#without any time to think and reflect and review

[slutforpringles]

[filthyfundie]

Went on the Forsyth yt, their last video was an announcement that they were stepping back from yt and it was posted 7 months ago. She’s still really active on IG, so I guessing this was an Adsense influenced choice.

But what’s important here is that at the start of the vlog Joy is chatting to the camera in the kitchen while Austin sits at the dinner table casually playing the violin. And look I know he’s a POS but I love him your honor.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to Read a Scientific Article

THE THREE-PASS APPROACH

The key idea is that you should read the paper in up to 3 passes, instead of starting at the beginning and plowing your way to the end.

Each pass accomplishes specific goals and builds upon the previous pass:

The first pass gives you a general idea about the paper.

The second pass lets you grasp the paper’s content, but not its details.

The third pass helps you understand the paper in depth.

At the end of the first pass, you should be able to answer the 5 Cs:

Category: What type of paper is this? A measurement paper? An analysis of an existing system? A description of a research prototype?

Context: Which other papers is it related to? Which theoretical bases were used to analyze the problem?

Correctness: Do the assumptions appear to be valid?

Contributions: What are the paper’s main contributions?

Clarity: Is the paper well written?

Purpose of the Sections of Empirical Articles

Section — Use it for

Abstract — This is a great section to read to find out if the article will be relevant to your own research.

Introduction — This section gives you an overview of work that has been done on topics relating to the hypothesis of the article, and will often lead you to other relevant work that has been done in your area of interest.

Method — This section will help you understand the design of the experiment. This is particularly useful if you'd like to replicate the study.

Results — The results will tell you what the author/s found in the course of their experiment.

Discussion — The discussion section is typically easier to read than the method and results section, and it will help the reader understand the implications of the results of the experiment.

References — This is a great place to look to find articles that are related to the one you are reading. If you're looking to build your own literature review, the references are a great place to start.

The Anatomy of a Scientific Paper

Some initial guidelines for how to read a paper:

Read critically: Reading a research paper must be a critical process. You should not assume that the authors are always correct. Instead, be suspicious. Critical reading involves asking appropriate questions.

Read creatively: Reading a paper critically is easy, in that it is always easier to tear something down than to build it up. Reading creatively involves harder, more positive thinking.

Make notes as you read the paper. Use whatever style you prefer. If you have questions or criticisms, write them down so you do not forget them. Underline key points the authors make. Mark the data that is most important or that appears questionable. Such efforts help the first time you read a paper and pay big dividends when you have to re-read a paper after several months.

After the first read-through, try to summarize the paper in one or two sentence.

If possible, compare the paper to other works.

Write a review that includes:

a one or two sentence summary of the paper.

a deeper, more extensive outline of the main points of the paper, including for example assumptions made, arguments presented, data analyzed, and conclusions drawn.

any limitations or extensions you see for the ideas in the paper.

your opinion of the paper; primarily, the quality of the ideas and its potential impact.

The guide below details how to read a scientific article step-by-step.

First, you should not approach a scientific article like a textbook— reading from beginning to end of the chapter or book without pause for reflection or criticism. Additionally, it is highly recommended that you highlight and take notes as you move through the article.

Skim the article. This should only take you a few minutes. You are not trying to comprehend the entire article at this point, but just get a basic overview. You don’t have to read in order; the discussion/conclusions will help you to determine if the article is relevant to your research. You might then continue on to the Introduction. Pay attention to the structure of the article, headings, and figures.

Grasp the vocabulary. Begin to go through the article and highlight words and phrases you do not understand. Some words or phrases you may be able to get an understanding from the context in which it is used, but for others you may need the assistance of a medical or scientific dictionary. Subject-specific dictionaries available through our Library databases and online are listed below.

Identify the structure of the article and work on your comprehension. Most journals use an IMRD structure: An abstract followed by Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. These sections typically contain conventional features, which you will start to recognize. If you learn to look for these features you will begin to read and comprehend the article more quickly.

 Read the bibliography/references section. Reading the references or works cited may lead you to other useful resources. You might also get a better understanding of the basic terminology, main concepts, major researchers, and basic terminology in the area you are researching.

Reflect on what you have read and draw your own conclusions. As you are reading jot down any questions that come to mind. They may be answered later on in the article or you may have stumbled upon something that the authors did not consider. Here are some examples of questions you may ask yourself as you read:

 Have I taken time to understand all the terminology?

Am I spending too much time on the less important parts of this article?

Do I have any reason to question the credibility of this research?

What specific problem does the research address and why is it important?

How do these results relate to my research interests or to other works which I have read?

6. Read the article a second time in chronological order. Reading the article a second time will reinforce your overall understanding. You may even start to make connections to other articles that you have read on this topic.

Identify Key Information

Whether you are looking for information that supports the hypothesis in your own paper or carefully analyzing the article and critiquing the research methods or findings, there are important questions that you should answer as you read the article.

What is the main hypothesis?

Why is this research important?

Did the researchers use appropriate measurements and procedures?

What were the variables in the study?

What was the key finding of the research?

Do the findings justify the author’s conclusions?

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[bloomzone]

Ultimate reset day routine guide !

A reset day is ur opportunity to pause, recharge, and realign urself for the week ahead !

but ? what to do in a reset day ?

Morning foundation

⊂⊃ Wake up gently

⪩⪨ . Set a consistent wake-up time even on your reset day

⪩⪨ . Avoid immediately checking your phone I'm begging you

⪩⪨ . Take 5 deep breaths and set an intention for the day

⪩⪨ . Drink a full glass of water to hydrate your body

[ drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning especially warm water is more than just a wellness trend. My father who’s always been health-conscious used to emphasize this simple habit. He believed that the beneficial bacteria present in your mouth after a night of rest can play a healing role in your body. By drinking water before brushing your teeth, you allow these microbes to travel down your digestive tract, potentially supporting gut health and immunity. While this idea isn’t widely studied in modern medicine, it aligns with traditional holistic beliefs about preserving the body's natural microbiome. So before you reach for your toothbrush or eating consider starting your day with a warm glass of water it might be doing more for your health than u think ! ]

⊂⊃ Mindful morning ritual

⪩⪨ . Meditation or quiet reflection (10-20 minutes)

⪩⪨ . Journaling : write down thoughts, gratitudes, or goals

⪩⪨ . Light stretching or yoga to awaken your body ( I highly recommend hinafit on yt )

⪩⪨ . Healthy breakfast that nourishes rather than rushes because it's a reset day

Physical reset

⊂⊃ Environment refresh

⪩⪨ . Declutter your main living spaces : focus on surfaces and high-traffic areas

⪩⪨ . Make your bed with fresh linens if needed , don't forget ur pillowcase

⪩⪨ . Open windows for fresh air circulation

⪩⪨ . Light cleaning : vacuum, dust, or organize that one specific area that you've been procrastinating

⊂⊃ Personal care

⪩⪨ . Shower or bath with intention : use it as a transition ritual

⪩⪨ . Skincare routine : give yourself extra attention

⪩⪨ . Comfortable clothing that makes you feel good

⪩⪨ . Grooming tasks you might have been putting off

Mental & emotional reset

⊂⊃ Digital detox

⪩⪨ . Phone on airplane mode

⪩⪨ . Unsubscribe from emails that no longer serve you

⪩⪨ . Clear digital clutter : delete photos, organize files, clear downloads

⪩⪨ . Social media break : step away from comparison triggers

⊂⊃ Mental clarity activities

⪩⪨ . Brain dump : write everything on ur mind onto paper

⪩⪨ . Weekly review : assess what went well and what didn't

⪩⪨ . Goal realignment - check if you're on track with ur priorities

⪩⪨ . Creative time : draw, write, craft, or engage in any creative outlet

Nourishment & preparation

⊂⊃ Fuel ur body

⪩⪨ . Grocery shopping for the week ahead with a planned list

⪩⪨ . Meal prep : prepare 2-3 meals or snacks for busy days

⪩⪨ . Hydration focus : drink plenty of water throughout the day (u should be doing this everyday >⁠.⁠<)

⪩⪨ . Mindful eating : enjoy meals without distractions

⊂⊃ Week ahead preparation

⪩⪨ . Calendar review : know what's coming up

⪩⪨ . Outfit planning : lay out clothes for important days

⪩⪨ . Task prioritization : identify your top 3 priorities for the week

⪩⪨ . Workspace organization : clean and organize your work area

Evening wind - down

⊂⊃ Relaxation & connection

⪩⪨ . Nature time : go for a walk, sit outside touch grass and also u can watch sunset!

⪩⪨ . Connect with loved ones : call family, spend quality time with household members

⪩⪨ . Read something that inspires or entertains you

⪩⪨ . Gentle movement : yoga, stretching, or a leisurely walk

⊂⊃ Reflection & gratitude

⪩⪨ . Gratitude practice : write down 3-5 things you're grateful for

⪩⪨ . Weekly wins celebration : acknowledge ur accomplishments

⪩⪨ . Lesson learned : reflect on one thing you learned this week

⪩⪨ . Tomorrow's intention:- set one clear intention for the next day

Customization tips ✧

💭 For busy schedules (2-3 Hour reset)

﹙ ✿ ﹚ Focus on the essentials:

30 minutes: declutter and clean one space

30 minutes: meal prep or grocery shopping

30 minutes: digital detox and mental clarity

30 minutes: planning for the week ahead

30 minutes: personal care and relaxation

💭 For extended reset days (full day)

﹙ ✿ ﹚Add these elements:

- Longer creative projects

- Deep cleaning or home organization

- Extended nature time or outdoor activities

- Learning something new ( start learning a language? skill practice ? )

- Extended social connection time

here is a checklist so u can write down in ur note app or notion :

Reset day checklist

﹙ ✿ ﹚Physical Environment

○ Clean and organize main living spaces

○ Fresh linens and towels

○ Groceries and meal prep completed

○ Workspace organized for the week

﹙ ✿ ﹚Mental & Emotional

○ Digital detox period completed

○ Journaling or reflection time

○ Week ahead planned and prioritized

○ Gratitude practice completed

﹙ ✿ ﹚Physical Self-care

○ Extended personal care routine

○ Movement or exercise

○ Nourishing meals prepared at home and eaten

○ Adequate hydration throughout the day

﹙ ✿ ﹚Preparation

○ Calendar reviewed for upcoming week

○ Important tasks identified and prioritized

○ Clothes planned for key days

○ Mental intention set for the week ahead

Remember sweetheart , ur reset day should feel restorative, not overwhelming. Choose the elements that resonate most with u and adapt the routine to fit ur life. The goal is to feel refreshed, organized, and ready to tackle whatever comes next. start small and build your perfect reset routine over time ! The BEST reset day is one that leaves you feeling both relaxed and energized for the week ahead. Stay healthy !

@bloomzone 🍀

[glowettee]

the secret to taking notes that make you want to study ✧˖°

hey lovelies! mindy heree <3

for this post i'm superrr excited to share a guide on taking notes that make you want to study ✧˖° trust me, i know how overwhelming it can get when it feels like you're stuck in the middle of endless textbooks and dry lecture slides (honestly, we all have those days). so, let's transform your note taking into something delightful, empowering, and totally reflective of your unique self.

