise routine over and over can become boring and lead to a plateau in progress. Mix up your routine by trying new exercises, changing the order of your routine, or increasing the intensity. This helps to keep things interesting and challenging.

Fuel Your Body Properly

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is important when it comes to fitness. Your body needs fuel to perform at its best, so make sure to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates in your diet. Drinking plenty of water is also essential for staying hydrated.

Get Enough Rest and Recovery Time

Rest and recovery are just as important as exercise when it comes to fitness. Your body needs time to recover and rebuild after a workout, so make sure to give it adequate rest. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night, and consider taking rest days or incorporating low-intensity workouts into your routine.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Everyone’s fitness journey is different, so don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on your own progress and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Remember that fitness is a journey, not a destination.

Find a Support System

Having a support system can be incredibly helpful when starting a fitness routine. This can be a workout partner, a personal trainer, or an online community. Surrounding yourself with people who share your goals and values can help keep you motivated and accountable.

Listen to Your Body

Lastly, it’s important to listen to your body. If you feel pain or discomfort during a workout, stop immediately and seek medical attention if necessary. Pushing yourself too hard can lead to injury and setbacks in your fitness journey.

Conclusion

In conclusion, starting a fitness routine can be intimidating, but with these essential tips, you can get started on the right track. Remember to warm up and stretch properly, start slowly and progress gradually, find activities you enjoy, set realistic goals, mix up your routine, fuel your body properly, get enough rest and recovery time, don’t compare yourself to others, find a support system, and listen to your body. By following these tips, you can achieve your fitness goals and lead a healthier, happier life.

[thenitrilean]

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[ashmitawrites]

21 Things I Have Learned In My 21 Years of Life

Self love and self care comes before anything else. I need to choose me and my happiness because unless I am happy, I can’t make anyone else happy. 

Everything that I think I can’t get through, I can. Because there was once a time that I thought I’d die, but here I am, alive and 21.

My company is contagious and I should choose wisely, cut off quickly. 

Just because a person is older than me, doesn’t necessarily mean I have to respect that person. Respect is earned, not inherited. Also, respect is earned out of love and not fear.

It is very important to detach myself from the world sometimes, because I need to remind myself of my goals, priorities and of who I am.

I shouldn’t love someone because they love me. I should judge the person for who they are and then decide if they’re worthy of my love.

Unconditional love is a fallacy. The only unconditional love I feel should be for my own self and if I don’t feel that, I need to work on myself further. No one deserves to treat me like trash and get away with it in the name of unconditional love.

Even if I do a hundred good things, people will remember the one bad thing that I’ve done. That is because it is easy to criticise, but hard to praise. To praise, one needs to get over their remorse of not being able to achieve their own goals, which people in general find hard to do.

I should turn a blind eye to the image other people paint of me and a deaf ear to what they say about me. All the harsh comments are more often than not a reflection of their own insecurities.

 I need to learn to differentiate between whose opinion should matter and whose should not. It is very easy to get lost in the commotion of voices of the people who matter to me, but I should always remember to clear my head to be able to listen to my own voice. 

 While growing up, people always asked me what I wanted to become when I grew up. So automatically I thought of professions that looked interesting to me and not about what I liked to do. So the question should always be what I like and not about the destination, because if I don’t like my journey I’ll never reach there.

 I should make a list of my priorities according to their importance and never forget that list, because that list is what is going to help me make all the significant decisions in life. 

 Knowledge I once gain is something that I can never lose. Everything and everybody else can leave just as easily as they came.

 Escape mechanisms are normal, but I shouldn’t make alcohol or any sort of substance the escape. As important as it is to have an escape, it is equally important to know when to come back to reality. And alcohol and substances, being addictive in nature, will absorb me into a downward spiral which is hard to come out of. Any form of art, whether music or literature or anything else, is the best escape. Personally, books are my best friend.

 I need to learn to appreciate others’ beauty without undermining my own. 

 No matter how much I love someone, I should learn to never put them on a pedestal. The more I romanticize a perfect version of them in my head, the harder it is going to be for me to accept their mistakes and flaws which they are bound to have as humans. Forgiveness is powerful.

 My brain and heart will almost always be at war. My logic and emotions will almost always clash. What I need to keep in mind in those moments is how my choices will affect my happiness in the long term and not in that particular moment. 

 I can’t let my past trauma haunt me forever. Every new phase in my life deserves to be given a clean slate and I can take what I have learnt from the past and apply it as long as what I’m attempting to apply isn’t rooted in insecurities and fear. I should either trust my growth or heal some more but I can’t keep viewing all situations the same. 

 I will never heal from what I don’t accept. Clarity saves me time and heartache. My delusions will prolong my closure. 

 Time once gone never comes back and it is therefore the most precious thing in my life. I should decide how to spend my time in a productive and sensible way.

 If I don’t have mental and physical health, it is going to be impossible for me to live the life I want to live. I can ensure mental health by keeping away from negativity in general and physical health via regular sleep and exercise. 

[astrojoy]

Astrovations #14

MC Persona Chart // Mars in 11th - Is prominent in some celebrity charts I've seen with massive followings

MC Persona Chart // Venus in 2nd - Not afflicted can create amazing wealth

MC Persona Chart // Mercury in 1st - Shows communicating a lot in your job. If a business owner then you will need to explain things to people a lot more, what you want and need to happen. If a normal worker then there's just a lot of conversing wherever you work in your career

In transits - When a natal planet is conjunct a transitting planet, sure it will work, however I've noticed when a transitting planet is directly ontop of a natal asteroid/planet, it can fully activate it and show itself the most

Viper (7464) in the 3rd - I've actually seen in a person's chart who was sly and could be a smooth talker. They could legit "slither" into anything and get away from stuff that may have been offensive because the public will side with them normally (unless other aspects counteract this of course)

Viper (7464) in the 5th (ruler of Viper in the 6th) - My friend has this aspect with Viper in Aquarius and Uranus in the 6th, and has had about 2 to 3 snakes (2 for sure but unsure if she got another one 👀)

NN Persona Chart - Indicates what we're destined to feel, go through, overcome in this lifetime. Of course the NN dictated what we strive for, however this chart shows what we will go through since we are striving through it! I've noticed sometimes some aspects will only make sense in childhood and later disappear in some way. As if completing an aspect of life ya know? In vedic there's the navamsa (D9 chart) showing our second half of life (after we get married or we turn...36 I believe???? Maybe it was 32- I can't remember y'all) anyways so that goes with vedic peeps ^~^ I might make a NN persona chart post explaining random aspects. I'm not sure if I put this in another Astrovation- however it's here now so owell lmao 😂

In synastry Venus conjunct South node - Definitely can indicate a past life lover. Even better if it's vice versa or they have the same thing going on with their nodes

Northnode conjunct Juno in natal - Can actually show getting with someone new in this lifetime for marriage (by that I mean you weren't with them in a past life or etc) this can also be an indicator showing marriage playing a major factor in this life's journey

8th house can show debts - This is well known, however I'm just gonna talk about it a bit more. Let's say you have your 8th in cancer and cancers ruler (moon) is placed in the 9th house. This can show gaining debts from travelling or going to college (etc). Just definitely look towards the 8th house zodiac or whatever planet(s) are in the 8th. If there's a planet in the 8th look for its zodiac sign(s)! For vedic astrology lovers I'd say look into your Dasamsa (D10) for more career related debts 🥳 (also keep in mind the Rasi ((D1)) as always!)

