#i want to see their evolution physically but also mentally. and i just want to be proud of them (and i am right now)

[pedripics]

"He is still the same as when he was 5 years old. That's the best thing about him."

(via Revelo - July 2023)

"Now I'm not going to be able to mess with him or make jokes. I'm not going to be able to hit him, because if he's going to hit me back...", laughs Rubén Delgado when we talk about the strengthened physique of Pedri, whom he coached between the ages of 9 and 12 at U.D. Tegueste, when he was a " just small boy, but what he had from a young age was great footballing ability". Pedri has always said that Rubén is the coach who taught him how to compete.

"He arrived at Barça with 60 kilos, very little, and when he completed his first season with Barça he had already gained three or four kilos. With Koeman, he started to do the same work as he does now in that first year, with three days a week of more strength training. Then two, then one, because he arrived as a youngster and there was even the possibility of going out on loan; he even had offers from Bayern to go out on loan. What happened was that when Koeman saw him train, everything changed. From 'we're going to give him a work plan of three days a week' he became a starter, playing every three days, he played everything and, obviously, you then can't have three days of strength work, it's impossible," explains a person close to the midfielder, whom we will call E.P.

"This year is the first time that he has had a real five-week holiday. De la Fuente wanted to take him to the Nations League, but in the end, Barça and the Federation came to their senses and understood that the best thing was to let him rest, have a normal summer for the first time since he is at the highest level and take advantage of it to train, because in the end that way you can see his evolution. He's had five weeks in which he's been able to rest but, above all, to train, because in competition the muscle is eaten away, especially in the lower body. Maybe Tchouameni, who has a great physique, can do more. What Pedri has is a lot of endurance. When he was a kid, he also did athletics at school as an extracurricular activity, and he was very good. That resistance lacked to generate muscle. Chema Martínez has one type of muscle, Usain Bolt another. He had a more fibrous muscle and now he had to gain a bit more volume for 1v1s, and also at the lower body level. The image that has made an impact is that of the arms, but the work above and below has been compensated and worked on following a guideline set by Barça", says E.P., who puts Pedri's current weight at 67 kilos.

The Tenerife native has gained two kilos with that physical work done this summer and is not recommended to gain "more than one". "To take him to the 70 would be too much. That would be the limit. What all parties consider is that he is a player who has to gain muscle mass but he shouldn't change his physiognomy completely. He is a lightweight footballer. His mental rapidity leads him to have quickness of movement, to have some dribbling. If he is heavy with the size he is, 1.74m., he would become in quotes, a 'barrel'," explains E.P., who is clear about what is not the goal in the work that the Barça midfielder is doing: "The objective is not to turn him into a muscular beast because he is not like that. He has a similar physique to Messi. Messi is obviously the best, I hope he comes as close as possible, but he will never be able to be Cristiano. Neither Messi nor Pedri could be Cristiano. Neither does he have the physique of Gavi, who has a more powerful lower body, but Gavi's style of football demands more of that than Pedri's game. It would be a mistake", reflects E.P., who specifies that the Tenerife native has done "a lot of cycling, eccentric pull-ups - those where you go up and then you have to hold on when you come down - and work on the pitch, above all".

'Four Friends'

Those who have closely experienced the physical work and nutritional diet that Pedri has followed during these five weeks have been Dani Carreras, Fran Llarena and Rubén Suárez, the three best childhood friends of the footballer, ex-players of Tegueste, where they were under Rubén's orders.

The 'Four friends', like David Trueba's novel, have shared a summer in a villa in Adeje (Tenerife), although their coexistence has been stricter and based on rest, physical work and a rigorous diet that they have all followed. "In the villa, we had a cook who prepared the food for Pedri's diet. Lots of vegetables, lots of vegetables with spices and fish, sometimes meat. But above all, lots and lots of vegetables. I wanted to eat more, but well, we've adapted to him", says Dani, a striker in the team that Pedri played for from "4 to 16-17 years old".

"It has been a hypercaloric diet, with a high intake of calories to be able to compensate for the expenditure of energy and to be able to evolve the muscle. It depends on the day, the work to be done, the moment, but it has been over 3,000 calories," says E. P. with a figure that is far from the perception of Pedri's friends.

"We ate a lot but, of course, few calories in reality: a lot of vegetables, obviously more than five pieces of fruit a day, when it was time for pasta we ate a lot of pasta, but always in measured quantities. We could skip it a bit because the diet wasn't really for us but for him. Everyone followed his diet...", laughs Fran, Pedri's friend "practically since they were born". "My mother put me into a small football team when I was 3 and he was put into the same football team from 3 to 5 years old. We also lived super close here in Tegueste, about 200 meters away, and we've always been friends since we were kids," says Fran, mediocre "like Pedri, but a bit further back. "

They played together until they joined the youth team, when Fran was signed by Tenerife. This summer, as well as being a friend, he has acted as a personal trainer to the Culé footballer. "He has worked every day: in the gym, he worked five days, rested on Saturdays and Sundays, and outside of it is true that he worked more because we went to the football pitch almost every day for speed training and cardio. We went here in the south of Tenerife, to Tenerife Top Training - where I am also told that Courtois occasionally goes - to a field called T3, and there we worked with cones. I helped him with explosiveness, if I had to pass him balls, put the cones on him... I helped him and trained with him. There was a day when he killed me to run with him and I said: 'No more'", recalls Pedri's friend, with whom he has also shared afternoons of paddle tennis and paddleball.

They have hardly left the village for anything other than training or eating out one day a week. In Adeje, they have enjoyed the swimming pool, "we have played a lot of Monopoly and Catan, and cards, baraja española (spanish card deck); al Presidente", says Dani.

It's been days based on the physical and nutritional discipline that Pedri has been fulfilling to the letter, with a self-demanding attitude that has grown as a result of the injury he suffered last February against Manchester United in the Europa League. In a solo action, he injured the rectus anterior of his right leg. It was the 41st minute. He himself asked to be substituted. That day was a before and after for the player, explains Fran: "He is very demanding because he has already had several injuries and since then he has changed his training and eating patterns to try not to relapse. His nutritionist was on top of it, because there have been many injuries to the same muscle in the 2-3 years he has been in professional football, this would be his fourth, which is noticeable at the end of the day; the 70 games he played in his first year at Barça are going to take their toll on him now, at any time. He's always taken care of his training, but this time it's more exaggerated".

A task in which he is helped by his disciplined personality. "He has never, never, never been a soft drink drinker, he always drinks water or isotonic drinks, sports drinks", Dani explains. Rubén recalls that "he has never been one for sweets either". "He likes chocolate, but chocolate products are another thing that has completely disappeared: sweets. In fact, he goes to events and takes his heavy, calibrated snack, his fruit, grapes with I don't know what nuts... And, look, one thing he loves, a healthy vice, is pistachios. He loves them, but he can eat very little because it's a good source of energy, but the ones he eats he eats without salt and so, zero problems. There is another food that he has been eating since he was little, obviously, which is bananas. He can put bananas in everything, it's incredible. Before Plátano de Canarias was his sponsor, when he started as a professional, he put a banana in his boot. Now he eats, but the range of fruits has expanded a lot. And another thing about Pedri is that he never drinks coffee. We've joked with him once or twice: 'Oh shit, if you drank coffee, you'd get nervous from time to time and you wouldn't be the same anymore'," says E.P. anecdotally, who also reflects a striking feature of Pedri's personality that is helping him to follow a disciplined life: punctuality.

"He's hyper-punctual. You say 'This is a Canarian, a relaxed guy...', and yes he has that relaxation, that pause, that semi-Caribbean Canarian tranquillity, but in terms of punctuality, he's a fucking German. He has many points of discipline but before they weren't united in anything. Now everything has some guidelines, it's blending and uniting well," reasons E.P., who says that Barça, "at least since the arrival of Xavi", forces them to have lunch or dinner at the Ciudad Deportiva.

Rosi’s Croquetas

But there is a common denominator between the four voices that paint Pedri's sporting and nutritional life: the croquettes of his mother, Rosi, which the Tenerife player himself mentioned on Saturday during Barça's American tour when asked about his physical change. "Above all, not eating my mother's croquettes," said the player.

"His mother is a spectacle, she's a machine. Her croquettes are a different story," Dani laughs. "The only treats are his mother's food or going out to eat. I had one meal a week off, so maybe we'd go out to eat somewhere, healthy food too, but eating differently from what your diet is. And it is true that he ate pistachios, he usually eats a lot of them, because he likes them, but healthy ones, of course, without salt. And little else", explains Fran.

"He has always had a fairly balanced diet and well, above all, the famous mother's croquettes, he was very well fed," says Rubén, who assures us that "you need to take time to try them because they are delicious." "They offer a variety: chicken, cod... They have it all. I can vouch for it, I recommend it," he says with a laugh.

Rosi is Pedri's mother and cook at the Tasca Fernando, which she runs with her husband and the footballer's father "at the entrance to Tegueste on the Nacional", explains E.P. "It's the typical small-town place, traditional, where you eat very good homemade cuisine, with very good produce. And of course, Pedri ate there every day until he went to Las Palmas, where he stayed in the residence, in La Casa Amarilla. They could make him slightly different dishes, but in the end, he ate what was available. It’s a normal, ordinary, hard-working family. When they go to see him in Barcelona, they also cook for him, but now the whole family is very conscientious and they are helping him a lot", he says.

His brother Fernando has played a key role in his healthy eating since his arrival at FC Barcelona. "He lives with his brother in Barcelona, near Ciutat Esportiva. As the first year they were at Barça was the year of the pandemic, they went to live together. Fernando studied cooking. He is two years older but as Pedri was always ahead of his time, they played football together for many years. They are like friends and brothers at the same time, and he cooks for him".

"Skinny and tiny"

Talking to Dani, Fran and Ruben has been visualizing the Pedri who started playing football in Tegueste in his earliest childhood, when their lives came together and it was clear to all three of them that that "weak and small" child would go far. "He had something," says Rubén, who always told his partner and his parents, to those around him. "It was to be expected," Fran says. His coach recalls how the three, Pedri, Dani and Fran, "were very good, were the best, and super nice people."

"He has always had a mentality that is not cold, because he is not cold, but a very relaxed mentality, so to speak. If the game is at 100, he would stay at 25, to give you an idea. And that control, and especially at the ages that I coached him, it was very difficult to see a child who controlled the guidelines of a match as much as him; who knew that if the match was very, very tense, he would take it to his own ground and take it to where he wanted it to be. And it's very difficult to find that at that age. Obviously, today you see him and it's even more difficult because you see him inside a stadium with so many people, and with that calmness that he shows and that relaxation and that control of his state, it's very difficult to find that in a player and, above all, as young as he is, who is only 20 years old", recalls Rubén, the coach who moved Pedri's position from the front to the centre of the pitch.

"From a very young age, he stood out from the rest. He did things that a normal 9-year-old didn't do. I always highlight one thing about him and that is that on a footballing level, he obviously had spectacular technique, quality and physique. Because despite being so small he was the first to attack, the first to defend, a spectacular sacrifice towards his teammates... But if there's one thing I've always highlighted about him, it's the footballing maturity he had at the age of 9. He knew how to position himself, he knew where he had to be at all times, which even nowadays professional players work on and not all of them are practically ready. And he, at 9 years old, already knew how to read a game, he already had a very adult sporting maturity for the age he was", says the coach proudly.

"I remember that when in one of the many games in which he was playing and he was killing it and doing things that were not normal, of course, the game ended and at that time I asked him: 'Hey, why did you decide to do this?', and any other child would have said to me: 'Well, look, I did this because I saw it like this…'. And he came in with the little soft voice he had and said, 'I don't know, Ruben, it just came out of me. ' And my colleague and I looked at each other like: 'It just came out of you?, but I didn’t even do that at 25 years old…", recalls the coach.

A similar situation to the one we experienced in the 2021/22 season, when on April 3 Pedri gave Barça a 1-0 victory over Sevilla and placed Barça second in the table. "He cuts once, twice, three times and then hits it with his left. He said he didn't know what he had done, that it just came out of him like that," remembers Rubén, who confesses that when he had the opportunity to talk to Pedri he told him: "Man, that was the same thing you said to me when you were 9 years old."

"The problem for me is that as I've known him all my life, I'm not surprised by what he does. Yes, on the one hand, he surprises me sometimes, when I realise and say: 'Woah, my friend is doing this' and I see him in a different way, but only for a moment because then I remember that it's him and that it was to be expected. From the minute he stepped on a professional pitch he remained the same. He doesn't care who he plays against. Even when we were little, we played on a court, in a pavilion, and he would tell me: 'You play with me', and the brother, and we would play against 20-year-olds, and we were 14. And they'd say, 'Well, come on, but just for a bit.' There were three teams and the one that won was still there. So we got with the team, we were 14 years old and some were 16 and 17, and we beat kids who were 20, 21, 25, and of course, they were shocked. They said: 'But what about these kids?', and especially with Pedri, because he was the youngest and the best. If you see him doing that on the pitch from a young age, with 20-year-olds, knowing that he doesn't care if he gets kicked, or if he gets his body thrown around, or if they take him out, because that has adapted him to professional football, it doesn't surprise you" recalls Fran about a physical and sporting stature that has always accompanied Pedri. Just like the Barcelonismo, which he also lived from his cradle. His grandfather Fernando founded the Peña Barcelonista de Tenerife-Tegueste.

"He is still the same as when he was 5 years old. He's the same person. That's the best thing about him. He also has a very good family that helps him keep his feet on the ground. When you're with him, you say: 'And this guy is playing for Barcelona'. Also, one thing he has is that when he gets picked on... Maybe you say to him: 'How few goals you score'. Me, for example, I'm a big fan of screwing with him. Yes, yes, I don't know what, but you don't score goals', I say things like that. And when he's picked on, he always gets it. And this year is going to be quite important for him and for Barça. He's going to start to be one of the leaders, I think. He already is, but his character is not that of a leader, but the way he plays. He's a very fundamental player, but he doesn't feel like a leader. No way, no way, that's not the case", admits Dani, who reveals Pedri's joking character. "He seems shy, but he jokes a lot, he's always joking around, with everyone in general. I'm always calling him silly and stuff like that," he laughs.