✧ finding your vibe first things first, bestie: the key here is to make your notes feel personal and inspiring. rather than sticking to a rigid system, i suggest mixing a little structure with a whole lot of creativity. here are some steps to help you set up your perfect note taking vibe:

choose your medium: even if it’s a cute pastel notebook, sticky notes, or a digital app with fun themes, pick something that sparks joy and invites you to open it up. i personally love notion + remnote + coda

establish sections: break your notes into clear sections. introduction, main points, and summary. this not only boosts organization but also gives you a gratifying sense of progress every time you finish a page.

add your signature touch: doodles, small illustrations, or even a decorative border can make a note feel less like a chore and more like a mini art project. i love using aesthetic symbols for my digital notes <3

✧ creating a study ritual i believe that great notes come from a relaxed and focused mind. try integrating these rituals into your study sessions to set a positive tone, this is really important if you want to make note-taking fun:

begin with a short breathing exercise or a moment of gratitude (think of it as your pre-study pep talk).

play some light instrumental music or your favorite lo-fi beats, or playlist. something to keep your mind in a creative zone without distractions. (i have a great playlist i made that i use for tackling assignments here: 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓀, 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓀! <3)

grab your favorite beverage (i’m a fan of herbal tea or a cute iced coffee) and make sure you're comfortable. a little self-care goes a long way!

✧ structuring your notes for clarity a well-organized layout makes reviewing notes less daunting and more interactive. and obviously so much more fun, consider using this format for a balanced + demureee approach:

start with a title and date: it grounds your notes and gives you a quick reference.

write a brief summary of the topic: in your own words, capture the essence of what you’re about to learn. just summarize it as best as possible

list key points: use bullet points, numbered lists, or even headers for different subtopics. tip: use cute symbols for bullet points

highlight examples: it can be a quote, a definition, or an application concept, mark these with a star or a cute icon.

close with a reflection: jot down any questions, what you found most interesting, or even a mini action item related to the topic. this is your space for self-talk and reflection.

✧ turning notes into interactive canvases (cause we need it) notes aren’t meant to be static pages floating in an endless binder. make them interactive to truly boost your study sessions:

include thought-provoking questions: ask yourself things like “what would elle woods do?” (lol, we love her <3) or “how does this connect with real life?” to spark critical thinking.

add mini quizzes: at the end of each section, write one or two questions that challenge you to recall key points.

leave room for updates: as you learn more, come back and add extra notes, doodles, or even inspirational stickers (yes, just like in a scrapbook!).

✧ personal tips from mindy because i want you to shine in every note you take, here are my totally secret, fun tips to elevate your note routine:

secret tip #1: color with purpose choose a color palette that not only looks cute but also maps out different themes in your subject. use one color for definitions, another for examples, and maybe a sparkly tone for key takeaways. over time, these colors will trigger your memory (i promise, it really works!).

secret tip #2: integrate affirmations studying can be stressful sometimes, so why not lace your notes with a few tender affirmations? write a quick pep talk (like “i got this, bestie” or “every detail counts”) in a corner. it might seem small, but these little lines can boost your confidence when you need it most. and it's just so freaking cute <3 affirmations from you to you, is like a love letter to yourself, so just try it

secret tip #3: try mind mapping if you’re more of a visual learner, create mind maps instead of linear notes. start with the main topic in the center and branch out with related ideas and details. this not only makes your notes dynamic but also helps you see connections between concepts (ever notice how some subjects just click with a visual flow?).

secret tip #4: use digital tools creatively if you’re leaning towards digital note taking, like me, experiment with apps that support drawing, voice notes, and even embedded links. add images that resonate with the topic or short videos for a quick concept refresher. making your digital notebook interactive can really keep boredom at bay.

secret tip #5: schedule weekly note reviews set aside a bit of time every week to revisit your notes. treat it as a mini self-study session where you update, add reflections, or even reorganize sections for clarity. this habit not only reinforces your learning but also lets you see your own progress over time, like looking back on how far you’ve come.

✧ action items for the week (it's homework timeee) to wrap things up, here are a few steps to try:

pick one class or topic this week and redo your notes using one or two of these tips (maybe add a mind map or a quick quiz).

experiment with color coding: choose colors that resonate with you and assign them to key points or sections.

schedule a 10-minute review session at the end of the week to refresh and reflect on your notes.

share your progress with a friend or even a study group to celebrate little victories. accountability can boost your motivation!

note: note taking is a creative process that should feel as refreshing and inspiring as a new day. keep experimenting until you find what truly works for you. i hope these tips help you get excited about every page you write on.

xoxo, mindy

I made this amazzinggg playlist (as mentioned earlier in the post) and its specifically made to help you complete homework + assignments. i curated it to make sure its soft music to help you focus <3 love from mindyyy 🩷

don't forget, if you need personal advice, submit it here and i'll answer it as a detailed tumblr blog post <3: https://bit.ly/glowetteehotline

[back2bluesidex]

One Last Contract - MYG, JHS, KNJ

1. The Undisclosed Reason: Murder (18+)

Pairing: Contract husband!Yoongi X contract wife!Reader, ft. Keeper!Namjoon and Ex-fiancé!Hoseok  

Theme: Mystery, angst, smut, dark, morally grey characters, soft yandere (no non-con or dub-con)

Summary: 

As a professional wife, you have no choice but to say yes to marry Min Yoongi - a mysterious yet intriguing man. But as you start living with him you discover things that meant be secrets, and it may end up being your ruin. Will your keeper aka bodyguard Namjoon and your ex-fiancé Hoseok, who abandoned you without any explanation, be able to pull you out of grasp of the man who you are falling for?

Warnings: soft yandere, implied meds addiction, mentions of death and abuse (nothing triggering). NSFW!!

Inspired from The Trunk (K-drama)

Banner designed by the utterly talented, the kindest, the nicest soul on earth, the one and only @kingofbodyrolls, Lissa. 😘😘😘💜💜💜

Minors do not interact!!

Series Masterlist | Masterlist | Patreon (for early access)

Taglist requests are open

Next installment: Curiosity Killed: None Yet

“The undisclosed reason…” His voice echoes in the mostly empty dining place, “you know what it is, don’t you?” from the way his voice sounds so distant, you know he is facing away from you. 

Your hand momentarily stops wiping the dishes. Your mind tricks you into thinking that he is testing you. 

He is testing if you are afraid of him or not. 

He is testing if you will break under his pressure or not. 

And you won’t. 

You’d only be afraid of dying if you were living. Death doesn’t scare you anymore, not when you are a walking shell of a human who has long accepted her demise. 

“I do.” you reply briefly, resuming your task at hand. 

And then you let your mind divert, let it go wherever it wants, let it land wherever it sees fit. 

“Why did you say yes then? To this marriage?” suddenly his voice is close. When you look up you see him standing at the other side of the kitchen counter. 

His eyes pierce through yours. For the first time in a week of knowing him, you see life in those eyes. You see fire. 

“The money is good. And saying no to a project reflects negatively on performance review.” You keep your focus on wiping the dishes. 

Min Yoongi stands there, staring at you as if you are an alien that has suddenly teleported to his house. 

If he expects you to shrink under his scrutinizing gaze then he is wrong. You are not that fragile. 

“Also… I am not scared to die.” you add, as quietly as possible. For a moment you wonder if he has caught you spilling those words or not. 

Maybe he has not. 

But then you hear him chuckling. 

A low, rumbly sound that resembles tiny pebbles rolling down a rocky path. 

When you look up again, his eyes lock with yours for a second time - you know he hasn’t looked away for a moment even. 

“Then what are you scared of?” Yoongi takes a dangerous step towards you, his voice dips down an octave lower. 

“Nothing.” you reply as confident as ever. 

Yoongi takes another step and crosses the thin kitchen counter to stand right before you, towering you with his figure. His body casts a shadow on yours - you are in the dark now. 

“Not even what I might do to you?” He raises his hand. With his index finger, he traces the contour of your face. “What if I do something bad? Dirty? Something worse than killing you?” 

As soon as his finger comes in contact with your skin - you feel tingles all over your body. 

It’s been years - years - since you felt something akin to this. 

Your last husband was asexual. The one before him was gay. The one before that had an affair with someone of his mother’s age. And the previous two were terminally ill. 

Min Yoongi is your first totally normal project. You wondered what had made the man cave in - to seek the assistance of a contract marriage while he could have anyone in this world within a snap of his fingers. That was until you came to know the secret. 

Min Yoongi was investigated for his ex-wife’s death. Although that was a suicide, she wrote his name in the note. 

But now as he stands before you, under the extremely dim light of the kitchen, you are not sure - of what, you don’t know. 

Anyone in the world would find him scary, especially with that scar running down on his face. But to you he looks beautiful - especially with that scar running down on his face. All of sudden, your heart is overwhelmed with an urge of tracing his scar and wishing for it to tell tales - what happened, how it happened. 

“Do you want to do something bad, dirty to me?” you find yourself challenging him. 

His lips stretch in a smile, “does your company allow that? To have sex with the contract spouses?”  

“If both parties want, then yes.” you inhale a sharp breath. The proximity, his scent, his droopy eyes, slightly parted mouth and that long dark hair cascading to his neck make you feel dizzy. 

“Do you want it?” he asks, pushing himself closer to your body. 

“As long as you use protection, yes.” Even before you could finish your sentence properly, Yoongi winds a hand around your waist and pulls you towards him. 

Your body presses together. Electricity runs around like a pair of close-knit open circuits. 

“If you regret your decision later, it’s not my fault.” he breathes down on your mouth before closing the remaining gap. 

His mouth molds on yours as you kiss him back instantly.

Again, years - it has been years - since you have shared a kiss. 

His big hands trace the path of your lower back, down the valley of your arse. Planting his palms there, he gives you a squeeze. 

Arousal gushes out of your cunt. 

The kiss is bruising. It translates how hungry both of you have been for any kind of physical action. 

Yoongi backs you on the counter, nibbling down on your lower lip and breaking the kiss while pulling the muscle of your lip with his teeth. 

He wastes no time in attaching his mouth to the angle of your jaw, leaving marks all over the column of your throat and then on your collar bones. 

His hands now travel underneath your sweater, Touching the expanse of your skin that is hidden from his eyes. When his hands reach the underside of your bra, he detaches his face from your throat and looks at you intently. 

You know he is asking for permission, which you didn’t expect from someone who was booked for instigating his ex-wife’s death. 

You nod. 

Yoongi takes his time in pulling your sweater up from your body and discarding it somewhere around the vast dining place. He, then, stares at you, with hooded eyes full of last. 

Your arousal dampens your underwear. Fuck. you absolutely didn’t expect this. 

Reaching out for your bra, you unclasp it and let it pool down on your shoulders. 

Yoongi stares at you. He doesn’t move just yet. You follow his eyes as those lower from your face to your exposed chest. 

And then he moves. Grabbing you harshly by your waist he hikes you up and sits you down on the kitchen counter. 

The cold steel top sends shivers through every corner of your body. Your already erected nipples, stands for attention even more. 

Yoongi wraps his lips on one of your nipples in a long, languid suck. You can’t help but moan. 

His one hand holds you tightly by your waist and another rolls your unoccupied nipple between his thumb and index finger. 

