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astrolovecosmos · 2 years

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~Getting in Touch with Your Mercury Sign~

*may be most helpful to those with Mercury RX, Mercury in the 12th, or with challenging aspects to your Mercury.

Aries Mercury: Share more of yourself in general - especially your interests and personality. Mercury in Aries is known to easily get insulted or may be highly self-focused in their problem solving and intellect, they can benefit from learning to relate to others more and to be objective. With that stated, it may sound counterintuitive but do start to take things more personally. Be braver with your words and creativity. Curse more often. FOCUS ON HONESTY. Never lie to yourself. Introspection can be your friend. Don’t hesitate to stand up for yourself. Allow your mind and your tongue to be quick. Embrace impulsiveness and spontaneous thoughts or sparks of curiosity. Share your side of things and opinions more. Practice public speaking, being the leader of a group or project, or making the first moves at social gatherings - build confidence in the social and communicative sphere. Trust yourself - put faith in yourself. Allow your warm, enthusiastic, or funny side to come out more. Dip your toes into competitiveness, maybe in safe ways through game and sport. Learn more about sales, public relations, psychology, HR, motivational speakers, life coaches, and positive thinking techniques. Listen to your hunches with more reaction and courage. Try not to fear arguments. Be more decisive about what you believe in. The final stage: Fight for what you believe in!

Taurus Mercury: Choose your words more carefully. Try to slow down and approach things in a more methodical or simple manner. Appreciate your intellect, recognize what you are highly knowledgeable in. Practice problem solving with practicality and consistency. Be patient with yourself and others. Embrace any impulse to communicate in a blunt or down-to-earth way. Stand firm in your opinions and decisions. Accept a possible stubborn side, there can be advantages to it. Stick to facts and figures, but if you are more creatively inclined, follow and learn from the experts in the arts. Be around those you find charming and attractive. Eat more mushrooms and root vegetables. Give karaoke a try. Never break a promise to yourself. Practice more active listening. Take your time when making a decision or coming to an opinion. Focus more on your goals or the light at the end of the tunnel - the reward. Don’t let anyone pressure or rush you! Always try to communicate and learn in the most straightforward way. Be others’ reality check, reassurance, or source of sound advice.

Gemini Mercury: Give into gossip more often (hopefully in a non-toxic way). Allow your humor or wit to come out. Stretch and use your observative side more. Exercise your mind with puzzles, riddles, research, or studying. Read and write more. Accept or forgive your restless and impatient side. EMBRACE CURIOSITY. Follow the motto: knowledge is power. Expand your interests or hobbies. Try an innocent prank. Write more handwritten notes or letters. Make up a language or code. Take inspiration from butterflies, small birds, monkeys, parrots, magpies, and ravens. Drink tea, practice breathing techniques, yoga, meditation, listen to relaxing music - whatever can help sooth a restless mind. Hang out in groups more often or with a few friends with a lively dynamic. Take good care of any communicative device aka phone, tablet, computer, etc. Give social media a shot if somehow you aren’t active on it. Remember to give yourself healthy breaks from social media. May find fulfillment in teaching or communication careers. Don’t hold back the urge to talk or share. Accept and appreciate your changeable and flexible side. Explore many forms of self-expression and forgive yourself for being a little all over the place. Embrace social and maybe even emotional intelligence.

Cancer Mercury: Keep a diary, scrapbook, or journal to document and cherish memories. Listen to your intuition. While in general it is good for Mercury in Cancer to practice objectivity, to get in touch with this Mercury Sign allow yourself to be more judgmental, protective, and guarded. Sometimes you need to take things personally. Be around those you trust. Only open up to those who have proven to care about you or can help you. Also practice more emotional sharing. Don’t fear deep conversations. Be thoughtful with gifts, compliments, care, and help. Practice introspection and emotional intelligence. Appreciate and accept your sympathetic, understanding, and sensitive side. Have fun with memory games. Stretch your creative side with crafts, cooking, painting, writing, etc. “Never forget” may be this Mercury Sign’s motto but be cautious about living in the past too often. Indulge in a good ghost story. Be open to the idea of therapy, even if it is just a couple of visits. (this is really something applicable to everyone but Mercury in Cancer is known to struggle a lot with the past and painful memories). Forgive any defensive tendencies while also working on this side of yourself. Take time to reflect on or lay out how you feel and think vs. those closest to you - be careful of mixing up your ideas with the ideas of those you love or admire have. Stay more up to date on politics or news influencing your direct community (but also keep your sanity!). Reconnect with family more often. Indulge your inner child sometimes. Be more gentle with yourself and others.

Leo Mercury: Step into the spotlight and/or entertain more often. Speak louder!!! Flex your creative muscles with any type of art. Believe in yourself and especially your words. Stand by what you say! Know your worth - express it or stand up for it 👏. Give into talking with your hands or using big gestures. While I don’t want to encourage rudeness, interrupt just a little more. Be careful of giving demands but also practice assertiveness. Practice taking the lead on projects or among a group. Give yourself pep talks. Take a moment to admire yourself in the mirror. Own up to and celebrate your wins, even if it means bragging a little more. Indulge in what gives you joy and keeps you at a playful or joyful mindset. Make a scene! Be quicker with decisions. Give the drama club or local theater a try. Wear more flashy or flamboyant clothing or bold colors. Accept any side of you that may crave attention or praise. Be around those who admire you or have a lot of respect for you. Let yourself be the life of the party. Give singing, acting, stand-up comedy, or public speaking a shot. Make up your own slang or use slang that makes you feel more lively or grand. Be a trendsetter by liking what you like proudly. Always try a new approach when trying to persuade or argue with someone. Love your passionate side. Always be brave and creative with your self-expression.