Calm, familiar, punctual… and with a low heart rate

"The important thing is that you have clear ideas, because at the end of the day, that life is not easy. It's very easy for many things but it's not always easy to carry all of it, not being able to go out, that kind of thing. That he knows his priorities and that he doesn't get too carried away, that's the key for me, beyond a kilo more muscle or not, because you have to be very good in everything and that luck is with you, but if you're not focused, success will not last long. He is familiar, calm, with a low heart rate. May he continue like that", asks E.P. for the future of Pedri, who is going to live an important year this season after the departure of Busquets, the arrival of Gundogan and his demanding summer to get back in top physical shape.

"When he has been asked the typical question: 'What do you need to improve on,' he has never said anything other than these concepts: more goals and physical improvement. In five months, he scored seven goals. If he hadn't been injured, he would have doubled that. This year he should have at least 10-12 goals. Xavi asks him to do that and he will always work to the maximum", explains E.P.. When the competition begins we will see how he establishes his physical form on the pitch. His appearance is already improved, muscular, in a "work of prevention and evolution" that his friends hope to see in sporting terms, in the present and in the future.

"Remember that he is still only 20 years old, normally a footballer explodes at 25, 26, 27, 28 years old. And that's the beautiful thing, that he still has fifteen years of football left and hopefully he continues to rise," says Fran.

"You know what happens? He has the gift of knowing how to win people over. He has a great gift for companionship. So, he is lucky that if he says 'everyone around here', I think they will follow him. Why? Because he has that gift, he has the personality he has, a personality that engages, that transmits good vibes, as they say around here. He is still a bit young to perhaps be a leader, but it is true that I think that at "Barcelona they have noticed that his presence on the field helps the team play in one way or play in another. And I think that is being a leader," Rubén reasons.

Winning leagues, taking Barça back to great heights in Europe, winning a European Championship or a World Cup are some of the challenges that the four protagonists outline around Pedri, but one stands out above all: after having lifted the Golden Boy 2021, it would be to win the Ballon d’Or. "It would be a dream for all of us," says Rubén with a huff. "It’s just that this kid surprises you every day, you don't know where his ceiling is, he's only 20 years old," stresses Fran.

E.P. has this to say on the matter: "It's not something that torments him or keeps him up at night, he prioritises the collective trophies, but obviously it's a consequence of everything, it's an evolution. Neither Iniesta nor Xavi managed to win it, none of his idols have been able to do it. Rodri has done very, very well and his team has performed very well. There is already talk that Rodri could or should have a Ballon d'Or. If Pedri continues to be one of Barça's flagship players, as he practically already is, and Barça regains its usual status of the last 20-25 years and the national team is up there, then why not, but that's a long way to go. To win a trophy of this type, you have to have powerful collective trophies, because Haaland or Cristiano could win it if they score 50 goals, but it's different with him. Let's see, for the moment, how he settles in this new season in which he wants to have continuity again".

And it’s up for the future to see how his new physique responds, but if there is one thing that does not generate doubt among his friends it is his name: "With this new bodybuilding, is it going to be necessary to call him Pedro instead of Pedri at some point?" I asked. Dani laughs before remembering that Pedri was given the name when he was 8-9 years old, "because there were two Pedros in the team and the other one was much bigger than him, so they kept calling him Pedro and him, who was much smaller, Pedri". "For us and for everyone he will always be Pedri," adds Rubén. "He is Pedro González López. Maybe when he is 55 and playing dominoes in his village they will start calling him Pedro, but in the meantime, I doubt he will stop being Pedri", reflects E.P. "Pedri is and will always be Pedri", says his friend Fran.

#pedri #pedri gonzalez #fc barcelona #barça #fc barça #*interview

[xpc-web-dev]

No, you are not alone. I also start things, give up, procrastinate, live the future and not the present and complain about my life not moving forward while I spend time looking at other people's lives.

Hello everyone, how are you?

I hope well.

I was thinking of giving up this tumblr and just as I started everything from scratch to study programming (github, linkedin, notion and I even created another google account) start a new tumblr.

I even commented briefly a few weeks ago with @lostlibrariangirl who supported me to just continue on this one and see my evolution. And today I was thinking that this could be cool not only for me, but for other dropouts, who are frustrated that they think they'll never get to where they want to go and et cetera.

If you've been following me since the beginning of this year, you've already seen that I never completed any course and I assume that I gave up on the most difficult parts, besides the constant anxiety of getting a job in technology and thinking that I would never get it and that made me procrastinate, suffer and not live the present studying.

I gave up on one of the scholarships I got and now I'm catching up on the delay (it's until the 7/30th)

Nowadays my mental health has improved a lot, thanks to my elders.

And also thanks to them I understood that I was going around in circles, being lazy, not trying 100%, being stubborn in a stupid way (for me stubbornness is a quality, if you know how to use it) and spending too much time on other people's lives and not mine.

Also, today it's easier for me not to feel so much anxiety because I no longer have the goal of getting a job registered as a dev this year, so I'm starting to learn from scratch EVERYTHING AGAIN only this time better and really trying hard.

In my case I wasn't doing my best, trying hard and that's why I fell so many times. I don't like the word failure/failure, as I learned from an older, mistake it's study/learning and not failure.

Now in May, for example, I started studying Linux from scratch (my system that I'm confused to understand), git and github. I was all this time without really understanding these 3 tools, just doing it without understanding / in a lazy way and that didn't give me confidence.

And I don't think we need to memorize it, but it's nice to understand and practice.

This print from above is me studying after writing and repeating to myself that I WILL ONLY START a new cycle after ending the old one.

And I hope to share this journey here.

I have a lot to study, whether in back-end or front-end, but I'm not in a hurry and that's why I'm progressing.

So if you're reading this far and you're going through the same thing I was, I wanted to give you some unsolicited advice.

Spend your energy, do physical exercises. Because anxiety can only be resolved with a psychiatrist, but exercises help.

Understand why you procastine, what is making you feel frustrated or afraid? Did you find out? How can you solve this?

If you don't finish something to start another and it HURTS you (if it doesn't hurt, that's fine), try to understand why you give up? Where is making you insecure / afraid? And after you understand this, strive to finish everything you start (I know it's hard, but we need this)

Get off social media for a bit. For me tumblr is what I spend the least time on, but it's very easy to lose hours on instagram and tiktok.

And guess what, that time we spend doesn't come back and unless you work with these networks that ALSO won't give you any money / jobs.

So, if possible, start to regulate your period in these environments. At first it's difficult because your brain is addicted, but after a while it works out and your version of the future (if you invest that time studying and working) will thank you.

I wish you all to be well and not sabotage yourself to achieve your goals.

#codeblr #woman in stem #software development #womanintech #studyblog #coding #software engineering #code #studyblr #algorithms #study community #discipline #I'm bac #i'm back #Finish what you start to start another #computerscience

[artofchira]

Hi! I saw your svsss art and your style seemed familiar and nostalgic. It reminded me of a comic I used to read in 2016ish(?). It was a big favorite, but lost track of it when it was no longer listed on hiveworks. I looked for it a few times since, but "magic theory + circles" got me nowhere.

Scrolling through your blog, I found it - Sfeer theory!! It's so gratifying to find it again. I reread it immediately. It's a great story with complex worldbuilding. Your art style is wonderful! It feels so nuanced and intentional. There's this flow to your comics, across the panels. Characters are so expressive and real. And it's distinctive enough for me to recognize after all this time, wow!

So, I guess I'm saying, thanks!! Love your art and ty for sharing it. I'm very glad to have seen it :)

Gosh what a wonderful message to find in my inbox! Glad you found the comic again and that it still stands strong to you.

A lot of our projects (Sfeer Theory def top of the list) has been under an unofficial hiatus for a while now since roughly 2020. My father passed at the start of the lockdown. and it had a pretty big impact on my life as it served as a catalyst to completely re-examine and re-evaluate how I work and the way I create. There were other very major upheavels happened since then which only reinforced how important it was that I focus on myself.

My evolution has centered on what kind of artistic journey I want to actually have rather than be compelled to burn myself out surviving. Nearly 4 years later, I've really completely restructured my life for the better. I'm healthier, both physically and mentally, and as a result my art also has been better for it. At the moment I'm solely focused on getting back to my grind with better grounding under my feet.

I think of Sfeer Theory every day and in fact have started working on pages again since the late spring of this year, but I don't want to make promises about when updates will start again. I just feel I owe some kind of explanation to waiting fans.

Sfeer Theory is a story I absolutely will see through to finishing, I just needed to figure myself out. Please look forward to it starting up again sooner than later.

#ask box answers #personal #sfeer theory #little foolery

[ask-serendipity-sky]

Jk's DAZED Interview

"Jung Kook holds the instinctual and the intangible in high regard: the former is what guides his present, but his future is cradled by the latter, at least in terms of how he sees himself as an artist. But more on that later, because Jung Kook – who recently turned 26 and has been very, very famous for a decade – is thinking about who he is at this very moment. “I think I’m the type of person who is honest with their emotions,” he says. “I change quickly. I have to do the things I want to do right now.”

He was quiet then, too, though he emanated a fidgety restlessness, mentally and physically. He still has an inner itch that he can’t quite seem to scratch but it’s tempered by a new boldness and self-assuredness that he feels was missing before, traits he’s long embodied on stage yet didn’t follow him into everyday life. “When I go on stage, my wandering thoughts and feelings die down,” he says, and he’s always performed so much that the gap between his worlds didn’t seem all that vast.

“Ever since I changed my perspective, I’ve found more positive traits within myself. Rather than dwelling on missed opportunities and blaming myself for being lazy, thinking, ‘Why couldn’t I do it when I was capable?’, I accept who I truly am and focus on what I can do. There’s more to gain from doing things at my own pace. And if I want to stay in bed or watch TV all day, why not spend a day like that?”

Jung Kook debuted aged 15, and although pop culture is generally unkind to its child stars, he grew up under the watchful eyes of his bandmates who pulled him into line when needed. He is attentive, unfailingly polite, curious and wields a mischievous humour.

When recording “Seven” with writers/producers Andrew Watt and Cirkut, he was eager to do well with a genre he’d never tried before, visibly nervous at the mic and, just as evidently, chuffed when they showered him with praise.

“I want to do as many genres as possible to test myself on what kind of music I can do with my voice,” he says. The success of his debut solo single, he adds, has no bearing on what his upcoming music sounds like. “When I hear the music and it’s good, I just proceed with it regardless of the genre. It feels really good to hear people say, ‘Oh, he can pull off any genre,’ so it’d be really fun to surprise people.”

“I live thinking ‘The main character of my life is no one but me.’ No matter what environment I’m placed in, no matter who’s around me, to safeguard myself without being swept away, having the mindset that I can hold control of myself. I live trying not to forget it.”

Jung Kook, the youngest member of BTS, knows his original bunny-ish, baby-of-the-group image still prevails. “You really like that about me,” he said to fans while in London, during one of his now-frequent livestreams. “Pretend that people like that. And I only follow that. What is something that I can change? Myself, it’s my life. I need to change. I need to tell people who love me, ‘I am like this.’ I’m not forcing anyone. I always look for something new. I want to make that new thing fun. And I want to be accepted by Army at the same time.” He also addressed those questioning why he felt the need for an explicit version of “Seven”, in which the line “And that’s why night after night, I’ll be lovin’ you right” becomes “And that’s why night after night, I’ll be fuckin’ you right”. “If you felt [it] like that,” he said, “there’s nothing I can do... And if you think about it, how old am I?”

In recent years he has taken up boxing, pierced his eyebrow and lip, and added more hardware to his ears. He’s grown out his hair, and got heavily inked. “I like extreme things,” he says with a laugh. “People always tell me I look round and soft. I want this sharp, powerful image.” His debut single, Jung Kook says, “wasn’t [me] trying to break away from my image”. In his eyes, the evolution has already occurred, making “Seven” a direct reflection of who he is now. And so he was steadfast and frank during that pivotal livestream. “It was important for me to show how much I’ve grown as a solo artist through taking on new challenges,” Jung Kook explains, “rather than staying in my comfort zone or settling for the things that I was used to. I wanted to fully explain that to my fans.”

In Jung Kook’s mind, then and now, ‘more’ translates as “becoming a better and cooler singer”, he says intently. “To me, I’m not that singer I imagined myself [to be], that specific image that I had of a singer, that’s why I’m aiming higher.”

The Jung Kook of 2023 is OK with the not quite knowing-ness of that. He tries to live in the present and keep things simple, even if that’s easier said than done. “It’s impossible to not think at all,” he sighs. “You know when you think of something and it just goes on and on, down this deep rabbit hole? That can lead to positive conclusions but, for me, sometimes it led to negative ones. But now that I’ve gained some self-confidence, I’m more able to exclude those unnecessary thoughts.” In teaching himself how to quieten down his brain, he finds himself “worrying [less] about things that haven’t happened yet or thinking, ‘What if I don’t meet my own expectations?’”

But, with the power of hindsight, Jung Kook, who is working on more music with an eye towards a debut solo album, knows how far he’s come. “I trusted my gut [with my debut single] and thought, ‘Will I be able to reach the audience, and a lot of them?’ And I sort of proved that I could.” And rather than being that ambiguous grey hexagon, Jung Kook – who smiles, the widest smile his face is capable of – says, “I’d be white, and I can colour it in whatever colour I like.”"

My impressions

This interview is a confirmation to the discourse we've been having lately.

Jk lives his life in phases. He changes quickly according to his vibes on the situation and let's himself be guided by things that he cannot see.