A gush of pleasure flows out of your core. 

Your fingers find their way in his dark locks. You take time to enjoy raking your fingers through his silky-smooth strands. 

He sinks his teeth on your nipple, making you curse out loud. Your toes curl. 

Leaving your tit alone, Yoongi dives inside your sweat pants, right through your underwear and touches your slick cunt. 

His index finger runs along your slit at first and then his thumb joins to stretch out your fold and enter your hole. 

“So wet already, huh? Seems like your previous husbands were no good.” Yoongi comments in a fleeting way. 

You can’t object. He is right. 

He enters two fingers in you without any warning. The stretch burns at first but as he scissors his fingers slowly, you find your eyes rolling backwards. 

Yoongi’s bulge presses down on your stomach and you decide you want him. You want him now. 

“Fuck me. Fuck me already.” you murmur in his hair. 

You can feel him smirking against the skin of your throat. 

“As my wife says.” he detaches his body from yours. You stare at him as he stips off of his clothing. 

Once he is out of his underwear, his dick springs up and slams against his belly. He rolls down the condom that was hiding somewhere in his pockets - you wonder if he planned his earlier. 

You get even wetter. 

Within a second he is back at where he was. He takes off your remaining clothing in a haste and lines his cock to your entrance. 

Giving you a quick stare, he enters in you, smooth and swift. 

Your breath hitches. 

Five years. After five whole years you are being pleasured. 

He goes slow at first, gives you time to adjust and then picks up his pace. 

Min Yoongi, your contract husband fucks you in his kitchen. Fucks you so good that you can’t remember what brings you here - with him, under him. 

Fucks you at an inhuman pace. 

When you cum on his cock, he grunts loudly and that’s one of the most attractive sounds you have ever heard. 

He moans again when he cums inside the condom. 

As you both try to catch your breath, he looks at you with a smirk playing on his lips. 

“And what if I kill you now?” he asks, voice hoarse with all the moans and groans. 

“Will you?” 

“Maybe.” 

Permanent Taglist:

@phenomenalgirl9 @chimchimmarie @coffeedepressionsoup @meowstake @vonvi-blog @nochuel @chimmisbae @i-have-no-life-charlie @mikrokookiex @jjk174 @lallataegi @savageyoongi @jwnghyuns @parapiop7 @futuristicenemychaos @armystay89 @ryryvna @purple-realms

[vitaminseetarot]

Pick-a-Carp: REM - Random Emerging Messages (From Your Dreams) 🐠🌑🔮

*･ﾟ✧Masterlist | *･ﾟ✧Ko-Fi

Sup y'all, it's time for another pick a card reading! I have always enjoyed dream interpretation, long before I discovered tarot. Amazing insights and revelations have come through by understanding dreams, at times being more predictive than waking signs. Although it can be hard to be really into dream interpretation when I can't remember most of mine upon waking. 😅

So for this Pisces New Moon, this reading will look into what kind of dreams you may be having and the messages they're trying to tell you. We have many dreams at night we don't remember, so this reading will take a deep dive into those hazier ones into account as well as the more significant dreams. Pick any one of the three beautiful koi fish varieties:

1 - Asagi - Blue/Silver 💙 2 - Showa - Black/White 🖤 3 - Utsuri - Orange/Black 🧡

Pile 1 - Asagi 💙

4 of Cups, Queen of Swords, XVII Star, 10 of Pentacles; Full Moon Sagittarius, 3 of Prisms, 3. In the Light of the Moon, Spider, Self-Care

Hi pile 1,

Your dreams focus mainly on the past. You may be having rather realistic dreams of situations that have already happened. There is a skeleton key present in these dreams in order to unlock a passage. This dream must be processed to clear old stuck energy that's keeping the conscious mind tied back. It may require seeing things from a different angle or point of view, or looking at the dream in a new light. This dream may be annoyingly repetitive but it's not without purpose. The message is relentless for you to receive it, so it uses the same dream or similar set-up to stay direct. Like solving a long tricky math problem on a practice test.

This dream may likely involve family members or close friend groups. You may relive confrontations you've had with them previously, or dream that you're getting into conflict with those you are otherwise on good terms with. You may get emotionally meshed with others' energies which appear in your dreams as a bigger tide in your imagery (they may even appear taller in dreams). It's important to apply clear judgement when it comes to these scenarios. Having a bad dream where a good friend cheats or fights with you is trying to help you understand how your emotions contribute to relationships; it's not a reflection of the actual state of the relationship. So this friend may be testing boundaries from within the safe confines of your dreams so you can figure out how to respond to such situations. In waking life, pile 1, you may need to review how you see your individual self as distinct from your community. Your dreams want you to center and reclaim your mind and boundaries so these scenarios can't phase you or your future decisions, because no, it doesn't have to happen like last time.

Your dreams show you are a caring person with great regard for your community's well being. With Spider, I think of the web, so this could be an online community or just one that feels tied together as a unit. This could also represent a large work environment where you collaborate with many people. Despite this, the Spider is largely an solitary being. These dreams could have people trying to call you, or talk to you, even if you're not able to hear what they're saying. Your reverie is swimming with their collective energy, but in doing so is also asking you to instead look towards yourself for insight. Let's say you have a reoccurring dream where a love interest keeps blasting your phone but for some reason you can't answer it, or the phone dies as you answer it. Consider what you would want the person on the other line to say ("I think you're really cute"), then ask if these are affirmations you can give to yourself now ("I think I'm really cute"). The Star card says you can provide yourself with the positive feeling you may be seeking in your dreams. They're wanting you to come back to yourself and stand on your own two fins--er, feet.

Dream Symbols: Outer Space, Light, Family Gatherings, Foreign Lands or Languages, Clothing, Groups of 3 or the Number 3

Pile 2 - Showa 🖤

6 of Wands, X Wheel of Fortune, 8 of Wands, Ace of Pentacles; Void-of-Course Moon, 5 of Relics, 42. Gentle Moderation, Butterfly, Take Charge

Hey pile 2!

Regular, practical matters seem to be the main concern here. This could be your physical body, housing, work, or your finances. The symbols in your dreams represent everyday worries like running errands. However, the dreams that start out as casual can quickly become unstable or chaotic. Grand plans like an expensive flight could be made only to suddenly cancel, or you may have dreams of getting lost and struggling to find directions only for the scenery to constantly morph itself around. Each scene may wildly change the circumstances and elevate activity in sleep. Emphasis is placed here on releasing your worries. Occasionally, they may be pointing out certain stressors or physical issues in the body. Overall, there is a need to take control of your circumstances as the captain of your ship, and you may find that with more time and awareness, you can tap into lucid dreams.

Out of all piles, your dreams likely make the least amount of sense. It could involve a lot of sudden frenzy or inexplicable changes, like seeing strangers turn into floating pumpkins or going to a doctor's clinic only to find that you are the doctor. I feel this is because you normally have your head on your shoulders in your waking life, and you may come across to others as steady and dependable. So when things go awry in sleep, these elements force you out of your comfort zone to showcase how you would react to a variety of scenarios. Many of these dreams come as a direct result of an every day worry and can be interpreted in a straight forward way, despite the seeming randomness. Going to the library to drop off a book that turns to glittery bats when you pull it out of your bag, for example, may simply be reminding you of a library book that's actually due.

You have the 6 of Wands, here, so it looks as though the events your dreams are based from largely resolve themselves even if it can stir you up in your sleep. Many of these things are fated to happen anyway, so there's no need to fret about them, and in fact worrying and overthinking may make the situation worse. So if you have an embarrassing dream about a job interview, it could be a reminder to practice answering questions beforehand. There's a good chance you will still do well at the interview as your dreams are helping you to see that you can handle any sudden disruption in plans and see your goals through. The caterpillar is destined to change into a butterfly no matter what, so it's okay if it has dreams that the cocoon string doesn't come out right or the wings look strange. It's all part of adjusting to big changes in life. The important thing is to not rush into doing something out of worry and to work at a steady pace. Remember that no matter how weird or utterly out there your dreams get, you're at the helm and with practice, you can decide how the dream ends.

Dream Symbols: Theater, Driving, Shapeshifting, Magic Wands, Flight, Maps or Compasses

Pile 3 - Utsuri 🧡 (cw blood imagery & brief mention of trauma)

V Hierophant, 10 of Swords, 9 of Wands, 9 of Swords; Full Moon in Cancer, 2 of Prisms, 41. Convey Your Meaning, Crystal, Eternity

Hello, pile 3.

I see the main theme in your sleep could involve reconciliation with a loved one. You may have a lot of one-on-one dreams involving confrontations and heated discussions. There could be a lot of miscommunication, a struggle to speak, or an inability to get one's point across in the dream. Words which ache inside your throat in waking life can finally burst within your dreams, words which you may have held onto for perhaps years. Your dreams are a place to bring out and vent what is difficult or even impossible to manage while awake. Your mind is seeking to let go of a major issue to achieve peace. If these really are words you wish to let out, I recommend both a dream journal to document what's being said along with a regular journal to help you air out things that will otherwise filter into your sleep.

For a few of you, the dreams may recall a painful encounter or event in the past, which can feel mocking when it comes back around, as though it can disappear for a long while only to suddenly reappear at the most unusual time. Let's say the trauma involved a bicycle accident: the accident may appear in different forms, like the bike turning into a helicopter, but with the same emotional response. You may think, "that was almost a decade ago, why am I still dreaming about this?" This is due to having a more emotionally detached state while in the dream world, allowing a more introspective consciousness to come through. Ultimately, with the 10 of Swords, it's helping you process it through so it doesn't overwhelm you while you're living your life. Your mind is slowly healing itself by "analyzing" these dreams like an audience member watching a movie to help you feel safe in your skin upon waking.

You may feel interested in checking out pile 1 too because I also see repetitive dreams in here. Only in this case it may not always be a dream based exactly on reliving a memory, but rather different scenes that involve the same core lesson or emotion in every one. You may even have a sequential dream that ends and restarts itself like a chapter in a book, or experience nested dreams in which you wake up to the alarm only to still be dreaming, which could create déjà vu. This is to help you gradually learn from past turmoils and errors while freely letting go of past hangups. Your dreams do not show you these visions to scare or frustrate you, but to build the pieces together to create a more unified psyche. They're breaking up old crystallized patterns of thought so the shadow isn't lurking over you like the volcano in the 9 of Wands. It's building the new staircase to your personal freedom by allowing you the opportunity to rewrite the scenario as you see fit. How different would the same dream feel with just one little detail rearranged? Try to imagine how it would feel if the bicycle turned into a Pegasus and allowed you to soar high.

Dream Symbols: Warm Tones, School, House, Library, Spirals, Gates

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2025, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[gmasttin]

Really Good, Actually | Kylian Mbappé fic

| Summary: A Madrid-based creative unexpectedly finds herself leading the rebranding of Kylian Mbappé. Between cold coffees, impossible deadlines, and tense creative sessions, something more than just a campaign begins to take shape. An ironic, intimate, and emotionally sharp story about the chaos of feeling alive just when you thought you were only surviving.

| 3.5k words

| You can already read Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3.

| A/n: So sorry for posting so late, but I got caught up with some projects I had to submit. Sorryyy. As always let me know what you think of the new chapter. Love youuu 🤍🤍

CHAPTER 4:

The Roman sun beats down mercilessly on the cobblestones, and you’re trying to make a three-second shot look natural, emotional, and, according to the director of photography, “as if he’s pondering the weight of his legacy.” Which, of course, is exactly the expression any human being wears while walking through a Trastevere street, dodging tourists, scooters, and the occasional baby stroller.