Virgo Mercury: Try journaling more often. Take better or more notes. Spruce up your grammar and/or spelling. Pay attention to the details!! Accept and appreciate your observational side. “Knowledge is power” should be a personal code. Appreciate your quick mind and even quicker tongue. Work on your comebacks. Be patient with others and especially yourself. Trust your judgment. Do more research on topics that interest you. Listen to common sense but follow logic. May find fulfillment by teaching others or flexing your skills in communication and attention to detail. Give yourself a clean, quiet, and organized space to study, learn, or work. Get critical about media and art, food, politics, manners - allow yourself to have opinions and standards. While you are practicing discernment and preference be careful about judging others too harshly or being your own worst critic. Be careful of those who easily stress you out with erratic communication or too impractical of a mindset. Try music, scents, foods, or other substances that can help boost learning or thinking. Stick to plans not only for dependability-sake but for your own sanity. Don’t allow those who don’t appreciate you, value you, or underestimate you get in your head. Allow yourself to have different alter egos - dirty jokes behind closed door and impeccable manners in public. Be careful of burn out. Protect your mind and allow yourself to communicate in the most efficient manner.

Libra Mercury: Dress to impress or at least dress to what makes you feel most confident. Maybe being the life of the party isn’t your style, but having people or even a group engaged in your stories or gossip could be. Flirt more. I know this may be controversial but play devil’s advocate, at least for the learning opportunity and mental stimulation. Tap into your objective side. Always weigh your options. Put yourself in other’s shoes. Always give others a chance to speak or go beyond that and make room for others to share, stand up for the quiet or hesitant person at work or in class. Play more strategy games. Try to lean more towards logic vs. feelings. Appreciate your adaptable side. Always try to play nice or fair, but when being mistreated act with justice or sound judgment. Don’t be afraid to argue but be even more brave towards making peace. Learn to compromise. Hold those you can have open conversations with or even taboo discussions with closely. If you feel disconnected from your charming side examine what you find charming in others and learn from it, even adopt it. Appreciate other’s grace, beauty, or mind and become inspired by it. Share responsibilities more. Embrace the morals or teachings of your favorite stories. Find your voice or self-expression through art 💖. Don’t be shy about discussing or learning more about politics. Science and/or humanity studies can be a good friend. It’s okay to change your mind and be persuaded by others!!!! Balancing your heart and head may be an urge but what is most important is protecting your peace, and maybe sometimes others’ peace.

Scorpio Mercury: Watching and learning from or even becoming a motivational speaker can be greatly beneficial to Mercury in Scorpio. Allow your passion to always show, especially about issues and beliefs. FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION, especially in the world of communication and sharing. Indulge in a good mystery. Ask the hard questions. Privacy or even secrets are sacred, remember this. Allow your mind to wonder to strange or even dark places sometimes. Tap into your sarcastic side. Be careful of having a mean streak. Love your intensity but know sometimes you have to complement it with tact or patience. Some situations call for compassion or gentleness and being a water sign, despite all that vigor and pressure you can conjure this easily. Allow words to heal yourself, maybe this can be done with poetry, journaling, other forms of writing, jokes, etc. Skip the small talk. Appreciate heart to heart talks. Practice giving advice to others, you may be one of the most insightful loved ones. Mercury in Scorpio is known to get obsessive with their favorite subjects, allow yourself to dive deep into what interests you. Take more photos. Recognize the advantage in being withdrawn or guardedness. Don’t underestimate the power of therapy or be open to other’s help and advice, especially in terms of the emotional world. Your words may lay heavy on others - be responsible with this. If you feel disconnected from depth or sincerity, then it may be time to face some inner demons and practice more raw communication. ALWAYS be honest with yourself. Be careful of easily feeling betrayed or hurt by other’s words, try to always focus on real intent or meaning. Be firm with your opinions but also be open to transformations in your mindset. When possible only speak with your heart and solve problems with your third eye.

Sagittarius Mercury: Make more wishes on stars, dandelions, or birthday candles or make a vision board. Question EVERYTHING more often. Embrace your inner comedian or storyteller. Practice positive or optimistic thinking. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Practice more honesty or even bluntness. Allow yourself to get feisty or rebellious. Practice open-mindedness. Visualize or talk about your future plans more. Allow yourself to get excited easily (just try to channel passion or enthusiasm towards healthy or positive things). Forgive your competitive side and even take advantage of it. Give advice or feedback more freely. Don’t hesitate to get philosophical. Are deep or out-there conversations your favorite? If not, maybe you aren’t having those discussions with the right people. Argue and debate more BUT be careful of getting too stuck or reckless with a certain belief, this Mercury sign can go off the deep end with hardcore beliefs and opinions. Watch out for self-righteousness or hypocrisy BUT when disconnected with this Mercury sign it is important to encourage pride and assertiveness in what you believe in and what you say. Problem solve with instinct and maybe a bit of luck. Don’t shy away from those who challenge you or the spicy conversations. Stand up for the underdog more often. This Mercury sign craves learning and heat in the social and intellectual realm, to get in tune with it takes bravery, risk, and confidence. This Mercury sign is about jumping right into things, forgiving foot in mouth moments, and embracing getting to the point.

Capricorn Mercury: Problem solve with practicality and possibly methodically. Indulge in dark humor or dry wit. Appreciate your observational and thoughtful side. Learn to accept constructive criticism but even more so give out criticism with either understanding or an intent to help. Mercury in Capricorn may need to be careful of becoming overwhelmed with a negative mindset or communicating in a too negative, condescending, or critical way. But when getting in touch with this Mercury sign it may be helpful to get more realistic with your thoughts and communicate in a down-to-earth or conventional manner. Stay on top of your manners. Take what you and others say more seriously. Be responsible towards gossip and rumors. Sometimes you have to be the adult in the conversation 🙄, it can be unfair but for this placement it can bring boundaries and sanity. Always be upfront with your boundaries, expectations, and intentions. Mercury in Capricorn can think in black and white or can be strong-headed about their opinions - it is important to stand firm in your thoughts and honor pragmatism but be careful of being too stuck in a belief or pattern. Be patient with others and yourself. Indulge in buying anything that makes you feel smart or confident. Learn more about finances, politics, or business. Be cooperative but also follow your strong sense of right and wrong or self-preserving. Strive to communicate with integrity.