Synastry // Northnode - Wherever North node overlaps in someone's house it shows why someone was brought into your life. Try it out with your families charts! I did this with my mom and we had a Northnode/12th house overlap and she's the one who has guided my spirituality and made me dive into the paranormal/occult after hearing her experiences. I guess I came down with her because she was meant to guide me to do something like that while I'm on my path 🥳🥳

Pisces 5th House - Can actually be lost in the realm of creativity. Now, now, I'm NOT saying they aren't creative. These people are by far super artistic and etc. What I mean is, they can have moments in their life where they seem confused with what to do. They can often lose interest in a hobby and move onto a new one. Or they can have moments where they like a particular hobby but want to do something else too! The only question is, what?

Western + Vedic astrology - From what me and my mom have noticed, if you look at your sun sign in your western chart, it can really grasp how we act in our younger years. Whereas, our vedic sun a lot of times develops after. As you grow up you may notice you start to resemble your vedic sun more and more. Some people actually might feel the resemblence in early years but generally it gets more clear as time goes. This does NOT mean you lose the qualities of your western sun btw! My personal theory is that since vedic was traditional ancient astrology and came before western, id say the sun sign from vedic seems to age as you age per say. Its hard to explain but our lifespans are 'long' so a sun needs to develop on that path, right? DON'T GET ME WRONG LMAO, you will definitely feel Vedic Sun effects when young but they could be in smaller stages (virgo wants their room clean or Aries and sports////idk something) and etc dk its interesting, sorry for rambling :') a good example is my mom, she has a Western Aries Sun but a Vedic Pisces Sun, she hates that she's a pisces (she loves Aries gang) however she can't help but noticed she relates to her Pisces with the way she acts and thinks the most! I even think she resembles a Pisces now more. As a Libra Western and Virgo Vedic, I've noticed even at the young age of 18 I have started to become more clean and hate germs more and more. I like everything organized now and am starting to keep an eye on my health as time goes by, unlike if you asked my younger self

Juno in the 1st house - Can make the person be attracted to physically fit or well put together people. Possibly into someone more dominant however other aspects play a role ^ It doesn't matter if the zodiac sign it's in is superficial or not, looks typically play a part in some way. Someone may also come off as dependable if they make a intriguing first impression

Scorpio/Pluto dominants - I've noticed typically like the chase when it comes to the beginning of love relationships. They love the tug and war and 'intensity' of the game. They don't like a boring start where it's too easy normally

Planets in the 12th - Yes ive already been ontop of this topic, however can you blame me 😂 the whole idea of planets in the 12th being watered down and acting as a pisces makes total sense. Look into pisces of whatever planet is in the 12th for you. Based on my brothers and my chart, ive noticed my mercury in libra (12th) acts a lot like a pisces mercury and so does my sun. It doesnt kill the libra but it does make the hazy fog intertwine with it. My brothers Jupiter seems to act like a pisces jupiter often too when it comes to jupiters themes

Venus in 8th house synastry - can indicate a relationship in secret. This placement might awaken the Venus persons sexuality too btw, if they weren't interesting in sex before or were more insecure about that stuff then they won't be in this relationship

Jupiter or Venus in 8th synastry - can be marriage aspects if in good tides! If in bad tides, this can show massive jealousy/sex/secrets and etc

Aries risings - I've personally noticed have some type of prominence with the chin, cheekbones + forehead (I wrote this on another post, that's an analysis on some people, that's coming before this or after this)

Saturn conjunct Ascendant/in first - Ok honestly it doesn't take me long to figure out if someone has this. A lot of people with this placement have the similar Capricorn vibe on how they portray themselves. Collected and composed gang but mentally everywhere. Some people with this placement are actually quite serious or are percieved in that way. People can instantly feel a strong reserved aura until proven otherwise/it loosens up

Southnode conjunct Juno - can indicate marrying a past life lover/marriage partner. It can also show you actually looking for qualities in a partner which can replicate your past life partners personality or appearance. Southnode can show us where we are distant as well as have a hidden knack for, which is why we can tend to fall back onto it. This placement can showing falling back on old marriage past life habits. Of you marry then there could be a slight possibility of divorcing as well at some point. I will say that the closer these 2 are conjunct the more of a chance for Juno to be opposite NN. In this case, marriage is destined to happen at some point, however this might be because a marriage, love, was unresolved in a past life or there's karma to work out

Scorpio rising/Libra Rising/Venus in the 1st/Possibly Pluto in the 1st - I've noticed have a good chance of having a cleft chin. Not all of them! But I have noticed more people with cleft chins have these rising/placements ☺

Saturn conjunct ascendant/Saturn in 1st/Capricorn Rising - Noses + Eyebrows are normally prominent/similar in patterns when I look for Capricorn rising peeps. It's something that stands out to me and says "Capricorn influence" 🥰 (personal opinion from the cap risings I've seen or know, the noses are snatched 💃)

Planets inbetween houses - can indicate the planets energy falling into both of them. Imagine a round sphere of energy for the planet. If it was on a line that had separated the two houses, then the planets energy would be across each line, therefore it spills over onto each. Does that mean it's half and half? I wouldn't think so, it just depends! 😉 everyone's chart works according to that person. I have my moon in 0° cancer in the 9th, however it's on the line to my 8th and acts itself out there too from what I've noticed. Since it's in cancer though id say my moon is putting most of it's energy into the cancer house because that's it's ruling sign

Acting Career Prominent Planets Analyzed In Movie Actors Birthcharts According To 'Doris Chase Doane'

Common

⬇

More Uncommon

Mars

⬇

Venus

Uranus was just under Mars, making a top 2nd place of the most common. Mars is hardworking, expressive, and durable. Personally speaking, Mars is a planet that is associated with energy as well so all of this together makes sense as to why it's seen as commonly prominent in actors charts

(Continued) When looking at houses for Actor "potential" - look at 1st and 5th house activity. Id personally say Neptune + Sun can have a significant role. Neptune I've seen be more common in singers charts though!

Health Astrology Tip - Wherever an afflicted planet is, can show where someone may have health problems. Check what sign the planet is in and possibly the houses traditional ruler if needed! (EX: Afflicted Sun in the 12th in Libra -> Check what body parts Libra + Pisces rule! -> Libra = Ovaries, external sexual organs, bladder, lower back etc /// Pisces = Feet, bodily fluids, lymphatic system )

Personal Assumption -> Afflicted Mercury and/or Venus - I can see having a possibility to cause asthma in some individuals. Mercury is ruled by Gemini which rules lungs. I said Venus because Taurus which is ruled by Venus, also rules the neck/throat

Same intercepted signs in 2 people's natal charts - I've seen get along and relate well with eachother

House ruler conjunct a planet can have effect on the house - Specifically I talked about Asthma earlier, and a friend who has it, has their 6th house ruler conjunct Mercury (lungs/airways etc)

Mars conjunct Uranus - If you already have problems with headaches, this aspect can cause headaches to come without reason. Just randomly in the day, like an unexpected clash

Neptune aspecting Venus - might have dreams from time to time dealing with romantic themes

Mercury afflicted or Mercury conjunct/harshly aspecting Sun/Mars/Jupiter or Mercury in the 12th or Mercury ruling 6th house - Can show a person with anxiety problems. Mercury afflicted can indicate someone fidgety, some form of communication difficulty. Mercury conjunct 1 (or all) of the 3 planets above makes Mercury possibly think faster than they speak leading to stumbled over words and missing words in sentences- these planets can also just "steal the spotlight" in a sense and kick Mercury to the side, Mercury in the 12th shows Mercury having a harder time with communication skills, it's confused at times and commonly in its own little world, so when forced to do things like presentations and etc, they internally freak out, Mercury ruling the 6th house is pretty straight forward- 6th house can show health, Mercury with communications might create something with this, however this last one I assumed!