Kylian has repeated the same walk seven times.

“Do I have to keep staring at the horizon, or can I blink once in a while?” he asks, stopping mid-shot with one eyebrow raised.

“You can’t look like you know there’s a camera,” you reply from behind the monitor. “But you also can’t look like you’ve lost the ability to blink. Think of something… everyday, I don’t know.”

“Like what I’m going to eat afterward?”

“Perfect. But do it like that plate of pasta is going to retire you from football.”

He laughs. The camera operator laughs too. The shot is ruined because everyone’s broken character. And you, sitting in your folding chair with the word Directión—misspelled—on the back, can only sigh and look up at the sky, as if seeking divine help among the antennas and rooftops.

After the eighth take, you call a break. He sits on the edge of a fountain that, judging by its appearance and color, probably hasn’t been cleaned in years. He pulls out a bottle of water and gestures for you to come over. You do, iPad in hand, but with little desire to talk shots.

“Can you remind me again why we’re filming this in Rome if I’m from Bondy?” he asks, without sarcasm, in that curious tone he’s started using with you lately, the one that’s neither strictly professional nor quite intimate, but somewhere in between.

“The justification your PR boss gave me was super cheesy, and honestly, I forgot it two minutes later. Something about history, ruins, and reinvention. Like Rome has a copyright on deep metaphors.”

“Wow,” he says, feigning gravity. “I’m sure there are ruins in Bondy too. Emotional ones, at least.”

You laugh, and you see him smile too, that half-hidden grin he can’t suppress when he’s not performing for anyone.

“Maybe I’ll settle for this shot, having nice light and you not looking like an influencer on a self-help tour.”

“That’s my brand, right?” he replies, shrugging as he takes off his sunglasses and lets them hang from his T-shirt. “Strolling around with a reflective face, so people think I’m about to write a book.”

“Aren’t you?”

“Don’t rule it out. Working title: How to Fake an Existential Crisis While Still Paying the Bills.”

You can’t help bursting into a laugh, you know, the kind that sneaks out without warning, silent but deeply felt.

“Sounds like a bestseller,” you say as you review a photo the camera operator just AirDropped you. You look down at the iPad. The shot is good. The light is good. He looks… too good.

“My book wouldn’t have a prologue. It’d have a playlist.”

“Don’t start sounding like Guillermo, please.”

He looks at you with that gaze you know so well: tilted head, half-lidded eyes, as if weighing how much more to say.

“Songs that sound like someone’s about to decide something important,” he says. “But don’t actually say it.”

You understand perfectly what he means, because you realize you’ve been sounding like that too lately. It’s what happens daily in marketing: deep-sounding dialogues that promise to change minds but actually say nothing.

He stands and stretches his arms, as if the shoot is just an excuse and true exhaustion lies elsewhere. He passes by and brushes your shoulder with his fingertips, accidentally or perhaps not.

“Come on. Before this light stops forgiving our faces,” he says, walking back into the frame.

You stay seated half a second longer than necessary, watching him walk away, until you hear the throat-clear of the lighting manager, a woman in her fifties who doesn’t seem thrilled that you’ve lingered, mesmerized by Kylian’s return to the set. You offer her a sheepish smile, as if you’re a teenager caught in the act, and quickly return to your seat.

You sigh as you sit back down and settle in, lowering your sunglasses again to get a clear view of the monitor.

Half an hour has passed, and you’re still shooting. You look up at the sky, the cobbled façades, and the vines creeping up them—some neatly pruned, others left to their own devices. You can’t take it anymore. And neither can Kylian.

Precisely because of the latter, the shoot isn’t turning out as perfectly as his PR director wants. She seems not to understand that, as simple as reality is, Kylian doesn’t know how to act.

These three interminable hours of filming little scenes that will only serve as visual filler have made you realize that the emotional tone of “man who almost lost his life in the attempt” isn’t what Kylian wants. It’s what his PR team wants, because they know it sells, because they know people like it.

A quick, low whisper pulls you from the trance of thoughts that were helping you understand why nothing about the project felt natural.

“A coffee?” he says, looking at you like a teenager begging outside a supermarket for you to buy him alcohol. But you don’t have time to answer before he’s grabbed your forearm and is pulling you toward the makeshift mini-tent they’ve set up beside the set.

“I’m getting a taste for machine coffee,” he says as he prepares two cups. “With two sugar packets, it’s not so disgusting.”

“It’s three sugar packets, but I’ll let you have that one as a rookie mistake,” you reply, taking the small cardboard cup of coffee. You lean slightly against the table holding the coffee and pastries, turning your back to the set.

He lets out a small laugh and glances at you from the side as he adds the packets to his coffee.

“Man, you’re terrible,” you say with a small chuckle before taking a sip of your coffee.

“Terrible? Cut me some slack. I’m a footballer, not an actor. That wasn’t in the contract.”

“You were crazy about Cristiano, you knew exactly what you were getting into when you decided to be a footballer.”

“I’m not telling you anything else,” he says, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance, though the little smirk gives him away as he sips his coffee.

You continue your coffee in a companionable silence. Your back to the set, him with one hand on his hip, watching the shoot like an old man spending his morning watching roadworks. You can’t help but smile softly at the sight. He turns his gaze back to you and, with a smile and a subtle raise of one eyebrow, asks “What?” without words.

You shake your head.

“By the way, what were you watching last night?” he asks, in a light tone as he leans toward you, as if he wants a conversation totally detached from everything else.

“Watching?”

“Yes, you know, on TV. I could hear it from my room,” he says, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive gesture.

You look at him with a disgusted expression and roll your eyes before taking another sip of coffee.

“I wasn’t watching porn or anything weird. It was a movie.”

“I’m not judging. A late flight, late at night, you needed to unwind. It’s normal and natural,” he says, still with that look and grin.

You laugh softly and shake your head.

“What do I  have to do with the protagonists having sex in the movie? Nothing, it wasn’t porn, really.”

“So what was it?” he asks, tilting his head.

“I don’t know, I didn’t even understand it; it was in Italian. But it was like a rom-com. It was sweet.”

He looks at you as if you’ve just told him the biggest lie he’s ever heard.

“You, watching a rom-com?”

“Shut up.”

He looks at you with a stupid smirk that makes you roll your eyes. 

“Shut up,” you repeat, but you’re already smiling. He sees it. You see that he sees it. There’s a tiny pause, no more than a beat, and then he says it, very casually:

“Come on, let's get out of here for a bit. We’ve earned it.”

You blink. The team is still fussing with cables and filters. The director is arguing with the sound guy over background noise. No one notices you slipping away.

Five minutes later, you’re walking beside him through a quiet alley in Trastevere, gelato in hand (chocolate for him, lemon for you), passing under laundry strung between balconies and tiny windows with shutters painted in sun-faded greens.

“So this is your secret life, huh?” you ask. “Escaping shoots like a rebel and blending in with the civilians.”

“You’re one to talk. You look like you’re undercover as someone who enjoying life right now.”

You nudge him with your elbow. He almost spills his gelato. That only makes you laugh harder.

You end up in a little piazza, empty except for some kids chasing pigeons and a very serious nun texting furiously on a bench. There’s a stone fountain in the middle, and the water’s running in a soft trickle that sounds like summer.

You sit on the edge of the fountain. He stays standing at first, stretching his legs, twisting his back until it cracks.

“You’re not thirty yet” you scold. “That noise is illegal.”

“Tell that to my spine after two hours of "walk slowly but with purpose." That’s not a natural human pace, you know.”

You grin. He finally sits down next to you. Not too close, but not far either. Just enough so you can both feel the pull.

“So… what would you be doing right now if we weren’t here, pretending Rome means something to you?”

He thinks for a second.

“Probably… sleeping. I’m lying. Who knows what more brand deals I would have. Less rest, I would probably be doing anything”

You nod, slowly.

“That sounds nice.” you say ironically. 

“What about you?”

You lean back a little on your elbows, gazing up at the orange sky.

“I'd probably be at my desk pretending I’m fine with my job and that I don’t Google “how to disappear without quitting your life” twice a week.”

He chuckles.

“What comes up when you search that?”

“Weird forums. A lot of ex-vegans in Bali.”

“Promising.”

The silence that follows is warm, not awkward. The sun is setting in slow motion, the kind that gives everything a filter you don’t need to adjust.

“Hey” he says suddenly. “Do you want to see something you might not have seen before?”

Before you can answer, he’s up. You follow him through the piazza, you find yourselves in front of a small bookstore that looks closed. He presses his face to the glass.

“There. Look.”

Inside, there’s a copy of a children’s book with a cartoon version of him on the cover.

You gasp.

“Is that you?”

“That’s supposed to be me. It’s called Je m’apelle Kylian. My life for kids who dream of being fast and famous.”

“That is really cool. But, gotta be honest, they did you dirty in that cartoon.”

“The worst part is, it’s translated into Japanese. Someone in Osaka owns this.”

You both burst out laughing.

“You’re basically a fictional character” you tease.

“Maybe that’s why this trip feels weird. Like I’m accidentally hanging out with someone who’s not supposed to know the cartoon me.”

You glance at him, your smile fading just a little.

“Well, I’m hanging out with the real one. So don’t ruin it.”

That makes him look at you. Really look. His smile softens.

“Noted.”

You spend the next hour walking aimlessly. At some point, you end up sitting on the steps of an old building, eating warm focaccia from a bakery that smelled like heaven. You talk about stupid things: favorite cereals, irrational fears, whether he should bleach his hair blonde again or not.

And somewhere between laughing at his impression of a dramatic sports commentator and telling him about that time you accidentally emailed some screenshots to a client and your ex instead of Lucia (long story), it hits you.

You like this.

Not the project. Not the job.

Him. This. This version of him.

And the worst part is: he’s looking at you like maybe he likes this too.

But you don’t say it.

You just sit there, chewing slowly, smiling at the pigeons like they’re in on something you’re still figuring out.

After the focaccia, and laughing until you nearly cried because Kylian choked while trying to imitate an Italian coach from his teenage years, impressions are definitely not his thing. You wipe your hands with a bar napkin that smells vaguely like cheap hotel detergent and say:

“I need something sweet.”

“You?” he replies, feigning surprise. “Aren’t you sweet enough already with all your emotional copy lines?”

You elbow him. He pretends it hurts. Looks at you like you’re about to challenge him to a spoon duel.

“Tiramisu?” he suggests, and you nod enthusiastically. Rome and Italian dessert, what could possibly go wrong?

A few minutes later, you’re in a small trattoria with checkered tablecloths and waiters who look at you like they’ve seen it all. Kylian puts on a black cap, pulls it down so low it looks like he’s hiding from the actual FBI, and you both sit with your backs to the street, not for strategy, but because you’ve accepted that if you get recognized, the only option is to eat your dessert fast and run.

