#the contrast is most striking in the last picture

[cutiepieloves131]

Sidereal Vedic Beauty Indicators Pt.3

~{🪻}~Vishakha: I have no words to describe how divine and picturesque these folks appear that have this placement. Vishaka's beauty is the type that will have you looking for hours or even have you fully captivated and nobody can change my mind about their heavenly and enthralling beauty! They look like porcelain dolls with a delicate effect on them! Vishaka is the "Cherubic Beauty", so these people facial features includes emphasized and broad mid-face, cheekbones which grow outwardly to a strong extent, large, and very defined cheek apples which are slightly low-set, foreheads that are generally medium to tall in height, with a more narrow and short jawline, eyes are most typically small to medium in size, and sometimes generally widely-spaced, and their gaze/natural expression can appear distant, detached, or cold, their noses are plump (wide in the bridge and tip), a horizontally-elongated cupid's bow, and small (often generally spacey) teeth.

Vishakha Women {Left to Right}: Dove Cameron, Cindy Kimberly, Jessica Lowndes

~{🪻}~Swati: Oh. My. Gosh! Ugh, I am so in love with people that have this nakshatra in their charts! Swati individuals beauty is so dazzling and jaw-dropping! Not only that but their eyes are so mesmerizing to many and myself appearing hypnotic due to Rahu's influence. Swati men and women definitely have me in choke hold, you just can't help but to fall in love with their otherworldly visuals! Also I've noticed that they look photogenic and glowing in photos but mostly attention is drawn to the eyes. Swati is known to be the "Bug Pretty", so their features contains protruding eyes with prominent eyelids and medium to close spacing, thin to medium, with a more de-emphasized upper lip, cheek bones that' are on the small side, but high and gently defined, with medium sized cheek apples, contrasting typically shorter, square (to rectangular) face shape, and sometimes with a prominent and pointed chin.

Swati Women {Left to Right}: Glow Princess, Lisa, Eva Marcille

~{🪻}~Ashwini: My oh my!~ Y'all these natives are so fine!~ Ashwini's beauty tends to be youthful and appealing! You'll always see an Ashwini person that never looks their age, or might mistake them for being a kid, teen, or in their early 20's! It's really amazing how they maintain their beauty even at old age, to me Ashwini folks strike me as the one to have their visuals praised by many online and in real life, especially in the Kpop industry. Ashwini represents the "Raven Pretty", their looks consist of full and large cheeks, which are rounded and prominent in the buccal area, face shape tends to be round or gently squared, full and soft fleshy lips that's very succulent, nose is also soft and widened, upturned, and with quite broad nostril wings and rounded nostrils, eyes are typically small to medium in size, almond-shaped, medium to wide-set, and neutral to upturned but have also light vibrant undertones having minimal eyelid spacing, brows that are long, and straight to lightly arched, and shiny hair in dark and ashy tones.

Ashwini Women {Left to Right}: Meika Woollard, Challan Trishann, India Eisley

~{🪻}~Ardra: I had to add another Rahu nakshatra in this post! Ardra beauty is incredibly splendiferous and fetching to me! I'm not joking like Ardra had to be on the list because they can't go unnoticed including their electrifying eyes that's a little protruding and medium to close-set, just like other Rahu nakshatras their eyes are a prominent feature on their face that can't be ignored. Their beauty is one of a kind and rare almost alien-like or dreamy to a lot of people! They tend to outwardly appear celestial in pictures, try brighter, sparkly, and bling filters on your phone, I promise you the results will turn out beautiful! Last not least Ardra natives beauty that's "Diamond Pretty", are made up of a pointy & pinched lower face resulting in a inverted triangle face or ovalish because of the ruling symbol which is the "tear drop", stronger mid-face area, emphasized cheekbones, long medium to large size nose and low-set like the yoni animal (female dog), and lips that are thin to medium.

Ardra Women {Left to Right}: Ariana Grande, Yodit Yemane, Kaya Scodelario

[ingravinoveritas]

So I just wanna ask u just does this look like a real happy healthy relationship and in love with each or just put on for show for the fans and why do I feel like she making it all about her again and reminded everyone who she with it feels micheal was forced in the pictures taking with her the red carpet photo she looked bored and annoyed cos michael not paying any attention he just look miserable but I bet if it was David standing there instead of anna his face would be beaming like the one Georgia posted of them 4 together micheal face is electric and see how he lean toward David that best friend goals and I just love seeing them together cos that when he at his most happiness place

Also I find it strange that Anna was left out in staged scene but David wife gerogia made appearance doesn't that strike u as odd and gerogia brought the plus one date a girl could have and it wasnt anna yet they call each other wife clearly not as close etc then David and Michael are it seems.

And did u notice in the scene with David and Tom hiddleson about the dog sitter initially could present as benign and then he and the dog get up to all kinds of hijinks and ultimately disrupt stuffy old Michael sheen boring life but for the better like why put that in the script maybe his life with anna is boring and only staying cos he feels he needs too for the young children what do u think of all this

From @amata-haan along with a screenshot of the group photo:

(Grouping all of these together since it seems we've got a bit to talk about here.)

So, the biggest point of discussion seems to be the group pic that Georgia posted, and I will put up a larger size of that for us to discuss:

When I saw that Georgia had posted this in an Insta story, of course my first thought was "Finally a picture of Michael and David together!" I think that was what we were all hoping for all night, to where it was almost glaring that we hadn't gotten one when the event ended (until Georgia's post, that is).

The second thing that came to mind is what you alluded to @moriarty-sisters, about this being a near repeat of what we've seen a few times before (first at the NTAs in 2021, and then the group photo Georgia posted on Michael's birthday, that appears to have been taken after Michael went to see Macbeth):

Every time, Georgia is on the right. Every time, she and Anna have the same tight smiles while Michael and David have huge grins on their faces. At this point, it feels intentional, because twice might be a coincidence, but three times is a plan. There are slight differences to the vibes in each picture--although Georgia looks like she knows a secret and Michael and David look like a very happy couple in every one of them--but last night's group pic was...something.

Which takes me to your comment @phantomstars24 about how Michael is holding AL. I was under the impression that he had his hand on her waist, but if he is touching her breast, I'm perplexed at that being her reaction. She looks stiff and like a deer caught in the headlights, and regardless of where Michael's hand is, it doesn't seem like that's a great way to look when your own boyfriend is touching you. Adding to the strange optics is the fact that Michael is actually leaning toward David in the picture and away from her. It looks like his arm/shoulder is pressing into David and there isn't a millimeter of space between them, yet he seems to be a mile away from Anna despite having an arm around her.

(And none of this is even touching on Georgia using the theme song from Friends in the Insta story for the group pic, which she had to know we would all notice...)

So yes, a lot of thoughts on the group pic, but overall delighted to see Michael and David looking so happy next to each other. Especially Michael, in stark contrast to how he looked in some of the other pictures.

Speaking of which...I briefly talked about Michael and AL at the BAFTAs yesterday here and here, so I will try not to repeat myself too much in this part of my answer. But what I think we are seeing is two things: Anna's fantasy of what she thinks her and Michael's relationship is, and the reality of what we saw at the BAFTAs.

I think in AL's mind, she and Michael were like Georgia and David. But if we are going to say that Georgia and David were very loving and sweet together on the red carpet yesterday--which they absolutely were, with the kiss they shared and David comforting Georgia when she was experiencing anxiety--then there is no way you can look at the pictures of Michael and Anna and see the same thing. Even without bringing GT/DT into it, there is a massive, marked difference between pictures of Michael with AL vs. pictures of him with literally anyone else (such as this pic with Hannah Waddingham).

Looking at Anna's pictures that she posted, every one of them seems to be about ownership, right down to the Insta story with the #mine hashtag (which again seems to be her copying Georgia, also on the night of an award ceremony). The vibe that I got was of a teenager who'd won a date with her favorite celebrity and took him to the prom. Ultimately, though, she looked out of place, and he looked uncomfortable with her, both of which are a remarkable feat after five years of a relationship.

The pictures also repeated themes we've seen before (AL has previously posted a picture of her kissing Michael's cheek where he looks equally withdrawn; the photo in the car on the way to the event is a copy of pictures Georgia has posted of her and David in the car on the way to events) and speak to that idea of pushing a certain narrative, despite neither one of them appearing to sell it very well.

To that end, and to your comments @lepqueen and @turquoisedata, I would agree with you that it looks like AL is trying to mark her territory. The problem is that Michael had more chemistry just talking with David in that opening BAFTAs sketch than he did with Anna the entire night, and she was frequently left looking like she had no idea what she was doing or why she was there. Another example of this is an Insta story she posted earlier today that again demonstrated her main interest in the relationship:

What's particularly noteworthy is the follow up Insta story on the right, which I couldn't believe she actually posted. I think that if you are fine and happy with the narrative you've put out, you are not going to be bothered by or salty about a comment like that, and AL clearly was. And all of this then casts at least some doubt that the pictures she posted are really telling the whole story. Just a recap of what we do know about last night (and if I am forgetting anything, someone please let me know):

- Anna was the only principal member of the cast who was not in the Staged-themed opening sketch, despite being in all three seasons of the show. - Anna was not seated next to Michael during the in person part of the opening sketch, despite there being no reason the producers couldn't have put her next to him even as a seat filler. - Georgia brought her friend Daisy Aitkens as a +1 and sat with her instead of Anna, leaving us with the above picture of AL sitting alone and staring straight ahead while in the background of a Michael J. Fox picture (that she is acting like is a picture of her with him, instead of her photobombing a picture of MJF with his wife). - During the show, the camera repeatedly cut to Michael in the audience when there was no reason to do so, but did not show Anna on camera once.