Aquarius Mercury: Surround yourself with the latest technology or good quality tech. Play around with slang, especially if it gets a reaction from others 😏. Brace for misunderstandings and learn how to accept and get over them. Explore politics and science. Allow yourself to fall down rabbit holes of subjects or even conspiracy theories (be safe and watch out for misinformation!). Be supportive of others. Indulge in more gossip and harmless flirting. Be around like-minded individuals. Try to stay objective and practice healthy detachment. Mercury in Aquarius is known to be tolerant yet opinionated - don’t be afraid to form firm or even unusual opinions. It is important to appreciate your individuality and any unique forms of self-expression. Don’t ever restrict yourself in terms of brainstorming, searching out new info, and coming to conclusions, be free-thinking. Learn about those who think differently than you do. Mercury in Aquarius is known for being unpredictable in their communication style, this may mean going from withdrawn to super outgoing in one day or being highly secretive to highly open in a way that may seem random to others. Allow yourself this hint of being temperamental or chaotic, allow storms to come and go. Show off your genius 😉. It may benefit you to join a debate, poetry, writing, newspaper, improv, or other club or organization with a focus on communication and expression. Volunteer your time to places of learning and community. Always get your news from multiple sources (good practice for anyone but especially Mercury in Aquarius with a hungry yet fixed mind). Consider alternative learning for yourself. Give tutoring a try or coaching. Communicate with knowledge and seek knowledge with an open mind.

Pisces Mercury: Cut out the filter between your heart and mouth. However be mindful of what you say - your advice or words can be powerful and/or healing either for you or others. Give yourself space and time to recharge by being alone or at home. Daydream more. Stimulate your imagination with plenty of media. Be perceptive and listen to your gut. Be careful of self-deception or letting people easily manipulate or influence you. Practice sympathy or even empathy. Be more receptive to others feelings. Allow yourself to get carried away sometimes. Indulge in low-key drama. Talk about your insecurities and worries more with loved ones. Communicate more gently, tactfully, or even enchantingly. Be around those who are sincere or passionate in how they share and speak. This Mercury placement usually appreciates manners and niceness but exploring dark topics or messy feelings will always come more naturally. Practice tolerance and forgiveness in the social, intellectual, and communicative sphere. Never apologize for how you feel. Be open-minded towards what gives you social comfort or confidence. Give therapy a shot, even if you feel like you are in a healthy place, you’ll be surprised what insights, clarity, or closure outside influences can bring. Practice hopeful thinking and/or gratitude. Be careful of mixing facts with feelings, but to truly get in touch with this Mercury sign feelings need to be the most important aspect in communication. Speak with impulse and from intuition.

#mercury #planet #mercury sign #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #zodiac #astrology

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thatmentallystablechick · 2 months

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#Funguary is almost over already - how crazy is that?! For today’s prompt, however, we have the Hawk’s Wing fungus (also known by names like Shingled Hedgehog or Scaly Hedgehog mushrooms - both of which are also pretty fitting names)!

Hawk’s Wing mushrooms are apparently edible, although some people say they taste bitter while others say they’re pretty good, so go figure? Maybe it just depends on the way they’re cooked. 🤷‍♀️ They’re also really good for your health, from what I understand: Hawk’s Wings contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and immune-boosting properties, and studies have shown they might even have some cancer-fighting properties, as well - impressive! Better yet, these fungi don’t have any poisonous lookalike species, so if you’re foraging for mushrooms and come across some of these, you don’t have to worry about confusing them with any poisonous shrooms!

At first, I couldn’t decide whether or not to give this girl hawk wings of her own, but I’m glad I decided to in the end; I think she looks really cool! I always planned to give her a pet hawk, though, so hey - more chance for me to practice drawing some animals! I must confess, however, that I may or may not have gotten just a LITTLE bit of inspiration for her outfit from the hawkmen in the movie “Flash Gordon”…hehe 🤭

Made with Ohuhu markers and Shuttle Art pencil crayons

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invisibleraven · 3 months

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"I would never regret a thing in my life, since it led me to you."

Peterpatterlina

PROMPT #800 BABY! Couldn't have gotten here without all of you, but especially my canoe crew who are my constant support and dearest friends. Love you all!

If there was once place on Earth more hated than a hospital, Julie had yet to find it. She hated the weird smell that never seemed to leave her nose until long after. She hated the cafeteria food that always seemed so bland and tasteless-even the pudding, and how did someone mess up pudding? She hated the constant noise from the machines and alerts and various people coming and going.

But most of all she hated seeing her mother in here.

Rose who was so jubilant and full of life was now a pale reflection of her former self as she willingly pumped poison into her veins to hopefully fight the cancer threatening her life. She still tried to stay happy and upbeat for her family, but the chemo was taking it's toll, and her smiles didn't reach her eyes any more.

"You don't have to come with me every time mija," Rose assured her. "And you definitely don't have to stay in here. Why not go exploring, see if there's any kids your age you can hang out with?"

Julie was reluctant to leave her mom, but her father practically pushed her out so she supposed the choice was made for her. She knew she didn't have to come, Carlos didn't, and she bet he was having a great time with tia right now. But her mom had always called her a good luck charm, so maybe, just maybe that would help?

She would rather believe that than the fact that her mother was slowly dying.

So she wandered the halls, until a kindly nurse pointed her to the children's longue, a place where both the sick kids and visitors could just relax. It was pretty empty, save a lone boy with a giant clunky cast on his leg who was playing a game, the tip of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth.

"Whatcha playin'?" she asked as she took a seat next to him on the lumpy couch.

"Mario, you ever play?" he asked, voice rough and with a tiny hint of a twangy accent. Julie noticed how the fluorescent lights washed him out, but she could see a spray of freckles across his cheeks and nose, which fascinated her-she'd never seen someone with so many freckles before.

"I've played a bit with my brother, though he's way better at it than I am," she replied. "I could never get him to the top of the flagpole like you can."

"You want me to teach you?" he asked, turning to her, the full force of his green eyes hitting her, and Julie had to clench her hands by her sides so as to not play with her curls.

"Sure," she said, and the boy-Reggie-handed her the controller, explaining what to do, giving her tips and secrets on how to get a high score in the game. "How do you know so much about this?"