The waiter brings two coffees and two tiramisus on white plates, dusted with cocoa and Pinterest-perfect. Everything looks promising. Until you take your first bite.

Silence. He watches you.

“What? Too sweet?”

“It’s… salty.”

“Salty?”

He takes a bite of his. Chews. Looks at you.

“What did you order, Y/N?” he asks, looking at you like you’re playing for the opposite team. “This tastes like betrayal.”

You cover your mouth not to spit out your laugh. The waiter passes by and, with the half-made-up Italian you learned on Duolingo, you mumble:

“Scusi… questo è un po’… salato?”

The waiter nods solemnly and says something neither of you fully understand, but probably means, “it is what it is.”

You leave the restaurant with cocoa still clinging to the roof of your mouth and a minor trauma that will likely become an inside joke for the rest of the shoot.

You’re walking down a narrow street when his phone rings. He looks at the screen and frowns.

“Miss PR lady. Again,” he says, using that tone he saves for talking about Julia, his PR manager.

“Do you have to answer?”

“Probably. But I don’t want to.”

“Tell her you’re in a session of creative introspection, deeply inspired by her quote about Rome.”

“What if I tell her I’ve just discovered the taste of failure?”

You laugh. He answers.

“All good, yeah. I’m around, checking out locations. Everything’s in order.” He hangs up as fast as he can. Looks at you and say:

“Keep walking? Or do you want to escape in style?”

“What kind of style are we talking about?”

“A Vespa.”

“You have one?”

“No. But Rome always has one if you know where to look.”

Twenty minutes later, you’re standing in front of a tiny garage with a sign that reads Rent & Go and a white Vespa parked outside like it’s been waiting for you.

“You know how to drive that?” you ask, doubtful.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Perfect. Because you’re driving.”

“What?”

But before you can protest properly, he’s already paid, signed a paper, probably without reading it, and is handing you a helmet that looks like it came from a '90s music video.

“Kylian, I don’t know how to start this thing.”

“So? No one does until they try.”

“That’s what people say right before going viral for crashing into a wall.”

He hops on behind you, wraps his arms around you to help with the controls, and says, voice close to your helmet: “Just go easy on the throttle and don’t kill anyone. Starting with me.”

You take a deep breath, turn the key. The engine growls. Well, coughs. You touch the gas, very gently… and the Vespa lurches forward so hard you nearly slam into a flower cart.

“Stop, stop, stop!” he shouts, laughing.

“I am stoping!”

“You’re screaming!”

The scooter halts. You turn slowly, heart racing. He’s crying from laughter.

“This is not funny.”

You breathe. Take control again. And this time, the Vespa moves forward with a slowness that almost makes you proud. You’re not going fast. But you’re going.

You ride through a couple of streets, past a few fountains, and the city starts wrapping itself in that pre-night blue that makes everything look more beautiful.

At a corner, a street musician plays something soft on his guitar. He squeezes your waist slightly and leans into your back without saying a word.

You reach the hotel a little later. Park clumsily. You both get off, laughing. Remove your helmets. His hair is a mess and his face lit up. Your cheeks are warm.

“Not bad,” he says. “For your first time.”

“Not bad,” you reply. “For a ridiculous idea.”

He nods. And then, like it’s the most natural thing in the world: “I owe you a good dessert.”

“Yeah, but you’re not picking the place.”

“Fair. Tomorrow. Coffee, walk, and no salt in the dessert.”

You ride up to the hotel in silence, your laughter still trailing down the hallway. Each to your own room. But as you close your door, with keys in hand and the motor still buzzing in your body, you know something inside you, something small, unexpected, has shifted gears too.

Your room is dim when you walk in. Only the desk lamp spills warm light onto the curtains. You slip off your shoes, leave them by the bed, and collapse onto the mattress with zero dignity. You don’t even change. You just breathe. 

You replay the Vespa ride in your head. His laugh in your ear. The salty tiramisu. His hand on your waist like trusting you was the most natural thing in the world.

And you, feeling… different. Lighter. As if, just for an afternoon, the weight of everything had redistributed itself without warning.

You don’t want to overthink it, but your brain refuses to cooperate.

What if this isn’t just a project?

What if it isn’t just attraction either?

What if you’re starting to— 

No. Stop. Don’t say it. Don’t think it.

You grab your phone to distract yourself and see two missed calls from Lucía and five messages in all caps:

| LUCÍA: ARE YOU ALIVE? ARE YOU WITH HIM? I NEED DETAILS I’M CALLING YOU IN 10 SECONDS

And just as promised, a video call comes in. You answer lying on your back, phone held above your face, expression prepped for interrogation.

“I hate you,” Lucía says as soon as her face appears on-screen. “You have the face of someone who just lived a romantic fantasy with a getaway included.”

“I ate a tiramisu that tasted like the Dead Sea, nearly ran over a florist on a Vespa, and got arrested by a waiter’s stare. Does that count?”

“Counts as narrative foreplay. But tell me the truth: do you like him?”

“The tiramisu?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you like tiramisu.”

You cover your eyes with one hand.

“Lucía…”

“No. Don’t make me use the test. I have it ready.”

“What test?”

She disappears briefly off-screen. You hear papers rustling before she comes back with a handwritten page.

“Pay attention. First question: have you caught yourself smiling alone in the last 24 hours?”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Second: have you imagined what a Sunday with him would be like, no cameras involved?”

You go quiet.

“Aha. Third: have you felt afraid?”

“Afraid?”

“Yes. Not of him. Of you. Afraid that you might really start to like him. Because you do that, you know? When someone gets to you, you run. You turn it into a joke. You give it a nickname. You shrink it. It’s your defense mechanism, babe.”

You stare at her through the screen.

“Do you have a secret psychology degree?”

“No, but I’ve been watching your patterns repeat like Instagram reels for years.”

You don’t know what to say, because she’s right. Because Lucía is always right when you’re not ready to hear it.

“So what do I do?” you finally ask.

She shrugs.

“Nothing. Just... don’t kill it before it starts. There’ll be plenty of time to ruin it later, if you really want. But for now, just enjoy the part that isn’t a disaster yet.”

You sigh. And realize you’re smiling. Again.

“You going to keep going with the test?”

“No. You already passed. But if tomorrow you text me that he kissed you on a cobblestone street lit by vintage lampposts, you owe me a bottle of wine.”

 “Deal.”

Lucía blows you a kiss from the screen, sends a ridiculous otter emoji (your shared code for “stop thinking and sleep”), and ends the call.

You stay there, on the bed, in silence. With the soft light. And a heart doing things that weren’t in the original script.

You look at the ceiling. And yes, you smile. Again.

[leggerefiore]

kind of silly but what about villains showing up to work with a visible hickey from their s/o on their neck without realizing

I did something similar with lipstick previously for other characters but this should be fun

cw: hickies, embarrassment

characters: Cyrus, Archie, Maxie, Guzma

You locked your arms around your boyfriend. Catching him as he was getting ready for the day, you felt a sudden urge to get out a bit of tension with him. Lips soon found his neck as you began to suck at the tender vascular area. A groan left him. He allowed the actions to continue just long enough for a hickey to begin to form. Then, he managed to wring you away and remind you that he had to head out for a meeting today. Your eyes observed the obvious mark on his neck as he finished dressing himself and headed out the door.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ There was little on Cyrus's mind as he slipped off his vest for a moment. He did not even notice how Saturn's expression grew more flustered. His mind was focused on the machine in front of him. He rolled up his sleeves to try loosening a piece that might have been too tight and impeding the function of it. Saturn was supposed to be monitoring a data output on a nearby monitor. Instead, the commander's eyes could not leave the further exposed skin of his boss's neck. A dark bruised sat there. His mind raced to a possible attack first before realising it was just the one. Which meant… Saturn swallowed.

☄️ When Cyrus had finished, he took a step back and wiped his brow. His attention finally went to Saturn, who seemed lost. He blinked. Eventually, the commander cleared his throat and tried to regain his bearings. Though, his eyes kept travelling back to the other man's neck. He worried about how others in Galactic might react to such a thing. “Er, Master Cyrus,” he began, “There is a mark on your neck. You may wish to keep your vest on when possible.” Cyrus's eyes went large in reply as he stepped towards a more reflective piece of metal to get a look. His vest was immediately put back on.

☄️ Cyrus was mortified for the rest of the day. Feelings corrupted his mind any time a grunts eye would linger just below his face. He tried to move his collar up to further obscure the thing, but a small section would always just peek out and leave him tormented. Thankfully, somehow, only Saturn got to see before he went home to find some mental peace. (And demand that you never do that again.)

🌧Archie🌊

💧 The Aqua Leader did not even think to check his neck as a few grunts cleared their throats and averted their eyes. He just assumed something else was going on that he had been unaware of. In a sense, that had been the case, yet he did not assume it had anything to with him. The first person to give him any real signs was Shelly, whose eyes went wide as she attempted to process his boldness for a moment. Then, she reconsidered it. Was it boldness? Archie might love his partner with a very obvious pride, but he was not the type to really show off those kinds of things. Her fingers came to pinch the bridge of her nose. That could only mean one thing. He did not know. The mark was easy to see – What with how he wore his wetsuit.

💧 When Archie turned to her after finishing reviewing a plan to clean up Slateport's Beach from trash, he saw annoyance on her face. She twirled a stand of dyed blue hair around her finger before sighing. He cocked up a brow. Did she know what had everyone in a strange mood today? A chuckle then left her, and she shook her head. How his partner sneaked a fast one on him, and he did not even notice, was beyond her. “Archie,” she said simply, “Did you have a good morning? You might want to check a mirror.” He walked off to do just that. She later heard a loud laugh.

💧 He was a good sport about it. Despite what Shelly might have thought, he did wear it like a badge of honour. A sign that his dear Luvdisc did love him. A certain prideful sense filled him when he caught a few looks from his grunts. He wanted to repay the favour, though. His plans for the evening were going to be busy, at least. Shelly rolled her eyes when he said that he was leaving early. Matt seemed a little lost.

☀️Maxie🌋

🪨 Whatever you had done to him, he felt that he had it covered with his sweater. That should have been the case, yes, he thought, but the temperature simply disagreed with his theory. While he liked the heat, even he had an upper limit, which made his careful defence less useful. He folded down the knitted fabric to make his skin have room to breathe while his coat was dumped off in a corner of his office. He was down to just his shirt and shorts when he was snapped back to reality by Tabitha warping in with some reports.

🪨 Tabitha had been paying little attention to the Magma Leader himself, instead working to summarise the reports about their geothermal energy tests as best he could. But, his eyes drifted to his boss's exposed neck. The pale skin would have otherwise been of little interest, yet he spotted a dark mark against the skin. Like a bruise. Concern entered his mind, yet it passed after seeing only one. Which meant… Tabitha finished his report. Maxie cocked a brow up at him, commenting on how he had trailed off for a moment. “… Sorry, Leader, I was worried about that mark on your neck,” he opted to play ignorant, “I was wanting to make sure that you were alright.” Maxie's face turned a similar shade as his head as he turned away from his admin. Tabitha took that a dismissal and left.