[sunsents]

Empty - F.W (1/2)

Gah daym this was a JOURNEY to write. I swore to myself to never write angst because, well I suck at it. But here we are, I swear this has a good ending because my heart can't bear that. I could've written this much better, so I promise to bring my A GAME for chapter 2. Enjoy, also Lee in this is a hate crime. This is very story telling-esk so I hope it flows well.

I wouldn't have written this chapter without the help of my good friend @mochiixjimin she helped me edit and spice up this whole thing so thank you so much to her! She's an amazing writer, go check out her work and show her some big love right now or else!! her wattpad

Chapter 1 out of 2 (Backstory)

Summary —> Life has always been a cruel joke to you, yet you simply play along. Overshadowed by Eva Burke your whole life, watching from the sidelines while everyone flooded each other with love, it would always feel like a joke.

Pairing: fredweasley x fem!reader

Word count: 6.1k

Warnings: ANGST ANGST ANGST (with a fluffy ending in the second part) / One mature scene (18+) and then it's angst again <3 / Some slander / Offensive language

Rating: 18+

DON’T REPOST MY WORK

You were a bright child.

Beaming bright enough to keep a tight lipped smile during flu-shots, and enough to put on a happy façade when your dad threw away the drawing you had done of your family dog, rather than hang it up on the fridge.

Children have foolish dreams, and that was yours. Your friends in preschool boasted about their pictures being hung like trophies on fridges, with decorative magnets and even bigger pink bow ties.

The fridge in the Y/L/N manor was empty. Always empty, just how Ms. Y/L/N liked it. Empty marble floors with empty rug designs, and empty rooms with even emptier people living in it. They were both empty people. Hollow and void of any emotion, at least towards you.

You were different though. You were filled to the brim with ambition and hope and so many positive emotions that your parents never seemed to reflect on you. You were like those Disney princesses. The princesses always had hope, and when you have hope good things happen.

Right?

Your dad never meant to give you false hope. He just wished you’d keep your mouth shut as he worked until late hours. Using big words and having big aspirations, you shouldn’t have.

Mr and Mrs Y/L/N weren't bad people per say, just busy. They didn't know how to raise a child, this was obvious, because the purpose of even having a child was to fix their marriage. But a temporary fix wouldn't do it, it never did. There was always that hole on the roof, leaking rain of despair into their falsely built home that no bucket big enough could hold back. Because it always found a way to overflow.

They didn't know how to show their love, so they did it with money, clothes, toys and crayons that you would later use to draw pictures of your family, only to have them end up in the dumpster once again.

They spoiled you rotten, bought you gifts you never even dreamed of asking. You just shut up and enjoyed it, what else could you do? Whine and demand attention? Risk losing their favor? There was no favor to lose.

You got yourself a fat A plus on your third grade math test. Star stickers on your chest, you entered through the glass double doors of your house with a crooked smile - two front teeth missing of course - making your joy all the more endearing. Your backpack strapped tightly over your narrow shoulders, hanging low with all the crammed books you pushed before leaving school because you were just so excited to show your parents.

You received a big sloppy kiss from your Nanny, who practically was like a second mom to you, and dashed right into your fathers office to show him your new accomplishment.

"Good job, I'm proud of you."

You froze. You found a way to actually get their attention. The attention you so craved, the recognition you would die for. This was revolutionary. Basically a new era for you.

Nanny made you a star shaped cake that night, and sat with you while gently stroking your hair and listening to you blabber about how easy the math questions were. It felt warm, motherly love. Even if it was false, it would never compare to the love of your own mother, a love you would never get.

You spent all your night studying, your eyes burning under the harsh light of your lamp in the early mornings and your pencil, ebbing away over sheets and sheets of blank paper. Writing away your little hands off until they ached, just to snatch another A and get a good job.

This was good, it worked out very well. You became that student who looked forward to class, just to get a good grade and have the validation of your parents. The sight of your father’s lips quirk up even in the slightest, and how your mother’s eyes shone briefly in appreciation of your hard work, even if it was for a quick second, it was worth it.

Until the new neighbors moved in.

Mr. Burke was a round, cheerful man with an even rounder belly, and a big fat pipe that always hung on his lips. Mrs Burke looked and acted like those fairy godmothers you adored. You couldn’t believe such people existed. Mr Y/L/N invited them over for dinner, for courtesy. He was not happy about said courtesy.

He ended up liking the couple, they had a little daughter called Eva, who was small and adorable with round red cheeks and big doe eyes. Not only Mr and Mrs Burke, but the Y/L/N’s adored Eva as well. She was happy, always smiling, and her teeth weren't nearly as crooked as yours, not to mention she had pretty long hair like a princess.

You liked her a lot, took her to pick flowers, showed her the drawings you had prepared for the empty fridge; in case Mr Y/L/N ever had a change of heart and hung them up, you had been trying for three years and weren't giving up any sooner.

Eva was nice, kind enough to share her M&M's and very used to compliments unlike you. She seemed to get a lot from her parents and yours. The adults were so kind to her, always smothering her with love and kisses. You were happy for Eva, happy that Eva somehow managed to gain the favor of your parents before you did.

Little girls tended to be jealous, you weren’t. You were just glad to have a friend so cool, she didn't blush and stutter under praise and apparently her drawings were pretty enough to go on a fridge.

It was a Thursday afternoon when your mom smiled at you for the first time since your last exam grade. "Look, Eva drew us a picture, isn't it pretty?"

The crayola stash under your bed was no longer needed, they appeared clumsily dumped in the neighborhood trash the next day, most of them stomped under the pressure of your little sneakers. And the bundle of drawings you hid under your pillow, wishing on fairy godmother that one day they would be hung up too, were ripped; clearly a struggle given. You had paper cuts on your hands, and your Nanny thankfully applied ointment before Ms and Mr Y/L/N noticed, or rather, stopped to care.

Though you knew that even if you paraded herself with bloody fingers dripping to your elbows, they wouldn't care.

Nanny did, she was there. There when you were haunted with nightmares when the moon was particularly dark, cooing at you and letting you sleep next to her in that small bed of hers. There when you tripped and fell, small scratch resulting in a screaming tantrum. She was gentle, sweet, paid well.

You decided to go and pick flowers with Eva, and make a pretty flower crown for yourself, months after your drawing incident. Of course, you didn't have such silly dreams anymore. You didn’t wish to have your pictures hung, to have your mother wear the flower crowns you made and frankly you didn’t care for the sight of the sparkle in your parents eyes. Nanny’s was enough.

Eva agreed, dressed in a pink tutu Mrs Y/L/N gifted. You didn't comment, though deep down you gazed at the skirt in sparkling envy. Your mother never bothered to get you such pretty things. The two of you gathered saturated petals and nice ribbons while giggling amongst yourselves. Until, you accidentally caused Eva’s flowers to levitate.

Eva ran home, crying and calling you a witch. Mr and Mrs Y/L/N’s dirty looks made her feel shameful, and even dirtier when a letter addressed to her was dropped by a pretty owl you insisted on petting. It was from a school called Hogwarts, in the faraway land of London, and it seemed, not only you but Eva got the same letter the next day.

Though the Y/L/N’s and Burke’s were proud of Eva’s letter. They weren’t with yours.