At this point, he is revealing what he had kept from fans. Things that he already did but weren't public. I suspect it's because of where he is in life at the moment (BTS hiatus, solo career, about to enlist, just turned 26).

Perhaps, his vibes told him it's time.

Jk's words seem contradictory but a person isn't just one truth. We all have many.

And for years, Jk has been squished into a box with labels and cute nicknames. We've only seen one side of him constantly because that's what we were shown.

In the interview, they describe him as introverted but then he comes out without a shirt for the photoshoot. He wants to be extreme but he also has that one pose in the photos that scream "zero hetero here". We read about him wanting to be sharp while he just did a cute jump at the airport. I guess Jk hasn't realized that he can be all those things at the same time. I think he will realize it with time.

What stands out to me is that he wants to break free from these labels and image that the fans have of him, but he's the one labeling himself new things. Maybe he does it to get his point across? Or maybe he think that by reiterating these new things he's shown us, we will let go of the old things? In this fandom?....hmmm.

Although Jk is very much a person who enjoys being a softie, he is also someone extreme and free who wishes to do as he pleases...because everyone should he allowed to do so. Without policing.

He says there isn't a big difference between the Jk on stage and Jk off stage, which is why he was comfortable with Seven. Not because he is the het macho guy, but because he is bolder and more confident. That song is more upbeat, sex oriented, and energetic than anything he's done in the past. So all those people thinking he just said he is straight...read carefully.

I find it amusing how this article comes out just right after everyone made such a big deal out of him smoking because he states "I am like this (at this moment)." He wants to be accepted by army being "like this" but there is no way that will happen because this is a fandom that believes they have ownership of the members and have become some sort of morality police and parent entity.

I'm sure he knows of the things that were said during the smoking pictures and Seven.

Jk was harshly critiqued for saying he wanted to be better and cooler a while back and many wondered if Seven (Scooter) had gotten to his head. But I think this article shows that he's just aiming higher...like any artist does. He still comes across as someone humble and genuine. Although, he was still genuine during those other interviews where he said he wanted to be the "one and only".

It's all about your perception of his words.

Overall, I think that Jk is still searching for his true self, as one does during that age. But based on this interview, which is probably one of the better interviews he's had, old Jk is still there...but now, we have new side of him to observe. With time, we will see if this is truly what he wants or he will move on to something else.

#jikook #jungkook #dazed interview

[crystalsenergy]

Productivity vs. Stagnation in life

Does the idea of being highly productive really align with a life in motion*...?

*Motion = in movement, seeking evolution.

~theme song: Closing a Case by Yasuharu Takanashi

(reflection pills

#2 by Paty Rodrigues | crystalsenergy)

I've been reflecting a bit more than usual on this, as I've seen many people living intense work cycles.

However, as we are in a period of humanity extremely linked to material life and the idea of production as synonymous with utility, seeing the problems behind an intense journey of efforts is somewhat difficult for some. Which I find very understandable.

But, is solely focusing on work or productivity really the best way for us to evolve and move forward?

First, what evolving, moving forward mean to you? What do you want for yourself?

We often propagate the notion that being useful is working - especially working hard!

We're praised and internally congratulate ourselves when we work too much. But the idea that comes to me, the perception I have when we find ourselves in these repetitive work patterns is - are we really moving, as we think we are?

Are we not just deceiving ourselves with the idea of evolution and growth, when in reality, we are just in a cycle of repeating the same routine and the same ins and outs of things? Every month the same routine, practically the same bills, the same habits. Is that moving forward?

The fact that we are constantly going back and forth, taking care of an "apparent future" often brings

the false sense of evolution.

But this kind of movement doesn't always mean progress.

Sometimes we're just mechanizing ourselves and becoming passive towards our own lives because there's something defining our current steps, which are the same, repetitive steps, increasingly intense steps that, by the way, distance us from something unique and original - ourselves, and what we need to have, feel, live.

Balancing external and internal life is not an easy task.

However, as a seeker of balance that I am (Venusian, you know), I recognize the difficulty behind this, but I won't stop telling you that it's important to be aware that there's a false sense of lack of control over your own life, because you feel "that there are steps you'll always need to follow". It depends. Everything depends... and everything can also change.

If

it's too difficult right now to look inward, that's okay, but at least keep the internal flame burning - this is extremely important, so that, at the most appropriate moment, things finally change.

Because just throwing yourself into the repetitive and highly imposed flow won't contribute, but rather stagnate.

Therefore, not all movement is evolution. In some cases, it may indeed signify some kind of stagnation, because it's a repetitive movement without your consciousness participating.

"Paty, how do I know if I'm in a repetitive cycle OR if I'm taking care of myself, despite certain repetitive actions that are part of our lives?" > I'll respond with a phrase I received intuitively today:

"Observe your feelings and emotions, as they are a perfect indicator, and then take action. Only you can act."

Excellent rest - not only physical but mental/emotional as well!

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers #my writing #reflection pills #reflection #contributions #study motivation #study tips #crystalsenergy

[nevis-the-skeleton]

Starscream Earthspark

So, I saw all the episodes of Earthspark yesterday, and I'm so happy! I really have a lot to say about this series, which is really great, but here I'm going to focus on my favorite character. Those who know me surely know who I'm going to talk about X): Starscream!

We finally have a Starscream that is listened to and believed! I was so happy when Hashtag tried to put herself in his shoes, and even ended up standing up for him against Megatron. The fact that someone believed him, understood that he didn't deserve everything he went through made me feel so good and made me so happy.

I was so sad after TFP ended because the show seemed to show that Starscream deserved all the horrific abuse he suffered, both physically and mentally. Even in RID15 we are going in this direction, and I admit that it annoyed me. But when I saw the direction Earthspark was heading, I jumped for joy. We finally allow this more than misunderstood character to express himself and talk about his pain.

So, yeah, he's Starscream, and he's not really a good guy. But that doesn't justify all he's suffered at Megatron's hands. As Hashtag says, it wasn't all his fault. Not much is known about Megatron and Starscream's past yet, and I hope the show will expand on their history more. For example, how did they come to hate each other so much.

After, when Megatron and Starscream are fighting in the cave, I think if Megatron was so violent against Starscream, it's probably because there was Hashtag. He has such a bad image of Starscream that he must have thought the Seeker was attacking Hashtag.

Also, I think it's no exaggeration to say that Starscream must have suffered greatly at the hands of Megatron in this universe as well. Because Starscream literally tells him that he's not safe where Megatron is. So, we don't yet know how violent it was, but we can still have some guesses. There is also the hurt of Megatron's abandonment of the cause which is clear in Starscream.

Anyway, I'm really happy with Starscream's arc, and the development the Earthspark writers decided to give him. We see that he's going to go into redemption, just like Megatron, and it's nice to see that he's being given a chance too. Megatron has often had the right to a redemption arc (in IDW for example) but Starscream never (not really).

I also like that it was surely him who rallied the Decepticons helped the Terrans. When Twitch releases the others, and asks them for help, clearly none of them want to interfere. But as soon as Starscream arrives, everyone else arrives with him. So we can assume that he was the one who convinced them to help, and I think that's really great.

I can't wait to see what happens next and how the story will progress. There is still plenty to say about Earthspark, but here I focused on Starscream. I could also talk about the horrible death of Karen right in front of her brother John (poor John...), or the terrifying metamorphosis of Mandroid, or even the evolution of Robby and Mo (which is really cool).

PS: The fact that Starscream is practically adopting Hashtag is adorable X3. The hug scene with Twitch too, so not used to affection XD.

#starscream #transformers #maccadam #tf earthspark #starscream earthspark #megatron #I'm just sharring my happiness X) #transformers earthspark

[astroyongie]

2023 Planetary Predictions

Note: hey everyone ! last year I did 2022 and now im coming back with the 2023 edition ! I hope you guys like it ! To read this prediction it’s easy, just read the house the sign is in your chart ! If you have Aries in your first house, then you need to only read Aries first house in the planet. <3 I wish everyone a happy new year ! may you be blessed. 

Jupiter 

1st January to 15th May: Jupiter in Aries

1st House: During this period, it’s a good moment for you to start having healthy life styles. Taking care of your body, eating well, practicing exercise and not being afraid to show the world who you are. Aries is giving you the fire energy to mark goals and actually be stubborn enough to go through them 

2nd House: Money issues shouldn’t be a huge problem during this time. It’s important to remember that you will have some competition and you might feel like you need to be better than everyone else. Focus on your own goals and work, as your rewards will come strictly from what you create. Good period in creating businesses and for studies 

3rd House: I see new friendships becoming to life, and a good period for you to sign in different activities (like sports, communitarian work, ect) something you can work on with people during your free time. This experience could bring you a lot of experience so if you have the opportunity do it !

4th House: You might take some impulsive decisions during this time, mostly because you want to make everything settled and just go with your energy of the moment. If you are battling with someone for the attention of a peer, you might win as well 

5th House:I feel a lot lot of childlike spirt going on, joy and just overall good feelings. You will be abundant in happiness but also love. You might feel a need to be a heart collector as well, possibility of involving yourself in affairs !

6th House:Abundance in your health, you will feel energetic during this period, things are going rather well for you. Heating up a bit, sweating a lot too. Good period to workout and see your own body changing. Use this energy to make yourself useful at your working place

7th House:If you are in a relationship, expect a burning passion, an evolution and abundance in your relationship. Everything is going so well and you might have thoughts of marriage, or making things a little bit more serious, taking a step forward that might come out random and impulsively. If you aren’t in a relationship, there’s high changes for you to fall in love, or find a huge passionate adventure/crush during these moments, so keep an eye open. 

8th House: Be careful because this period will make you feel extremely sexual and frustrated with everything, so make sure to free your sexuality in a healthy way and try not to be too rough with your ideas. A feel physical fights too, fiery energy will be at his peak during this period. 

9th House: It’s a perfect time for you to travel, to meet you places and to have a new education, changing your studies or applying to something new. Use this creative energy to nourish your brain and feed your curiosity of the world

10th House: It feels very authoritative, so it’s a nice period to start working on your own and achieve success not by listening to others, but by listening to yourself, your own convictions and beliefs. Some of you boys, might become fathers during these time as well and some of you will have recognitions, mostly those who are in working or activities involving sports and finances. 

11th House: All the things you have been manifesting so far will start becoming true during this period, so it’s a good things. Your friendships will also be very important during that time, so keep making a name for yourself and to help those in need. I also see a lot of inner competition with others 

12th House: It’s a good period to recover from mental health as you have the energy of Aries to help you fight through it. During this time focus in your recover and also in your inner self to do some shadow work 

16th May to 3rd September: Jupiter in Taurus 

4 September : Retrograde Jupiter in Taurus 

1st House: Your image will be extremely important, and people around you will see you are someone very seductive yet untouchable. By denying people they might feel as if you are being stubborn or playing hard to get. Focus on eating better during this time and to get a better lifestyle instead of choosing comfort 

It’s going to be a complicated moment of a lot of self doubt about yourself, the way you look, the way people see you as well. You might feel as if you don’t fit in the society patterns, so make sure to keep your head out of water and to introspect. You are the only person who can create your own reality 

2nd House: Extremely good period for you during this moment either it comes with mney, goals, projects and even school, you are suppose to get everything that you want. It’s an abundant period so take profit of it to keep creating and to invest in things that matter and that have long success. Take risks 

You might doubt yourself a lot during this time. I would advice carefulness on your spending habits, because even if there’s an illusion of getting money, make sure you don’t spend it as if there’s no tomorrow. Take this period of time to also plan on new projects and wait for Jupiter to be direct again before putting them on light 

3rd House: Friendships being established, I also feel like this period will be good for flirting, for meeting new people and exploring new interesting subjects. People will feel naturally drawn to you, so use it to make new friends and learn more about the world. Get out of your comfort zone as well if possible 

I see a lot of introspection, of inner thoughts running around your little head, you thinking a lot about what people tell you, about events of the present and putting yourself in a situation that there’s no need to be. Be kind to people as well, as you will have the tendency to be quite cold and harsh with the way you communicate 

4th House: Fertility period. If you are looking to conceive a child it’s a perfect period, if you are not, then make sure to be protected ! It’s also a good moment to develop your current relationships and to take steps forwards like oficialization, marriage, promises, houses, ect. Also feminine period for the girls, time to start creating foundations with your partners and love ones

The doubts and fears are very present still, but don’t stop about planning your future with your love ones. Be really careful, because it’s a good period to have little surprised like, children like surprise, or exes coming back, parents and family members coming back as well. It’s also a period where you need to self care instead of caring for others 

5th House: So much flirty energy coming from here it’s insane, during the period be careful how you manage it. I see a lot of potencial romance coming into your life and you playing a lot with it. Possible affairs, cheating from your side and playing on several boards. 

Feeling dramatic, like everything is happening at once. During retrograde moment be careful, because these people you have been playing with will come for you for explanations. Take your time and also introspect to choose the best path and the best options for yourself 

6th House: You look good, your body will be healthy and it’s a good moment to keep working on it.Taurus energy will also provide you a lot of strength and motivation to do your work and meet your goals. Huge sense of organization and usefulness, if you work hard during this period you will be rewarded. 

Be careful when it comes to health during this period. I suggest you looking for anything concerning your ears, throat, vocal coords, thyroid, neck and your tongue. During this period you might also feel very very lazy and procrastinate a lot. Complicated time to feel joy overall 

7th House: Extremely good moment for you if you are in a relationship. You and your partner are getting cozy and enjoying each other presence very much, it’s a nice moment to make plans, to make goals and invest in what you guys have. If you aren’t in a relationship, Jupiter comes here to let you know there’s high changes to find someone but also to find regular people to be with (FWB for exemple).

During retrograde make sure to take some time to self care, because even if your heart belongs to someone, you also need to put your needs first. Be careful with your excessive jealousy and positivity. You don’t own people you love and you need to. Learn about boundaries during this time. 