🪨 Maxie did not leave his office for a good hour or two after that incident. When he finally did, he kept his collar on the way up despite how his body protested the excess coverage. He had to be an example for his team, which is what he had insisted to himself. Yet, the truth was more than apparent to himself. The heat was an excuse to go home early, in the end. You had a very upset geologist asking you not to mark him up before work.

💀Guzma🕶

□ He had been a bit out of it when he finally left his room to go meet up with that woman about something. A few of his underlings had cleared their throats or gave him thumbs up or cheer, but that was not an uncommon thing around their group. He had nearly cleared the house and was about to head out to Ula'Ula meadow for a meeting when Plumeria got up from the chair she had been lounging into him. Her eyes narrowed. She unceremoniously tossed back his jacket to scrutinise his neck.

□ Guzma left wordless by this, not used to Plumeria doing anything like this before. Her dark eyes focused intensely on a spot for a second before he pulled away and looked into his eyes. “Hey, dummy,” her voice was somewhere between teasing and firm, “You have a hickey obvious on your neck. You might want to cover that up before you meet that president woman.” She motioned to her room, where she had some make-up. Guzma blinked before throwing back his head and scolding himself. How did he forget to check after you did that?

□ He had let Plumeria cover the darkening patch on his neck before finally heading off to his meeting. Some part of him felt thankful that Plumeria had caught that and prevented any kind of tension between him and the Aether President. She was usually so nice, but he knew well enough that she could snap and get weird in an instant. He would have preferred not to be on the receiving end of that. Though, when that was done, he wiped off the foundation covering the mark and kept a smug smirk on his face. He felt proud to show off a mark left by you and was ready to get you a matching one when he got back to Po Town.

[dragonpropaganda]

you should talk about your thoughts on rw fanon (looking with huge eyes)

Oh god, there's a lot of major misconceptions have concreted into fanon, mostly around ancient society and ascension.

First things first! Ascension is not death! They are entirely separate things treated entirely separately by the text of the game. I can see where the interpretation is coming from, but it doesn't really align with how the text treats either subject. Five Pebbles may want to remove the self destruction taboo, but from his reaction to the rot it's clear that he doesn't want to die. Conflation of ascension and death only comes up as an offhand possibility that pebbs makes on iterator 4chan, when he's going into the possibilities of scenarios that even the other sliverists are doubtful of! (let me make clear that I am not a sliverist by any means)

Ascension is more of talked about as a form of transcendence, yeah? A Bell, Eighteen Amber Beads talks about their sitution as being "To have grasped at the boundless infinites of the cosmic void…", not as them seeking an end to life.

The beta dialogue goes into more detail, mentioning the "infinities of time and space" and the "boundless fractal planes of spirit and reality...", though this dialogue was cut and it's hard to tell how much it reflects the concept as in the released game.

As for the cultural misconceptions... there's A Lot to talk about, but the first that comes to mind is the common conflation of the five natural urges and the christian concept of sin.

It is true that the negation of urges is mentioned by moon as an alternative method of ascension, but much of what we know about the culture of the people who the fandom calls the ancients (which makes discussion of the depths a mess but that's something for another post entirely) points towards the urges not being seen as shameful.

Even the first urge does not seem to be particularly scorned! Being a warrior is presented as a cause for bragging in the Shaded Citadel pearl, being comparable with being an artist and a fashion legend. The second urge, also does not seem to be suppressed. Multiple sources attribute some level of honour to parenthood! The aforementioned pearl also mentions Seventeen Axes, Fifteen Spoked Wheel as being a "Mother, Father and Spouse" without any hint of shamefulness. Nineteen Spades, Endless Reflections expresses pride about having progeny, mentioning it alongside their owned land and esteem among their peers.

After some peer review, an esteemed friend has told me to add a section on purposed organisms as well! This is not so much my area, so I might be a bit off on some things.

As moon says, the majority of purposed organisms were tubes in boxes, and that the primal fauna of the world are almost entirely extinct. A lot of the fandom seems to ignore the first part, and i can't say I blame them, but the evolution of the creatures is so much weirder than people think.

Concept art for the creatures has this interesting quality to it, where the organic parts of the creatures have an almost... melty quality to them.

In the concept art, the flesh appears as if it's almost defying the machinery to form an animal shape. It's as if it's conquering its own artificiality the way the foliage grows over the (stone, brick and concrete, not mostly metal as some think!) ruins.

Of course, it's hard to really tell how much of this reflects the finalised concept, most of the integration is much smoother in the game, in line with a seamless kind of biomechanical design. There was always an intention of biomechanical strangeness, as shown in this screenshot of the devlog before the term "slugcat" even existed!

That said, the melty nature of the concept art shows a level of wild change inherent the biomechanical nature of the creatures, as if they truly are the result of these "tubes in boxes" almost revolting against their own boxes.

and considering centipedes... some tubes may not have had boxes in the first place!

[cripplecharacters]

This isn't my character, but I was playing a game where a character is physically disabled and using a wheelchair. She got into a car crash and suffered from nerve damage, resulting in both of her legs being paralysed. Her doctor told her she could walk again if she underwent a rehabilitation program, but she refused.

Prior to her car crash, she had lost her best friend, and had attempted to bury her grief in her work, becoming more demanding and difficult, which resulted in her co-workers disliking her attitude. The car crash that left her disabled was caused by her running over a red light in the middle of her stress and frustration.

After the accident, she reflected on herself and worked on becoming a better and more reasonable person to work with. Hence, the reason of her decision to refuse rehabilitation is to have her loss of her legs to serve as an anchor to remind herself not to lose herself in her own world and to neglect the feelings of the people around her.

It has been written that her disability doesn't affect her career (she's a film director), and she's still a successful person when we're introduced to her.

Still, I wanted to ask if having a character refuse rehabilitation for their disability a bad writing choice? And if a character wanting to stay disabled to remind themselves of an important life experience harmful to the disabled community in any way?

Hello!

I'm not familiar with the game you're referring to but from the sound of it, it seems to be falling into the Disability as Punishment trope.

The issue isn't necessarily with the character declining rehabilitation. Disabled people decline treatment options all the time for a variety of reasons. Maybe they aren't comfortable with the risks or side effects of the treatment, maybe the treatment process isn't feasible for their lifestyle, maybe they've tried other options and just don't want to keep going with it.

The problem with this case is the context around why the character declines the treatment/rehabilitation. We've talked a lot about the Disability as Punishment trope in the past (you can find some of these posts by scrolling through the #disability as punishment tag).

I'm hesitant to speak more about this specific case for a few reasons. The first is that, as mentioned, I'm unfamiliar with the source media and I don't know anything about the context besides what you've mentioned. Without knowing the full story, I can't tell you if it's a "bad" writing choice or not. The other reason is that we're a blog for writing advice -- not media reviews -- and I'd like to keep this as on topic as possible.

That said, there are a few things to consider if you want to make similar writing choices in your own work.

The first is what kind of message you may be sending, either intentionally or unintentionally. Is disability being portrayed as a "fair punishment" for the character's actions or is their decision something that is shown as being fueled by their grief? Does their decision end up changing at all or do they feel any regret about their decision?

I think this kind of thing (a character declining rehabilitation because they want to remind themself to be better) has potential to work in stories dealing with growth, acceptance, and grief but I'd be skeptical if it's just something in the background that's never addressed.

It's also worth exploring why the character would make this rather drastic decision. It feels odd to me that somebody would make this decision simply to "remind themself" not to do something and punish themself for doing it in the first place.

It feels very trivializing to those of us that didn't get a choice in the matter.

But yeah, without knowing more about the context and the character, I can't say much about the media itself. I'd suggest taking a look through the Disability as Punishment tag, though. It has some helpful information and answers to similar asks.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: aries mercury retrograde

Mercury's retrograde in Aries, starting on April 1st and lasting over the next 24 days, coincides with the last quarter lunar phase and indeed presents an interesting energetic mix. Mercury retrogrades are often associated with communication challenges, technology issues, and delays in travel and decision-making. In fiery Aries, this retrograde may bring more impulsive communication, misunderstandings, and a tendency to rush into things without proper consideration.

Here are some ways to work with the energies of this retrograde:

Reflect and Review: Use this time to review your plans, projects, and communication styles. Look back on past decisions and see what can be improved or revised.

Communicate Mindfully: Be extra cautious with your words and emails, as misunderstandings are more likely during this period. Practice active listening and clarify when needed.

Back Up Important Data: Mercury retrograde is notorious for technological glitches. Back up your important files and double-check any online transactions.

Revisit Past Connections: Reconnect with old friends or colleagues. Past relationships may resurface, offering closure or a chance to heal old wounds.

Be Flexible: Delays and changes in plans are common during Mercury retrograde. Stay adaptable and open to alternative solutions.

Focus on Self-Expression: Aries energy is bold and assertive. Use this time to express yourself creatively and authentically, but also be mindful of being overly aggressive in your communication.

Practice Patience: Remember, retrogrades are a natural part of the planetary cycle. Use this time to slow down, reflect, and practice patience with yourself and others.

Avoiding Impulsive Actions: With the influence of Aries, there's a risk of acting impulsively. Think things through carefully before making decisions, especially those related to communication, travel, and technology.

The last quarter lunar phase adds an extra layer of introspection and evaluation. It's a time to reassess your goals and make any necessary adjustments before the start of a new lunar cycle. The moon's sextile later in the evening can indeed support this introspective process, offering insights and guidance from within.

follow for more astro insights like this and support me over on yt @quenysefields or instagram sensualnoiree 🤸🏿‍♀️

[soundlesswind]

Mononoke: Karakasa Review

Mononoke - Phantom in the Rain

Now that it's officially out globally, I can finally offer some thoughts and reflections on the long-awaited continuation of the cult-beloved Ayakashi/Mononoke series. My main tagline for this review can be summarized thusly:

I liked it...but it could have been better.

(~ not spoiler free, read at your own discretion ~)

Karakasa: Visually, it's a bang---structurally, it's a bomb. That about sums up how I feel about the movie overall. It's vibrant, beautiful, and full of intricate patterning and details, and is in a way: both a step up and a step down from the original.

...But what do I mean by that really? Well, I think we need to first highlight what makes Karakasa and Mononoke rather different.

Ayakashi/Mononoke has a much slower pacing, with slightly more muted, and washed-aesthetic tone despite its colourful designs. It shifts from being more colourful or more sombre depending on the type of scene it wants to depict. But even at its most saturated, it never gets quite as vibrant in contrast compared to Karakasa. ...However, you could say that may be in part due to the sheer difference in animation techniques developed over the course of nearly a decade between the two (2006/2007 vs 2024).

That isn't to say Karakasa doesn't have moments of dark imagery, but that even at its darkest, it remains distinctly vibrant and high-in-contrast. You could argue for it as a conscientious choice...but personally, at its root: Mononoke is a horror-ghost story; and the gritter, muddled palettes rather add to that charm.

(2007 Mononoke - Noppera-bou, and Nue)

(2024 Karakasa)

To match its mood, Mononoke also has a much slower cadence and story tempo, despite any singular arc being overall shorter than Karakasa. That cadence adds to another difference: which is spookiness. I find Mononoke to be far spookier and more effortlessly imposing than Karakasa. There's a bit of tension and suspense in the way it's presented: both visually and vocally* (a point I'll bring up later). Mononoke is sometimes boldly laid out in seemingly disjointed flashes, but still somehow ends up cohesive and immersive with its themes and motifs; feeding you just enough information to wet your appetite as to where and just how far it wants to take you. And this is of course, done in parts over the span of 2-3 episodes.