So yes, I think that if last night at the BAFTAs was somehow AL's attempt to mark her territory/assert her place in the UK acting industry, it did not seem to go over well. I think David and Georgia's relationship and Michael and David's relationship emerged even stronger than before, and unfortunately AL and Michael's relationship did not and does not compare.

My apologies for rambling on, as I never intended for this to get so long. As I've said before, this is all just my opinion, and I know I could be completely wrong, so I'm glad as always to hear from my followers with your thoughts. Thanks for writing in! x

[findmeinthefallair]

Belos trying the same tactic with both of the poor kids. But what a contrast between the towering monstrous form versus the puddle he was reduced to in the end.

He hurt Luz and Hunter enough. More than enough. He snatched literal life away from them. I'm relieved that both of them had proximity away from him at the time of his death:

with Hunter being safely far away, and Luz making a conscious decision to walk away from him, so that they didn't have to witness his demise. On top of what they both already had to heal from, witnessing him dying would've been...visceral on another level for their senses, and for the memories they'd be carrying for years afterward.

I wouldn't ever want these to be the last sights (and sounds!) of Belos that Luz and Hunter are exposed to:

Especially because they had a history of trusting in him first, before experiencing betrayal from him. This scene was freaky enough for an adult audience member like me to watch...I can't imagine being a child, who previously trusted in Belos, placed in this situation.

It was different for Eda, King and even Raine (who has been staging and leading the CATTs rebellion over a long period), who were the ones to finish him off, because they didn't have prior experiences of deeply trusting in Belos first.

Coming in from a clinical perspective as well, if you work as a therapist you have to note down and weigh two areas for every client case: risk factors vs. protective factors that can either worsen or improve whatever mental health conditions they're experiencing. Doing this gives a clearer picture and creates higher awareness of a client's situation and struggles.

I'm zooming in on just risk factors for PTSD symptoms (list is from the National Institute of Mental Health's page about PTSD):

I underlined the blue to show which risk factors that Luz and Hunter would already be up against without witnessing Belos's death: that's already 7 out of 8!! (keep in mind they saw stuff like the grimwalker graveyard in Belos's mindscape) And these poor babies already met enough criteria for diagnoses of depression and C-PTSD respectively. If they witnessed him dying, it would've been a "big T" trauma event that could do more great damage and complicate the recovery process.

The red underlines are if they witnessed Belos's death, adding more layers of wounding when it comes to the relevant risk factors. And what would intensify things is like I mentioned, their history with Belos in particular is downright messy since they experienced betrayal from him in such awful ways. You can't be betrayed by someone if you didn't first place trust in them. In Hunter's case, he had (and realistically, would still have) love and attachment to Belos.

It's heavy enough that both of them were mourning father figures that left them behind at the start of those 3.5-4 difficult years, and would experience depressive symptoms related to those losses:

Hunter mourning Belos himself and his life in the Emperor's Coven which brought meaning to his life, while Luz mourned Manny and her use of the glyphs that helped her find her place when there was nothing else that worked.

They would need Camila, Darius and Eda as their solid rock to fall back on for unwavering support, along with the love from everybody else.

If I rewind things a little, I'm also relieved that Hunter wasn't ambushed by Belos in For the Future, and that Luz didn't give into temptation to "blast him away" in Watching and Dreaming:

Their anger and frustration was most definitely valid, but I'm pretty sure that any decisions to follow through with their desire to strike back at Belos...would've added salt to their moral injuries and bred more painful confusion in the years that they'd have to spend recovering from all that they went through.

Keeping them away from being the ones to finish Belos off was an informed writing decision.

[dee-writes-anime]

Hi! I love your works so far, I haven’t been following your blog for long but I am already sucked in😭 I thought I may as well request. Would you be open to writing a slowburn or semi-slowburn bkdk fic? You can choose if you would like to add smut and age-up, but I’d love to see you write their characters.🤍

THE STRIKE ZONE

FEATURING Katsuki Bakugo x Izuku Midoriya

SUMMARY Katsuki Bakugo is a world renowned picture at the top of his game. Izuku Midoriya is an up-and-coming sports analyst who got lucky enough to find himself in a long-term position analyzing and interviewing Bakugo. The two of them have unresolved history from their childhood and Izuku could have never expected that the spark was still just as fierce as the last time they talked.

CONTENT WARNINGS slight angst, slow burn, no romance just yet, Bakugo being Bakugo

AUTHORS NOTE this is not the beast I promised because I decided I hated how I wrote it originally. I still haven't decided whether or not I even like what I wrote for the second time, but if you like it and maybe want to see this become a series, let me know! Hope you enjoy! <3

The afternoon sun hung low over the stadium, casting long shadows across the diamond as Katsuki Bakugo stepped onto the mound. His presence was a force of nature—a sharp contrast to the chatter and chaos of the crowd. His signature glare was locked in, focusing on the batter standing in his way. Everything else faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was the ball in his hand and the next strike. 

From the press box, Izuku Midoriya could see the tension in Bakugo's shoulders, the fierce determination burning behind his eyes. It was unmistakable. He had seen it before, during countless games growing up, but now, this close to the action, it felt different. Personal. 

“Bakugo’s been on fire this season,” he muttered, typing furiously on his tablet, his thoughts spinning into a series of detailed notes for his upcoming article. "Fastest recorded pitch in the league, unpredictable breaking balls... He's impossible to read.” 

A flash of movement caught his eye as Bakugo reared back and fired another fastball. The sound of the bat slicing through the air echoed around the stadium—a clean miss. A strike. 

Midoriya's heart raced. 

This was his first live game as an official sports analyst, and of all the players, it had to be Bakugo Katsuki—the same Bakugo he’d known for years, ever since they were kids. They had grown apart after high school, their paths diverging sharply, but somehow, they were always drawn back into each other’s orbit. Like now. 

Bakugo had made it to the top of the league, his explosive talent making him one of the most feared pitchers in Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Midoriya had worked his way up through the ranks of sports journalism, his obsessive attention to detail and deep understanding of the game earning him respect as an analyst. Today was his debut covering the league’s biggest star, and he wasn’t sure if that was a coincidence—or a twist of fate. 

As the game progressed, Midoriya found himself watching more than just the stats. He noticed the way Bakugo moved, the precision in his throws, the way his expression never wavered. Yet, there was something else beneath the surface—a crack in the mask that Bakugo wore so well. Maybe it was the exhaustion from a long season or the pressure of the spotlight, but Midoriya saw it. He always did. 

Bakugo struck out another batter, ending the inning with a triumphant snarl, and as he walked off the mound, his eyes flickered briefly toward the press box. Their gazes met for a split second, and Midoriya froze. Did Bakugo recognize him? It had been years since they last spoke, but that brief connection sent a jolt through him, stirring memories of a rivalry long left behind. 

Midoriya shook his head, pushing the thought away. He had a job to do, and he wasn’t here to dredge up the past. Yet, as Bakugo disappeared into the dugout, that old feeling of competition—of something unresolved—lingered in the back of his mind. 

The rest of the game blurred by in a flurry of fastballs, curves, and strikeouts, with Bakugo dominating the mound like he always did. Midoriya couldn’t help but admire his former classmate’s skill—even if Bakugo had been insufferable back in the day. There was something mesmerizing about the way he commanded the game. Every move was calculated, every pitch perfectly placed, as if he had memorized every weak spot of every batter he faced. 

Yet, as Bakugo continued to dominate, Midoriya’s mind wandered back to the years they spent growing up together—well, more like growing up beside each other. Their rivalry had been anything but friendly, always one-upping each other in everything from schoolwork to sports. And now, even though they hadn’t spoken in years, that tension was still there. Bakugo had made it to the top, and Midoriya couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still trying to catch up, even as a reporter. 

The post-game buzz hummed through the stadium, and Midoriya gathered his notes, preparing for the real challenge: the locker room interview. He had to face Bakugo. Professionally, of course. They weren’t kids anymore, and Midoriya wasn’t about to let the past cloud his judgment. He took a steadying breath as he made his way to the locker room. 

The atmosphere inside was intense, the heat of the game still palpable in the air. Players moved about, their voices low as they cooled down from the adrenaline rush. Midoriya scanned the room, catching sight of Bakugo in the back, sitting alone, as usual. His head was down, towel draped over his neck, muscles tense with post-game strain. 

This was it. 

Midoriya approached, his footsteps echoing louder than they should have in the silence between them. He hesitated for a split second before standing a few feet away from Bakugo. The air between them felt thick, charged with something unsaid. 

