#The Three Laws of Mastery

[hellenhighwater]

I am utterly fascinated by how much cool stuff you do and am incredibly curious at how you have time to do it all. Did you just get really lucky with whatever job you have that allows you the free time and energy outside of it to do all you do? Do you simply have a mastery over this aspect of adulthood? Is it witchcraft?

I went to law school to be an artist. Which is to say--I specifically picked a field of work that I found interesting, and engaging, and which paid decently (and I say decently because by lawyer standards my salary is a joke, but it comes with a pretty excellent work-life balance and work that I truly do like) and which uses basically zero creativity. I don't tap into Art Brain for my job at all. I do my 8-5 every day and I have art stewing in the back of my head the whole time, and when I clock out I tap into a whole different aspect of self to work on projects.

I don't have an exceptional amount of free time--I do work full time--but I also don't sleep a lot? so maybe I get a couple extra hours a week that way. And I have ADHD, so when the hyperfocus hits I am going, regardless of whether or not I should actually be doing something else.

Part of it is just the fact that I'm only going to do what I want to. With the exception of the three commissioned paintings I'm working on, and a couple holiday gifts, I'm doing all of this because I just really want to do it. I don't have to force myself to do this because my bills depend on it. If it's not something I'm genuinely excited about, it's probably not going to get made. And sometimes I'm just tired out, and I do nothing. I got in a couple hours of painting after work today, but that was it; I made dinner and I've been vegging since then. It's fine.

But mostly this stuff is passion projects. I do it because I love to do it and it's easy to chose to do what makes me happy.

Maybe it's a little witchcraft.

[bidisastersanji]

ZoSan soul eater AU where Sanji turns into three katanas 🗡️🗡️🗡️

This ability would be a bloodline power like Tsubaki’s but one borne of experimentation. The Vinsmokes are a long line of mercenaries (like Black Star’s family) who experimented on their children for centuries to create the “perfect weapons”, and Sanji is the “failure”.

He is, of course, estranged from his family and joined the Death Weapon Meister Academy to try to do some good.

Zoro and Sanji have a terribly adversarial first meeting on their first day- only for Zoro to learn that Sanji is one of the only weapons in the world that would actually make his style possible without having to rely on three people (which would be insanely difficult to handle- to get four people on the same wavelength like that is unheard of)

Sanji only wants to be paired up with a woman meister but because of how he comes off a bit too strong (read: a big flirt) or because who the hell can handle three swords, or a little of both most probably, he ends up having to suck it up and be paired off with the mosshead prick he fought on the first day.

They do relatively well with time but really hit a roadblock when trying to learn soul resonance- and it gets even more frustrating when nearly all their friends master it.

Background lore:

Kuina was Zoro’s best friend and weapon growing up (she was Wado Ichimonji) but she died in an accident and until he meets Sanji and is forced to get a magical weapon because he’s reached the limit of what normal weapons can do, Zoro had switched to regular katanas

Zoro decided to bite the bullet and join the DWMA after a run in with Mihawk and his weapon Yoru- and realized he could never beat him with regular weapons

Sanji’s siblings also have unique weapon abilities, and what makes them so unique and strong- and why Sanji is the “failure” is that they don’t need a meister to wield them. They can fight like Justin Law , transforming parts of their bodies. Ichiji can fight alone as a guillotine, Niji as nunchucks, and Yonji as a flail (spiked ball on a chain)

Sanji tried his best to develop his own fighting style- turning his legs and one arm into katanas (he can’t do only one sword at once) , balancing on his remaining arm and thus mainly fighting with his legs- but it was never enough to beat his siblings who had better mastery of their weapon bodies.

Luffy doesn’t use a weapon he fights as a talented hand to hand combat meister and can use his souls waves to attack like professor Stein

Usopp is paired with his slingshot weapon Kaya, Nami uses her clima tact rain weapon from Alabasta: Vivi

[oinonsana]

belated happy vesak! went to our local temple and participated in the saga dawa puja

i also did a solo merit-making gubat banwa game!

In the solo game, the Mantrika Busalian Rasru and their consort vajra Bladeweaver Bajregame travel on foot across a dense forest traveling to the Kuta Ragam in an island in the Gatusan Isles. While traveling, they came across a weeping diwata.

The diwata resided within a single spirit house in the middle of Utoragam Wood. It wept because a band of unmeritorious warriors from the nearby town were coming to destroy the shrine. Rasru and Bajregame were sensitive to the cries of the diwata.

The three warriors saw Rasru and Bajregame coming to the god's aid. Aggravated, they yelled their reason: "Raja Rangin must see to it that the diwata is pushed out, so that the new gods may settle in."

"But this diwata has been the steward of this land for centuries."

"Then they must be tired of their duties!" And the warriors entered violence. Unfortunately for them, both Rasru and Bajregame were inducted into the ways of both violence and of sorcery. They're Kadungganan, after all.

In the chaos of the fight, the diwata's spirit shrine was damaged heavily by wild swing axes from the large leader of the gang. But Bajregame's mastery over Eskrima Mahika proved true, and she struck him down quickly with an intricate flying sword combo to prevent harm.