8th House: Abundance in your sex life so if you are open minded about it, it’s a good period for you to explore your own body and your sexuality. You might also discover a lot of lies and trues about things that were done and said, so it’s pretty much a mystery box during this time. 

Deep inner growth during this period, a lot of spiritual stuff might happen too. Like you feeling overall sensitive to entities, feelings draw to anything that is occult. Also it’s a period where you might feel a little bit unlinked with your environment, where you have ideas of possessing (through sex for example). Don’t do any loans or investments during this time. High changes of having an inheritance during this time too. 

9th House: You have been blessed by the gods of wisdom, and everything is pointing for you to reach your goals, have good marks at school, pass your test, get that job. Use this moment to learn, to educate yourself, to read and to learn more about your interests. For some  people it means also traveling for your job and studies

You will go through a period where religion will be important (either positive or negative), where there will be a lot of self introspection and doubts, questions and answers provided by life itself. Study philosophy during this time, if possible. 

10th House: Good period to start a career, a long term job or goal. Your public image will be very important during this time as well, and you have abundance in your creations and on you network, so keep working hard and with other people to achieve a higher level in your professional life 

You might feel as if you career is a little bit stuck at the moment, you will go through a period of overthinking and doubt about the choices that you made in life. Stay strong and don’t let that win, instead think of solutions and start preparing them. Put them in action once it gets direct again 

11th House: It’s a good moment for you to so something for the society like doing some time of social work, humanitarian or helming in some short the community. If you do this, Jupiter energy in your 11house will help you get recognition and money. Your manifestation will become true as well

Careful what you wish for during these period, because manifestation is strong and it doesn’t always work in our favor. Be careful with someone of your friends wanting to get your place, or being jealous of your situation. Be kind during this period 

12th House: Huge abundance spiritually speaking, your consciousness will be quite open and it’s a perfect time to work in your spiritual side, in your connection with your religion and your belief.  Also a good period for healing so don’t hesitate to look for therapy and professionals during this good period 

Your mind might feel a little foggy, you will be very jealous of others, very stubborn, you feel like your life isn’t comfortable enough. A lot of doubt and overthinking as well. During this period work on your inner self 

Saturn 

1 January to 6 March: Saturn in Aquarius

1st House: If you are kinda lost in yourself at the moment it’s normal. During this time you are still discovering who you are, your identity, what you want to be and become, what trace you want to leave in the world. If you have been thinking about changing you style physically, it’s also a good moment to explore 

2nd House: You might get a whole new job or opportunity to work somewhere else or to win money from something completely crazy and new. Make sure that you engage yourself in something legal tho !

3rd House: t’s a good period for you to engage yourself in actives and interests where you can share with other people (per exemple joining a club). Communication will be extremely important during these periods, so you need to talk with people and to share your mind and thinking 

4th House: Your roots and your family will be an important topics, bu new things will be achieved in family, new steps taken and new goals and decisions made. Your participation will be required 

5th House: There’s high changes for some of you starting an unconventional romance/ affaire with someone. This might lead to quite some drama in the future but it will be also a way of you feeling alive and child like 

6th House: Good health related to your legs and muscles legs in general, but it’s important to keep going some fitness and some sports to keep the goof form. During this period, be innovational and use your intelligence to help others create things they never thought of 

7th House: For those in a relationship you might give or receive a usual proposal of marriage or contract. For those who aren’t in a relationship, I see a Non traditional relationship that might come into your life

8th House: It’s a good time for your o explore all of your kinky side with partners that will be okay to help you with it. You light achieve a lot of experience and for some even be able to discover a few secrets that have been kept away from you

9th House: Some of you will travel for education, fun or work preposes. It’s a good time to discover more about the world, to start studding about some stuff, because whatever is your interest right now, you light be able to achieve quite a few things with it, so try to invest your time in that 

10th House: You will achieve a long term success in your project. I also see recognition for you but you need to keep that image of being different of others, so don’t lose your creative and your originality 

11th House: Technology might be an important area that you want to look into at the moment. This placement gives you and helps you achieve long lasting friendships and social circles, but again you need to keep your originality. Some of your wishes will come true during this period in an unexpected way

12th House: You will achieve a new scale of consciousness and beliefs, you will discover a lot about your inner world and the mysteries of spirituality. It’s truly a blessing so use that to explore and invest more of your time in it 

7 may to 16 June: Saturn in Pisces

17 June to 3rd November : Retrograde Saturn in Pisces (depending on your behaviors and choices karma will either be positive or negative)

4 November: Saturn in Pisces 

1st House: The way you perceive yourself is actually putting itself out in your utter world, so make sure you think positive of yourself during these moment so your own body and appearance can modelate to your energy. It’s also a good period to make sure that the you of your dreams becomes the you of today, so move your booty and change ! 

You will go through a drastic change mentally mostly, a lot of things are changing inside your little head, this comes from how you view yourself and the world. You might find finally answers for your questions concerning your deepest self 

2nd House: Everything you have been dreaming of, seem to become to life during this period, your manifestations are extremely strong, so take profit of that ! Either it involves money, income, goals or family, you will get it all !

The karma will be hitting you, and again this will depend on everyone based on your actions. In any case, karma will hit you in your money, work, income, possessions and jobs. 

3rd House: It’s such a good period for those who have been working in their mental health, as I see minds more at ease and more at peace as well. Use this time to keep involving and start engaging yourself in social activities 

Karma will hit your through your inner thoughts and mind, so depending on the person, this could be happy thinking, or negative overthinking. It might also hit you in the areas of your interest or even touch your siblings if you have any 

4th House: If you have a complicated relationship with your mother it’s a godo time to solve everything that needs to be solved and also just making your relationship better. Your emotions are also very important during the time and you might have outburst due to them being very hard to handle 

Karma will hit your self care mostly, so you might have a hard time taking care of yourself physically and mentally if you did negative behaviors. It will definitely hit your emotions, and in some cases, your mother, home and your family. 

5th House: Be careful with your romance life, a lot of crushes coming, a lot of people going, some affairs going on as well but also a lot of creativity ! So use the energy to create to achieve the things that you want. Use your head and your heads to Mae your goals come to life 

Karma will hit your joy. If you were good, you will be carefree and happy doing this time, if you haven't, you will become self pity and dramatic. Might also hit your relationships and affairs if you had any. 

6th House: Your health will be going great, no problems involving your feet or your hormones everything working well. It’s a good period to use your 6 sense to make projects and to be useful in helping people and be of service 

Karma will hit your analytical vision of things, making you either very well brained or comply foggy. Also your health in some cases (feet and hormones) 

7th House: It feels like some of you will be able to achieve love. No matter if you are in a relationship of not, it’s a amazon period to love, to find love and to construct things, like official relationship, marriages, babies, buying a house, making projects. A lot fo sharing and good vibes.

Karma will hit your interpersonal relationships, mostly friendships and romantic relationships and in some fe cases, business and contracts   

8th House: Intimacy will be at his peak during this period, so most of you need to be careful with your sexual lives because it can get a little crazy so project yourself well ! Some of you might win inheritances 

Karma will hit your spiritually and lies that have been said. In some cases your sex life, your intimacy, assets and financial situation like inheritances  

9th House: For those with this placement, you spiritual realm will be huge at this moment, some of you will be able to see things through dreams, have premonitions and see the future through many tools. Higher self energy and even spiritual travel for some, so explore that area if you can 

Karma will hit your ethics and spirituality, religion. You either feel lost or get all the good answers. In some cases, travels and education can also be touched 

10th House: Your reputation will change during this period, to something more positive, but people still see you as a dreamer. However you are able to put in a long successful career at the moment, so follow your dreams and show that you can make them be real 

Karma will hit your reputation and your inner and outer imager. In some cases also your career, your status, and goals, but also your father

11th House: Huge period of spirituality, you light even be able to communicate with spiritual beings, being into division, ect. You are at your peak during this time, so please use that energy to do good and to envolve ! 

Karma will hit your future so you really need be careful of your actions. In some cases it might also hit your friendships 

12th House: Again, it’s a huge spiritual moment as well, a lot fo your will be connected with the subconscious and spiritual travelers. A lot of you will also be able to heal yourself from the wounds in your heart and soul 

Karma will hit psychological and mental health, but also your loneliness, spirituality and your healing. This karma is also extremely strong 

Uranus 

1 January to 21 January: Retrograde Uranus in Taurus  

22 January to 27 August: Uranus in Taurus

28 august : Retrograde Uranus in Taurus

1st House: Your body is changing during this whole period, so it’s important for you to eat well, to work out and to focus on your self motivation for this change to be positive and not negative. Innovate yourself physically, and take the risks you never did before 

A lot changing inside yourself this time, something more about your personality. Based on the events that will happen during retrograde, your perception of life and yourself will change a lot, and only yourself can make this positive or negative again 

2nd House: Most of you will see change in your routines and in your income (positively normally), so it’s a good period. Also you have the opportunity start being and investing your money, innovate and take risks

Your habits, ethics and values will change, and depending on your journey, you will either become very materialist during this period, or every family oriented  

3rd House: Be ready to go through a total transformation when it comes to your mind and the way you communicate and think. Tell yourself that you words have a lot of power at the moment and that you should use them wisely, even most during social gatherings. 

Your mind works a lot, you will be focusing a lot in your self interests and activities and removing yourself from the social world. Be careful not to isolate yourself too much and to use communication 

4th House: Some of you have the opportunity to become a mother or to create strong foundations in your relationship and home before taking the big step. Good period for self care and to use your feline side which is strong and seductive at the moment

You will be focused a lot in your own self care, leaving your home a little bit to the side. Also your energy is very me focused, in your own emotions and needs, it’s also a time you have to heal you inner child before making decisions for your home 

5th House: A lot of changing happening in your love life, so for the single ones, it might mean partner coming, but again the energy of fertility is high so be careful if you don’t want a baby !

It’s a good time for you to express yourself about what has been bothering you and make your boundaries clear. Taurus energy wants you to focus on your self expression, in your joy and creativity. Use your hands 

6th House: You will probably have some news concerning your health during this period, other than that, you might see your body change as well, so if you can try to make fitness plans. For those who work, there might have some changes in the organization and in your new services 

Use this time to focus and work on your health. Go see doctors if you can, solve every problem that needs to be solves, also I would advice you to have a more balanced diet and do some kinda oof work out too. You need to use this time to give yourself a goal and a sense of usefulness 

7th House: Things will change in your relationship, this could be positive of negative depending on other placements, but mostly concerning you and your partner’s point of view and sharings, contracts and future goals and ideas. For those single, well might say you guys will change to not singles 

If you are in a relationship, there’s chances that you fall out of love during this period, that you don’t feel so much attached like you used before. It’s important to take some time to decide what you want to do. For the single, you will feel possessive and jealous over the people you love and you will feel yourself change because of them

8th House: Again, I see inheritances coming in, a see your sex life changing drastically as well and a lot of taxes and assets being in the middle during this period, so it’s kinda of a lot of confusing stuff changing and happening.

I see your intimacy changing a lot and you not doing the same behaviors or patterns that you need before. Some internal changes will happen as well depending on other placements.

9th House: Travel plans won’t go as planed for many of you. In another hand, I see your life philosophy, your religions, your beliefs, changing as well based on other events the will happen throughout this period 

You might reconsider your beliefs during this time, but also plan some new travels and plans. Good moment to actually learn more about what interest you and expend your ethics by meeting new people 

10th House: Chances in your career that you cannot avoid, your reputation will change as well and how people will se you too. again, this depends on the other placement during the period, it can be good or bad

If you are feeling like changing jobs during this moment, go ahead, because your fame and your social status will be changing a lot during the hole year, and you will need to make decisions based on your own needs. Not others, not financial, but based on yourself   

11th House: I don’t see your manifestations becoming true during this period, but it seems like some of your friendships will change, so maybe you will lose some people around ou during the time 

Time to make new manifestations, new hopes, new dreams, new you, new everything because a lot is going to change during this period. Let go of people that don’t serve you and do some cleaning inside your friendship circles

12th House: Your spirituality will change, also I see a lot of healing and emotional stability as well. It’s a good period to work on mental health and do your best to improve it 

Your mental health will change a lot, depending on placements it might be good or not. In anywise it’s a moment you have to focus on yourself and to spend time alone to figure out your own things 

Neptune 

January to  29 June: Neptune in Pisces 

30 June to 5 December: Retrograde Neptune in Pisces

6 December: Neptune in Pisces

1st House: Your body is going through a spiritual shift and your might be very in sink with your spiritual guides and your own mind as well. Thanks to Pisces in Neptune, everyone is able to feel a little bit of this energy somehow. Use your beliefs to change your approach of life 

Be careful with dissociative episodes involving your body, so body dysmorphia mostly. During these time, seek help of professionals if needed, and give yourself time to remove that fog you have created in your eyes

2nd House: Your mental health will be pretty much based on your financial situation. Depending on it, your moods will go through different stages. The more secure you are, the better. Good period to envolve in your ethics and open your mind to new things

You will have a deception concerning an investment and/or money issues during this period. A low income that will come and put you in a complicated situation. Please don’t do any type of business during this time 

3rd House: People with this placement might be able to communicate with spiritual beings during this period of time, but also they will be having a lot fo empathic abilities with people so if you can talk and ease people around you, use that energy 

Most of you will suffer from a many intrusive thoughts, overthinking, a lot of lies and self deception because of the usability to see the reality. Your mental health will be very poor during this period so please, take care of yourself. 