Karakasa on the other hand, has a pacing that feels like a marathon. It seems almost lightning fast, despite the first half of the movie being entirely sociopolitical intrigue without much in the way of anything overtly youkai-esque. In fact, our Medicine Seller doesn't even step foot into the Ooku (women's court) until around 40 minutes in...which is nearly half the movie! ...But naturally, since it's a movie, it will be movie-formatted. Everything is going to run as if it were one singular episode long. --- Still, what does that mean for the pacing?

If you don't know what "tea house tales" "is.....it's basically a format of short stories told over several sessions. It's one of the ways people in the historic East used to tell stories. They'd gather around somewhere, drink tea, eat snacks and share a bit of light entertainment. In the same way the episodic nature of Mononoke is somewhat reminiscent of that. Each part feeds you a bit of information, a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, and a bit of action. It keeps you sufficiently entertained one way or another without stringing you on far too long before any sort of climactic reveal. In this way, Mononoke feels more balanced and evened out than Karakasa. But even the format aside, I found Karakasa a lot less clear and concise with what it's trying to portray. There were parts of the movie I had to re-watch a few times or sit down and think about afterwards just to fully understand what I think it was alluding to, which wasn't an issue with Mononoke whatsoever. The plot, both visually and thematically was always clear as day for the original series, where as Karakasa sort of muddles on and off between mystery and court drama over the course of an hour and a half.

Personally...I think one of the detriments to Karakasa is the sheer size of its cast. There were simply way too many characters (27+), and some of them even have overlapping roles. There were also quite a few without clear rhyme or reason. For example, we get introduced to Tenshi, Mizoragi and the moon twins, and an assortment of other characters who don't really have much of a presence in the movie (other than to to be positional seat warmers) and are shown for a collective total of a few minutes. Karakasa IS a trilogy however, so it's possible that their roles may be elaborated in future movies, but in regards to the current film, they feel like a distraction. I guess they're going grand and all out, but the benefits of a smaller cast is that you get more intimate with each character and their already very limited screentime. It just wasn't possible for me to feel any intimacy or investment into the large cast of Karakasa---Asa and Kame included.

Comparatively; I always felt truly, fully immersed in all the story arcs of the original Ayakashi/Mononoke. I cared about the characters, or was so invested in their sorrowful tale. But I didn't particularly feel that way about Karakasa because whatever message it was trying to convey kind of got lost in-between all the court drama...which, I'm not sure some viewers may even understand or empathize with unless they already have some knowledge of what women in the imperial harem go through or how it functions. (Speaking of which, Asa practically speed ran the exposition towards the end regarding Kitagawa and her own motives.) Just to name a few: there's the rank struggles of Asa and Kame versus the leaders of the Ooku; the political positions of Fuki, Botan and the other consorts, the political household ties of Saburomaru, the grip of Mizoragi's strange cult, and the (lack of) political power that Tenshi (the emperor) holds versus the Shogunate in the Capital (---I'm not entirely sure what timeline we're in right now, but the fact that there IS a Shogunate implies a lot.)

...Anyway, you can see why there are too many distractions in this movie for me to fully feel immersed in whatever it's trying to tell. It's supposed to be a movie of women's suffering (under the weight of men and the social sphere I suppose), but most of the time it felt more like I was just simply suffering watching women cat fight each other until they quickly got picked off by the Karakasa mononoke.

Speaking of the titular "Karakasa", though... it certainly was an interesting choice of youkai. I wonder if it was because traditionally, karakasa aren't violent youkai, they're merely scary tricksters; and it wasn't as if Kitagawa was really out for revenge (though she did pick off a few people).....actually, now that I've written it out that way, Kitagawa's motives are a little unclear. Or maybe it didn't matter anymore as karakasa grew to the point it became uncontrollable. Either way, I think if they had refocused the movie on Kitagawa and actually visually show the parallels between her, her "friend" and Asa/Kame...instead of giving us a verbal speedrun exposition dump towards the end...I might have felt a little more sympathy (...or just simply anything worth feeling towards the story). But alas.

It certainly didn't help that I was a little unsatisfied with some of the voice cast. For the most part, I was okay with the side cast (particularly the males, since the females hardly had lines); but felt it was a waste that Tsuda Kenjiro (Mizoragi) also hardly had any lines (...though I have a feeling he'll play a bigger role in the next movie). He was actually even one of my 3 ideal choices for Kusuriuri's recast (next to Ishida Akira and Toriumi Kousuke). I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love Kamiya Hiroshi, he is one of my favourites...but I think his role as Kusuriuri was a bit lackluster since his vocal range is medium-high and therefore does not go deep or husky enough to carry the same spook factor that Sakurai Takahiro's voice has. Karakasa also lacks the unique staccato often used in the original Mononoke which gave it an overall interesting sound and pace. I loved the odd vocal nuances and pauses in the previous work and was very sad that it's more or less nonexistent in Karakasa.

My second complaint would be with Asa and Kame's cast, which I felt might've benefited more from actresses with more interesting inflections. Kurosawa Tomoyo is an okay actress. She gets the job done but generally does better on long-running series since she takes a long time to fully have a grip on her role. Honestly, she was on auto-pilot and was quite boring throughout Karakasa. Aoi Yuuki on the other hand has a lot of vocal range, but generally suffers from inconsistency and just sounding like nails on a chalkboard. (I won't even mince it; my housemate walked in on me watching Karakasa on the telly and literally flinched at her voice because it severely hurt her eardrums---my condolences).

Generally speaking, I do prefer older seiyuus, they just have qualities I enjoy more, but I do also think the movie would've benefitted more from either a liveaction casting or a Showa casting. Most of the characters (in both Mononoke and Karakasa) kind of...oddly use modern speech instead of feudal Japanese (minus Utayama), and given that the Ooku IS a court drama, doesn't use court language or any regional dialects whatsoever (granted I'm not even sure if this is Kyoto, Edo, or wherever). Awashima and Mugitani do use formal language, but only Utayama uses slightly older diction. With the exception of a few notable names, most of the cast for Karakasa are from a generation of newer/younger voice actors, whereas Mononoke consists of an older one. You probably won't care unless you're a seiyuu buff, but there is actually a clear vocal distinction between those of different acting generations. For example: Sakurai, Kamiya, Ishida, Tsuda, Ogata, Hayashibara, etc...all have particular qualities to their voice that give it a layer of interest (ie. whispiness, huskiness, nasalness, etc). I don't know if it's caused by the difference in learned language or some other factor, but newer generations of voice actors tend to have more clear-toned voices with more modern inflections. Kurosawa and Aoi both have notably modern inflections when they act. You could say it's a battle of old versus new if we're going by story theme...but in which case, the rest of the cast could've been of an older generation to portray that. (But well, I'm glad they chose an older actress for Utayama, at least). The few exceptions to this are a small handful of modern actresses that are so astoundingly skilled they break that barrier. I kind of wished they had casted Hanazawa for Kame instead but she's already Kitagawa...but in which case, toss Sawashiro Miyuki in that role, I think she would've been a bit spookier. Hanazawa as Kame might've made her more endearing to me, but maybe they were going for the double-double: irritable voice and character combo, since Kame wasn't particularly written to be likeable. --- Kame does somewhat feel like a second generation Kayo (MAO), but I think MAO was still more serviceable to my ears. Anyway. I don't think I should hold up this review post any longer with my derailed rant on voice acting. It is what it is, and at the very least: we found out some lore bombshell that there are possibly at most 64 medicine sellers, and that Sakurai (Ri) Kusuriuri and Kamiya (Kon) Kusuriuri are different characters altogether (---a lot of fans rejoiced about that), making the possibility of two or more existing at one time. Wouldn't that be exciting to see?

Moving on to the music. In contrast to the trailers, the soundtrack in the movie sometimes feel like background white noise. It almost seems like a trend with newer anime, but nowadays, I hardly hear the tracks compared to older shows. Well, in Karakasa in particular, the movie is moving at such a jilted pace: most of the sounds you will hear is either dialogue or the occasional clinks and clangs. They don't really blast OSTs like they used to (...unlike Hollywood movies where I hear too much BGM). --- But following the odd quirks of Ayakashi: some of the vocal themes for Karakasa still are that weird mash of modern and traditional sounds with the occasional rapping. Particularly during the fight scene, there were some hardcore bass rap on cue. I'm not sure if I like or dislike it, but it is different. My favourite track is the Okami-esque flute theme used during the Birth Celebration Ceremony towards the end. But whether it's Mononoke or Karakasa, what stands out in both is not the score, but the sound effects which have always been the distinctive noise of the series.

The teased title for the next installment is "Ashes of Rage". I wonder what that could mean? We're left on a bunch of cliffhangers, such as why did Kusuriuri smile while looking at the clouds, what's the deal with the seal in the well, and what was Mizoragi doing in the cellar pouring water over what looked like an enclosed basin? Moreover, why on earth did they lore drop so much on the background of the medicine sellers...not in the movie but during the side interviews! The fact that they have a home base, or that the Shingi (alters) are different people... So do you mean to tell me, I still can dream of an Ishida Akira Kusuriuri!? There are at most 8 trigram Taima swords, and 2 of which are Sakurai and Kamiya's. Does that mean there's still room for another 6 Kusuriuris? That's so fruity!

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I also I hope you watched the movie before perusing this given that it's so spoiler heavy. While it does seem like I had a lot of complaints, make no mistake: the movie was gorgeous. It was made with painstaking visual efforts and intricate architecture. Every stroke and splash is a work of art, making it one of the most visually interesting movie in a long time.

While it doesn't replace the old Mononoke in my heart, the Karakasa trilogy is a nice addition; something different and its own thing. A lot more action and a lot more abstract if you dig that sort of presentation.

Given that the trilogy isn't over, I have no doubt the rest of it will continue on with Kamiya's (Kon) Kusuriuri...but I do hope the series continues to keep receiving love so I can eventually have a whole Sentai Kamen rider group of Kusuriuris.

Until next time...~!

[shuenkio]

Love, maybe ? | Sjy ❤︎ 엔.하.이.픈 💌

Paring: Jake X M!reader | Genre: Fluff&Soft .

Synopsis: Base on 'love maybe' by bbm~

Cw: Non.

Non proof read | Eng is not my 1st

This is a work of fanfiction, do not throw unnecessary tantrums on this nsfw/sfw blog. ©Shuenkio

A❤︎N: Been a week now so I'm back with Jake fluff fic 🥹 idea never come across my mind for a while, hoping you can enjoy also some parts may be error, bare with meh.

"This must be love, baby. Cause I never felt quite this way—

I think this is love, baby. Get weak when you call' my name—" ♫︎ Pause

"Hey M/n! Wanna go play basketball with me ? We need one last person are you in?"

Suddenly, you did. The way his voice was calling for you, alluring, floating, in your ears just making you feel weak in your knees. Think this is love? Maybe?