— — — —

The ride to Hogwarts was interesting to say the least. You had so many questions unanswered, were you a fairy godmother too? Was that your destiny? Was that the reason you never got any attention, because you were destined to give instead of receive?

Eva was cheerful as always, making fast friends in newly bought uniforms and holding a pretty, long and thin wand, with designs flowing across the premise. Your wand was...functional. You were sad you couldn't choose, and that the wand chose the owner. It didn't make sense, what if you didn't want this wand? What if you wanted something charming like Eva’s? It should have been mutual.

It was while trying to find your way to the bathroom that you met the Weasley twins. Quite handsome, a year older and absolute fucktards. A word you learned from the two. Though you always found yourself laughing more at Fred’s jokes, you liked them both equally.

“Hey George! Look.” Fred had exclaimed, clinging onto his brothers shoulder and dragging him across. “Who's that girl?”

You introduced yourself, happy façade on, gentle words slipping out of your mouth like nectar. They had to like you, you told yourself. Just this once, more than Eva.

When sorted into Gryffindor, Eva, you and the twins became inseparable. Your group grew in second year, when Katie, Lee and Alicia Spinnet joined the bunch. You would make fun of the ghastly Potions Professor Snape, and imitate Dumbledore in the hallways to mess with the older students.

You loved your time at Hogwarts, and the adventures that came every year. Especially when Harry Potter joined.

“Hey Fred.”

Fred, who was fiddling with his bracelet you had bought him hummed in response, not bothering to look up.

You sighed, “Do you think the flowers can feel it when we pluck them?”

Fred turned at that, his bracelet was now tightly secure after his struggles. “I hope not.” he smiled, a faraway look on his face whenever he gazed at you. “You know, some people like pain.” he winked.

You merely looked at him confused, clearly way too young for...whatever that is.

He started laughing loudly, slapping his knee and causing you to scoff and slap him on the shoulder.

Third year was when it bloomed. The slight girly attention you gave Fred grew. Fred was...Fred. A handsome ginger, beater for their house's Quidditch team, always charming and charismatic that somehow oozed out of him whenever he did anything really. It was not unusual, every girl in school had a crush on him. That wasn't the case, Fred was one of your best friends, and you refused to entertain the idea of a possible...relationship.

Yet sometimes, you'd find yourself thinking about hugging and kissing Fred like you’d seen couples in your favorite movies did and you’d fall asleep with reddened cheeks and a boy with even redder hair in your mind.

But feelings couldn’t be controlled, nor easily hidden. Eva found out in your fourth year after hearing you mumble his name in your dreams. Fred Weasley was getting more handsome as years passed, and you found it hard to contain your feelings. You were crushing, hard.

Eva was...Eva about it. Happy, but nothing changed. She didn't tease like George did when he found out, nor did she act any differently towards Fred.

“Hey ____!” Fred had sat next to you, shaking the entire couch because he grew that tall during summer. “Got a new girl after me.” he looked at you, almost expectantly, as if you wouldn’t react the way you always reacted.

“That’s great Fred.” you smiled, gulping whatever lump that was forming in your throat and struggling to come out as vulgar words you wished to yell.

“Yeah,” Fred sighed, “It’s...great.”

Fred Weasley was a ladies man, and he wasn't afraid to show it. It was okay, because you were happy enough to be one of his closest, and that was enough. He often boasted about getting girls, and how successful his jokes were, and you always loved snapping back to him cockily, even more cockily than him. Playful banter was easy, comforting between them and when he turned away you would love to shyly entertain the idea of being one of those girl’s Fred talked about.

Fifth year, you had a sudden growth spurt. That was also the year where you discovered Cosmopolitan, Vogue and of course Witch Weekly. Hair no longer in a ponytail, legs shaved and smooth, short skirts with no nylons, you were a new person. After getting your period in third year, your spurt came late, but sudden. Way too sudden in the time of three months. It was hard to handle the changes occurring to your body. It was all too much that you had to become a lady and the fact that you didn’t have your mother to help was a pain you hid deep within.

It was as if whichever god above decided to squeeze your entire life into a summer and call it a day, because it was simply too busy. How ironic. No one saw your growth except old Nanny Gladys. Not Eva, nor her parents considering they went on a getaway and the Burke's, who had gone to Brazil.

But you were over that, you discovered the great telephone, and the great Hermione Granger, package deal with Ginny Weasley. You guys would talk on the phone for hours upon hours, Ginny obscuring your personality and Hermione altering your view on your parents. And Hermione was right, they were assholes. You didn't give a flying fuck about empty praises anymore.

You had become almost too tall for your older clothes, and your breasts were way too big to fit in the training bra you bought not even a month ago. Your hips, now wide and swaying as you walk became graceful, were decorated with long gem bracelets.

You cursed like a sailor that summer, ran around fields with family - your family being your dog, Jambo - bare feet. You stomped on flowers you used to pick as a little girl, stomping on those silly fairytale dreams you used to nurse, and never felt freer. For the first time ever you felt that maybe being empty could be more freeing than having false hope weighing you down.

Returning to Hogwarts was a big deal to students. Who changed, who glowed up after what happened last year - nothing, it was all childish drama.

Before your parents could even see your new self, your escapade to the Granger household was successful. The Y/L/N's didn't care, nor did they write. You knew it should’ve hurt, but frankly, you didn’t think having the pain in your chest was worth it. Hermione was awestruck, of course, after laying her sights on you for the first time since May and insisted on walking into the Entrance Hall, arm in arm with her and Ginny to show you off like some sort of revelation.

It was a revelation all right, at least to the boys, and some girls. It seemed no one saw you as a girl before. George oogled, and Lee was so shocked to find out that you were actually a girl with a pretty figure and an even prettier smile that he stopped clapping you on the back like he always did. Not a girl, you have become a woman. It was far too sudden, new uniforms and a whole new wardrobe had to be bought.

"____? You were a girl?" Fred joked, ruffling your hair like nothing changed between you. And that's when you realized, no slutty skirt, how much pushup your bra, or no matter how pretty your hair looked, Fred would always see you as ____, the girl with crooked front teeth and who once ate a worm in second year. Your teeth weren't crooked at all anymore - thanks to a few years of braces - and finally clear of uncomfortable metals but you felt as if Fred would always see the ghost of them on your pearly whites when you smiled.

He had this view of you that blinded him, caused him to treat you as he treated Ginny while he flirted and played footsie with other girls, including Eva.

That did not stop Eva from giving you false hope, and you took the bait, naive like always. Hope, that's what ruined it all. "You're beautiful now, of course you have a chance!" she said, rubbing your shoulder reassuringly, as if she had warmth to begin with.

It was all false, yet you still believed. You always had. Like a fool.

Ginny didn't like Eva, and maybe that's why you gravitated towards her. She was the first person who had ever met Eva that wasn't charmed by her kind smile and attractive words. Eva was...displeased. She grew up having the attention of everyone around, so when Ginny Weasley told her straight to her face that she wasn't shit, Eva seethed. The attention of Ginny changed nothing though, because Eva was the main character. Everyone - except Ginny, and secretly Hermione (though she would never say it) - loved her, they followed her around like puppies and praised her on her wonky wand work.

The upcoming Yule Ball brought great upswing to Hogwarts.

You were far too busy with her classes to take interest in the tournament - even though the dragon race was the gnarliest sight you had ever seen. Your goal was set, become a badass Auror and move out as soon as possible, so you didn't have to face your parents (except Holidays, yuck.)