4th House: Emotions will be very important, working in your mental health is going to be essential during this period so it can ease when Neptune is going to be in retrograde. Furthermore, mother-child issues need to be communicated and self care is going to be primordial during this period 

Be careful and prepared to have self deceptions concerning your family and most importantly your mother. I see a not so good relationship with her as well that can become very toxic during this period, so make sure to seek help if needed

5th House: Within this period, love is what will make you feel alive and well, so if you can, spend the much time you can with people that you feel joy. Also use your creative power to draw, to write to create things that help you exterior your emotions 

However had been through an affair during this year of 2023 prepare to get it all back in your face during this period. I see a lot of sadness doing this period, a lot of creativity and joy in general and your inner child being very upset 

6th House: Mental health will be important during this period, so please take care if it, since it can easily become overpowered. Doing workouts can help you a lot with feelings better and more joyful as well. Spend time introspecting and organizing your mind

Be careful with your hormones, your feet too and your health in general. Your body isn’t in it’s best shape, a lot of psychosomatic problems as well.

7th House: Whenever your psychological health gets bad, make sure to find comfort beside your love ones and to work in your relationship as well with your partner if you have one. A lot of illusions about a possible marriage and union happens during this time, so protect yourself 

A lot of deceptions concerning your love life. Either this is about arguments, betrayals, contracts, breakups and divorces, all of theses things can happen during these time, so watch out for it 

8th House: I see you using sex to solve your inner problems, I see you using it to hide your true feelings and denials but that won’t be healthy forever. Also your spiritually is going to be very high, but careful with the lies and secrets hidden from you 

Okay so a lot of problems concerning your sexual life during this time, you using sex as a way to escape the world, some of you might even develop unhealthy sex habits and addictions as well. Careful with literal death around you, with unhealthy behaviors and problems that comes with inheritances as well. 

9th House: Traveling to feel better might be an option, but so is focusing in your beliefs and religion that can help you find answers to your inner questions. Working and studying law, religion and cultural topics can be useful for your future

Don’t travel during this period, it can bring you a lot of ad luck. Also your spirituality will be close, you feel abandoned and alone in this world. Make sure to surround yourself with people you love to avoid this type of feelings during these period 

10th House: Working too much can be bad for you, so take some rest. Try to remove that unearthly relationship you have with your reputation and remember that spending too much time in social media is not good for your mental health 

This is going to be a tough period because something won’t be working out in your career and I also feel bulling or harassment through social media, through social gatherings inside work in general

11th House: Going out with your friends to feel better will be the best remedy for you during hard times, however if you can you should also focus in manifestation good energies and work in your new goals and hopes for the future 

Manifestations are blocked at the moment and you are unable to have hope or find light. During this period, some of your friends might even hurt you and disappoint you as well so it’s not going to be very easy

12th House: The way the spiritual connection is the strongest in this moment, you can literals do anything spiritually and magically speaking so take this opportunity to study it and to improve yourself. Some of you will be able to go through afterlife experiences, heal your deepest wounds and see the secrets of the world 

Seek professional help as this placement show a lot fo depression episodes but also psychotic ones for the most completed cases. Spirituality is blocked and your mind will be very fogged with Neptune’s energy 

Pluto 

1 January to 22 March: Pluto In Capricorn    

June 11 to October 9: Retrograde Pluto In Capricorn  

October 10: Pluto In Capricorn  

1st House: If you put some effort into what you eat, what you do and how you life your life, there will be a lot of transformation in your body (it’s your choice if this change will be positive of negative). You need to use the energy of Capricorn to be perseverante and to work for your goals to have good changes 

You will be needing to work a lot with your shadow self during this time, because Pluto retrograde will make you have a whole damn personality, someone darker, more witty, more judgmental and your good side will need to fight these thoughts a lot 

2nd House: You can except a lot of changes when it come to your working, study field. Your professional life might take a turn as well, there’s also a lot of money involved for a lot fo you, new possessions and habits that you will be investing on. Make sure you do this with your head !

This a hard time for you, because you will have a conflict with your own values and ethics and mostly you will feel like your life is not enough, as if you haven’t what you wanted. Be careful with greed behaviors and money management 

3rd House: You will become a lot more sure of yourself, a lot more stubborn and dedicated. Your thoughts are only filled with the necessary and you communicate for your own good and if you have something to take out from it. Be careful not to be too cold 

You will be fighting your mind a lot during this period, there will be the bad, greedy and judgmental side of yourself that will come out a lot, the overthinking and the sabotaging phases that need to be self controlled by you 

4th House: For some of you a see changes concerning moving out for a work, having to take your family with you. Some type of change that is linked with financial, home and work, so depending on other placements, this could mean several things. Creating new foundation is the main topic

Be careful because during this moment you might develop a very bad relationship with your mother, and even more a all bad relationship with your home due to your own dark self, so please work on yourself during this period   

5th House: For those lonely focused in work, it’s a perfect time to envolve and create something new during this period that will help improve your situation. Also there’s changes for your romantic situation to change (either relationship or breakup) 

If you have an affair during this time, or if you are cheating you will be caught and then you will feel attacked. Make sure to solve your situation before this happens and fight against your inner self that wants to be cruel and goody two shoe with people 

6th House: Depending in your current health, there will be changes. You will have a complicated moment, because thins won’t see organized in your life and you will have a hard time focusing in the service that you need to provide as you are too harsh on yourself 

You will be having awful healthy habits so please be careful or else your body will pay for it, mostly your skin, hair, nails, spleen, backs and bones. Organize your head and don’t be too hard on yourself and people around you, don’t be snobby. 

7th House: It’s a goodperiod to start doing planes with your partner for a possible contract, marriage, foundation, buying houses or moving out. Making plans will be essential to keep goals during the hard periods 

Your love relationships might get fragile during this period mostly due to your behavior being very cold, distant and too focused on other things than in the people that you love and are here for you. Some of you can go through breakups or separated ways

8th House: You will go through a whole transformation in your sexual life, there’s will be new things happening so if you can take profit of that energy to develop and explore you inner self. Also good moment to start financial investments, taxes and loans if you have the capacity for it 

Lack of intimacy is very present, you being unable to have a sentimental and sexual relationship with anyone. Your shadow self will be extremely strong during this period, which means all of you negative side will come out during this period so there’s a high need of canalizing that energy 

9th House: Travels ahead, mostly due to your work/projects and school. Use that time to explore new things and get as much experience as you can. It’s a Nice period to also get interested in topics like religion, culture and law. 

Religion and spirituality will be complexity blocked during this time. It’s a moment where you have no faith In life and around you, where your ethics and values will be questioned and also where people around you will make you feel stupid and unworthy 

10th House: Huge change happening in your career, it’s usually going to be positive but it will depend on other placements during the event. In any case expect a huge change in this that will shape your year 

You might get complexly hooked in your work, without even noticing anything else. Be careful because if you are too much in it, it can be negative for you and you might develop some addictions concerning your reputation and self image that you own’t be able to sustain 

11th House: There’s someone in your friends that will change your course of life and have a impact in your working field. You can trust them and also use that time to manifest new hopes and wishes 

Your manifestations are blocked and so are your friendships that are slowly pushing you away or you feel them being distant to you. Use communication and try to be understandable instead of snobby and judgmental 

12th House: Your consciousness is going to change and get a little more practical, so don’t expect to be too intuitive during this time. You think a lot with your head, which isn’t negative at all to be honest

You aren’t balanced between your working and your emotional life and that will have consequences In several areas of your life depending other placements. You aren’t listening to your intuition and your mental is degrading without you noticing during this period 

23 march to 30 April: Pluto In Aquarius  

1 may to 10 June: Retrograde Pluto In Aquarius

1st House: Some of you will get tattoos during this period, new haircuts, new clothes, new styles that will be appearing in the way you express yourself. A total transformation, some of you might even go through positive transformations when it comes to gender as well. Don’t be afraid to be yourself 

During this period you will feel weird, cast-outed, as if no one loves you or understands you. A lot of self doubt as well about the way you look and express yourself. You will have to fight against your dark shadow that will be someone with no empathy and too cruel 

2nd House: You might get some new possessions during this time, so make sure to be careful where you are investing your money so this buying is a good investment. I also see you probably changing your work and/or goals and finding new habits and projects 

Psychologically speaking you will feel a total mess during this time so take some time to work in your inner self. Even more because you might become very cruel when it comes to money 

3rd House: The way you think will go through a changing moment, you might have a lot more unconventional and non traditional values and thoughts, maybe find new interests that are out of your conform zone or culture, but it’s a good moment to envolve as a person and expend 

Your mind will be your biggest enemy during this period, because it will make you think things that aren’t real. Careful with dissociative behaviors during this period and see help if you feel like you are losing feet with reality and law 

4th House: Your family will go through some non traditional change (a divorce, an adoption, same gender relationship, country moving, ect). This change will be positive for your future so try not to be too harsh on yourself 

Bad period for your home family, because you might be prone to do a lot of things that will hurt your home, your family and most importantly your mother or child if you have any. Be more empathetic and less cold 

5th House: For those seeing someone but not being official yet, it seems like there’s high changes to get a true relationship from it. Good period to heal inner child and to use your creativity to create something innovating, take some risks !

Huge cheating energy during this time, you playing a little bit everywhere and doing the same mistakes as you did in your past. Please be careful so you don’t get stuck in a karmic chain. Also don’t make drama for nothing 

6th House: Your health will improve during this time, so make sure you keep working on yourself and in your health, try to do something that no one else would do, explore your options and don’t be afraid to be different from others ! 

Be careful with addictions and don’t do any type of drugs during this period as you can easily get addicted and destroy your life. 

7th House: Non tradicional changes happening in your relationship if you are taken, like a baby coming, a marriage proposal, a new person entering your life beside your partner. As for the ones single it can mean a same sex new relationship or person entering your life 

There’s high changes of cheating in your partner, of breaking up and of marriages being ruined during this period, also divorces for some. People single, might feel very alone during this period, as if no one ever would love them 

8th House: Your sexual and initiate life will have some changes as well, it seems like it’s a good period to try new things, try new partners and have experiences that are different that what you had so far, so explore if you feel conformable with it. Also be careful with lies that you might spread about others 

It’s a bad period when it comes to addictions, because whatever you do you can easily get hooked on whatever bad behaviors you are having in the moment. I also see you having weird and unconventional sexual attitudes so please be mindful in that area 

9th House: You might go through a period where you are discovering new religions, new philosophy, new ways to live and to practice “live” as a whole. It’s a good period to actually meditating and learn more about yourself about what you want to become. For some it also means the end of following a religion and following your own faith 

If you travel during this period, there’s changes you get stuck in the airport to come back for exemple, of that something happen to you travel journey that will be very annoying and put you off. Spiritually speaking, it’s also a blocked path unless you work on it 

10th House: You might unexpectedly change your career path, your job or your studies so if you had already an idea to do that, don’t be afraid to put it into practice ! It’s a nice time to involve differently in your career field and to be different from others in society 

Be careful not to overwork yourself, as there’s is chances of getting burnout by it. For some of you there’s the possibility of not being able o find work or being stuck in debts and having money problems, or even people not accepting you based on your looks; 

11th House: Don’t be afraid to do some cleaning in your friendships and to keep only the ones that serve you somehow. There will be also people leaving by their own your life, in that case don’t go after Them and stay original and unique to yourself 

Old toxic friendships coming back to you, people of your past coming to your life again, so be careful. Also for some of you there’s the possibility of finding rumos of your inside social media.

12th House: Your spiritual path might change, and you are in a good period to expend yourself and to try new things. Don’t go to the simple path since you have the energy and the gift to go beyond simple spiritual paths. Also a good time to change and work in your mental health. 

Bad period for your mental health, not only addictions, but also depression and psychotic episodes can happen. If you feel like you are losing touch with reality or that you are going though a path that isn’t traditional, please seek help 

#astrology #astrology prediction #2023 predictions

[ninja-muse]

February was a pretty good month! I read some books I really loved (and a couple that were simply meh), I got in a father-daughter visit and had really good luck at Scrabble, the weather was mostly not awful, and even if inventory at work took longer than expected, I survived it without brain mush, which has happened before. I am still the fastest scanner! My title holds.

Regular readers will be unsurprised to learn that Eve by Cat Bohannon and Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse were my top reads of the month, or that What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher ranks third. My T. Kingfisher problem is at least a year old, after all. (Also I read a couple delightful picture books, so be sure to click through to find them!)

I'm personally more surprised by my lowest picks, because they both sounded so up my alley but fell flat for nearly completely different reasons. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store ended up feeling disjointed and like it was trying for a theme it couldn't quite grasp, and A Market of Dreams and Desires hit all kinds of tropes I love, right down to random Dickens references and weird steampunk machines, but tied everything together a little too neatly for me. Ah well.

And right in the middle of my list is my sole physical TBR read of the month: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. This managed to tick off "Canadian author" and "classic" at the same time, so I get triple points. (This might have had a hand in me picking it.) Duddy has aged surprisingly well, in that it's still pretty fast-paced and amusing and also in that Richler wrote it with the understanding that scam artistry, hypermaterialism, and misogyny were bad and y'know what? They still are. I would recommend if you're looking for a Canadian teen anti-hero, more than anything. Duddy is a trainwreck and you can't look away.

I managed to get through the month with only three books hauled. (We won't talk about ARCs but the book fairies were kind.) The Unfortunate Traveller and Under a Pendulum Sun were bought during the habitual father-daughter bookstore date, and both because I never thought I'd see them and figured I might never see them again. The Unfortunate Traveller is essays and travel writing by a guy who co-wrote with Shakespeare and I didn't know it even existed. Under the Pendulum Sun was recced to me somewhere (here? bookish website algorithms?) and since it's essentially a gothic novel with properly weird fairies, it's been on my list.

The third book was a total surprise. Apparently I helped crowdfund it in 2019 and they've only just managed to get it printed and also I said I wanted a physical copy? The things we learn. Anyway, it's essays on aromanticism, agender identity, and asexuality so that tracks.

And I know I said I wasn't going to talk about ARCs but I got some good ones this last month and also in January, and there's a lot of them that are out or soon to be out and I'm having that problem where I want to be reading all of them at once. March is going to be interesting and probably a little panic-inducing.

Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

Eve - Cat Bohannon

A history of human evolution, through the lens of the female body.

8.5/10

warning: touches on sexism, mental illness, suicide, miscarriage, and rape

reading copy

Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse

The fractures following the eclipse have deepened and no one can see a way back to peace that doesn’t involve bloodshed. Out in June

8/10

Indigenous cast, 🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (bisexual, third gender), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (third gender, sapphic), Black-Pueblo author

warning: war, torture, mentions of child abuse

reading copy

What Feasts At Night - T. Kingfisher

Alex Easton has returned to kar hunting lodge to relax. Unfortunately, the locals claim there's a monster on a property.

8/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (third gender), protagonist with PTSD

Library ebook

The Twilight Queen - Jeri Westerson

Will Somers, jester to Henry VIII, is caught up in another mystery, this time of a corpse in Queen Anne’s bedchamber.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 main character (bi), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay)

digital reading copy

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - Mordechai Richler

A delinquent teen grows into a hustler, against the backdrop of mid-century Jewish Montreal.

7/10

largely Jewish cast, Jewish author, 🇨🇦

warning: racial slurs, misogyny

Off my TBR shelves

The Woman With No Name - Audrey Blake

Lonely and craving war work, Yvonne signs up to be the first female spy for the Allies in occupied France. Out in March

7/10

half a 🇨🇦 author

reading copy

The Frame-Up - Gwenda Bond

Ten years ago, Dani turned her art thief mom in to the Feds. Now her mom’s mentor has given Dani an offer she can’t refuse: use her magic to pull an impossible heist, get her life back.

6.5/10

Black secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic)

reading copy

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride

The Black and Jewish residents of a Pennsylvania neighbourhood are (mostly) in it together, not least of when the government decides to take a local Deaf kid to an asylum.

7/10

Jewish and Black cast, major character with chronic illness and a limp, secondary Deaf character, Black author

warning: ableist characters and institutions, racist and anti-Semitic characters, sexual assault and molestation, (largely) reclaimed slurs

library book

The Market of Dreams and Destiny - Trip Galey

Deri may have a chance to buy out his indenture early when he meets a princess looking to sell her destiny. But in the goblin’s Untermarkt, nothing’s ever easy.

6.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 main character (mlm), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (mlm, genderfluid), British Indian secondary character, 🏳️‍🌈 author

warning: child abuse, enslavement

borrowed from work

Picture Books

No Cats in the Library - Lauren Emmons

Cats aren’t allowed in the library but that’s where all the books are!

🏳️‍🌈 author

Read at work

Family is Family - Melissa Marr

Chick gets a note before kindergarten, telling him to have his mom or dad walk him to school. Except that Chick has two moms.

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters and themes

Read at work

Currently reading

Knife Skills for Beginners - Orlando Murrin

Paul Delamare is filling in at a cooking school when the resident celebrity chef has a, erm, "accident."

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (gay), Black British secondary character

Reading copy

True North - Andrew J. Graff

The Brechts move to Wisconsin to restart a rafting business. They hope it’ll save their young family, but it might do the opposite.

library book

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character, occasional secondary Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 9 +2 Yearly total: 20 Queer books: 4 + 2 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 6 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 1.5 Classics: 1 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 3 ARCs acquired: 6 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 0

January

#booklr #bookblr #book reviews #adult booklr #reading wrap-ups #read in 2024 #my photos #book stacks #stacks of books

[ofsappho]

I completely understand you sometimes needing to answer "no comment" to our more spoiler-y asks. 😁 I am just happy you allow us to posts asks at all, because it's fun. Not to be a perv, but I am looking forward to chapter 29's smut. I respect how you write realistic BDSM themes. 👌 I am curious if Dream's ever fully gotten to embrace the Dom part of himself before Reader? He seemed sort of surprised how quickly she responded. Also, is she just a Sub or a Switch?

MASSIVE INFODUMP INCOMING

🔞

I love writing realistic kink. It’s so fun for me. If you’ve read Heartless, my Ghost x Reader fic, you know I love me some good kink representation. Chapter 29 will be a super fun exploration of primal kink and CNC.

I want to note that without much further detail, I myself am a part of my local kink community, most of my friends are also a part of my local kink community, and I bring quite a few years of experience with me to the writing table!

(All of my friends, including myself, are queer/trans and various permutations of disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, mentally ill, etc. Many local kink spaces to me are some of the most disability accessible spaces in our area. At least a third of the kinky people I see and socialize with on a regular basis are visibly physically disabled. We continued to mask far past the expiration of our local mask mandates.)

While Dream is and always will be a dom, Reader has more way experience with modern kink culture and norms than he has.

Modern kink was very much pioneered by the queer/trans scene of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s and 30s, and then again by Western queer people of the 50s through today. Morpheus would have been in the cage during all of this massive cultural creation and evolution.

What to him might have been something he would need to “acclimate” past partners to is now normal in this (relatively) new subculture. And Reader is very familiar with this subculture.

Reader is definitely a sub. Unfortunately, I tend to write from experience and I really cannot make myself relate to any other mindset 🤣. I do view stuff like d/s as not just actions but mindsets, personalities, and approaches to relationships.

Morpheus needs to be in “control”. He wants someone he can care for, protect, help, guide, etc. I have him characterized as someone who needs a productive, positive outlet for these existing control tendencies. Reader needs someone who can care for her, who can help her, guide her, etc. That’s something she wants and knows is good for her.

Brushing her hair, feeding her, etc, these are all d/s things that are mutually fulfilling for Morpheus and Reader.

I could literally rant about this for forever, so I’ll stop here lol.

#treehouse #the sandman #dream of the endless x you #dream of the endless x reader #sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus x reader #morpheus x you #lord morpheus #lord morpheus x reader #lord morpheus x you #Morpheus

[third-arch]

Law’s Novel-Quick Follow Up

I just thought about this so I had to write it down.

- My theory on the OPOP

- The purpose of Bacca

The point of Bacca?

You could interpret the second half of this novel as Law deciding what kind of pirate he wants to be.

Wolf-alone, independent, leader, give and take idea, detached, yet cares deep down, does what is right, seeks knowledge, nonjudgmental

Corazon-kind, truthful, just, breaks rules if necessary, fatherly, hid his emotions to be strong, even at the face of death, refused to kill, hopeful, never gave up

His family-hardworking, connected, loving, supportive, intelligent

Doflamingo-hardcore/realistic(?) like he knew that the sea would be dangerous, calculating, planning, controlling, ruthless, abusive, vengeful

Bacca-crime, power, aggression, just not good at all LOL

He’s had so many people guide him throughout his childhood, and now that he’s confronted with a real sense of danger(Bacca), it serves as a reflection of who he could have become had it not been for Corazon.

He was only a kid and he wanted the world to burn. He, going against his convictions, did take some of these ideals. The give and take one, as much as he was against it, was used a lot.

Also, I was reading another review about the novel, and I'd thought I'd add on a little to what they were saying:

My theory on how he activated the OPOP DF

Awakening, Control, Mastery, Evolution

This is a trope that we see in countless animes, superhero movies, and novels.

Some don’t need awakening, some do.

This was the case for Law. He needed an awakening.

Law needed to amass a large amount of energy or stress or something for the powers to awaken. He needed to be pushed. Yes, the powers were there, but in every timeline, there was just no way he would’ve been able to help Corazon. He had yet to learn how to harness the powers, which is why he was helpless at Corazon's side.

When he awoken his powers, he was about to die. He was in pain emotionally and physically. He screamed. He was weak. He was cold, freezing. He was alone in a cave. He was angry. He banged his fist on the ground. He was fighting a losing battle. His heart raced.

He was overwhelmed. That’s his awakening. An instinctually rude awakening.

This is how his fight or flight response kicked in. Your body limits certain functions so others can be amplified. Now that the devil fruit was part of him, it naturally awoken in the face of, no surprises here, death.

The control aspect of his power would be simply focus and using his mental energy. The better the control and focus, the better the results. Even in such a distressed state as Law was in, as well as him just then inheriting the powers, it would have been very difficult for him to assess the situation. I think it was probably a lot easier for him to save himself, considering that the circumstances were a bit different. Corazon, a loved one, his caretaker and guardian all this time, was bleeding, and Law already seemed lost as to what was wrong. He wasn't as experienced as he would be after being with Wolf. He was simply being vulnerable. He even hesitated in Wolf's surgery later on in the novel.

Basically, even if he was somehow able to use his powers, Corazon still would have died. Law would have had to completed a much more (maybe not as much with the DF, yet still) complex surgery than extracting Amber Lead from his liver. All while somehow managing to maintain his mental focus during all of it.

I don’t know who it was, but someone wrote a HC series of how OP characters would react to their s/o dying. For Law, they wrote that he would activate his room and start working, even if it was hopeless, until he collapses from exhaustion.

It sounds flowery but honestly I think he would. Compared to who he was a as a child, he’s no longer holding back from using his powers, no more later, it’s “now” he needs to have control and work. He needs to give it his all.

A great example of this is Rin Okumura from Blue exorcist. His powers became evident once he had awoken them. They were always there, just sealed. As the wikia summarizes,

“Then, as Reiji was about to burn Rin with a heated steel pole, blue flames started to appear from Rin, surprising himself.”

Both characters have a lot of similarities, believe it or not.

From then, it was about control. Law was able to manifest the dome from his body. This came with a lack of control. With focus and practice, we all know that he’s able to manifest it in his hands.

Also, idk if I missed something or this is just a really dumb idea, or like common knowledge like “Duh, Lemon. Didn’t you know?” but I’m wondering if the hand tattoos could’ve been a way to help him focus his energy and the size of his room. LIKE OKAY HEAR ME OUT like Law’s always summoning Rooms with his palm facing down. Even his hand is kinda in the shape of a dome, too. So the tattoo probably helps him. Like this:

I don’t think (I just accidentally deleted this entire paragraph I’m so angry) that it’s necessarily a matter of him learning medical terms, but rather they served to help control and activate his powers (it sounded so much better before I deleted it ugh)

Okay those are my final thoughts for real on this novel. LOL there are so many typos and grammatical errors. I just thought I’d analyze two things. I don’t think his hand tattoos are that meaningful but it’s an idea.

#one piece #op #one piece art #trafalgar law #trafalgar one piece #trafalgardwaterlaw #law x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #corazon #corazon op #one piece law #law one piece #law

[sailor-mist]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀꒰ ♡𝆬· taoty — yunho ୨🌙୧ ⠀⠀

𝑤ill be a sequence of posts with this theme. the purpose of this reading is to know some details about yunho's life in 2023 and to know the predominant tarot arcana in his life this year. check wooyoung's ★ — TAOTY

as it's already september, i tried to find out what this year would bring for yunho and so far and also a general summary. it seems like this year is challenging for yunho when it comes to issues that need to be worked on and yunho has always pushed it under the rug.

everything is fine in his career, progress and his career is taking off and yunho is getting a return on that and can be even more at ease in terms of finances.

the tendency is for him to have an unstable year due to his deep and personal issues, yunho has a great stage image and sells this image very well, but like many other artists who also sell their image. yunho's problem begins when he has to deal with himself, the person behind the stage and behind the audience. there is a lot of emotional burden on yunho at the moment and he doesn't accept dealing with himself and never seems to have time to work on his internal issues (understandable knowing how hectic his routine is and when he has time for himself he tries to distract himself and escape the reality of be him).

his physical health is great but his mental health is not going well at the moment, there is a lot of instability and agitation — yunho can have problems with stress and at times it can be impulse, which in his case, impulsivity unlocks arrogance — and i'll deal with that his interpersonal relationships this year (close friends can be victims if yunho is having a bad day). but despite everything he is clear that he can no longer mistreat people who love him and want him well — and he has never hurt anyone because he wanted to — and this point could soon be significant if he needs to seek therapeutic help to deal with his anger, hate and the like. remembering that these are his internal issues, no one is to blame and he is aware of this, he has lost control > he is analyzing himself and will have the phase of working on his problems effectively. (go yunho!)

yunho knows he's not in a good moment, he doesn't know how to resolve this in a way that doesn't hurt him and doesn't make him feel like shit. it's a long process for him, the year 2024 for him depends a lot on all this cleaning and cargo that needs to be released as soon as possible.

yunho may have had romantic involvements that didn't work out (exactly due to his instability and also because of internal issues he has about validation) and this was also something that weighed on him, considering that he is emotionally unstable.

there is still big news for yunho in 2023, mainly regarding this healing process. in a while it will be clear to see a change in yunho, taking a new approach and even trying something new in terms of appearance/style. something different that he is not used to showing us, yunho is the opposite of everything he shows to the public and may soon feel comfortable showing us more about this other side that no one knows about.

there is spiritual evolution and he will listen to his intuition more, the moment will come when he will get tired of rowing against the tide and give himself over to this healing. he really can't wait to get to know more about himself. if i could give yunho some advice right now i would say: "this is the end, you just need to do it one more time, it will pass."

♥︎ — maybe happen: i believe that yunho could soon be in a new k-drama, there is also energy from a new love cycle that could be quite remarkable for him.

★ tarot arcana of the year — judgement: the master of the four elements, judgement calls from above in a loud voice a powerful and important renewal, the birth of a new conscience, a new family, a reawakening and the liberation of something that we kept closed and isolated. this card represents a call to express our vocation but also to discover, to evaluate or to be evaluated and judged. when the negative side prevails, it will bring about consequences such as the fear of failure, infantile behaviour, crisis and insecurities that will tempt us to remain closed within the coffin wich we are called upon to leave.