"I've been here a while," Reggie explained, pointing to his foot. "This is going to be my third or fourth surgery on it, and that means a lot of downtime. So I've gotten pretty good. Plus my grandparents got me a Nintendo for my Bar Mitzvah last year."

"Are there any other games here?" Julie asked, excited to see what else they could play together. She liked Reggie-there was a sadness around him, yes, but he never stopped smiling, and making her laugh with little jokes and comments as she stumbled through each level of the mushroom kingdom.

"Tons!" Reggie enthused, and went through the collection that was there. Julie didn't really want to play Duck Hunt-guns were a big nope for her, but Zelda sounded right up her alley-she loved stories about adventure and princesses.

They whiled away a good chunk of the afternoon playing games together, just chatting and laughing. Nothing too deep, but she told Reggie why she was here and he gave her a sympathetic smile, squeezing her hand. He told her he had been in a bad car accident, thus his mangled foot, but his grandparents smuggled him in good food so he didn't have to put up with the awful pudding.

"Mija?"

Julie turned and there was her papi, smiling kindly at her. "It's time to go. Your mami is tired and I think she'd much prefer to nap at home."

She nodded, but then paused. "If you're still here next week can we play more Zelda?" she asked Reggie.

"I'll be here, recovery time is long," he assured her.

"Then I'll be sure to bring you some real pudding," she promised, and Reggie laughed aloud at that.

Julie and her father left the room, but a nurse caught them down the hallway. "Were-were you just in the game room with Reggie?" she asked.

"Yes," Julie answered. "Was I not supposed to be?"

"No no, nothing like that," the nurse assured her. "But...I heard him laugh?"

"Yeah, we were joking about the pudding here," Julie said, confused.

"Sweetheart, Reggie hasn't spoken more than two words since his accident almost six months ago," the nurse said. "So if you managed to make him crawl out of his shell, well you must be some sort of angel. Do you think you would mind coming back to play with him again?"

"I'll be back next week," Julie assured her. She felt a wave of pity for Reggie-did he have no friends to come visit him? What about his family, couldn't they get him to talk? So Julie made it her mission to come as often as she could, and make Reggie laugh as often as possible.

So she did-every week she went with Rose to the hospital, and hung out with Reggie. Some weeks he was more subdued than others, whispering he was in pain, but always lit up when Julie handed him a pilfered snack from her house, often a pudding, like their little private joke.

Even after Rose entered remission, she still asked to go visit Reggie, and her parents were more than happy to let her. "You're a good friend to this boy mija," Rose told her. "I hope he gets out of there soon though."

"Me too," Julie replied.

It was only a few weeks later that fate intervened-Reggie told Julie he was finally going to be released. But unfortunately, he was going home with his grandparents, back to Georgia. "They've been away from the farm too long as it is, and there's no one else..." he trailed off.

Julie knew this of course, how he and his mom had left his abusive dad and come to LA to make a new life. How the car accident that broke Reggie's foot took his mom's life. That his grandparents had come to look after him while he recovered.

But she still cried at the thought of losing him. "We could always write?' he suggested tearily. Julie agreed, and got his address before leaving. It wouldn't be the same as spending their afternoons playing games and talking together, but it would at least be something.

Reggie hated the cold. Why oh why did the most prestigious game design school have to be in the North East? More so why couldn't he have been happy enough going to a school back home in Georgia, or even in LA? But of course, he knew why. He wanted to make games that would help kids just like Mario and Zelda had helped him. And to do that, he had to come to this school even though the cold made his foot ache, the ice and snow were not great for moving around in when you relied on a cane, and he missed MeeMaw and Pops so bad he could scream.

He just had to reassure himself that it would be worth it in the end, even as he hobbled through the crowds trying to get home.

"Reggie!"

He could have sworn he heard a voice calling his name-it wasn't like Reggie was all that common. But when he looked around, he couldn't see anyone he knew. But then, there it was again, a little closer.

"Reggie! Reggie Peters! Your princess is in another castle!"

Finally she came into view-Julie Molina, all grown up, but still recognizable even seven years later. They had kept in touch with letters for a bit, but then lost it after Rose's cancer came back. Reggie always felt bad about that, wishing he had tried harder for the girl who had gotten him through one of the worst parts of his adolescence.

"You got a fire flower or something for me at least?" he said with a grin and then opened his arms for a hug, holding her tight as she rushed in to accept it. Her curls were cut shorter, but still just as curly. Her smile was just as vibrant, and God Reggie had missed her. "What the heck are you doing here Molina?"

"I could ask the same of you!" she exclaimed, smacking his shoulder. "I'm here for college, studying graphic design!"

"Same, only for games!" Reggie replied. "Gosh it's good to see you again, you have time for a coffee?"

Julie bit her lip and shook her head. "Sorry, I've actually got to get to class, but give me your number, we can meet up?"

Reggie nodded and handed over his card, taking hers in turn and waving as she got on her train before hobbling off home. He sighed as he finally got to sit down, and pulled out the card that Julie gave him.

"Whatcha got there bud?" Luke asked as he slumped down on the couch next to him. "Ooh, got a number?"

"It's not like that you doof," Reggie said, shoving him away playfully. "This is from Julie, we were friends as teens, and I ran into her in the station. Apparently she's here studying graphic design."

"Oh cool," Luke said, snuggling back into Reggie's side, and by this time, Reggie had gotten used to his cuddly nature-having lived together for a few years made you used to a lot of things. "She a good artist?"

Reggie recalled the various doodles that covered his casts during his hospital stay-Julie insisting on signing it as it was blank when she met him. Even though Reggie told her he would be getting an new one after his surgery.

"Well I'll sign that one too," she had said with a grin-and she did. Reggie had honestly been a little sad to see them cut off and all Julie's artwork destroyed.

"Yeah she really is," Reggie mused.

"Well then call her!" Luke insisted. "Even if not for dates, just to reconnect. Or hell, you need a designer for your game right?"

"Well it's your game too," Reggie reasoned.

"Eh," Luke shrugged. "I wrote the story and music, but you helped with both of those, and you're doing all the programming."

"Maybe," Reggie said, looking at the card again. "Maybe."