But the Yule Ball was your chance. A chance with Fred Weasley.

You could ask to go as friends and maybe, just maybe a little hope and the night would end much more romantic than you had anticipated.

Plucking up courage was the hardest part, you practiced with your bathroom mirror so long that Ginny had to blast through the door and drag you out of her dormitory.

Fred Weasley agreed, why wouldn't he? You, his closest friend, asking to go as a group and drink all night while gossiping? It was a win win. At least that's what you told herself.

That was a lie, it wasn't a win win.

You gave it your all getting ready, dress silk, makeup and expensive shoes. You took a long shower, scrubbing and shaving yourself to a smooth gliding porcelain, only for it all to be washed down with reddened eyes and a boy with even redder hair.

Fred greeted you the same, danced the same, and you chatted the same; you were reminded again, for the second time, that you stood no chance.

Fred told you that he was going to get drinks, a quick trip to the booth and mumbled I'll be back in a second. He was not back in a second. Several minutes passed, and your worries caused your feet to follow after Fred's footsteps.

You ran, trying to find him in the empty corridors of Hogwarts, tears welling in your eyes because he wouldn't. He wasn't that cruel, life wasn't that cruel.

But it was, and in a distant empty classroom you saw Fred Weasley, on his knees and between Eva's legs, groaning and praising her like a starved man. Worshipping her like everyone else had, burying himself in her and completely forgetting the drink he’d bring back in just a second. He’d left you thirsty and alone in the Great Hall and left you to drink from a cup he hadn’t known to be forbidden. Yet Eva did.

Eva's perfect dainty hands tangled in his ginger hair, thighs clamping shut while her high pitched moans flooded your mind and echoed around your head. They were so loud that she couldn’t even hear the loud echoes of your footsteps and the woeful cries that left your lips as you ran. It wouldn’t be the first time she had ignored your pain for her own selfish reasons.

Your heart shattered, and suddenly you were six again, watching your parents praise Eva, hang her drawing on the fridge. A soft breeze tickling your bare toes, dangling from the small cushioned seat you sat on while you watched Eva braid Mrs Y/L/N’s hair. Emotionless, silent, not asking for anything, knowing that you won't receive in return. Eva's small hands carefully placed the flower crown on Mrs Y/L/N’s pool of hair, and she smiled, heart warming and hopeful. Suddenly you remembered the feel of your own hands tangling in between your locks as you stood on your tiptoes, trying to imitate your mothers braid on yourself in the mirror you couldn't reach. You pretended, only for a moment before it twisted into knots.

What a cruel joke, you thought as you watched Eva receive the world from Fred, from your parents, from your friends and from every damn person you had met.

You cried on a big set of stairs that night, your wails echoing as you asked whoever, whatever what you had done. What you had done to deserve such treatment from the people around you. It was rather cliche - and maybe a bit too dramatic. It was an uncomfortable seat of course, and your body, as well as your heart, ached. Pain, misery, false hope and enough hair spray to melt the ozone.

The princesses always cried on big sets of stairs, uncomfortable stone floors causing them to shiver while they hid away their beautifully animated faces in their perfect hands. This was different, there was no fairy godmother to fix your makeup and clone a gentlemanly Fred Weasley, a perfect prince. You knew, because you cried, and prayed and cried and prayed until your throat was sore. There was no fairy godmother, it was all a lie. There was no happy ending. There would be none.

No one came to find you that night either, and you had to drag yourself back to the Gryffindor common room, feet bare, mascara, blush - anything else you put on in hopes of being able to become like Eva even only for one night - practically nonexistent from the way your tears washed them away.

You didn't sleep that night, and your head was unusually clear, pounding, but clear. You laid awake, eyes blood-shot and stinging while your dress shuffled uncomfortably between your sheets. You were too tired to change, and your dress was far too pretty to be worn so short.

Ginny's words replayed over and over again. "They're not worth it." her voice was so clear, and true. Mr and Mrs Burke weren't worth it. Your parents weren't worth it. Fred Weasley wasn't worth it. Eva wasn't worth it. The midnight chirping of bugs invited themselves in from your open window, and blue moonlight streaks beaming down in lines from the tulle curtain flowed with breeze, it was calming.

You felt calm, for the first time in sixteen years. You felt calm.

Fred and Eva started dating that week. Everyone acted like they expected it, and you realized just how blind you had been. Eva Burke and Fred Weasley, golden couple of Hogwarts.

You watched them, emotionless, as they embraced with love and so much passion that you felt embarrassed. Embarrassed at how you’d blushed and squeal over Fred in front of Eva and George and anyone who had found out because now you knew. Now you knew that their amused smiles were probably pitying grimaces because they knew that you two were never meant to be. It was always Fred and Eva.

Fred was an amazing boyfriend, making sure Eva was taken care of, lovingly staring at her whenever and wherever, arm looped around her waist at all times; you realized they were truly not worth it.

"You disgust me."

You didn't mean the words to escape so carelessly, but when you said them, you realized you didn't want to take them back. The growing pit in your stomach felt weightless. "Excuse me?" said Fred, stopping his nibbling on Eva's neck, who was just as shocked. You scoffed, Eva already had enough purple bruises to parade around so why did Fred have the need to add more?

"You heard me right," George, Lee, Ron, Harry, Katie and whoever sitting in their circle stared at you, wide-eyed, Ginny and Hermione, however, were grinning devilishly. Kind ____, wouldn't hurt a fly, quiet at times and didn't know how to stand up for herself. It was shocking, but you were done pretending. You didn't want to be like that anymore, you wanted to say whatever came to mind and not worry about the consequences. "You guys disgust me, I know I should be supportive but you don't match, at all."

You turned to George. "And you, no you can't talk about Katie like that." George went pink. "You're disgusting for sleeping around carelessly and telling girls you'd write, stop giving people false hope. Grow up. You’re nearly an adult and you can’t even treat a girl right."

"And you Lee," Lee went quiet. "What gives you the right to make fun of me like that. I'll wear whatever the fuck I want, just because you don't have the courage to wear a headband. If you can talk about my breasts, I'll talk about your shrimp."

"Ron, you take advantage of Hermione then lead her on. Open your eyes, asshole."

"Harry, you're not the main character. You're not always going to be the center of attention, nor do you have the right to yell at your friends."

"Alicia, god you're so stupid. I'm sorry, you're great but such an airhead. No, you can't ride a Thestral if you can't see them, and stop eating quill ink they're bad for you."

You stood up, grinning proudly, heart loud in your chest you feared someone might hear. "Frankly, I don't wanna be friends anymore. I'm done with this façade, except you two, 'Gin, Hermione. The rest of you are just so fake." she gestured to them. "Boys," she nodded again. "Don't talk to me anymore, and Lee, give me back the money, think it's about time don't you think? I've been paying for you since third year."

And with that, you left. You left Three Broomsticks, grin wide and chest heaving. Hermione and Ginny ran behind, whooping and cheering you on as they laughed.

The news of your outburst spread fast like wildfire caught in wind. That week was bliss, you no longer had to watch Fred and Eva, nor did you have to act sweet to anyone. You didn't have to laugh along Lee's sexist jokes and look away to wince, it was pure bliss. You realized that the feeling of being free didn’t have to be momentary.

Pansy Parkinson was surprisingly a good friend, she didn't have the same fakeness to her, the one Eva had where her smile was too kind. She spoke her mind, though every Slytherin did, and you liked that. Ginny wasn't happy with your new found friends, but she couldn't separate you. You made your own decisions from now on. It was refreshing.