“Bakugo,” Midoriya started, keeping his tone neutral, professional, though his voice felt a little too small for the moment. “Can I ask you a few questions?” 

Bakugo didn’t look up at first. He wiped the sweat from his face, then slowly lifted his eyes to meet Midoriya’s. And there it was—that flash of recognition. Sharp and unyielding, like a gust of wind hitting a flame. 

“Deku?” Bakugo’s voice was low, rough from the game, but the familiar edge was still there, as if he hadn’t forgotten their history. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

Midoriya straightened, doing his best to ignore the nickname. He wasn’t the same kid who used to cower under Bakugo’s sharp tongue. “I’m here as a reporter,” he replied evenly, holding his ground. “I wanted to talk about your game today.” 

Bakugo let out a short, humorless laugh, tossing the towel aside. “Of course you are.” He leaned back against the locker, arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowing in that calculating way that always made Midoriya feel like he was being sized up. “Go ahead. Ask your damn questions.” 

Midoriya steadied himself, forcing the tension out of his voice. “Your curveball was nearly untouchable today. What’s been your approach this season to refining your pitch? It seems like you’ve found new ways to stay unpredictable on the mound.” 

For a moment, Bakugo didn’t respond. He just stared, as if debating whether to give a serious answer or brush Midoriya off like he used to. But then something shifted in his gaze, and he shrugged. 

“Gotta stay ahead of the game,” Bakugo said, his voice casual, but there was an edge beneath it. “Everyone’s always watching, waiting for you to slip up. I don’t give them the chance.” 

Midoriya nodded, scribbling down the response, though his focus wasn’t entirely on the words. There was something more going on here, something that went beyond the standard post-game interview. It wasn’t just the tension between them; it was the way Bakugo answered, like there was a wall between them that had only gotten thicker with time. 

“And your fastball,” Midoriya continued, his tone carefully measured. “It’s faster than it’s ever been. What’s changed?” 

Bakugo snorted, leaning forward slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “None of your business, Deku.” 

The name stung, as it always did, but Midoriya swallowed it down. He was here to do his job. “It’s my job to ask, Bakugo. You know that.” 

Bakugo’s eyes flickered with something—maybe frustration, maybe something deeper that Midoriya couldn’t quite place. “Yeah, I know,” Bakugo muttered, his voice softer now, almost resigned. He ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the game. “Look, you wanna know why I’m pitching better? Fine. It’s because I’m not thinking about anyone else but myself. That’s what it takes.” 

Midoriya frowned slightly. “No one else? Not even your team?” 

Bakugo’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, Midoriya thought he had gone too far. But then Bakugo stood, his posture towering and tense, the fire in his eyes blazing hotter than before. 

“I don’t need anyone slowing me down,” Bakugo shot back, his voice rising just enough to make the rest of the locker room glance their way. “I’m the best, and I don’t need to prove it to anyone—not to you, not to them. Got it?” 

The intensity in the air was unmistakable, crackling between them as if the years apart hadn’t dulled their connection at all. Midoriya was no longer the boy who would shrink beneath Bakugo’s glare, but that fire was still there, burning just as fiercely in the spaces between words. 

Bakugo stood in front of him, arms crossed, muscles taut with frustration, his expression daring Midoriya to keep pressing, to say something that would make him lose control. But Midoriya knew better now. He’d learned to handle the sharp edges of Bakugo’s personality—he had to, if he was going to make it through this interview unscathed. 

“Is that why you’ve been isolating yourself lately?” Midoriya asked, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. “I’ve noticed you’re not interacting with your teammates as much. Is this part of your strategy too?” 

Bakugo’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the room felt too small, too confined for the tension building between them. Midoriya could feel the weight of Bakugo’s stare, like a storm gathering on the horizon, ready to break at any moment. 

“You’re really digging, huh, Deku?” Bakugo muttered, voice low, dangerous. He stepped closer, and Midoriya had to resist the urge to step back. “You think you know everything about me just because we used to go to the same school? Because we grew up in the same shitty town?” 

Midoriya’s breath hitched, but he didn’t flinch. He met Bakugo’s stare head-on, refusing to let him push him away. “I’m not trying to dig up the past, Bakugo. I’m just asking about your approach. You’ve always played with that chip on your shoulder, but now it seems like it’s weighing you down more than ever.” 

The locker room had gone quiet, the tension thick enough to suffocate. Bakugo’s fists clenched at his sides, and for a second, Midoriya wondered if this was it—if Bakugo was finally going to snap. But instead, Bakugo’s lips twisted into a tight, bitter smile. 

“You think you know me, Deku?” Bakugo said, his voice soft but cutting. “You don’t know a damn thing. You never did.” 

Midoriya’s heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of frustration and something deeper—something he wasn’t sure he could name yet—building inside him. This wasn’t how he expected the interview to go, but it was Bakugo. He should have known better than to think it would be simple. 

“Then tell me,” Midoriya said quietly. “Tell me what I don’t know.” 

For a moment, the challenge hung in the air between them, neither one willing to back down. Bakugo’s eyes blazed, his jaw tight, but just as quickly, the fire in his gaze dimmed, replaced by something Midoriya hadn’t seen before—something that looked a lot like weariness. 

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” Bakugo muttered, turning away. “This interview’s over.” 

Before Midoriya could respond, Bakugo stormed past him, his shoulder brushing against Midoriya’s just hard enough to send a jolt through him. Midoriya stood frozen for a moment, watching Bakugo’s retreating form, the locker room door slamming shut behind him. 

Midoriya’s fingers tightened around his tablet. He had gotten the bare minimum out of Bakugo—certainly not the in-depth analysis he had hoped for. But even more frustrating was the way that familiar, unresolved feeling gnawed at him. There was still something there, something unfinished between them, and it was bigger than just an interview or a rivalry. 

It was personal. 

As Midoriya packed up his things, he couldn’t shake the sense that this was far from over. Bakugo wasn’t the type to let things lie, and now that they had crossed paths again, that old fire was burning brighter than ever. 

[gottagetbetter14]

This Is Paradise I

Someone had to go the sacrifice and get the Jack Fanfics started.

Summary: Where the hell was she? And who the hell is her "husband"?

Jack Chambers x Fem Reader

Dazed. Dazed and confused is how she had woken this morning.

The pleasant morning sky shone through the bedroom window. Taking her out of the dreamless night that plagued her minutes before, finally gaining her senses back she could feel a strong grasp around her waist. Boxing her in, surrounding her. Overwhelmed, she shot up quickly, shoving off the body weight of the person in bed with her. Looking from left to right is a room she didn’t recognize. A groan next to her indicated someone else was waking up too. 

“Good mornin’ my love.” said a voice she couldn’t put a face too, they sat up next to her. The same arms that caused claustrophobia only moments ago wrapped once around her again. A face dug into her neck , taking a deep breath. Almost as if they were trying to memorize her scent. A kiss was then placed causing a shiver to run down her back. The face moved and lifted their hand to pull her chin to the right. “Are you alright? You’re very quiet dear.” The beautiful face pondered, looking thoughtfully into her eyes. “Where am I?” Were the first words she had uttered that morning. A smile graced the man's face and his thumb ran across her bottom lip. “You’re home honey, you know that.” He laughed getting up from the bed and leaving the room all together. His statement caused a furrow in her brow to form. What was the last thing she could remember? Her mind was a blank canvas now. Was this really her home? How long has this been her home? Her gaze followed the figure as he left. She has never been more lost.

-

Finally getting the courage to get up, she leaves the bedroom. Following down the long hallway filled with pictures of her and the unnamed man. Some were just of her or the man separately, but most were pictures couples took together. One stood out to all the rest, A wedding photo juxtaposed with the others. She is dressed in a white gown, the man in a contrasting black suit and tie. A happy look strewn about their faces. When had she gotten married? The thought leaves her nauseous and she quickly keeps following the windows till she reaches the front room. 

-

The man is in the kitchen now, waiting expectantly at the counter. Almost as if he’s waiting to be served like a diner guest. He turns his head to look at her with a grin while she navigates the house lost. She hesitates before stepping into the kitchen area. The man looks around with his hands clasped under his chin like the action he wants is obvious. “Are you going to start breakfast? I’m thinking of eggs this morning.” His words broke her silent confusion. A pout shows on his mouth as he places his chin in the palm of his hand. She tilts her head to the side a bit, Taken aback by his demand.

 His mouth drops to a straight line with a crinkle in his forehead. “You do remember how I like my breakfast, right darling?” He asked in a condescending tone. He once again left her in the kitchen to her own devices. 

-

While she definitely doesn’t belong here, she still can cook a mean breakfast. She almost feels very proud of herself for making this. Plating the scrambled eggs and bacon and setting it down on the table, she sits off to the side. Waiting for his return. 

He comes back just in time with the smell of food. Sitting down at the head of the table he stares down at his plate. He looks very dissatisfied. “And here I thought you could do a simple task, You know better than to make scrambled.” He grunts out, eyes turning a shade darker than his perfect blue eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be so picky. I was the one who made the breakfast you asked for.”  She exclaimed. As If he couldn’t get more intimidating, he gives her a sly grin. Not fully reaching his eyes. “That’s strike one darling.” 