The kamikam assassin wielding two knives leapt up immediately to imbue many bleeding strikes upon Rasru, who was busy performing mudras to ready his sorcery. With a flex of sakti, they unleashed scathing magicks that punctured and then bound with a slowing poison.

"All things have the right to liberation," Rasru uttered, as they defeated the last of the warriors, an archer too cowardly to fight up close. They were all incapacitated, one way or another, but not killed. With an utterance of a mantra, roots came to bind them.

With all the ruffians bound, Bajregame took them up and begins carrying them out to the nearby river, where they will awake discombobulated. Rasru performs obeisances to the god, and says: "May you walk in light."

The diwata spoke to them, then. "I thank you, and whatever illumination leads you! Here, take the offerings."

Rasru refused them. "I am no biksu, give them to someone in need. May the ancestors and the annusattva grant you joy."

"You speak in interesting songs. Pray, herald to me what vehicle you ride." And so Rasru spoke to him of the path of Annuva and the teachings of Kritanagara, Violence Annusatva, as taught to him by the Witch-Monk Sri Dvaya Sattva.

When Bajregame returned, the path of the Annuva had been sung to the diwata, who found it interesting at the least. "I will have to go to the nearest monastery, then," he would say. "Or perhaps find dewa (sky gods) to ask about this."

"I am glad you are interested in liberation. Walk in light." And with another bow and folding of hands, the two Kadungganan were off.

When the three ruffians awoke, still bound, the diwata spoke to them about the Law of Annuva.

"Proselytizing? I did not expect that to be among your list of skills," spoke Bajregame as they neared Kuta Ragam.

"Still the thought. Not one I have proselytized to. I sing and only I sing. Until all beings are free."

[al-hekima-madara-blog]

Uchiha family tree (Headcanon)

Madara Golden Age ~ lore

There are two things that the Uchiha clan from the Warring states era cherishes the most : sheer strength and sons.

In this department, Tajima had always been considered as the blessed one in the main family line. His strength was undisputable amongst his peers, his flamboyant sense of bravado appealing and his wife gives him five sons.

His older brother Daisuke always kept hard feeling toward this younger brother who was way too irreverent, charismatic and who became the head of the clan jumping over their birth order. Moreover his marriage with Kiyo gave him three daughters. All this bitterness makes him a distant father and a difficult husband. He often compensated his lack of cleverness by an unkind character.

Their little sister Hanako has always avoided taking side between her two older brothers' feuds . Early in life, she knew that a female kunoichi is rarely considered in this overly male-centric family unless she can demonstrate an abnormal mastery of ninjutsu like her sister-in-law, Tajima's wife. Hanako did a rare thing for a member of the main line, she chose love over prestige and bloodline. She married a shinobi from a minor uchiha lineage against Tajima's will. When she got pregnant, the head of the clan had no choice but accept this union. Finally she was the one enjoying the most peaceful life far from the tragedies that fell over her elders.

More details on their family trees in Madara Golden Age chapter 7 : Coming of Age

[luckykiwiii101]

Hey so my sister recently bought some tarot cards and I don’t know much about them, but I mixed up the cards and picked three while feeling and knowing that my void state journey will be over very soon since I’ll finally reach the void very soon and wanted to see if these cards can tell me a little bit about how my last journey will be like. I got some kind of bad cards.

The first that I read literally said “symbolizes disappointment and regret with an unexpected outcome. It indicates the need to move on.”

The other said “Fruitfulness, initiative, action, long days, clandestine, the unknown, difficulty, doubt, ignorance.”

And the last one said “mastery of a skill, usually in isolation from others, It implies hard tedious work and encourages seeking help.”

I don’t really know what the last two mean, but you probably would think the first one made me feel bad, but I just laughed at it. I think my old self was kind of coming back and telling me that it will take me long days to get into the void state and that I will become very disappointed with not getting in. But I just laughed at these cards and ignored the 3D & said you know what this is not true. I am a void state master and I’m not going to let these cards and the past affect my journey into getting into the void state. The last one said mastery of a skill which I think it means mastering the void state? So I thought that was kind of interesting, but still I’m not really going to see these cards as the truth, but I think the first one was definitely a card that came up as a result of my negative thoughts that I had in the past.

I’m sorry to break it to you but…those cards only mean anything if you believe they do.

And they mean nothing.

A piece of card isn’t going to dictate your life. Last time I checked, a piece of paper doesn’t have a subconscious mind. But you do. And that’s all you need. So don’t contradict the law of assumption with tarot cards.

[cienie-isengardu]

Names & titles (Such as Sub Zero) probably hold a deep importance in the Lin Kuei. Not having a title (Or having the title be stripped from you) is a fate more shameful than death.