It turned out that Julie was very interested in making a game with Reggie, and that summer it was a familiar sight to find her in Luke and Reggie's apartment making the art and helping Reggie play test sequences with each character.

Luke was absent, as his parents insisted he return home to his folks house but he happily let them use the apartment, and claimed he couldn't wait to see what they had gotten done when he returned-and to meeting Julie, since fate hadn't allowed that to happen thus far.

Reggie loved that summer-he and Julie renewed their friendship, they worked together constantly, and while he didn't experience any pain-that would never be a reality for him-he found it lessened due to him keeping busy. Plus Luke had made their apartment as handi capable as possible, so he barely had to use his cane.

Sure, Luke had claimed he would get lost in the clutter if they let it build up, but Reggie knew the truth. Luke was determined to look after him, and while some would resent that, Reggie loved being cared for, and appreciated how much Luke did to make his life easier. And it wasn't like Reggie didn't do anything for him-he made sure Luke went to all his classes and performances on time, as he was involved in the school's music program, and even helped the orchestra for the drama department while he got his English and Musical Composition degrees.

Reggie had even gone to every showing of the school's production of Macbeth, just because Luke was down in the pit every night, and it was his composition that they used to signify the storm-a raucous, crashing thing that made you really feel like the weather was about to change.

That was the only drawback of the summer-that Luke wasn't there. So when he returned, Reggie was almost fit to burst, pulling him in for a hug almost immediately.

"Missed you too buddy," Luke whispered into his shoulder. They broke apart then, exchanging slightly watery smiles before Luke coughed and cast his eyes over to where Julie was standing. "Hi, you must be Julie!"

"And you must be Luke," she replied, giving a little oof as he caught her in a hug. "Oh, you're a hugger."

Luke stepped back then, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry. It's a thing."

"It's okay," Julie assured him, "But maybe a little warning next time?" She then offered him a smile. "Now I wanna pick your brain about a few plot points of your story..."

By the end of the summer, they had made good progress on their game, but it was nowhere near done. "We can still work on it," Julie said, "Just not at the same rate."

Reggie sighed in defeat. He knew they weren't going to finish the game, but he had hoped they would be a bit further along. "Maybe... maybe I should take the semester off? Keep at it?"

"Reg you can't do that, your education is important!" Julie insisted.

"It's also extremely expensive, and my grandparents can only help so much," Reggie explained. "A semester off would be a big help to them, and I can always do a class or two through distance if I want."

"I would love to take the semester off too, but since my folks are paying the rent here, I need to stay in school to keep a roof over our heads," Luke lamented. "But my part of things is essentially over anyways."

"We still need to figure out a lot of the score mister," Julie answered him. "Hire musicians and the like."

"Why would we need to do that?" Luke asked. "I play guitar, Reggie plays almost everything, our friend Alex does drums, we just need a vocalist."

Julie was silent at that for a moment. "I-I could do it."

Luke grinned, and handed her the song they had written for the end credits-a lilting ballad that spoke of their main character's journey and her longing to find a place she belonged. A bit cliché, but it was leagues better than Girl In The Tower which had gotten legit radio play, so Luke figured they were good.

Only when Julie started singing, both guys were blown away. Her voice was angelic, the perfect one to elevate the song into greatness. They sat there stunned for a bit after she finished until Luke cleared his throat. "I think you've got the job Molina."

She beamed with happiness, jumping up and down and then ran off to call her dad. Luke turned to Reggie. "How come you never told me she could sing like that?"

"I didn't know!" Reggie insisted.

Later on that night after Julie had gone home, Luke looked at Reggie. "Would you be mad if I asked Julie out?"

An unpleasant feeling settled in Reggie's gut at that, which was ridiculous. Luke and Julie were his two best friends, incredibly well suited for each other, why shouldn't they be happy together? "Maybe wait until the game is done?"

"That's fair," Luke conceded. "And you're sure you don't mind?"

"Why would I mind?" Reggie asked. Luke looked at him queerly for a moment then shook it off, wishing Reggie a good night, a sentiment Reggie echoed. But he found that he couldn't sleep that night, and the feeling in his gut never did go away.

It took nearly a year, but they finally finished their game. One of Reggie's professors was going to help them shop it around to different publishers, but the game was done!

"This calls for a celebration!" Luke exclaimed, pulling out a bottle of champagne, pouring them all a glass. Their various friends were scattered around, all of them involved in the process in some way, and they had all ssured the trio the game was amazing.

Reggie toasted but put the glass down-he didn't drink, not after the hell his dad had put him and his mom through. He didn't think about the man often, couldn't really care less where he was. But that memory of whiskey laden breath and heavy hands would never leave him.

Plus his stomach was roiling as he watched Luke pull Julie aside, watched her light up as he spoke, and then-she pulled him in for a kiss. Not a friendly peck, but a deep, romantic kiss that made Reggie have to look away.

God, what was wrong with him? He knew it was coming, had seen the sparks fly between them. It must be the stress of the past year and the anxiety over selling the game getting to him.

"I need some air," he said to no one, as the party raged on around him. He grabbed his cane and went out to walk a little-it usually hurt to do so for too long, but it also always helped clear his head. He was sure he would be back before anyone noticed.

Only he still couldn't get the image of Luke and Julie kissing out of his head, and eventually sat down on a bench. Why did it bother him so much? He never reacted this way when he saw other couples kiss. Heck he'd seen Luke go through a bevvy of girls and guys when they first started living together... though that had started to bother him after a while. He had chalked it up to Luke being careless with his body and heart, and after he voiced his concerns, Luke seemed to have been perpetually single.

Did... did he just not want to be left alone? Was that it?

He was sure Luke and Julie would still make time for him even if they started dating. But it wouldn't be the same. No more late nights chatting until the sun came up about everything and anything. No more of Luke quoting Macbeth ad nauseum due to months of shows, with Julie and Reggie playing the other parts. No more sunrise runs for cheap fast food to keep going even though they should sleep, and then passing out in a pile on the couch.