-

A/n: Could this be shite, absolutely. Also this is only part 1. I swear there will be more!

M.M.

[monratarot]

Tarot tips and tricks - Breakup indicators

Please like and reblog if you find this information useful! 🌸🎀💕

//don’t claim it as your own and/or repost it on other platforms//

There are times we are asked about break ups in a tarot reading. It is handy to look at the cards in this context as you are learning their meaning. To see all the cards that have elements of a breakup. So here are all the cards I think of when it comes to a breakup. T

he real story here is that no one single card can tell the whole story when you pull multiple cards. It is how they inter-relate and if you look at the reversals or not.

These are just a few examples of cards that may indicate a breakup in a tarot reading. It's important to remember that the interpretation of these cards can vary depending on the surrounding cards and the overall context of the reading. Trust your intuition and allow the cards to guide you in understanding the situation at hand.

The Hermit

The Hermit, in its solitude, paints a picture of a period where you might find yourself stepping back from social circles and embracing some quality “me time.” It’s like having a chance to focus on your personal and spiritual aspirations while flying solo. So, even though it’s not exactly a “break-up” card, it hints at a phase of self-reflection and enjoying your own company.

Tower

Wow, the Tower card sure doesn’t hold back on the drama! Lightning strikes, flames engulf the building, and people are jumping out of windows. This card paints a vivid picture of significant upheaval or a major shake-up that’s pushing you to see the world from a whole new perspective. It’s like life threw a curveball just when you thought you were cruising in a cozy relationship.

Death

The Death card symbolizes profound change and transformation, marking the conclusion of one phase and the commencement of another. Your relationship may have completed its current cycle and reached its termination point. Consequently, it is imperative to release the past and welcome forthcoming transformations. In many instances, this might entail the impending dissolution of the relationship.

Two of Cups – Reversed

When reversed, the Two of Cups suggests the conclusion of a relationship, often within the framework of a consensual decision to part ways. Both parties have arrived at the mutual understanding that separation is the most suitable course of action, necessitating the dissolution of the once-shared bond.

Three of Swords

In the Three of Swords, we come face to face with a heart pierced by three swords, symbolizing grief, heartbreak, and sorrow. This card might show up when you’ve experienced the end of a relatively new relationship. The silver lining here is the sun peeking through the clouds, reminding us that this heartache is fleeting, and brighter days are on the horizon. You’ll be moving on to greener pastures before you know it.

Five of Swords

The Five of Swords tells a story of a tough battle that didn’t quite end in victory. Maybe you’ve been stuck in a cycle of disagreements and squabbles with your partner, and now you’ve reached the point of parting ways. Even though the arguing has stopped, you might not have that satisfying closure or the last word you hoped for. Instead of dwelling on it, it’s a good moment to release and move forward.

Ten of Pentacles – Reversed

In its upright orientation, the Ten of Pentacles signifies a well-established relationship, potentially indicative of a long-term marriage and the presence of an extensive family network. In contrast, when reversed, this card may imply that the marriage is approaching its conclusion, necessitating the division of family assets and the separation of finances as part of the dissolution process. Additionally, your family and home life may experience significant impacts during this period of change.

[unpopularwriter25]

*Barge in through the door quickly* I GOT A REQUEST! A CUTE ONE TOO!! AND I REALLY REALLY WANT IT 100% fluff!!!

OK, so I want a Michikatsu/Kokushibo x Reincarnated! Modern! Reader. So the plot is: Reader got Reincarnated in kny as Michikatsu's fiancée with kny memories n all, you can bet that she can and will tease Michikatsu with modern comebacks/slang words. Or maybe teach him some too!! Also this is pre-yoriichi one, basically one before Michikatsu become jealous of Yoriichi.

I want this into Angst... Kill Reader off in the middle of story!! LET MICHIKATSU BE SAD! AND HE TURNS TO DEMON!!!!! but here's the twist, since Reader's soul not in this world— She got Reincarnated again!! With all her memories!! And after like, years (200 years for Koku, and 17 years for Reader since she reborn again) the both meet each again~ cue Reader punch and lecture Kokushibo for choosing becoming a demon, of course they still get along well... bonus if Kokushibo ended up proposing Reader again (Boi needs happiness).

I kinda want an ending of where Reader and Koku ended up being Tanjiro + Nezuko 2.0. I MEAN, IMAGINE CHIBI KOKUSHIBO IN A BOX!!! That and Reader & Kokushibo ended up helping the demon slayer crops beating Muzan's ass!

Thank youuuuu!! Also the moment I got this idea, I just HAD to send it to you xD

Once again you're coming in with the 10/10 request! 😂 I hope you enjoy~!

Eternal Vows: The Rebirth of Love and War

Warnings: Mentions of death.

Summary: a modern soul reincarnates as the fiancée of Michikatsu in the world of 'Demon Slayer.' Despite their joy, tragedy strikes, leading to her death and Michikatsu's transformation into a demon. Two hundred years later, she reincarnates again, and they reunite, determined to fight Muzan together. Their enduring love and unique bond bring hope to the Demon Slayer Corps as they face the ultimate battle.

The sun cast a warm glow over the peaceful countryside, the air filled with the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds. In a quaint village nestled among rolling hills, Michikatsu and his fiancée walked hand in hand. The reader, a modern soul reincarnated into the world of 'Demon Slayer,' couldn't help but smile at the simplicity of this era, a stark contrast to her previous life.

"Michikatsu," she said, her voice playful, "have you ever heard the term 'YOLO'?"

Michikatsu glanced at her with a puzzled expression. "Yolo? What does that mean?"

She laughed, the sound light and carefree. "It means 'You Only Live Once.' It's a reminder to make the most out of life."

He smiled softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "You always have such peculiar sayings."

"Oh, just wait until you hear about 'selfies' and 'hashtags'," she teased, earning a chuckle from him.

The days passed in a blur of joy and contentment. Michikatsu's admiration for his fiancée grew with each passing moment. She brought a sense of wonder and excitement into his life, her modern slang and comebacks a constant source of amusement.

One evening, as they sat beneath a sakura tree, she began teaching him more about her world. "So, in my time, we had these things called memes. They're like... funny pictures with captions that people share."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Show me how to create one."

Grinning, she picked up a stick and drew a crude image in the dirt. "There, that's the face. Now you add a funny caption. Like, 'When you realize the Demon Slayer Corps is after you.'"

Michikatsu laughed, the sound rich and full of life. "You have such a vivid imagination."

But fate can be cruel. One fateful night, the village was attacked by a powerful demon. Despite their efforts, Michikatsu and his fiancée were separated in the chaos. As Michikatsu fought valiantly, his fiancée was struck down, her lifeless body cradled in his arms.

"Why?" Michikatsu's voice broke with grief as he held her close. "Why did this happen?"

Her last breath was a whisper, "Remember... YOLO."

Her death shattered Michikatsu. Consumed by sorrow and rage, he turned to Muzan Kibutsuji, seeking the power to avenge her. In his anguish, he became a demon, losing himself to darkness.

Two hundred years later, in a bustling modern city, the reader was reborn. Her memories of Michikatsu and her previous life remained vivid. At seventeen, she felt an inexplicable pull towards the past.

One evening, as she walked through an old forest, she stumbled upon a familiar figure. Kokushibo, now a powerful demon, stood before her, his six eyes widening in shock.

"It's you," he whispered, his voice a mix of wonder and regret.

Without hesitation, she punched him in the arm. "What the hell were you thinking, becoming a demon? YOLO, remember?"

Kokushibo's expression softened, a sad smile playing on his lips. "I never forgot."

Despite the centuries that had passed, their bond remained unbroken. They spent hours talking, sharing stories of their lives apart. Slowly, Kokushibo began to heal, his love for her rekindled.

One night, under the same sakura tree, he knelt before her. "Will you marry me again?"

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Michikatsu. Always."

Together, they joined forces with the Demon Slayer Corps, their unique bond and combined strength a powerful weapon against Muzan. Kokushibo, with his diminutive form and chibi-like appearance, often rode in a specially crafted box on her back, a sight that never failed to bring smiles to their comrades.

As they stood side by side, ready to face the ultimate battle, she looked at him and grinned. "Ready to kick some demon ass, my love?"

He nodded, determination burning in his eyes. "Together, always."

And so, Michikatsu and his fiancée, now united once more, became an unstoppable force, their love and strength paving the way for a brighter future.

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

I will be curious to read the vituperative denials of the validity of this article's analysis, which is pasted below the cutoff:

“Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” That question, first posed by Ronald Reagan in a 1980 presidential-campaign debate with Jimmy Carter, has become the quintessential political question about the economy. And most Americans today, it seems, would say their answer is no. In a new survey by Bankrate published on Wednesday, only 21 percent of those surveyed said their financial situation had improved since Joe Biden was elected president in 2020, against 50 percent who said it had gotten worse. That echoed the results of an ABC News/Washington Post poll from September, in which 44 percent of those surveyed said they were worse off financially since Biden’s election. And in a New York Times/Siena College poll released last week, 53 percent of registered voters said that Biden’s policies had hurt them personally.