》 the tower: everything that yunho have been opposed to for probably a long time is about to emerge, explode and open itself to the world. the tower therefore is a living construction, overcrowded and teeming, exposed due to a sudden change that will alter the balances, and whose orientations and directions therefore could seem to become confused or overturned. it could be difficult to go against the current and against common opinuon but this is how illumitation will arrive. otherwise it will be a violent separation that will win, an expulsion that will bring it with crisis, unbalance and in the worst cases, a true catastrophe.

#ateez tarot #kpop tarot #ateez astrology #ateez scenarios #ateez yunho #★ — taoty

[nerdyvocals]

hi

What are your thoughts on Cynthia's dress and where she got it from?

SO GLAD YOU ASKED

I'd had some initial thoughts based on my first impression of the dress when I watched the episode, which I expanded on with further research of 1950s fashion plus my own knowledge of storytelling via costumes and color theory. Please note before I get into this theory that it is just that: a theory, based on the analysis of a garment and the knowledge I have acquired via my specific education and discipline.

That said, I do know for a fact that at least some part of my line of thought was correct. A few days ago, I stumbled across an Instagram page, (pinkladiescostumes), which is run by Sam Hawkins, the costumer who designed episodes 4-10. Hawkins has made several posts with clearer images of certain costumes, original concept designs, the inspiration behind the looks, and detailed descriptions of the reasonings/ideas behind them and what they're meant to convey. Highly recommend you give the page a follow if you use insta and are interested in costumes!

Now let's get into it. As before, this is a long post, so analysis is under the cut.

First things first, what are we working with here?

(Images from @ pinkladiescostumes on instagram)

It's got a floor-length hem, with a tulle overskirt. It looks to me like the tulle is tiered (I think I'm counting eleven tiers??? God, making a three-tiered skirt in a class last semester nearly gave me a mental breakdown, I think eleven tiers of TULLE would have actually killed me), but the rest of the skirt layers are not. Spaghetti straps, with a detachable tulle shawl. And what looks like a nice lacy, flowery detailing on the bodice. Light, girly, and flowy. (Also fun fact from the costume page: This was an actual vintage dress that was altered to fit Ari! The shawl was added on for Cynthia, though.)

I know I've previously called this look a monstrosity, but that was mainly in jest. This dress is GORGEOUS, it's just not very Cynthia.

Of course, that is, in fact, the point. But I will circle back to that. I want to talk about why I think this is a new dress. Let's talk a bit about school dance history and fashion trends.

It was around the 1930s that school dances as we know them today began to arise. The debutante balls held by colleges began to gain a casual cousin in high schools by the names of soph hops and proms. By the 50's, tea-length dresses came into fashion, similar to what Jane is wearing. Speghetti straps and strapless were making their appearances as well, usually paired with shawls (even useless little ones like what Cynthia is wearing!). The rise of rock and roll and other such music that inspired fast, swinging dances meant that fuller skirts with lots of movement were a go-to. I was doing digging and found a few articles with some interesting pictures.

(Image from Elle article "Prom Dresses Through the Years: An Evolution" by Mary Grace Garis and Charlotte Chilton)

(Image from The Vintage Inn article "Prom in the 19040s and 1950s")

(Image from VintageDancer article, "1950s History of Prom, Party, Evening and Formal Dresses")

(Image from r/VintageFasion post by u/bonesbugsnferns, "took my great grandmothers 1954 prom dress out to see glenn miller orchestra with my boy:))

Do any of these look familiar?

Each of these dresses are from the very early 1950s; at most from '55. Why is that significant? Well, in 1954, when season one takes place, you probably wouldn't find these dresses second-hand.

Now, admittedly, this is where my theory becomes less physical-evidence based and is pulling more from my own lived experiences, but bear with me and hear me out.

Coming off of The Great Depression and World War II, people were hesitant to get rid of things, especially clothes, and especially women. A dress for a dance might only be worn once, but it would be saved in a chest or an attic for a future generation (see above, the reddit user who wore her grandmother's prom dress from 1954) rather than be taken to a charity shop.

Of course, the Fall Ball wasn't a prom, but I raise you this: my grandmother still has every school dress she ever wore, whether it be prom, homecoming, or a winter formal; as do most of my aunts, cousins, and female friends. I still have my eighth-grade Who's Who semi-formal dress in my closet at my mother's house, and my prom dress is still in its original bag (class of 2020! I did not get my prom).

I grew up very poor, and most of my dance dresses came from thrift stores. Rule of thumb: anything you find that's gonna be in budget is gonna be at least five years out of fashion.

So, this leads me to believe that Cynthia splurged and bought a new dress. It fits in with her story arch as well.

At this point in time, Cynthia's having a rough go of it. They've been pushed out of her comfort zone in the drama club, she bailed on the play quite literally at the last possible second, and they're having feelings for a girl that she's not ready to, and cannot safely, confront. Being queer in high school, especially when you are or believe yourself to be the only one in your friend group who is, is a very isolating experience. And remember your LGBT history kids: being gay was a criminal offense, even in California, for most of the 20th century (in fact, California wouldn't see a significant attempt to lessen the laws until the 1960s).

So keep in mind here: Cynthia's hesitation to act on their feelings (or rather, the total refusal to acknowledge them) isn't (just) coming from something as simple as a fear of rejection or social isolation: if she is found out, she is risking a criminal record, imprisonment, forced conversion, or death.

And how does that fear manifest? By trying to look as much like a girl as possible. And if that means buying a brand-new dress she'd only wear once? Then so be it.

And this dress is the antithesis of anything we see Cynthia wear in the entire series. Their wardrobe is full of dark colors and loose fits, sharp lines and relaxed appearances. Even her more feminine school clothes contain traces of these more masculine elements. So what is this dress trying to say?

Anyone here familiar with color theory?

A brief explanation: our brains associate colors with certain things, and a designer will utilize these associations when trying to elicit a certain thought or feeling about something. (An example of this going badly that I feel most are familiar with, see: A Children's Hospital.)

(Image from Colors Explained article, "Meaning of the Color Yellow: Symbolism, Common Uses, & More")

This graphic I found explains what yellow is associated with pretty well. Every color has its positive and negative connotations, and what is being done with Cynthia's dress is very clever.

As I stated previously, they are trying very hard to put up a front of being perfectly fine. She is not ready to confront her feelings for Lydia, let alone the fact that she's queer, and both of these things are burdens she has to carry alone. So she throws herself into a date with the one boy she can guarantee is interested in her. She dons a flowery, lacy, yellow dress, looking as much like the "pretty peppies" as she can make herself appear. And she tries so hard to seem happy with him; be the enthusiastic, bubbly, smiley girlfriend.

Lydia, of course, sees right through this. "You can't pull that off."

And we see the mask slip. Yellow means other things as well; caution, sickness, cowardice, betrayal.

Caution: this carefully crafted straight girl persona.

Sickness: anyone can see how uncomfortable, how ill they look in their own skin.

Cowardice: running, running, running; from the play, from Lydia, from the Pink Ladies, from what she's realizing about herself.

Betrayal: Lashing out at Lydia when she tries to make amends. Dragging Shy Guy into the kitchen, just to hurt her. Pushing him to do more, blaming him when he can't make her feel normal, turning her cruelty on him, damaging a life-long friendship in the process.

And in the end, a new dress didn't matter. It doesn't make her 'normal', doesn't make these terrifying notions go away. It was only a warning sign for what was to come.

If you stuck around this long, props to you! This went on longer than I intended, but y'know, I got a lot to say. I've got a few more costume analysis requests burning a hole in my ask box, plus my list of fic plans (which has gotten... longer), but I'm going to have to take a brief hiatus. On top of my summer stock work getting more intense in a few days, I also need to prepare a research proposal in association with my degree track so that I can graduate on time, and I have to start working on the first draft soon, so if I put myself on hiatus from what I want to be writing, I'm hoping I can force myself to get what I have to write done faster. Part of said research is going to involve looking into 1950s fashion, so I'm counting this as a knowledge refresher.

That said, I'm leaving my ask box open to more requests, questions, or anything else, and I'll get to them as I can. Bye for now!

#rise of the pink ladies #grease rise of the pink ladies #cynthia zdunowski #costume analysis #color theory #costume history #costume theory

[itsmaferart]

SxF ·· Mision 71 ·· Speculations and impressions

Well, after suffering several heart attacks, let's talk about some personal speculations:

Fortunately, we could already canonically see that Yuri appeared in this chapter so it's not crazy to assume that he may be the hero/or one of the heroes in this arc

I would like to believe that this arc can a plot turning point, and propose a change in the dynamics of family lies. It would be very interesting if at some point Anya saw Yuri being the hero who confronts the red circus and saves her, officially discovering his identity (obviously, she already knows, but Yuri doesn't know she knows, you know?). It would be interesting, because Yuri would be scared to be discovered and should do everything possible for his chihuahua niece not to reveal his identity to anyone, and this would propose a dynamic of Anya (with a "Heh" face) blackmailing her weird uncle, in exchange for not talking about it. Which could bring an evolution to Yuri's character by having to interact more with........ BUT.... We're in SxF and I know the status quo is that the characters don't know that Anya knows their secret. So most likely something similar to the arc on the cruise ship when Anya saw Yor in combat and pretended not to recognize her will happen. Anya will most likely recognize Yuri, either because she sees him physically or because she read his mind. It would still be great if Anya saw him in action and thought "Oh! Tio Chihuahua is cool too!

I think this arc may help to discreetly develop Yuri, or serve as a way for other future chapters to open up Uncle Chihuahua a little more. Although personally I don't care if Yuri is a good-hearted jerk. After all, the previous chapters show that he already accepted Loid as Yor's husband while challenging him to stupid competitions. So surely, he already accepted Anya as his niece (Chihuahua girl). In his own strange way, he loves his new family by pretending to be a gruff-faced idiot.

Talking about SSS

I'm also interested in seeing more of the SSS in action. I know they appear to be an evil organization, or at least, most of their people live in fear regarding their methods. Clearly they are not the good guys in the story (although no one really is). However, I have a feeling that there are actually good people within the secret police as well. Obviously, many are corrupted by the collateral effects that war has left behind, attached to the idea that the only way to do the right thing is with nefarious methods. But this is nothing different from what WISE and Garden are currently doing.

At present, I do not have a position on the secret police beyond conjecture, as I would like to see more factual information about their intentions. Still, the lieutenant always gives me vibes that he's not such a bad man. He's always looking out for Yuri, so it seems to me that the relationship is similar to the one Twilight has with Sylvia, and Yor has with Shopkeeper and Mcmahon. After all, he is always watching Yuri's mental and physical state (enough to take care of him when Yuri are sick), he knows he is very broken, but deep down he is quite reliable.

I really hope to see more of the relationship between the SSS and political figures, terrorism, especially if the WISE agents also appear in the other chapter to save Anya/to the children of the most important figures. Do enemies work together indirectly?

Damian's deductions

Is there a chance that Damian will be the first to discover Anya and her secret? I know his thoughts are more than just a joke, he just doesn't understand what the hell is going on in that girl's head and why she is so attracted to him. He has already made assumptions that she reads minds, and that she has been raised by assassins. Damian is not far from the truth.

Perhaps the most important point of this arc is the growth of Anya and Damian's relationship. Anya is beginning to see Damian's true nature. He's not just a jerk who thinks he's superior

Damiand really wants to be recognized for his merits, he wants to change and protect his country to be better, to protect the vulnerable. He wishes to follow the heroic path (which he believes) that his father has.

After seeing his reaction to George and Anya in previous chapters, and his desire for his father's love. Damien has a big heart, but his upbringing lacking in affection and values has made him a jerk at times, and his personality is impatient, and he lives hidden behind Desmon's pride. But in the end he also wants to do the right thing.

There will be an arc of vengeance against the red circus

My biggest anxiety is to see how this will affect Twilight and Yor.

Yor in the past has clashed with the Red Circus, I find it hard to believe that after he finds out that Anya had a (fake) bomb in her neck and they threatened to blow her head off. I doubt Thros Pricess wouldn't want to track them down and bleed them to death. Will she ask the shopkeeper to look for the red circus? Will the only living witness who saw Thorn Princess reappear?

What will Twilight do about it? Anya's life is/was in danger and this information was deliberately omitted (apparently so as not to interrupt the day's secondary mission). I can only believe that this arc really affects this spy psychologically and emotionally.

The only resolution I expect is both parents, hugging each other, very relieved that their daughter is safe....

….although this could possibly mean that Damian is once again envious that his parents have not come to his rescue.

.

.

What do you think?

#spy x family anya #spoilers #spy × family #spy x family loid #spy family #spy x family manga #loid x yor #spy x family yor #yor forger/ thorn princess #yor briar forger #yor forger #twilight sxf #agent twilight #yuri briar #damian desmond #anya forger

[walpywalpy]

Okay. Thoughts.

We saw Summer Rose and heard her voice. That was something. I was expecting Lindsay to voice her, but they got a new actress which is fine as well.

I am loving this Weiss. I’ve known she was the voice of reason, and she’s shown it here. She helped Jaune, and I beg she helps Ruby in whatever comes next.

So tree Ruby. Seeing what happened to Herb, she is going to her in evolution next episode. The question is that is this evolution mental or physical? We saw the paper pleasers turn into the pebble pleasers (I know that’s not their name but it’s all I got). I doubt she’ll evolve physically unless it’s in the form of a new outfit.

So Louis wrote the story about his sister. Interesting. Also, Alyx was probably under control of the cat for a good amount of time before killing her off because Jaune said Alyx returned but not Lewis. He truly has no regard for a life. I know people theorize that Lewis is an Oz incarnation, but I doubt it. I believe Lewis is separate and just wanted to turn the story of his sister into something light hearted. Something nice to remember her by.

I am not feeling this at all. They are really pushing for Weiss and Jaune to have a stronger relationship of some kind. But shipping aside, wow. He just fell off the tree. I wonder if the weirdness of the Ever After will just return him to the top or if he has to catch up eventually. Also, is he staying rusted? We’re approaching the end of this Volume and no clock fruit to reverse the effects. That’ll be interesting.