No more waking up to Julie and Luke snuggled into his side, or making sure he had someone by his side for his appointments. No more of Julie's sunny smile meant only for him, or Luke's teasing as Reggie made eggs for them since Luke was hopeless in the kitchen. No more movie nights or trying out new games together, no more tears when the doubt set in that they were wasting their time trying to make this game.

Reggie rubbed at his chest, as if that would make the pain go away. Kept picturing Luke and Julie, and wishing he was there. Not instead of them, but with them.

"Oh fuck," he swore. "I'm in love with them."

He had to tell them-they didn't keep secrets-and even if it ruined everything, he couldn't bare them not knowing, and living a life where he was silent about his unrequited feelings.

He got up, heading back towards the apartment, going as fast as he could. Only he didn't see the curb, and slipped, feeling the pain radiating through his ankle as he fell. Or the blackness that set in as his head hit the concrete.

Reggie hates hospitals.

He knows he's in one before he even opens his eyes-the smell, the beeping, the feeling of various tubes in him. He blinks open his eyes and sees the same generic tiled ceiling and groans.

"Oh thank God you're awake."

Reggie turns his head, and there is Luke and Julie, looking equally worried and relieved. "Hey guys," he rasps. "How long was I out?"

"Few hours, but you still had us worried sick," Julie admonishes. "We didn't even know you'd left the party until Luke got a call from the hospital as your emergency contact!"

"Sorry, needed some air," Reggie replies, and sighs when Luke puts the straw of a juice box to his lips, allowing him to drink, "Didn't mean to slip and knock myself out."

"And bust your ankle," Luke said apologetically.

"Of course I did," Reggie moans.

The doctor has worse news for him-a bunch of pins had come loose-his foot is even more mangled. "It might be time to let it go son," he cautions.

He takes a lot of time to consider it-they always told him it was a possibility-and Reggie had held on for longer than he probably should have to the old thing. So he agrees to the procedure, even though it will mean even more time in this dreaded place.

The night before the surgery, Luke and Julie are by his side. Julie jokes that she won't have a cast to design on now, but Reggie jests she can always glam up the prosthetic he's getting. She lets out a sob at this.

"Too dark?" Reggie asks.

"No, it's just... when Luke first got that call, we were both fearing the worst," she explains. "We thought we had lost you. And we realized... we couldn't bear to lose you."

"We love you Reg," Luke piped up. "Not as a friend, but as the person... our person. The one person we want to be with."

"Me? The both of you?" Reggie squeaked.

"You," Julie said, squeezing his hand. "You make our heart containers full."

Reggie laughed uproariously at that, wiping a tear from his eye. "I love you guys too. And I will tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow."

"That's my line," Luke chuckled.

"Mine now," Reggie said, and grinned as his partners leaned in to kiss him.

The night of the Game Awards, Reggie wasn't nervous. Their game had done phenomenally well, and even if they didn't win, he had something better than a dumb old trophy-he had Luke and Julie on his arms. They were far better, plus it meant he could leave his cane at home-they would keep him upright.

But it was still a shock when their names were called, and Reggie beamed as they helped him up the stairs-he was still getting used to his new prosthetic, all covered in Julie's doodles and Luke's song lyrics.

He watched them both speak, thanking everyone they needed to before ceding the mic to Reggie.

"I haven't had the easiest life," he stated. "It's been one quest after another, and I've barely made it out of some of them with all my hearts intact. But I would never regret a thing in my life, since it led me to you. The both of you, and I wouldn't be standing here without your support, your talent, and your love. Thank you."

Julie and Luke leaned in, kissing his cheeks, and Reggie smiled brighter than the blinding lights as they led him off the stage, never once letting him stumble or fall. And they never would.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms #this is very much based on tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow-but you don't have to read it to get the context #gosh this got long

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unohanadaydreams · 3 months

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With Mayuri's predilection for psychedelics and undermining his opponents, I think the Pernida fight would've been so cool with mushrooms.

Like.

Mayuri messing around with rate of decomposition of a mushroom to counteract Pernida's physical drawing of reishi which he would've started formulating from his extensive knowledge of Quincies reishi absorbing abilities before he necessarily knew Pernida was doing so physically. And better yet, using a certain mushroom to basically treat Pernida like a big old cancer growth. (Like, cue big, wide smile as Mayuri reveals the reishi that Pernida has been absorbing is the reason his advancement is halting. Because he would use that mushroom JUST to say that)

I don't feel he would need to win and would love to see him lose, but I think it just would've been even more fun--for me--and crushing--for Mayuri <3-- if he would've actually applied his exhaustive knowledge of quincy to the Pernida battle if only because he was under the assumption that he would be exclusively fighting quincy in the big quincy war. Don't even think he needs to recognize Pernida as a quincy early on even!

Honestly, appalling that Mayuri doesn't have more canon dabbling with mushrooms. Like using altered cordyceps in his fight with the zombies?? Creating a horrible malformation of a coffin mushroom that decomposes Giselle's zombies in 3 minutes rather than 3 years...................AH.

I feel like it would've fit TYBW more than the weird fantasy thyroid thing that hardly made sense and had me squinting for 15 minutes trying to cobble together even that vague description--fantasy thyroid thing--when reading descriptions of how Mayuri was using Nemu to beat Pernida and reviving Hitsugaya & Matsumoto.

Also, he would still get to make people trip balls and question their sanity, which is part of his pyramid of fulfillment.

ALSO roots and spores are very convenient when trying to bullshit that Mayuri was actually doing something All Along when he definitely was not.