As has been much commented on (including by me), this gloom is striking when contrasted with the actual performance of the U.S. economy, which grew at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the most recent quarter, and which has seen unemployment holding below 4 percent for more than 18 months. But the downbeat mood is perhaps even more striking when contrasted with the picture offered by the Federal Reserve’s recently released Survey of Consumer

The survey provides an in-depth analysis of the financial condition of American households, conducted for the Fed by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Published every three years, it’s the proverbial gold standard of household research. The latest survey looked at Americans’ net worth as of mid-to-late 2022 and Americans’ income in 2021, comparing them with equivalent data from three years earlier. It found that despite the severe disruption to the economy caused by the pandemic and the recovery from it, Americans across the spectrum saw their incomes and wealth rise over the survey period.

The rise in median household net worth was the most notable improvement: It jumped by 37 percent from 2019 to 2022, rising to $192,000. (All numbers are adjusted for inflation.) Americans in every income bracket saw substantial gains, with the biggest gains registered by people in the middle and upper-middle brackets, which suggests that a slight narrowing of wealth inequality occurred during this time. In particular, Black and Latino households saw their median net worth rise faster than white households did—though the racial wealth gap is so wide that it narrowed only slightly as a result of this change.

A big driver of this increase was the rising value of people’s homes—and a higher percentage of Americans owned homes in 2022 than did in 2019. But households’ financial position improved in other ways too. The amount of money that the median household had in bank accounts and retirement accounts rose substantially. The percentage of Americans owning stocks directly (that is, not in retirement accounts) jumped by more than a third, from about 15 to 21 percent. The percentage of Americans with retirement accounts went from 50.5 to 54.3 percent, a notable improvement. And a fifth of Americans reported owning a business, the highest proportion since the survey began in its current form (in 1989).

Americans also reduced their debt loads during the pandemic. The median credit-card balance dropped by 14 percent, and the share of people with car loans fell. More significantly still, Americans’ median debt-to-asset, debt-to-income, and debt-payment-to-income ratios all fell, meaning that U.S. households had lower debt burdens, on average, in 2022 than they’d had three years earlier.

The gains in real income (in this case, measured from 2018 to 2021) were small—median household income rose 3 percent, with every income bracket seeing gains. But that was better than one might have expected, given that this period included a pandemic-induced recession and only a single year of recovery.

The picture the survey paints, then, is one of American households not only weathering the pandemic in surprisingly good shape, but ultimately also emerging from it in better financial shape than they were going in. And that, in turn, points to the effect of the U.S. policy response to the crisis: Stimulus payments, enhanced unemployment benefits, the child-care tax credit, and the moratorium on student-loan payments boosted household income and balance sheets, helping people pay down debt and increase their savings. In the process, these policies mildly narrowed inequality.

The U.S. government’s aggressive response to the pandemic, including Biden’s stimulus spending, also helped the job market recover all its pandemic-related losses—and add millions of jobs on top. The resulting tight labor market has been a huge boon to lower-wage workers. In fact, because the Fed survey’s income data end in 2021, it understates the income gains for the bottom half of the workforce, and the shrinking income inequality they’ve produced.

Hourly wages for production and nonsupervisory workers (who make up about 80 percent of the American workforce) rose 4.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2023, for instance, ahead of the pace of inflation. And this was not anomalous: Arindrajit Dube, an economist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, crunched the numbers and found that real wages for that same sector of workers are not just higher than they were in 2019, but are now roughly where they would have been if we’d continued on the upward pre-pandemic trend.

The reason for this is simple: Low unemployment has translated into higher wages. As a recent working paper by Dube, David Autor, and Annie McGrew shows, the tight labor markets of the past few years have given lower-wage workers more bargaining power than in the past, leading to a compression in the wage gap between higher-paid and lower-paid workers. Of course, that gap is still immense, but the three scholars found that the wage gains for lower-paid workers have rolled back about a quarter of the rise in inequality that has occurred since the 1980s.

So what should we take away from the Survey of Consumer Finances data, and from Dube, Autor, and McGrew’s work? Not that everything is fine, but that public policy and macroeconomic management matter a lot. Enhanced unemployment benefits, the child-care tax credit, the stimulus payments—these things materially improved the lives of Americans and helped set the economy up for a strong recovery. If the policy response had been less aggressive, the U.S. economy would be in worse shape now. This is something you can see by looking at Europe, where economies are growing far more slowly and unemployment is higher, while inflation is no lower.

Key to this story is the fact that lower-wage workers in particular would be worse off, because they have been among the chief beneficiaries of the low unemployment created by the robust recovery. It’s a useful reminder that stagnant wages are not an inevitable result of American capitalism: When labor markets are tight, and employers have to compete with one another for employees, workers get paid more.

So, even allowing for the high inflation we saw in 2022, no one could really look at the U.S. economy today and say that the policy choices of the past three years made us poorer. Yet that, of course, is precisely how many Americans feel.

Although that pessimism does not bode well for Biden’s reelection prospects, the real problem with it is even more far-reaching: If voters think that policies that helped them actually hurt them, that makes it much less likely that politicians will embrace similar policies in the future. The U.S. got a lot right in its macroeconomic approach over the past three years. Too bad that voters think it got so much wrong.

[maritessa]

Silver checking his ears and it's definitely not pointy like Lilia's. He ponders if there is actually physical proof of his bond with his father.

I drew this for a drabble I wrote about Silver and Lilia so imma drop it below. I had this idea when Silver's birthday card dropped and he told the story about how he found out he was adopted.

I published this on AO3 last year too so if it's familiar, that's me. I didn't steal this 🫶

Silver is Lilia 's adopted son. He's been aware of this fact since he was a child but it took a while for it to actually register. Of course, as he grew and matured, he came to understand that blood isn't the only way to become family. Silver loved his father, that sentiment never changed in his heart, so he never once resented him for being adopted.

Still, it would be nice if he actually resembled his father. Silver grew up alongside his childhood friend, Sebek. Their family is different from the rest but that made Silver more included. Sebek's mother is a well-known fairy but his father is an ordinary human dentist without the ability to practice magic. Despite the two of them being different, they're still family and they've always welcomed Silver in their home. Silver found comfort in watching the Zigvolt family interact. Their mother stood significantly taller compared to their father. She had pointy teeth, neon eyes, pointed ears, and pale skin; all of her features, their father contrasted. The most significant difference of them all, it their father not being able to use magic when the whole family can! They became an example for Silver to look up to and appreciate. Whenever he felt out of place in the Valley of Thorns, he'd look at their family for solace.

Even if Silver felt included, he couldn't help but notice how the solid proof of their bond, the Zigvolt kids, all took traits from them. Sebek's tall stature, dignified stance and his ability to do magic clearly came from his mother while his complexion and rounded ears came from his father. Blood doesn't define family but the gifts you inherit from your parents are reminders of where you came from.

Silver doesn't like entertaining those thoughts though. After all, his father was the one who took him in and raised him to be the man he is today. It would be disrespectful for Silver to doubt their connections. He vowed that he would always be proud of his parent so when the time came when Kalim asked Silver for a photo of him with his father, he knew he had to be honest.

Kalim was the person he felt closest to and he doesn't trust anyone more than him. It was only fair for Kalim to know the truth. With a deep breath, Silver scrolled through his phone's gallery and looked for an old picture of Lilia teaching him how to walk. As his eyes skimmed through the album, Silver's mind was flooded with expectations of how Kalim would react.

Lilia?! Lilia's your dad?

I didn't expect that, I thought he was your childhood friend or something....

You really don't look alike!

As he silently prepared his heart for Kalim's reaction, Silver handed his phone to Kalim with a photo of Lilia holding his hand as they walked in the woods displayed on its screen. Kalim's smile dropped and his eyes widened in surprise. With two fingers, he zoomed in the screen and leaned in to get a closer look. No matter the angle, one couldn't deny that it was 100% Lilia Vanrouge.

"Isn't this Lilia?!" Kalim exclaimed. "Lilia's your dad?"

There's the reaction he anticipated. Then next....

"I thought he was a childhood friend or something... DEFINITELY NOT YOUR DAD."

There's strike two. The last one should be…

"Now that I think about it, you're really similar," Kalim pondered.

And strike three-wait, no.

What?

"Really...?" Silver questioned Kalim, totally in shock by how left field the answer was.

"Yeah I mean first of all, the way you talk is similar! You're both very straightforward." Kalim explained, counting the points he was making with his fingers.

"Secondly, the both of you are really generous! You both just willingly lend me things I show a bit of interest in.

"Oh! You're also both good at giving advice. You're always giving other people encouragement.

"And also, you both have that strong look in your eyes. Lilia's looks like someone who's strong due to experience but yours just shows pure determination. Maybe you inherited them, Silver! You said Lilia trained you in combat too right? The calluses on your hands are proof that you inherited Lilia's strength!" As Kalim kept saying words of wonder, Silver stared at his hands curiously.