So Ruby was looking at all the weapons and said they’re all too heavy. All until she saw Summer’s. I believe in this moment, she felt all the other weapon holders have the same dream as she did, and she felt that they felt they had the same weight on their shoulders as Ruby. Summer, however, is her idol. She is blinded and meeting Summer will clear her mind and realize that everyone is going through the same as she did. Ruby will learn that she isn’t alone. She isn’t the alone one saving everyone. She doesn’t have to do this alone. She is sharing the weight with her team and her friends.

Can’t wait for next chapter and I hope for more WhiteRose because I missed when my girls talked.

Also, if y’all have the chance, listen to The Bear by Ok Goodnight. Casey and the rest of the band did amazingly.

#rwby #rwby vol9 spoilers #rwby volume 9 #rwby volume 9 spoilers #rwby vol9 #web show

[theographos]

Have you heard of Inazuma ?

Ahhh Inazuma... Land of eternity, who was mainly inspired by Japan and its culture.

I play the game since 2020, and I can say that Inazuma was a pretty big deal when it got out. First of all, it was the first big region that we were introduced to since the beginning of the game. Yes there was Liyue and Mondstadt, but they came with the game so... No real reason to get hyped about them.

It was also a region who got talked about a lot, like I remember that most of the Youtubers I was watching at the time were sponsorized by Hoyoverse to talk about it's region. And just the fact that it was based on japan made it even popular on the internet. What I want to say by that is that it was of course a trap for all of the weebs to fall into.

A good trap really, the region had a lot of new content, a bunch of really good characters like Arataki Itto (my lovely main) and the final result is just so pretty.

It was a lovely gift, made with the finest wrap and the biggest promises towards the players of the game. And when they all got rid of that wrap to actually get into the plot content of Inazuma, they (and me included) were delighted to see a plot line full of junk.

So a few disclaimers before we dive into why Inazuma's archon quest was a mess :

I am not blaming anyone for liking Inazuma. Just because you like something doesn't mean it's flawless, so don't come at me for that. I have no say over what anyone likes or dislikes as long as it's not illegal or obviously endangering someone's mental or physical health. And liking a region in Genshin Impact is none of that, so don't see any slander on any character of the game. I'm pointing fingers at the writers behind the region and most importantly Hoyoverse itself.

I will also criticize how they used Raiden Shogun's character quest to make most of the evolution of Inazuma. A character quest is not accessible by people under the level of 40, so there is no real reason as to why they did that. It just makes the main plot less accessible to the main players, and so I don't consider what happens in the Raiden Shogun's character quest as a valid part of the main plot line.

There will contain spoilers about Sumeru's archon quest, but none about Fontaine. For personal reasons that are too long to talk about in this post I haven't played Fontaine's archon quest yet. Yes, even the first act. And no, I do not wish to be spoiled about anything about Fontaine.

My whole rant, including the introduction and the disclaimers, is over 2.3K long, take it or leave it. I also happen to believe that longer is better. Yes it is time consuming to read all of this, but this is my way of showing that I care. Plus good storytelling needs time. Like I said, take it or leave it, if you don't want to read this whole rant then it's okay, as long as you don't blame me for not doing something shorter.

So now that we are clear on those points, we shall begin.

My first point is that the archon quest is too short.

Like way too short. We barely have time to get a proper tase of what Inazuma is like, and we also barely have time to process our traveler's character arc. The first part of the archon quest screams of how much the writers knew they had to add the part in which the Traveler refused to help anyone, but they were bothered by it. So they tried to wrap it up quickly by making the traveler see the problem directly. The second part is laughable at best, I mean we all saw the memes about how the war cinematic looked off, like we just have 10 soldiers and 10 rebels against one another and we're supposed to understand that the conflict is big ? And the last part is confusing, mainly because of the sudden apparition of Kazuha, who got a whole character arc while we trying to beat up Signora.

And it's not like Hoyoverse isn't capable of making a character arc during an archon quest. Venti had his little character arc, Scaramouche has his character arc behind the scenes during the Sumeru Archon Quest, but us player are still aware of its evolution, with for example the visions of that one npc researcher. And if we take a look at Honkai : Star Rail, Dan Heng also got to have a whole character arc really similar to the one with Kazuha, but they made it relevant to the plot.

They are capable of all of that, if they gave more time to develop it by having a bigger archon quest. Either by making a part 4 and maybe a part 5, either by making longer archon quests.

My second point is that there is too much unnecessary quests.

Sure, for gameplay purposes it's perfect to have a lot of quest, because it means a lot of content. But with Inazuma it really isn't the case.

We had a whole archon quest, well more like a prologue quest, to introduce Kazuha's motivations through Beidou's fighting competition. I would understand if it was a world quest, i mean they did that with the chasm : an archon quest locked behind a world quest. The world quest could have been about the whole trip towards Inazuma, with the beginning about the fighting tournament. But nope, it's overly long for almost nothing, and it raises another point of mine

They based their whole plot on making the players like their characters. It's not a bad thing, I love Kazuha with all my heart, but our time with him isn't making the plot come forward. Just like, having to do Yoimiya and Ayaka's character quest have nothing to do with plot. You just hang out with them and learn a bit about their personal lives. It's great, but what about the plot ? Okay cool you made a deep dive into Raiden Shogun's motivations during her character quest, but what about the plot ?

They gave too much time over things that weren't necessary for the plot, and like I said previously, didn't give enough time to important parts.

My third point is that it doesn't even fufill the concept of an Archon Quest.

Every archon quest makes a deep dive into the Archon's motivation, how it affected their land and how they'll arrange the situation. For example :

Venti's entire core is to fight to let his people be free. He gave them everything they needed, and let them take their own decisions in order to not become another tyrant. But some people, like Dvalin, saw that move as him giving up on them. So, he made everything clear towards Dvalin and stayed to help him get better.

Zhongli's entire core is to fight to protect his people. He saw war, he saw death but he survived. He created the Adepti to help him, he also sort of created the Qixing to help him rule over Liyue. But now he becomes old, and doesn't want to see everything that he has done come to rot after he passes away. So he decides to retire himself from his position to force the Qixing and the Adepti to work together without him to help Liyue.

And if we compare Raiden to that well... She makes her people suffer, only she is happy with eternity, and she reflects upon that after the archon quest. But she has the potential to be so much more than that, heck it's not like she didn't become popular with the few times we see her in the archon quest, so looking back now there was no point in making her not that present in her own archon quest. Even Nahida, who is locked inside her own temple at the time we meet her, gets to have an equal amount of screentime as every other archon during their quest.

And also every archon quest shows how much every archon is different by their way of ruling :

Venti thought the bestest thing for his people was to leave and give them the freedom to do anything.

Zhongli thought the bestest thing for his people was to give them a safe haven and to dedicate his whole life to serve them instead of trying to really "rule" over them.

Nahida's people never gave her a chance to actually try to be their leader. They stayed focused on the past and let bad people morphed the values of Sumeru into something horrible.

And Raiden Shogun was supposed to show that for her the bestest thing was to keep her land in check, to make sure everything stays at the right place, so that no one has to ever feel grief and feel "nostalgic" of the past like she did.

Which brings me to my fourth point, which is that Raiden Shogun has control over nothing.

Yes she controls what the commission do, yes she has the power to do a vision hunt decree. But, when we take a look at Inazuma, we can see that she do not have any actual control. Four of the six islands in Inazuma are not liveable, and the fifth island is actually full of people who do not worship her, who do not want her. There is a rebellion going on, and she hasn't done anything more than send her army. The magical sakura tree in Narukami is slowly decaying, but nope there's nothing she can do about apparently. It's as if she doesn't even know it's happening.

She is described as omnipresent over the mortals. She is described as always making sure Inazuma reaches the goal of "eternity", and yet everything is going nuts, she doesn't have full control over who goes in and out of her country since there are still immigrants in Rito. I would have understood if Monstadt was in that state for example. After all most of the problems in the islands are god-related, so really no one except a god can do anything about it.

And I would have understood if the main problem was that she thinks she is omnipresent but really everything is out of control, but no, the point of the archon quest is to make us understand that the people want things to change, they don't want her to be overly in control.

I'm not against the fact that the Traveler is often the one who has to do everything, but at least make it understandable. For example, ofr the Aranara world quests, the traveler has to be the one who does that because Nahida isn't capable of helping the aranara, and because the traveler is an adult who can still see the aranara, it makes him important to them.

But in Inazuma we're just doing Ei's dirty work, as if an omnipresent deity would want someone other than them to be supervising big problems.

My last point is that the archon quest doesn't feel like it's happening in Inazuma.

None of the problems in the archon quest are talked about in the world quests, it's barely mentioned in some small quests, and the archon quest is royally ignoring all the problems of the world quests. Sumeru doesn't do that for example : it talks about the decaying of pretty much everything in the archon quest AND the world quests, aranaras are showed in the archon quest, and really the archon quest goes to a lot of key points in sumeru, meanwhile for the archon quest in Inazuma it's only 4 different places, 6 if we count the comissions.

Inazuma have so many different species cohabiting together, has a lot of mysticals things happening everywhere, there are even cat who can talk and yet none of this magic is showed in the archon quest.

Honestly it just looks like a showcase of everything that Japan has to offer and that's it. Yes I see tanukis, I see sakura trees, i see the clothings and the buildings. But what else ? What is the core of anything that Inazuma has to offer ? When we take a look at every other region, we see that they at least tried to give them a proper identity with the inspiration material. Meanwhile Inazuma is just the inspirational material.

When they included nobility in Monstadt, they really did it. They showed how much they were accepted into present society (plot twist they aren't), their role in history, how they feel about a society where no one wants them anymore (with some clans who are okay, clashing with the Lawrence clan who aren't ready to admit 'defeat' yet), they included etiquette and made them active in society.

This just doesn't happen with the tanukis, the onis or the kitsunes. The onis have a bit more depth since they have Itto to develop this part, but really unless you go into the forest you will not encounter kitsunes or tanukis in inazuma.

My conclusion,

The main problem with Inazuma's archon quest is that they didn't give enough time. They didn't give enough time for the plot to unfold correctly, they didn't gave enough time to the worldbuilding, and dare I say Hoyoverse didn't gave enought time to the writers to be able to do anything more than the minimum. I have seen what these writers could do and it is so much worth it, but damn Inazuma is to me, something that Hoyoverse should be ashamed of in terms of storytelling.

And I feel like no one is talking about that. As of now the only things I found on the internet about it are slanders of some characters, or really just people who hate the whole "inspired by japan" thingy, and are just mad about that.

Hoyoverse is a big enough company to have decent storytelling, to give a decent amount of time for their writers to work, and so on and so forth.

To be honest I feel like that if you truly care about Japan and its culture, you should be mad at Inazuma for doing a poor job at representing it, but that's just my opinion.

#inazuma #genshin impact #storytelling #inazuma archon quest #genshin impact archon quest #raiden ei #raiden shogun #sumeru archon quest #inazuma genshin #inazuma genshin impact #hoyoverse #mihoyo #genshin critical #genshin rant #liyue archon quest #monstadt archon quest #genshin impact critical #genshin critic #genshin impact storytelling

[hypnotisedfireflies]

Hi! what do you think about the Tess is a top thing? From that interview with Anna? I have noticed in your fics that sometimes she is and sometimes she isn't.

Hello anon! You mean this interview, for anyone who hasn't seen it. 😘

I have seen some writers take this to the domme extreme and others not so far. It's subjective and there's enough cake for us all to go around, so there's no right or wrong view here. So this of course is all coming from my interpretation of the character and Anna and Pedro's conversations as referred to in that interview.

I do love me a sexy top Tess but it also doesn't make sense to me for her to be a top ... all the time.

Driftersverse Tess and Joel have a very shared, equal partnership. The balance of power goes back and forth between them constantly, depending on their mental, emotional and physical states. Given the breadth of time I write in (I'm between 2003 - 2026 now) I'm constantly moving between different stages of evolution for themselves and the relationship. I think a switch dynamic is more realistic in the circumstances I choose to write, and also more exciting overall because it's like, who has the power now? Who is giving it up and who is getting the release from the giving or the taking?

I don't choose to interpret it simply as Tess Is Always the Top, because everything else is so in flux; and so is this.

Driftersverse Tess is largely in control of everything around her and Joel in as much as one can be. She's the one who is thinking ahead and doing most of the scheming, she plays the room and brings them out in front by planning, organising, out-thinking everyone else and being bold and cold enough to do what they have to.

That control that she maintains is kind of exhausting ... and sometimes, it's really good for her to relinquish that control into Joel's hands in bed. It's release. Losing that control and putting herself in the hands of someone she trusts feels really fucking good. She can just switch off and let him tell her what he wants her to do or make her do it, and that's cathartic. (Though sometimes he still has to work for it, see Cassius blue, lol).

Driftersverse Joel likes a woman who takes charge. I write about that most in SQ because I'm in his head a lot there but essentially, he's spent his whole life filling one particular role in bed as the dominant partner and he really, really likes a woman who will swap that around with him and keep things exciting. He finds sweet, shy violets kind of boring; he wants to be challenged. But just as much as he likes being controlled does he like taking it from Tess, especially as time passes and he learns how much she actually needs that.

So again, it's that back and forth, giving the other what they need when they need it and swapping roles as they see fit.

From a writing perspective it's more interesting for me, because I get to explore a lot of different smutty scenarios, lol. But more importantly, those feed directly into the story itself. I rarely write smut for smut's sake, so what's happening in those scenes is about advancing the story or the characters or whatever needs to be explored. And if it was always the exact same power dynamic ... yeah, it could still work, but I don't think it would be as effective. Or fun to read.

I hope that answers your question! ❤️

#joel x tess #joel miller #tess servopoulos #tlou #asks #driftersverse #the last of us #tlou fanfiction #tlou fanfic