#He is versatile with his drugs I PROMISE #He can turn any party drug into a PTSD episode GUARANTEED #sobbing and banging my fists on the floor that Mayuri never used reishi mushrooms to counter act reishi absorption #in my head Mayuri is experimenting and it owns #Mayuri Kurotsuchi master of anything you would ever take for a trip ever #I think it would even still vibe with his outfit #Not only is he saying fuck off to the shadows #but also fungus dont thrive in light so he's ensuring his own weapon cant be used against him

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saintmeghanmarkle · 22 days

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Is Harry okay? by u/Ask_DontTell

Is Harry okay? Just for fun and to change topics away from Megain for a bit, i thought we shoud inquire about Harry and if he's OK. I personally can't see how Harry can be happy with himself or his life right now but then again, neither would I have written a book all about my grievances against my family or married someone like Megain. Having lost his mother as a child, Harry has now lost the rest of his family, and his father and the sister he never had but wish he did both have cancer, the severity of which he has probably not been told since he can't be trusted. His only brother likely hasn't spoken to him more than 2 words to him since before covid and those two words were most likely "wrong number". On the flip side, Just Harry has his wife and two kids and gets to do whatever Meghan lets him. eg. he is a living legend of aviation, something the palace wud likely have denied him. Meghan must be reminding him everyday how lucky he is to have married her. Not realizing he is really just a prop to Megain, he likely considers himself the star of his own show, no longer a spare. Walking 3 steps behind TW instead of Prince William allows him to consider himself as a gentleman husband, not an afterthought. The battle against the press while courting the press is quixotic and hypocritical to us but Harry likely sees it as trying to save his mother. Fighting them may be giving him some meaning in life. Being named in the PDiddy lawsuit seems scandalous to us but to Harry, who outed Courtney Cox and her magic mushrooms, dressed in a Nazi uniform and played strip pool in LV, is it just another chapter in his next book?Harry's life looks pretty miserable to me and he looks pretty miserable in the pics I've seen of him but what does his life look like to him??? How self aware is our dear ex-prince? post link: https://ift.tt/3bvPcaj author: Ask_DontTell submitted: April 08, 2024 at 10:29AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

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thegatheredwheat · 4 months

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Elderberry ~ Sambucus nigra

Elderberry is an incredible food and medicine for humans, and we have long cultivated a rich relationship with elder. As a food, Elderberry is high in Vitamin C, as well as A, Iron, Calcium, and Potassium. Elderberry extract has been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties in both in-vitro and in-vivo models, further positioning this as an immune modulating ingredient.

Reishi ~ Ganoderma lucidum

Traditionally, Reishi has a 2000 year long history of use in China where it is known as the Mushroom of Immortality. Reishi’s medicinal properties are profound: cancer fighting benefits, immunomodulating, stress-reducing (adaptogenic), blood sugar regulating, containing antioxidants and supporting heart health. Reishi is the herb to build deep immunity where resiliency is needed.

Yarrow ~ Achillea millefolium

The medicinal benefits of yarrow herb have been known for a long time. Native American tribes like the Cherokee, Iroquois, Gosiute and Mohegan used it as a digestive aid, while the Micmac of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine used the stalk to alleviate colds and “break” fevers.

Yarrow stalks can also be pounded and made into pulp that’s applied to swollen body parts, bruises and sprains. But in fact, all parts of the plant have medicinal applications, and the herb can be taken internally or used externally.

Oregon Grape Root ~ Berberis aquifolium

The golden yellow root of Oregon grape is commonly harvested as a medicine, and is sometimes substituted for goldenseal, as the two herbs have similar constituent properties. Oregon grape has been clinically shown to support certain skin irritation when used externally. It is also traditionally used as a bitter tonic to stimulate digestion and externally for its antimicrobial properties. The active constituents in Oregon grape root have shown substantial antimicrobial and antifungal activity in vitro.

#herbalism #herbalist #winter immune boosters

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scrivenger-grimgar · 2 months

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“Are zombie mushrooms legal in your church?”

“Oh, you want to peg?”

“I cast Plague of Rats” -Warlock

“He’s a bottom? (Lenny face)”

“… it’s not a rubber rat room…” -DM

“You were about to be apart of an mpreg fanfic!!” -Druid “I already was!” -Bardbarian

“Roll me a nat20 on slight of mouth.” -DM to Warlock

“Rat rat rat rat rat rat rat” -DM

“(Hesitation)… Buoyant wood…” -DM

“What do you see with your frog eyes, Zoë?” -Warlock “… creatures… ⊙＿⊙”

“We could have an awakened pig for 2 pots of oil!” -Warlock “Barbecue pig!” -Paladin/Fighter “What’s the pig’s AC?” -Bardbarian “it’s ten (unsure) … it’s ten. (conclusive)” -DM

“Tie me to the mast like Jesus and let me nap in the rain!” -Warlock

“Oh yeah, they’re being irradiated!” -DM

“Oh my god I give cancer! First rabies now cancer!” -Druid

“It’s bonkin time!” *proceeds to bonk all over the place* -Bardbarian

“Surely 7 people wouldn’t try to siege our keep!” *proceeds to be sieged*

“This is my father I swear he’s single!” -Druid, about Warlock

About the siege quote, my party has 6 people, all lvl 5: paladin/fighter, kobold artificer, 2 Druids, kobold Bardbarian, and half-elf warlock. We ran into a lion-turtle dragon and warlock only just managed to talk it out of killing us, which gave us 3 months to sweep an entire island of the undead army occupying it or be killed by the lion-turtle.

We managed to get the help of a dragonborn npc.

The first part of sweeping the island is in progress. It has been 3 sessions, 1 per week, and in game it has been 5 minutes.

The only reason we are alive is that we got to surprise attack them. We are fighting 80 skeletons (some with stone armour), and 3 acid slimes.

Only 3 of us actually look like adults. We managed to kill like half the enemies before the others actually left their posts, all because they had the very rational thought that 7 people would not actually siege their keep.

Also, at one point our party consisted entirely of spellcasters. Artificer, 2 warlocks, a Druid, a sorcerer, and a bard. Two of our PCs keep dying in unfortunate accidents.

One of our original artificers tried to open a puzzle cube, but they had been cursed to take double damage to any non-physical attack, and the cube hit them with like 120 psychic damage. The players next character, thalaxodon warlock, got turned to stone and almost sunk our ship bc they suddenly weighed twice as much as before, so they got pushed overboard and sank into the open ocean.

The other PC was killed in the 2nd session, and then their next character got sent to actual hell bc they kept stealing shit while wearing a cursed item.

Our Bardbarian kept eating the diseased slime remains of some guy we killed and almost actually rebirthed him.

Our Bardbarian and artificer both got turned into were-rats.