He'd never thought of it that way. Silver always looked for Lilia's pointed ears in him, Lilia's pointed teeth, or Lilia's bright pink eyes as proof of their familial ties but he never thought to look into his spirit.

Silver recalled times when he'd successfully finish his training regimen for the day. At the peak of the mountain, Lilia always stood with a prideful grin. He'd pat Silver on the back and exclaim, "That's my boy!"

"That's my boy."

Lilia had always been telling him this and thanks to Kalim, it suddenly had a deeper meaning. Silver chuckled to himself and thanked Kalim with a warm look in his eyes. Kalim was caught off guard but by the way Silver gently touched his own rough palms, he had a feeling Silver found an answer within himself. Kalim gently accepted his gratitude, happy to see this side of Silver.

[subzeroparade]

Im playing my first NG+ and it’s striking to me how bustling and alive Yarnam is while the sun is still up. The people scoff at you, outsider. The residents of Cathedral Ward are grateful, so grateful, to the church. You’re known as a hunter, smelled through the grime of beasts and blood and incense. You talk to someone; they respond with sanity. It’s so striking, to be part of a breathing world again, after the loneliness of the endgame after everyone is either gone or lost their minds, and the silence oppresses with its emptiness. Anyways. I can’t stop thinking about that relationship between Yarnam, its people, its powers, and you — the hunter. One of many. A slice of society. So many details stick out: the hunter chief emblem shows that hunting is an old tradition. Gilbert mentions that Odeon Tomb is in a more colorful part of town, and while you’re there, you can see how it’s more charred, from the Old Yarnam fire. A new lore video on the archeology of Yarnam analyzed the previous religion of the city, on its focus on motherhood. How base, and material, and bodily, this whole idea of divine ascension is. I saw a post on how Yarnam was possibly attempted to be evacuated— luggage and bottles of blood left everywhere, as if in a hurry. How few houses are occupied, how few people there are left— and despite Eileen’s assertion, there are a few left. Who here is the list one?

I so want to write about this — the relationship of the city to all of what’s going on. The perspective of a resident on these new foreign hunters. The betrayal of the church, sequestering itself beyond the Great Bridge. The way that this is just another hunt, we know how to do this. But it isn’t. We all know it isn’t.

I don’t know if I will espouse on this, but I love love love how you get into this in your Cainhurst execution fic. The tension between plebeian living and aspirational authority — its fascinating, especially in a place as fucked as this city.

Anyways. It’s 3 am. I think I’ve put my thoughts on a page. I hope to maybe elaborate of them further. But I wanted someone else to see them too. Thank you, for reading.

I wanted to actually share and respond to this because you’ve hit on some juicy stuff that I absolutely agree with. I’d never thought about the passage between endgame Yharnam and dusk Yharnam - which seems appropriately cyclical, if you think about it - but the difference, as you said, is stark. Even then, dusk Yharnam is still bathed in this sepia hue. It’s bleak, and grimy, and the air is full of smoke and soot and the smell of singed fur and gunpowder; the cries of beasts and the sounds of men having their last mindless hurrah before they too succumb. It’s “bustling”, but it’s still hellish, and grim. One of the reasons I love writing pre-Church and Church heyday is because if you rewind enough, you may, with a bit of effort, picture Yharnam as something other than depressingly dried-blood brown - green, even, with new marble, and polished white and yellow cobblestones. Glass and iron and slate and avenues lined with flowering trees, and the sounds of market and the clatter of carriages and all these things that become the drone of a lively city rather than the prelude to something coming to kill you. Surely there were bleaker sides of Yharnam, even in its heyday, as with most major cities - but the threats are different. Night is different. The smells are different. Everything is a little less stained, in all possible senses of the word. It’s also such a fascinating contrast to wonder how long people sat idly with the Church’s assurances before they decided “okay, that’s it, we leave tonight.” It seems like there might have been an event or two that triggered an exodus, or attempted flight by the cityfolk - and most didn’t make it out, as you rightly note, based on the scattered remnants of objects clearly intended for travel. It’s interesting to mull over what event(s) might have triggered that tipping point, for the people to finally ignore the Church and its Hunters’ calls to calmly lock their doors, and instead try their luck on the road. It’s certainly good fodder for a fic.   

Thanks for the kind words about my work - I’ll deal with some late-Church timeline soon enough, especially in two upcoming fics. But your point about the “perspective of a resident on new foreign hunters [and] the betrayal of the Church” is a really nice prompt, and you should write about it!

Hope you don’t mind me sharing your 3am rant lmao but I appreciated it. I don’t have any worthwhile WIPs to share atm, so please accept this Bloodborne-specific corner of a collaborative whiteboard session from a while ago (full disclosure idk why the elden ring crab is there but enjoy).  

[iww-gnv]

With five days to go, SAG-AFTRA is stepping up its efforts to prepare for going on strike even as contract negotiations with Hollywood’s major studios intensify.

On Thursday, SAG-AFTRA distributed a survey to its 160,000 members and alerted them that the union would be calling for volunteers to help make signs, work phone banks, distribute T-shirts and generally support a mobilization of pickets on the streets of Los Angeles, New York and selected other locations. The email message includes a survey of members’ availability to picket outside studio gates, New York offices and other key locations. Thursday’s communication was the second part of the initial survey questions sent to members on Wednesday.

SAG-AFTRA members have already been out in force on picketing efforts mounted by the Writers Guild of America, which went on strike May 2. Many rank-and-file SAG-AFTRA members are fired up about issues on the table in this difficult season of Hollywood labor negotiations. By contrast, the Directors Guild of America has ratified a new three-year contract in a deal reached last month without much drama.

SAG-AFTRA has been in contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on and off since June 7. The union’s most recent contract expired on June 30. SAG-AFTRA last week agreed to extend the time for negotiations to midnight PT on July 12.

[Read the rest]

[bumblingbabooshka]

Hi welcome backk :] I’m currently hyperfixating on art history + Tuvok so here’s some Renaissance - 19th century paintings that I think Tuvok (especially Tuvok the way you characterize him :) would serve cunt in: Fra Fillippo Lippi - Madonna With Child Enthroned With Two Angels, Georges de La Tour - The Penitent Magdalen, John Singer Sargent - Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau) (bonus points cuz of the history of the painting) Thank you for your time :)

Sketches! Thoughts on each Below (I don't know art history)

Madame X: The difference between the woman's very pale skin and the deep black of her dress is striking. She's also the only thing really in frame - even the background is just a color. Looking back on it I wish I'd chosen a different color for the background so Tuvok's skin looked more striking. If I redo this I definitely will since her skin being the only 'pale' thing is part of what (to me) makes her so immediately striking. Currently in my piece that 'point of interest' has become the white robes which wasn't my intention. But the fact that they're so fancy makes it seem like it might be, hehe...if this was an assignment for a class or something I'd definitely lie and say it was. Anyway since Tuvok has dark skin I didn't want to keep the clothes black since to me it wouldn't have the same 'Madame X' appeal. So I changed his robes to be white to contrast his skin and also made them less revealing because I don't think Tuvok wears very revealing outfits....usually very covered up and layered. So again I wanted to change the appeal - you can't really see any part of his body so you focus on the face instead, even though the face isn't focusing on you. I picture this as a younger version of Tuvok at some sort of function. The 'bunny ears' at the top of his head mimic Madame X's hairpin(?) but also bring to mind a Vulcan Priestess.

The Penitent Magdalene: Tuvok's most associated color (to me) being purple made this drawing again a bit ... mmm -tilts hand so so- The red in the originally really warmed the piece and was very eye catching. There was more of a sense of the candle's glow. I thought about using his security yellow but I thought it'd be too samey with the golds and browns and I wanted to signify that this is a private, personal moment. I drew this while thinking about the scene where Tuvok places a candle in his window for Kes after her ascension. Quiet mourning. We don't see his face because he's Vulcan and it's assumed he's struggling with emotion. Even the mirror doesn't show his face - it shows the candle, symbolic of his affection for Kes and his grief at her having gone. It burns bright. On the floor is his Starfleet badge, pointing him out but useless. This visage of dark and quiet sorrow is cut through slightly by light from the next and last piece. Madonna with Child, Two Angels: Of course Tuvok's angels and his children are one in the same. In the original piece, the child is able to touch its mother but in this one she's just out of reach. Tuvok is similarly not looking at or embracing the child - in this piece it's because he cannot. He's too far from her, from all of them! He is instead praying (as they do in canon) to return safely to them. Tuvok looks more tired in this one and he's wearing the neck ruffle thing that the monk he was sent to as a teenager wore. I'm using it here as like a nun's habit but also as like 'he's remembering another time his faith was utterly destroyed and he was able to rebuild it'. Forever thinking about the throwaway line in 'Innocence' where he says he USED to believe in katra but RECENTLY struggles to. I wonder if this is because he's alone, without family. To believe in katra would be somewhat frightening under those circumstances. You can say 'Janeway would just take it' but I'm sure it's more complicated and fraught for Tuvok himself. Anyway, I turned the halo into a part of the headscarf he's wearing (some sort of ornate accessory) and the mischievous/joyful angel in the original is now Elieth who looks accusatory, as if we're keeping him and his siblings from their father. The spark in the middle of the drawing is ... well it's their connection and all that stems from it. Both joy and sorrow at remembering, having had. This is why it also 'cuts through' them - separating them. It's also why I incorporated it slightly into the above piece as they deal with similar themes. I hope this was satisfactory! Thank you!