You told your new friends everything, eager to get it off your chest and breathe, and they listened. For the first time, someone listened. You didn't have to get good grades, nor did you have to act like a sweet angel.

You teared up the first time Pansy said; "It's not your fault,". You knew it wasn't your fault, but hearing someone else say it with such genuine eyes made you believe. Actually believe.

It started off with you watching from the sidelines as Draco and Blaise pranked, insulted and shamed whatever your old friend group did. It wasn't unusual for Draco to act this way, but he got especially irritated after hearing what you told them. Blaise, someone usually quiet, had stepped up and decided to somehow release the pent up anger he had for the Gryffindor students.

The year ended, and you had started to sneak in an insult or two towards Fred and Eva. It felt nice, like finally, step by step you were clearing your years of hidden jealousy. But, there was no one to tell you that this simply wasn't the right way.

That summer, you stayed at the Burrow. Ginny had invited you and you were quick to say yes; obviously a fact forgotten. Fred, George and whoever you had insulted last year stayed in the same house. You simply didn't want to go home, and if this meant seeing Fred Weasley then you had to endure it.

Molly Weasley was the sweetest person you could ever meet, and it was genuine. It felt genuine, you feared your teeth might rot if the woman got another word in. Molly greeted you as if you were her own daughter she hadn't seen in years. You felt valued, seen.

Until Eva was there, Fred invited her. You had to watch the only person you were able to love, introduce the only person he was able to love to his mother. It wasn't you. It would never be you.

And you realized, even after everything, Eva had once again found a way to be more loved than you.

The grin Molly broke out was nothing short of beautiful, and you couldn't help but smile as well. The smile wasn't directed towards you of course, and you sat on that small kitchen chair, celebrating a relationship that caused your ruin.

Eva didn't care that your friendship was over, nothing budged in her life. She still got the same attention, still received the same love from Fred. The same affection, the same attention and the same everything. Or so it seemed.

Though unlike Eva, Fred merely watched you with sad eyes.

You stayed clear of the couple and the rest. You hung out with Ginny and Hermione only, ignoring the dirty looks Ron and Harry gave you. The secret, whispered insults Eva threw your way. George didn't say anything, but he didn't object either. This was enough to show how he felt. At this point you really didn't care. Why would you, when they didn’t either?

You held your head high just like Ginny and Hermione told you to, and you spoke in a loud and clear tone whenever asked something. Eva didn't, she stuttered when you spoke to her directly. Her words scrambled against each other when she tried to voice her insults in louder statements than a whisper. For the first time, you felt relief. You felt intimidating, protected by the barriers you had built around yourself.

Longest day of summer hit, and it boiled. Tanning became a distant dream, you would bake in this weather, and you were thankful to the big AC box you had brought from home. You couldn't sleep that night, sweat beads falling down your forehead that was already covered in a thin sheen. You had decided to get a cold glass of water, not sure how you ended up face to face with Fred Weasley. His wand tip shone with blue light, and his freckles were much darker because of the sun. It seemed the sun decided to be cruel to Fred Weasley back and wash Fred over with it's deathly heat. He was sunburnt, this was an understatement. He was burnt.

You couldn't help but start laughing when you met, ignoring the proximity, ignoring the sleeping house, dead silent and a big leap from the lively Burrow, ignoring Fred's soft breaths he let out every other second. You couldn't live off on false hope anymore.

Suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore, and your face quickly fell. You took a big step back and inhaled, ready to ignore him like you had been doing for the past year. But Fred Weasley was a persistent man, and he gripped your arm and looked at you with determined, doe-like eyes. "Tell me what I did wrong." he said, adamant on fixing this, whatever this was. You both didn't know.

You stood silent.

"Please flower,"

"Don't call me that." you said, stern and gaze sharp. Fred didn't react, he kept on insisting.

"Please, tell me how to fix this. I can fix it," he pleaded, a plethora of empty promises fell out of his lips like nothing. He lied like it was nothing, he was oblivious to everything he and everyone around them had put you through. It was infuriating.

You didn't say anything. You knew he would not fix anything but maybe staying silent would give him the false hope that spinned mockingly in your head for the past eighteen years.

"I'm sorry, just please. I can fix this, I promise, don't be like that." empty tears fell down from his eyes. He looked empty, tired. They lacked the charm they usually shined with and you wondered if it was only you that caused such dullness. Eye bags prominent that you never noticed before. It all felt like a lie, a cruel joke.

Fred Weasley was simply a cruel joke. His presence could only be compared to a shot of whiskey, especially when you down it like how Hagrid nurses a Firewhiskey filled pint glass. You never know how it will hit you. But in the end, you'd always find yourself curled next to the toilet, crying your eyes out because your headache was simply too much.

He was sobbing now, hanging onto your waist like you would simply vanish and you let him. The grip he had on was like steel vice - almost concerning - but you didn't touch him, didn't say anything. You just let him be, like he did to you. Allowed him to hopelessly hang off you before you would eventually leave him alone, like he did to you. "Where did I go wrong? How could we end up like this? What went wrong?"

‘You’, but your voice couldn’t be found.

Questions were useless when the answer was already right in front of his eyes. You didn’t let a single tear fall, you wouldn't forgive yourself if you cried in front of him.

You blinked, and that night was over. Summer continued on like nothing happened, like it didn't leave you heart broken and in such shame yet again. You continued on ignoring Fred as he looked at you with sorrowful eyes. Looked at you more, with more than he did his own girlfriend.

You blinked and the school year started again with another terror looming around the corner. There was simply no need to keep up anymore, because school was easy. You attended classes, got good grades, a few scar here and there from Umbridge's torture chamber, a woman who stood at a whopping five foot three yet still teriffied an entire school.

You blinked and you had already become a proud member of Draco's insult the Gryffindor's club. You didn't even feel bad, being horrible to the people you hated for years felt like a breath of fresh air. You didn't go as far as physically hurting any of your old friends, but coming up with damaging insults was such fun. A lot more fun than sitting around with a fake smile.

You blinked, and you were already moving out from your childhood house. Mr and Mrs Y/L/N were unusually happy, this was a given. They would have a new empty room and make another office, like they didn't have enough already. You feared they would start getting rid of bathrooms once too into their work, and they would have to do their business in bushes or buckets. Scratch that, you didn't fear that, it would be fucking hilarious.

You blinked, and when had time passed too quickly? Where did all those empty childhood years had gone? You were already graduating, on your way to become an Auror. You had lost contact with all your old friends now, regretfully Ginny and Hermione too.

The war had hit too quickly, luckily you survived, so did your friends. Unluckily, it left you with a nasty scar right across your left brow. It looked sick, but the hit wasn't worth it. It hurt like a bitch. You could see, it was a close call but vision wasn't an issue. The trauma though, god did Bellatrix's breath smell bad.

When it was all over, you had seen Fred hugging his family tightly. It seemed the Weasley's all survived, and you gave them each tight lipped smiles while holding a bunched up rag to your head to stop the blood gushing out. This wasn't the reunion you wanted to have with Ginny, but hey, you take what you can get after a revolutionary Wizarding war you barely made out alive.

Before a franticly running Fred could reach you though, you apparated to your flat in Diagon Alley, ignoring the thrumming of your heart, and how you practiced in front of a mirror to congratulate their successful joke shop that morning.

[aphrostarot]

The Chariot Pick a Pile

How can you know if this pick a pile is for you?