One of my character’s (half-elf warlock) abilities is “Are My Kids In Danger” which is legit just an insight check to see if my preternatural dad senses are senses bullshit (ie. Bardbarian eating diseased slime again).

Our drow Druid is trans and literally nobody knew but warlock figured out that our sorcerer was a fae shapeshifter within a month.

Literally only drow Druid knows that warlock has a husband and was married by his patron, and that’s only because he’s adopted her and taught her primordial.

Anyways, I love d&d.

#dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #d&d #d&d quotes #d&d shenanigans

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sleepy-achilles · 1 year

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WARNING THERE IS AN OFFENSIVE WORD/SLUR THAT WILL BE USED.

My head canons about Shawn's fictional family:

His parents were married young. You got married in your early 20's back in the day.

Shawn's dad worked the oil fields in Texas, the gulf of Mexio, and Alaska. Shawn hated Alaska. Too cold.

His family settled in Houston, Texas, when he was 11.

Shawn's mom was a homemaker.

Shawn is the youngest of four boys. There is a significant age gap between Shawn and his brothers (13-11-9 years)

By the time Shawn was a teenager, his siblings had left home or starting their own families. He barely knew his brothers.

Shawn's was kicked out when he was sixteen. He was gay and wanted to be a wrestler. "NO SON OF MINE IS A F2$@&T! GET OUT AND STAY OUT."

Shawn ended up at an illegal fight club until Jose saw him and dragged him home. He worked his way up in the indies until the WWF came calling.

His brothers were stunned when they saw Shawn on TV. They want to reach out but aren't sure. His nieces and nephews are huge fans.

Shawn's does not wrestle under his real last name. He chose Michaels because it flowed well. He legally changed his last name to Michaels before signing with the WWF.

His dad died in 1999 from lung cancer.

His mother died in 2005 from congestive heart failure.

Did they reconcile? You tell me.

Random facts: Shawn started stealing beer when he was 13 years old and started smoking weed when he was 15. That stopped when he moved in with Jose and restarted when he moved out.

Hates mushrooms. Why would you put that on pizza? Is that a mushroom in my food? I'm not eating that.

Shawn hates Ric Flair and Hogan. Like eww get away from me. You touch my kids, they will never find your body.

Next up The Undertaker...research mode engaged.

I do always like seeing other people's takes on these things.

I will be patiently awaiting takers one.

Ik I have put more thought into takers family than I have shawns.

#wwe #the undertaker #wwf #shawn michaels #hbtaker #undertaker x shawn michaels #shawn x undertaker

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augment-techs · 4 months

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Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers

As Writing Prompts~

wife, sister, virgin, whore

an incantation, a naming, a blessing, a curse

weavers, potters, cooks, and healers

flip to any page; follow your wyrd

conjurer of hurricanes, zombies, and tall tales

with each story, the basket gains an apple

alchymist of monsters, children, the living and the dead

a terrible baby, their very arrival a murder

even the freshest thing is mixed with rot

a painful tale about the creation of life and what happens to shunned, abandoned children

shaman of dew, hummingbirds, and mushroom language

could not read or write and lived in poverty on the mountains

healer and oral poet

hermit of hospitals, belonging, and lost souls

"You think you're the only one who doesn't belong?"

at least some creatures can find a home

receiving two hundred electroshock treatments and narrowly escaping a lobotomy

grand dame of trickery, murder, and teatime

"Most unpleasant."

a consolatory apricot biscuit

sibyl of masks, extraterrestrial eggs, and twisted fantasies

smashes the crystal ball on the ground

what remains--glass shards and a black, sticky substance

the room is clean and the crystal ball intact

madame of roses, geometry, and repetition

grow feathers, slink into worms, shrink into dragonflies--anything to get out

undine of introspection, opulent dreams, and voyages

some collect seashells, others chart the sun's movement

some keep house, make lace, pursue lovers

dakini of holy ecstasy, the dark one, and ankle bells

poison becomes ashamed

miraculously escaped their poisoning attempts twice

fantasma of silence, death, and lilacs

a bird of blue bones drops a piece of paper

the paper unfolds into a palace

step in through the door

the music hollows

cursed to hear it forever

give in, eat the bird whole

storyteller of rattlesnakes, turquoise, and the sacred desert

the drought has gone on too long

spider's silk holding all things together shines with the light

high priestess of scholars, volcanoes, and eros

a grim jewel of astronomical price

fondles their muscles over coffee and toast

sorceress of islands, venom, and histories

the soup boils down to a thick black sludge

soothsayer of utopias, creeping women, and evil wallpaper

the unseen fairy

the people must realize the changes for themselves

the disastrous, sexist "rest cure" prescribed for postpartum depression

sorceress of names, houses, and solitude

sometimes the mango is perfectly juicy, sometimes underripe, sometimes too sweet, or bruised

cigar in hand, walk into the jacaranda trees, hanging black bras off the branches

'Use this to climb out,' read the notes tied on with ribbon

guardian of the waters, the porcelain, and the lexicon

they love these puddles

they will not survive this one

wolf child fight their way to the bank of the river; they survive

after a lifelong struggle with mental illness

fairy godparent of bloody tales, the circus, and mirror

"Not another one."

doll in a red riding habit

and a bleeding wolf escapes from under the cloth

dark drops of blood sink into the soil and the roses bloom a deeper, more delicious red

sumptuous tapestries depicting sexual, violent scenes

ornamented with symbols and adjectives

warrior witch of otherness, bodies electric, and sisterhood

the sword is for slaying ghosts and demons along the way

lava filling their wounds

the coroner writes

populated with mothers, children, sisters, anger, cancer, the erotic, unicorns, snails eating dead snakes, witches, fire, and the importance of refusing silence

specter of windows, flies, and the unexpected

travels freely between the afterworld and this world

a white dress kneeling in the flowerbeds

rebel of sensual love, green gardens, and perfume

they never speak of it, but each man is haunted by his vision

withered leaves, wilted geraniums and lilacs

write explicitly about sexuality

siren of the lyre, honey, and ruins

the rest of the words are illegible

how seriously each child puts those wings on in the mirror

seer of peacocks, weird country people, and glass eyes

pray to see humanity clearly