[findmeinthefallair]

Since my brain won't shut up about Hunter and also opposite colours on the colour wheel..

Allow me to ramble a bit about three pairs of complementary colours, used as lighting in Hunter's character arc to reflect the significance of what's going on and to reflect his internal state:

Orange and blue: I noticed that orange - a really warm colour - is when he is the safest and happiest. Blue seems to imply great danger, since it's also Belos's monster glow colour. Orange is alluded to at the end of Hunting Palismen but starts to come into the picture for him in Clouds On The Horizon, and is contrasted with the medium blue in Eclipse Lake, vivid blue in Labyrinth Runners and dark blue in King's Tide:

The most vivid orange shade was when Luz told him "You're family now", versus the vivid bright blue right after he got possessed and had the absolute worst night in his life:

The Noceda house basement where he and Gus stayed was mostly orange. The Halloween Festival scene showed both colours, showing the transition from safety to danger:

Red and green: Flapjack was a vivid red colour, and the artificial magic used by Hunter and Belos was the same shade. Belos's goop colour is a sickly dark green shade. Something tells me that red points to Belos's portrayal of strength on the outside and his agenda as Emperor, since the most striking red lighting we see in the show is related to the Day of Unity. (Whereas blue might point to his chaotic internal state that unravels especially in King's Tide and the final act of Thanks to Them).

It's interesting that Hunter has red lighting behind him, holding Flapjack in staff form as support, during the first time he stands up to Belos:

Hunter witnesses Belos's 'death' in the frame with the most striking red, contrasted with his dread that Belos was in fact alive in the following episode:

But what stood out to me when he was so caring towards Willow in the most recent For the Future, was that the lighting was also dark green:

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it's a really interesting colour choice for an overlap between Willow (whose theme colour is obviously green) at her lowest point and Hunter being in such a painful vulnerable place himself, to be able to connect with her from the emotional place of releasing some of his own immense traumatic grief.

Compare this point in his development where he has beautiful moments of vulnerability, to way back in Hollow Mind when we are faced with the big reveal and he's surrounded by red artificial magic as his world truly started to fall apart:

Finally there's the combination I have saved for last, yellow and purple, comparing Hunting Palismen and For the Future:

If you notice, a prominent portion of Hunting Palismen had yellow backgrounds and lighting (the location being Latissa), and clearly he was the character who stood out the most in that episode, being unmasked and all that.

Whereas For the Future showed a good deal of purple in the Boiling Isles - including what I think is a muted purple in the photo classroom of Hexside - since it is Luz's theme colour and was building up towards Luz gaining her staff and Stringbean hatching.

It's also interesting that 1) in Hunting Palismen, Luz had the major struggle of not pairing up with any palisman but goes through the challenge of rescuing the palismen that are taken by Hunter, and she ends up getting to know him. But 2) in For The Future, Hunter suffers from major grief after losing his palisman, and faces the challenge of accepting the loss while Luz gains her palisman:

In For the Future, there is this short scene where the lighting harks back to Flapjack fading away:

Some scenes with very low saturation of colour, but very light or very dark value, also marked significant turning points in his arc:

For obvious reasons, the lighting is neutral and not striking in more light-hearted scenes (though the first half of Labyrinth Runners is a bit of an exception here), such as the flyer derby scene in Any Sport In A Storm, or the thrift store scene in Thanks to Them.

How I wish I could've sat in the pre-production and production team meetings where these lighting-related decisions were made. Let's see what will happen in Watching and Dreaming!

[starry-snippets]

video games.

feeling angsty. also ignore anachronisms i'm just in my feels man (also i totally didn’t know if i should of done a picture of kak or joot, cause it is platonically x joot but like romantically x kakyoin but i picked kak)

synopsis: kakyoin vanishes for 50 days before you could tell him you love him and when you see jotaro return from spending 50 days with him your heart sinks, knowing something is wrong 

tw for implied death and possible spoilers! 

Your console has been untouched for the last week. There’s really no fun in playing you and Kakyoin’s favorite game while he’s away and seemingly unable to contact you. Instead of sitting in your bedroom together with one of your best friends you’re curled into your sheets, anxiety ripping away your sanity. He’s been gone for just about two months without a single call, letter, or text. You have no idea why he went other than to help Jotaro’s family with something. 

As you turn in your bed to get more comfortable, in the darkness of your room your phone chimes. The screen illuminates your whole room it feels like, not giving you any break from its brightness. You can see the message flash across and it’s from Jotaro. 

“I’m at the airport.” 

You immediately spring up, knowing if Jotaro is back it must mean that Kakyoin is too. Of course you’re happy that Jotaro is back as you’ve been his friend for several years as his neighbor – but you can’t deny you’re looking forward most to seeing Kakyoin. You can’t wait to tell him all about school and how your scores rival his, and how you’ve started a video game club at the school that you’re hoping he’s down to join. 

As you rush to the airport you’re greeted by Jotaro and his grandfather Joseph. Both have solemn expressions which are out of place for both of them. Joseph’s cocky grin is replaced with a straight line and eyebrows furrowed. Jotaro has his hat covering most of his face with an ominous shadow. You run to them in both relief and panic since Kakyoin isn’t among them. 

“Jotaro, where’s Kakyoin?” You ask despite fearing the stakes of this trip were higher than you could have imagined. But hearing Joseph’s breath hitch and his gaze turn from you two, you know Kakyoin didn’t make it home. 

Jotaro watches the color drain from your face and your arms fall slack at your sides, grief striking you worse than he’s ever seen. Tears gather in the corner of your eyes until they overflow, an avalanche being witnessed by the Joestars. Joseph and Jotaro watch as you fall apart before them. Unable to stop your quickened breathing at the magnitude of what they just expressed, you cover your mouth with your hand to try and not draw attention to you three in the airport. 

Joseph nudges Jotaro in the side, signaling for him to reassure you. Jotaro somewhat awkwardly raises his stiff arm to your shoulder. He waits a moment to observe what you do – really if his touch is unwelcomed – and when you stare up at him with that hopeless expression he feels himself snap too. 

All that he’s kept inside of him upon seeing Kakyoin lifeless back in Egypt is on the forefront of his mind. He cannot mask his sorrow in the relief that his mother is okay or in the victory of killing Dio. His heart is weighed down entirely by grief at losing his only other friend – the only other person he trusted like he does you. With his hat covering his eyes he begins to cry himself for the first time in likely years. You watch with wide eyes, especially when he pulls you into a hug, unbelieving they’re back and Kakyoin wasn’t so fortunate. Jotaro holds you tightly against him as he slightly cries while you weep in contrast. He hates that he couldn’t keep himself together but he knows you’ll reassure him it’s not weak to cry. Especially over your best friend’s death. 

“W-what ha-happened?” 

“I’ll tell you later,” Jotaro says with the slightest shake in his voice. “Let’s just…” He trails off in his head, unable to think straight with the sorrow rampaging his heart and mind. 

You give him a friendly squeeze while he holds you tightly in his arms, knowing what he’s asking for despite not voicing it entirely. 

“Of course Jojo.” 

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

Here are my favourite pieces of official Rosalina artwork, and why!

This will include stuff like renders, GIFs, concept art, etc.

This won't include screenshots of in-game/cinematic cutscenes or gameplay.

And lastly, this is in no particular order other than the last one, which is firmly in first place. Let's go!

First we have:

As of right now I believe this is her newest render. It's one of the only ones where she can be seen floating, so that's cool. What I really like is the presence of her storybook, they rarely acknowledge that thing nowadays. Which is fine, it shouldn't be her crutch, but it is nice to see it given its story is a big reason as to why she's one of the franchise's best characters.

Best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe title screen, hands down.

Why yes, I am biased!

I mean it's in space, which not only is automatically cool but also fits Rosalina's character. She leaning against a pretty sick looking bike (or at least it looks sick from this angle), and her pose is pretty badass to match! She's in her biker outfit, which only adds to the vibe, and the Earth makes for beautiful yet badass background prop. Between all that the title screen taking place on the Luna Colony, it looks like she's about to partake is in a futuristic action-packed cosmic race, like something you'd see in a sci-fi action film. She just looks so cool here, I don't know what else to say.

Man I wished they used this in Odyssey. Oh well, maybe next game.

Not much to say here. The emo look fits her, she is the Sad Girl (that's a neat little soundtrack reference right there) after all. I mean have you seen her hair?