If you know what your goals are but don't understand how to reach them.

If you need help creating a path from where you are to where you want to be.

Please remember that this is a general reading and some things may not apply to you. Don't force it to fit. I offer paid readings on my page if you would like a personal reading. Prices are listed there. Please message me if you are interested!

Pile One (Amethyst):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

The Wheel of Fortune:

In your journey so far, you have experienced many ups and downs. Currently, it appears you are at a low point. You have been struggling lately, and you feel like you will never reach the end of the road.

Two of Swords:

The Two of Swords confirms to me that you have been struggling lately. Nothing seems to be coming your way anymore. As of recently, you are at a standstill on this journey, after previously moving extremely fast. Nothing is coming and nothing is going, making you feel as though you will never reach your destination.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

The Chariot:

The idea that you need to constantly be moving forward without any breaks on this journey is distracting you, according to your guides. As your guides tell you, this mindset is keeping you in the stalemate you are currently experiencing. Breaks are necessary from time to time, and after the run you have been on, it is a good idea to take a break.

Ten of Cups:

There is a part of you that thinks this journey will lead to your fairytale ending, but your guides are telling you here that the destination may not be everything you expected. Whether it's a different person or a different job, your guides are telling you with this card what they have in store for you is in your best interest, so you need to release your control issues and trust them.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

The Tower:

Your guides will help you reach your desired goal if you lose your mindset from above. You must let go of the idea that you know exactly where things are going, since not everything you are desiring is in your best interest according to your guides. Additionally, you need to let go of your impatience and the notion that you must not take breaks, that this destination must be reached as quickly as possible.

Page of Swords:

You have been led towards your destination by your cleverness and intelligence, according to your guides. They are saying that you can remain sharp no matter what the Universe throws at you. They want you to use this part of you to further yourself on this journey from now on.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are so trustworthy! Anyone knows they can count on you.”

“You are so smart and witty, always knowing what to say.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Knight of Pentacles:

The next step on your journey is to develop patience, according to your guides. Since you have started your journey, you have been fairly impatient and anxious for things to come your way as soon as possible. This mindset only hinders your progress, as it was mentioned above. The key to escaping your current impasse is patience.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Three of Cups:

Your inability to slow down has prevented you from celebrating how far you have come on your journey. As your guides point out, if you don't celebrate yourself, you are not truly experiencing this journey.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

Three of Wands:

At the end of this journey, you will have a large community around you. You may soon take up a hobby that allows you to work in a team. You will be very successful in this hobby and feel very happy with the people in your life. In this group, you'll be very social. You'll constantly go out and do things with them.

Page of Cups:

The end of this journey will bring you a highly sensitive person. They might be younger than you or just a young soul. This person will become an extremely important part of your life, allowing you to express yourself more sensitively without fear of judgment.

Channeled Messages:

“Move beyond ancestral patterns”

“Magic exists in the form of energy. What is your energy creating today? How does it make you feel?”

Pile Two (Amazonite):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

The Fool:

You may be in the beginning stages of your journey. You have just found something that you are willing to put a lot of effort into. Having a strong passion for this journey, you are eager to dive in headfirst, without looking back.

Ace of Pentacles:

By embarking on this journey, you are laying the foundation in your life. As a result, you will start to feel comfortable in every aspect of your life. I feel that you are embarking on a new hobby or career, something that will earn you money. The income has not started to flow yet, but you're just beginning your journey. You hope that more money will be forthcoming soon.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Pentacles:

You are very sure of where you want to go in life and how you want this journey to play out. Making you unwilling to accept anything that is even remotely different from what you desire. This mindset is preventing you from making progress on your journey, according to your guides. In order to make progress, you must recognize that not everything you desire is good for you.

Six of Wands:

When it comes to your career or hobbies, you may think you're more talented than others. Your guides are warning you that your arrogance is only hindering your progress on this journey.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

Knight of Wands:

You have great enthusiasm when it comes to things that you are passionate about, and you are very passionate about this journey. Your guides are saying that your ability to move quickly and successfully through all that life offers you is what will bring this outcome to you much quicker.

Page of Wands:

Your guides say you are very friendly and full of amazing ideas, both of which are helping you on this journey. They encourage you to keep your friendly side because it will benefit you in the long run.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are so magnetic and attractive! Everyone is turning heads after you!

“You are fierce like a lion! Everybody knows not to mess with you!”

“You have such great intuition, detecting the unseen truths.”

“You are so cute and bubbly, you make others feel like home.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Seven of Pentacles:

When it comes to this journey, you have been pushing forward, channeling fool's energy for some time now and that has served you well for the time being. However, your guides are telling you that the next steps are for you to begin to plan how you want to execute this journey instead of leaping headfirst into everything.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Eight of Cups:

In most of your life, you have been too quick to give up at the first sign of difficulty. Throughout this journey, you will struggle with this. The world doesn't always work out how we planned, and that's a bummer, but we are meant to get back up and keep going, utilizing what we learned from the past. It is their desire that you do this instead of giving up when things get tough.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

The Artist:

You may be an extremely creative person and this journey's outcome will allow you to use your creativity almost continuously. You are working towards a career and/or hobby that is highly creative and your guides are saying that once you get there it will allow you to utilize all of your creativity.

The Hierophant:

This is oddly specific but for some, I feel like you are working towards becoming a party planner of some sort, particularly at weddings. This is a sign that you will get there and be excellent at using your creativity when it comes to weddings.

For others, this may be a sign that the outcome of this journey may result in you getting married to either your current partner or someone else.

Channeled Messages:

“Unlock the magick within”

“You are our answered prayer.”

Pile Three (Sodalite):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

Four of Pentacles:

Currently, you are feeling very possessive over certain things in your life. It feels to me like you think people in your life constantly take from you without giving any thought to the pain it causes you. You have a history of being very generous, but you are now becoming tired of making others happy all the time.

King of Cups:

Your emotions are what you are feeling pretty possessive about. You have been a doormat in the past, allowing others to walk all over you and take from you. Especially when it comes to your emotions and energy. But now you've realized it and you are no longer allowing others to take from you.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Pentacles:

You are pretty set in stone about how you want to embark on this journey. You believe your way is the only way, and you do not take advice from anyone, including your guides. It seems to me that you hear what your guides say, but if it interferes with your plans you ignore the message saying to yourself, "That wasn't meant for me." or, "they're wrong.". According to your guides, the way you think is holding you back from moving forward.

Seven of Wands:

With the people in your life, you have reached a boiling point. You've allowed them to walk all over you for too long and now you're fighting back. Your guides are telling you that being extremely negative to your family and friends will not help you on this journey. Yes, you should set boundaries, but you do not have to continue to punish them for what you have allowed in the past. The treatment you received in the past is partly your fault, and you need to take responsibility for it. Give the people in your life a chance to follow your boundaries. Stop punishing them.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

Queen of Cups:

Despite the negative points listed above, you are still a very loyal person. You do not give up on the people in your life, continuing to stick by them even though they have hurt you in the past. This is an aspect that has been helpful to you and will continue to be helpful to you on this journey.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“Yes, you are different. But that’s what makes you special!”

“Your eyes are beautiful. You can see the universe in them.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Five of Swords:

Perhaps you recently lost out to one of your competitors. If that's the case, then your guides are telling you that your next step is to get back on your feet and start fresh. Taking the loss in stride. If that has not yet happened to you, this card indicates that it will soon. The next step for you is to prepare for the loss you will soon be suffering and not let it completely defeat you.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Two of Cups:

An obstacle you have been facing on this journey is your willingness to stay in toxic relationships. In the past, people have not treated you right and stayed in those relationships because you feared making the other person upset. This has recently been changing for you, however.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

The Hierophant:

With this journey, you will learn from your past mistakes and grow from the pain that you have endured, resulting in a better understanding of what a good relationship is. This will result in you marrying someone good for you and to you.