"Cause oh? Something bout' the way you make me feel like-" ♫︎

"M/n M/n!! I heard the new restaurant downtown has the best steak review, could you go check it out with me? My treat, you going mate? No? But I'll take that as a yes come on" Jake take hold of your hand, intertwine together as once, dragging his feet to his destination where he could show you his favorite thing without knowing, He was your favorite thing, even when you didn't even tell him yet.

"I don't know why, can't control it take hold of me— is this for real?" ♫︎

Sleep less night, boring night when you didn't get any good night text from him. Isn't it weird that you'd be crazy by waiting for his text on your notification? Though you and Jake are just buddies and nothing else. Somehow it makes you insane, no? Whether it'd affect your friendship with him or not, this is driving you silly, can't bottle your feelings any longer as you decide, your life for now.

Confession?

Yes or No

"I give up, just take my HeaRt—" ♫︎

The unexpected night out with Jake, after the prom party, you and Jake decide to go back home together. It was a peaceful night, the clear sky making the moon light shine bright across the whole city and pavement, making it feel safer than ever. Before reaching home, Jake decided he'd gaze at the lake a bit, it was his favorite place after all, under the big willow tree and a single bench.

The moon, reflection on the soothing streaming lake, is both comfort and nostalgia at the same time. As he sat down, taking his time to restore his battery. And so did you.

Two boys sat on the same bench under the big willow tree while viewing the scenario in front of them. You get the deja Vu feeling when you were a kid, sitting alone, feel better that nobody could ever make you feel enough like this.

Also this is the perfect timing, the perfect place that you could pour all of your heart into anything, the bottle heart that is begging to be able to be free right here, and so is the person In front of you, he was the one who made you feel like this all along, should you take a risk ? On the other hand, you thought this was probably the last you could be close to him because, who knows how Jake would answer and respond to your confession? Would he like boy? Would he still be the same with you after you confess? Would he love you back?

"Jake? Can I tell you something, from my mind?"

"Yea... No need to be shy, tell me everything" Jake state, throwing rock to the surface of water, not spare any glance just yet, enjoying the atmosphere.

"you sure we'd be the same if I tell you how I feel?"

"oh come on M/n nothing could go worse, with me I'm Jake" Jake snort under his breath, as he continues what he's doing, probably would not expect what could come at him.

"I like you Jake! And I hate that... I know you'd never like boy, and I know I shouldn't like you but I can't help at how you make me feel even though in fact, we're best friends. I'm sorry" You explain, already prepared how the outcome would reveal. Stare blankly at the lake, knowing too well Jake is catching off guard by your statement right now.

Your intuition is correct, Jake catches his air stuck in his throat. The last thing he worries about is happening right now, beside him, near him, and close to him. Yet he knows, that he can't be overrated at your confession. But his body didn't cooperate with him well, Jake's heart stuttered, a rush of warmth spreading through him as your words settled in the air between them. You liked him. And the truth was—he felt the same.

He calmly replied.

"weird, isn't it? took you long enough to catch up." Jake paused, letting the silence build just enough to make you wonder.

"I’ve been on the same page this whole time."

"same page? Which mean— *gasp*"

"I like you too, idiot"

"Cause I don't know what else to blame— no" ♫︎

[mimicha-arts]

I have not written fandom theories for a long time, but LInkClick fuels my interest and search for meaning too much. Recently, I reviewed all the available series, and came across details that I had not connected before. For the most part, this post is speculations about Cheng Xiaoshi, as well as ... timeline.

Spoilers! Please be careful.

Considering so many details about Cheng Xiaoshi, it seems that there has always been something strange about his "symbolism". In fact, I'm really into the theory that the moment in episode 1 of season 2 (when Lu Guang gets stabbed) is the vision & flashback of the past about Cheng Xiaoshi's death. In fact, it amazes and delights me how many details in OverThink support these thoughts. At least because once a frame flashes, which somewhat resembles a scene from Lu Guang's flashbacks.

But there is more. We have 3 main points: clock, сlockwork and camera. 1. Clock - possible time of death Very specific time appear several times. The clock hands look very strange, still not 6, so probably the time is 5:20 (thus, given the symbolism of 520, I have even more questions). They show the same time in any frame.

But the most interesting thing is that at the very end, when we see Cheng Xiaoshi (with the design from the first season), for a few seconds, in addition to the patterns of gears, a very faded inverted dial of this clock appears on him, where inverted 4 is the most visible part. No need to say that 4 is a symbol of death.

This can only be seen in 1s1s ED. Because, in fact, there are 2 versions of the ED, and it's different (without these details) for the remaining 10 episodes.

Even the very first intro with characters contains very similar clock placed in the background of Cheng Xiaoshi. So, at this point, I'm guessing that this strange 5:20 was the key node and the death of Cheng Xiaoshi.

2. Clockwork - сhanging a key event Gears are shown both literally and in pattern. For a long time, I thought that Lu Guang's shadow was just a shadow, or an indistinct noise, but if you look closely, it becomes obvious that Lu Guang is covering a pattern of gears - probably as a sign of changes with clock mechanism and time. Details such as water drops and film strips are also interesting, as both OP (Dive Back in Time and Vortex) connect these elements to Cheng Xiaoshi.

One of the moments shows how the silhouette of hands (overlapping the trees, which may coincide with the background of the forest in the vision in s2s1) touches the inverted clock, after which the second hand of the clock begins to move back.

And the most beautiful thing .. The fact that the hands belong to Lu Guang, as well as the context of this action, confirms that the animation literally coincides with the scene from the end of 4th (and the beginning of 5th) episodes, when Lu Guang explains to Cheng Xiaoshi how key events (nodes) and changes in the past work. But inverted. What a coincidence, right?

Honestly, I think that all these details can further support the theories about Lu Guang, which already have enough speculation. Given all the hints, it is possible that due to Cheng Xiaoshi's death, he changed something in time, thus erasing the "future in that present" and created a new present as an alternate reality. Just a thought.

3. Camera - another timeline Let's go back to the very end again. Here Cheng Xiaoshi is holding a camera in his hands.

Remember this diamond-shaped mark. This camera is very specific, as it has appeared several times, but not in the main series (yet). There is an easter egg in the mini-series, Lu Guang has a rather similar model, only with a round (clock-like) mark.

It's importance becomes even more obvious, especially now that we have a poster for the second season.

So. What's wrong with this camera? Because there are actually two of them. The one on the table has a rounded clock mark. But the camera in reflection is the one that Cheng Xiaoshi holds in the ED, with a diamond mark.

For me... Seems like it is probably one of the main connecting elements or "anchor" between the timelines / alternate realities, at least conveys this idea. All this makes me feel excited and inspired, how it was possible to place all this so neatly. And which of these can really confirm conjectures and theories … Thanks to the scriptwriters and animators, it's nice to be a part of this game.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking… Anyway, thanks for reading to the end. Perhaps someone has their own thoughts, feel free to discuss ~

[i99zhuo]

Could u make a routine inspired by kazuha ?

How to live like kazuha ⋆𐙚.ೃ⊹🩰°｡𓏲⋆𖦹 🦢₊˚ kazuhaism routine

This is a guide on daily routines inspired by le sserafim’s Kazuha! thanks for the request, hope you enjoy it!!

content list (routines):

morning

study

workout

shower + self care

night

(_ _ ) . . z Z⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚୨ :★: ୧ ∗  ˖࣪ ໒꒱  ˚₊·

✸ ꒰ morning routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

🎀 Kazuha starts her days by getting straight out of bed! You can take a few minutes just to think about your dreams or to meditate but after you're done get up without thinking so you avoid lazyness. After, head to the bathroom to do your hygiene routine (washing your teeth, face, body, etc.)

After you do your skincare, it's time for makeup, if i had to describe Zuha’s makeup in a few words i would use ‘natural’ ‘light’ and ‘clean’, even tho she uses as many products as other idols I've already talked about (brow pencil, eyeshadow, base makeup, contour, lashes, eyeliner, blush and lip tint), her makeup still pretty much simple, like just to enhance her natural features.

🧸Time to get dressed, Kazuha usually wears tops or basic t-shirts with baggy sweatpants, the colors she wears the most are white, black and gray. stylize the outfit with a beret or sunglasses!

Finally for breakfast, a good option is to have a sandwich with coffee, however any recipe that includes a lot of veggies in it will be ideal! 

✸ ꒰ study routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

🩰 One of Zuha's favorite things is trying new things and showing progress! So always make sure to experiment with different study styles, techniques and resources. also, remember that progress is not about going from an F to an A, but about improving slowly and enjoying the path to your goals.

To learn and practice her Korean, Kazuha reviews vocabulary daily, using it on small phrases to memorize their meaning. As a visual learner, she also associates words with drawings and writes in her notebook often.

🥥 And to improve her English she usually practices talking with Yunjin. You can ask a friend to tutor you in any signature you feel you are lacking and make learning fun!

✸ ꒰ workout routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

🪷 Kazuha’s most famous charm is her healthy and beautiful body, as well as her flexibility. She workouts everyday in her dorm room, and has a lot of different workout routines, so I decided to make a schedule so you can try them all!

monday -> le sserafim workout (no jumps / low impact), Kazuha new abs workout and full body stretch.

tuesday -> le sserafim workout (short version), Kazuha upper body workout, stretch

wednesday -> le sserafim workout, Kazuha abs workout, stretch

thursday -> le sserafim workout, upper body workout, stretch

friday -> le sserafim workout, kazuha lower abs workout, stretch

saturday -> le sserafim (short), upper body, stretch

sunday -> le sserafim workout (no jumps / low impact), stretch 

🌷 Also, you can try and enroll in a ballet class, it's never too late to try!

✸ ꒰ shower + self care routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

Before taking your shower, take off your makeup with micellar water or an oil based cleanser. Then bath like you would normally do, but start your shower with lukewarm water and finish with a cold rinse!

🦢 Then use a soft foam cleanser to wash your face, let it air dry, and then use a gentle toner, calming ampoule and cream to set the moisture.

Now for self care, Zuha enjoys spending time doing diamond paintings or other kinds of diys, like decorating phone cases. She also videocalls her friends often in her free time, spending time with friends really helps with our mental health! You can also try and make little handmade gifts for your besties.

✸ ꒰ night routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

🐩 Dinner time! eat a yogurt bowl with nuts and honey (or any toppings you like) and eat it while watching youtube videos.

After eating she takes her journal and writes about her day and her emotions, she tries to be as concise as possible so no matter if she’s tired or doesn't have time she's still able to reflect on her day!

👛 Then she does her last review on the things she's studying, doing this before going to sleep helps you remember it better.

If she's with the members she will obviously watch a scary movie and have fun with her friends before going to bed!

💋 Finally stretch a little in your bed to be more flexible, have a better posture and to help you to fall asleep faster!

Good night!

(_ _ ) . . z Z⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚୨ :★: ୧ ∗  ˖࣪ ໒꒱  ˚₊·

Heyyy tysm for reading hope you liked it even if it was a little rushed!

I closed my request cus I kept getting them and I really want to focus on the ones that I already have hehe but don't worry I will re-open them once im done!

Also while making this I noticed it was really similar to the how to live like Yunjin I was making sooo idk if I should finish it or not, what do u guys think?

anyways I think that's all

toodlezzzzz!11!!1