I like the casualness, specifically when compared to the other character's matching emotes, which are a lot more panicked. Really emphasises her calm nature. I like any artwork of her that makes her look either sad or nonchalant. It's what makes her special (and if you think that's a messed up thing to say...no it's not, shut up! 😖) You can also see a bit of her right eye, which is neat. There's just something inherently funny about the protector of the cosmos, a woman who usually speaks so formerly, a mysterious and powerful figure who some consider a goddess, doing such a casual shrug. I even made a post about this one years ago.

These are just cute, probably her cutest artwork without being too cutesy. That's about it really.

I love the way Rosalina's hair flows in this picture. I love how the Star Bits glow, how they shine colourful light rays through the net, and how their colour contrasts against the dark void of space. It makes for such a memorable, striking, beautiful image. I also love the fantastical concept of catching sweet rainbow space water crystals with a butterfly net, seems right out of a fairy tale.

Even without the text from the storybook you can just feel the emotion pour from the screen, you can feel the warmth of their hug. The warm yellow glow of (most of) the lumas, like the Star Bits of the precious artwork, contrast against the cold, dark isolation of space. However, they also contrast against Rosalina's cold white colouring (although not as much, indicating that they still belong together) and expressionless face, indicating she hasn't felt this warm/loved in a long time. The fact that you can't see her eyes in this picture suggests she's concealing her face, trying to take it all in without letting it all out. It's just...so good.

Just love how cool, calm, and collected she looks. She even looks a bit sassy and snobby here, but I like it. I imagine this is how she appears to people before they get to know her.

Love the smirk she gives only after dodging the green shell. It's a great show of her skill and character. Alert enough to sense the shell coming (makes sense for a magical protector), skilled enough to expertly dodge the shell, humble enough not to brag, but just proud enough to do a silent "Nice try". Love the personality shown here.

My all-time favourite (for now).

The use of watercolours really adds to the feel of remembering the past and hazy memories. Love the melancholic smile on adult Rosalina's face. Through her facial expression and body language you can tell she sympathises with her younger self, wants to comfort her, wants to let he know that everything will be OK, even after all she's lost. That she'll find family and be happy in the future, and as she holds her hand she'll guide her to it.

What a simple, beautiful image.

[runwayrunway]

No. 11 - Japan Airlines(’s logos)

Last time on Runway Runway, @vultureworth​ asked me to cover the fictional little plane from cartoon animal doing cute things game Animal Crossing. The airline featured in the game, Dodo Airlines, has a logo which is a nod to JAL’s iconic Tsurumaru crane logo. 

...can we talk about the JAL logo? And the liveries which came with it, I guess, but I’m really here to talk about JAL’s old logos. 

(but someone did request JAL, and the logos and liveries are absolutely not independent from each other, so we will also discuss the liveries.)

The Tsurumaru, designed by Jerry Huff at Botsford, Constantine and Gardner of San Francisco, has been a mainstay of the airline since its 1959 introduction, but it hasn’t always been the main logo. In that sense there’s been a real on-off relationship with it, and they’ve had some pretty weird stuff in the interim. Like, does anyone else remember this? This...thing?

From 2002 to 2011 this was the JAL logo. Am I alone in hating this so so so so much? The shaded three-dimensional curve overlaid on the entirely flat black text is, frankly, the stuff of nightmares. I cannot believe anyone would willingly replace the Tsurumaru with this monstrosity, even if you try to jazz it up with a fancy name like 'arc of the sun'. I have an even harder time believing this was designed by Landor Associates. Did something terrible happen to them in 2002? How does something like this get created and approved?

Okay, okay. Fine, it’s ugly. How does the plane look overall? 

Sure. Sweet and simple. Okay. I like the metallic color framing in the slice of red on the winglets, I like the shade of red used on the plane itself. The fully matte circular cutout is striking. My issue here is that this feels like three liveries hastily stapled together - the logo, the red winglets and fin, and then the full JAPAN AIRLINES text. Nothing is stringing them together at all. Why is the red so matte if the logo is reflective and shiny?! Why are the tail and winglets the only elements that tie into each other in any way?!

This is straight up blue. This color doesn’t appear anywhere on the rest of the livery. It’s just blue. 

I thought for a minute I was inventing the concept of this and that it was just the same metal color used for accents elsewhere but...no...I got out CSP and did some eyedropping in a bunch of different places just to make sure it wasn’t an artifact of the lighting and

Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s blue. I feel like this is definitely blue. Am I insane or is this blue. What in the world. I hate it when a livery has features I like at first glance but then you look closer and it starts falling apart. 

D+. This weird 2002 livery and logo gets a D+. I don’t like this.  

Moving on. Moving on promptly.

From 1989 to 2002 they also had this wordmark, another Landor design, which I actually don’t hate. For one, they kept the Tsurumaru on the tail throughout instead of canning it entirely - already a huge plus. Also, the typeface is better (darker, better contrasting, DELIGHTFULLY spikey), the red used is a lot nicer, and the uniform flatness makes the text actually pop somewhat, versus the 2002-2011 logo which kind of obscures it. This is fine. I don’t dislike this at all. But okay. Okay. Enough about wordmarks. How does it look on the plane?

This is very messed up. Last time I hated the logo but thought the high concept of the livery itself was fine. This time I like the logo but I think this livery is sort of nonsense. It’s almost all white, and then it has a bunch of features stapled on - the Tsurumaru, the ‘J Bird’, and the picture of a bird that’s just there? And it has a tiny illegible little ‘Japan Airlines’ written on it, as if people don’t know what JAL stands for. As if they’re not one of the biggest and most recognizable airlines on this planet. And as if this text for ants would help them if they didn’t. 

I really, really like the logo and how it’s integrated here. The grey wrapping around the nose is really fantastic. I like that part. I like that part a lot. 

I still have to give this a D+ because the rest of it is so incoherent. 

At this point I’ve sort of come to a conclusion about JAL - oh, I should probably mention their modern livery while I’m going into this dramatic mental spiral, shouldn’t I? 

Font choice is good. Tsurumaru looks nice as always. Really a shame they realized this and went “awesome, we don’t need to design the rest of the plane then”.  

D+. Try harder. Apply yourself. Meet me after class. This is making me sad. 

It somehow just feels like all of JAL’s liveries were an afterthought that nobody thought to put any creativity or real consideration into. It sucks because Japan is obviously full of incredible graphic designers and rich artistic traditions to pull on for iconography. (Bafflingly, in the 50s they used an American advertising agency, so the Tsurumaru was actually designed by a Westerner, which feels so wrong, doesn’t it?) Look, I lived in Japan as a child, so even if just having eyes and seeing photographs and accounts wasn’t enough to know this - Japan has way more to offer than a plain white fuselage with elements that feel like they were picked at random to just get the design process over with. The white doesn’t feel clean and intentional and meaningful like it does on some of the nearly-all-white liveries that I actually like (yes, they exist, I have two queued right now!), it just feels like nobody bothered to design the plane! It makes me very sad.  

One of the reasons it’s making me sad is that I have a vision of what this could be. Keep the red and grey logo and the little line that goes around the nose. Keep the red winglets and fins. Maybe make the red circle on the fin larger so it envelops more of the rear fuselage. Put the Tsurumaru silhouette over it, so the bits of the logo which are white are painted over it and you clearly see its head. Does that make sense? Am I conjuring an image in your head? 

Well, JAL certainly doesn’t see my vision. And I don’t currently have a graphics tablet so I can’t do anything to make anyone see it. You’ll just have to use your imagination, I’m afraid. 

And I also have to mark all of these down for not also having the airline’s name in kanji. Especially when JAL’s nickname in Japanese, ‘Nikkō’, is literally written in two characters - “日航” - which would take up next to no space at all and be pretty easy to integrate. I know it’s like three letters, a fairly large portion of Japanese people read at least some English, and even those that don’t can probably recognize the text for ‘JAPAN AIRLINES’, but it kind of goes beyond an accessibility thing. I don’t think Japanese people actually have any meaningful issue with planes only having English text on them, or at least I hope not, because I can’t find a single airline in the country that does feature kanji (or any other form of Japanese text) on its livery, but I actually still think that JAL should do it anyway. A flag carrier is meant to represent the country it flies for. Latin is not the official or most commonly used script in Japan, and it feels very wrong for what is basically the country’s brand to exclusively use it. 

But we’re not here to talk about their liveries anymore, even though they make me sad.. That verdict has been passed. No...what brought me here is their logo. 

JAL first adopted the Tsurumaru in 1959, like I said. The airline, however, has existed since 1951. 

So...what is this mystery logo from the dark ages of JAL’s branding? 

This Star Wars situation. 

I don’t know what I think about this. I don’t know how to feel. This just isn’t a JAL logo. My mind refuses to comprehend this fact. This is sincerely bizarre. 

...this typeface is so weird that I almost think I like it. 

I can’t find any properly sourced images of planes from this era, but they seem to only have the logo very small and lack anything except the airline’s name written in plain black kanji on a blank metal fuselage, which is...typical for that period. This is barely about the livery at this point anyway. This post was all an excuse to expose you all to the 1951 JAL logo. 

Well. You’re welcome. 

A D+ for Japan Airlines, shockingly consistent in their shocking incoherence since at least 1989.