Ten of Cups:

A fairytale ending awaits you at the end of this journey. At the end of this journey, all the things you wanted as a child but as you grew thought were unreasonable will be available to you.

Channeled Messages:

“Meditate more, ground yourself.”

“Times of heightened emotions and sensitivity call for extra self-care and gentleness.”

Pile Four (Rose Quartz):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

Page of Pentacles:

Lately, you have been pretty sensitive. Feeling more in touch with your emotions, which may have been neglected for some time now. You have been getting more comfortable showing and expressing your emotions with the people around you.

The Hierophant:

Additionally, you have been more traditional in your life, adhering to the expectations of society rather than going against them. While you may have spent most of your life rebelling against what others want from you, you have recently begun to accept what others want from you.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Cups:

Your recent behavior of adhering to the expectations of others has made you feel guilty. You feel as if you are leaving the people you met on the way behind, and you feel as if they are disappointed in you. Your guides are telling you that this guilt is preventing you from excelling on your journey. There are times when you have to leave people and things behind in order to excel yourself, and feeling guilty won't help you do so.

Nine of Wands:

You feel as if this journey has been going on forever, with no stop in sight. You feel as if you are being faced with obstacle after obstacle, and things are never going your way. This mindset is hindering you, your guides are saying. You must remember that not every journey is linear. There will be bumps in the road, but that doesn't mean that you will never reach your goal.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

The Fool:

In a way, you embody the Fool's passion, which is to dive headfirst into their passions and not think twice before jumping. You're always starting new projects and have a never-ending passion for new beginnings. This is what has been leading you towards your desired goal.

Ace of Swords:

You have very strong emotions especially when it comes to love and hate. When you love something or hate something, it encompasses your whole being. It is the love you have for your passions that helps you along this journey.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are hilarious and have an amazing sense of humor!”

“You are such an inspiration! Everything you do is magical.”

“You are so trustworthy! Anyone knows they can count on you.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Queen of Cups:

The next step in your journey is to strengthen your loyalty. As you go through life, you constantly change your mind about things and move on to new adventures. You get bored very easily. This pile is giving me strong Gemini energy. Because of your constant boredom, you struggle in the loyalty department, and your guides recommend you tackle this next. Whenever you become bored with one of your passions, try finding new things in that passion to keep yourself engaged.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Three of Cups:

In your journey, you tend to ignore red flags, thinking that they are only there to add flavor. You may also be afraid to rock the boat, which leads you to ignore warning signs. According to your guides, this mindset has hindered your progress.

Six of Cups:

It's not uncommon for toxic people from your past to try and get back in touch with you. When these people come back into your life, your guides are telling you not to accept them. They are not meant to be in your life. I am also getting strong Pisces and Cancer energy.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

Ace of Cups:

If you are currently single, your guides are telling you that you will find new love at the end of this journey. If you are not single, this may be a sign that in the future you will be pregnant. In the event that this is not possible, then this new baby could be from a friend or family member. It is likely you will be extremely close to this baby, thinking of them as your own.

Four of Wands:

You will end up purchasing a new home with this person. Your new home will allow the two of you to live happily and healthily together. Your dream of a happy family life awaits you when you reach the end of this journey.

Channeled Messages:

“Get out of your own way! It’s upsetting me and your ancestors.”

“Follow the voice of your soul.”

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[aashi-heartfilia]

Hey Aashi, I was thinking about the recent chapter of Fairy Tail 100YQ chap. 102.

Lucy took a hard hit, and was thinking of what is going to happen next.

1. The Lucy that took the hit was actually Gemini, and Lucy beats Kiria in a surprise attack. Although spirits can heal from their injuries, this is the least likely 'cause that's not a Lucy thing to do. She wouldn't let Gemini take a hit for her.

2. Lucy loses the arm, but she manages to beat Kiria despite the injury. She faints after her victory, and Laxus bandage's her arm.

After the battle is over, Fairy Tail discovers a wounded Lucy. Back at the guild, Wendy finds she is unable to heal her injury. But Mirajane tells of a tale of a "healing item maguffin" that could heal Lucy. But the journey will be difficult.

Natsu takes this quest to help Lucy. He is accompanied by either Gray (best friends/rivals) or Laxus, guilty he didn't help Lucy sooner.

This short arc, possibly a trial by nature, puzzle maze, and a battle with a demi-god, becomes a quest that lets Natsu discover his passion for fighting for Lucy let's him know he's in love with her.

He returns, Lucy is healed, Nasty gives her a kiss, and NaLu is finally canon.

3. I saw a fan theory that I think is pretty good.

Lucy gets a power up as she's injured. When she was re-writing the Book of End, it was implied that no human could survive such a thing. Originally, it sounded like Lucy was extremely tough for a human.

But It also implied she wasn't just human. She may in fact be half human, half demon/angel/celestial spirit. (I'm hoping celestial spirit).

She's injured, and as Kiria is gloating her victory, Lucy glows with energy, and she reattachs her arm herself. She then just slaps Kiria into a building and goes on a short rampage through the battlefield.

Natsu finds her, and calms her down from her powered up state. After the battle, at the guild, Lucy trains her new found powers, I'm guessing with Natsu's help.

Sorry if it's a long ask. What do you think?

Hey @spartanblacksmith,

I really liked all of the theories you put up. Let's consider them one by one:

1. It was Gemini

This is the least likely one like you've already said and I kind of don't see it happening. Also, shouldn't Leo be appearing as well?

What makes Leo's absence more surprising is the fact that Leo can pass through the spirit world without his key. Shouldn't he have appeared before Lucy took that fatal blow? So many questions.

Which is why, it could be Gemini to take the hit but well, let's be honest that ain't happening. Lucy will never let her spirits act as shield. Also, we can clearly see blood here. If it was Gemini there wouldn't have been this much blood. I could be wrong though but this just creates more questions than answers.

2. I LOVE THIS THEORY

A mini break from our regular story and getting to see the rest of the guild again sounds like a deal. Also, a seperate arc for Nalu development? That's great.

It can be and arc to show that the future is inevitable afterall but with the help of right people we can always find our destination.

But it feels like too fanfic to be true.

3. Lucy can be God Ankhseram

It was one of the more popular theories, back in the days that Lucy is actually since kind of God because of the Lucky numbers and the kind of magic she uses etc etc.

I wouldn't be too surprised if that happens though. Their are already a lot of call backs from the previous seasons like Erza getting her hair chopped off from Edolas arc, Lucy losing her entire freaking arm like the GMG arc. I don't see why their can't be a reference to the Alvaraze arc while we're still at it.

Also, we have never seen Lucy angry. I mean not that little pouty thing she does when annoyed by Natsu but a real rampage would be so cool. The most angry we have seen her last time was I think during Tartaros but even that looked like more of pain and frustration rather than anger.

So just the mere thought of Lucy actually re-attaching her arm and taking down Kyria all on her own sounds very interesting.

Lucy glowing can also be a reference to the Tartaros arc, where Jacob commented

"Hey, why are you glowing like a star?"

And she received Star Dress.

Lucy being an angel sounds so poetic when you know that this anime is called Fairy tail for a reason.