Ages ago I did extensive analysis about Lin Kuei and one of the parts was focused on social hierarchy which said clan. My theory was that the code names are related to warrior’s mastery and in result, the determinant of social position. Of course, our knowledge and understanding of Lin Kuei’s inner matters is limited due to insufficient material but looking at cryomancers alone, we can say for sure the name of Sub-Zero carries a lot weight and even was the subject of the dispute between Kuai Liang and Bi-Han (Noob Saibot) or Kuai Liang and Frost. So I think we may agree it is a great honor for any cryomancer to have this title bestowed on them. At the same time, various source material mentioned that the Sub-Zero title is passed down between warriors and in case of Sub-Zero brothers, it was passed down in their family for at least three-four generations. So, I don’t think losing it per se is a fate more shameful than death, as if Lin Kuei cryomancer will be lucky enough to survive to their old age, it feels natural to assume the title will be passed down to much younger warrior to carry on the tradition, as this benefit the most the clan. However I would not exclude the possibility that one warrior may challenge another to usurp the title and in result get a better social position within the Lin Kuei social hierarchy. At the same time the conflict between Grandmaster Kuai Liang and Noob Saibot Bi-Han gives us some vague idea that stealing the code name or taking it after a dead family member without proving yours right to it, is a serious matter. One that would be punished harshly, as Lin Kuei does not tolerate pretenders. 

So in general, I agree with you that the code name holds a great importance within Lin Kuei structures and culture, however I’m not so sure if losing said title is seen as shameful, as the Sub-Zero title was traditionally passed from one generation to another for decades. Like yes, losing respected name will be an awful feeling no matter what and a big blow to warrior’s ego and there are probably cases where losing a title involves disgrace (and probably severe punishment) but if one could be challenged for the right to use a specific code name, maybe Lin Kuei had established a proper set of laws to keep everything under control and each potential candidate needed first prove their might to back their claim?

Also, it may be just me, but Noob doesn't sound ashamed for losing his title - only angry that Kuai Liang appropriated his "identity". Which says a lot about Bi-Han and though losing code name is A BIG DEAL, is not treated as something worse than death. But then, Bi-Han had always a different idea of "honor" than his younger brother.

[weidaoduzun3]

Can/Do Bad People Cultivate The Great Inarticulate Dao?

Short answer: Yes, they most certainly do. The reason is the Dao's ability to penetrate and be a part of All Things.

What brings this to my attention is chapter 62 of the Dao de Jing, and I am working with Rudolph G. Wagner and William S. Wilson's translations and Wang Bi's commentaries.

The sections I want to focus on are as follows:

Wilson: "It (the Dao) is a treasure for the good man who is a blessing for all, and a place of support for the bad man, as it would carry him on its back as though he were a child." Wagner: "It (the Dao) is what is treasured by good men. It is what men who are not good protect."

Two very different translations here. Not sure which one I prefer, but regardless, working with two or more translations is an essential component for studying the Dao de Jing or any other Daoist literature, as an English-only reader.

The first thing that is glaring to me is the Dao's non-discriminatory qualities. For the bad person and the good person alike, both confide in the Dao, even if their crafts differ. For the bad man, we will use the character of a thief, and for the good man, someone who is pious and an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, and perhaps someone with privilege (someone with political status or a well-respected business person). If we recall the story of Lord Wenhui and Cook Ding in book three of the Zhuangzi, we can see that even for someone with high status, and more privilege, it is not enough to cultivate the Dao. In that story, Cook Ding astonished Lord Wenhui with his mastery and cultivation of the inarticulate Dao. Rich or poor, rank, privilege, and societal status are never prerequisites for cultivating and mastering the Dao. For more on this story, please take a look at my commentary on this particular section of the Zhuangzi.

So the Dao makes no distinctions between the good and bad man, okay, cool. So does this mean a thief can practice their craft with Virtue and in step with the Dao? According to Zhuangzi, yes. In a section I have not read yet, Robber Zhi's disciples ask him if there is such a thing as the "Dao of thieving?" To which Robber Zhi responds: "Which profession is there that has not its (The Dao's) principles?"

As seen above in the picture, the thief exudes the principles of the Dao.

As suggested by Wang Bi's commentaries on these verses from chapter 62, the one who is bad and practices the Dao, they avoid harm and the punishment of their thievery. When taken at a surface level-reading, this sounds like Daoism or the Dao itself excuses bad behavior. But this is not the case. What this is saying, I think, is that the Dao and Virtue are the bedrock of the world. As suggested in the photo above, the thief cannot but help to practice thievery with at least some virtue and principles that are in accordance with the Dao. Daoism doesn't promote thievery or any kind of bad behavior, but it encourages us to be true to our nature, be true to ourselves and our circumstances, and act accordingly to what Fate presents us.

I wish to impose a suggestion that when a thief practices thievery in step with the Dao and its principles, they can eventually turn away from their life of crime. This sentiment is not explicitly mentioned in the Zhuangzi or Wagner's translations of chapter 62. But if we turn to Wilson's translation of the last few words in his copy of the Dao de Jing, it states as follows:

"Why did the men of old treasure this Way? Didn't they say that those who seek it out will pick it up along the way, and that those who have been caught like fish in the nets of crime will be pardoned and given new life? Thus, it makes all under Heaven treasure it.

Compare it with Wagner's:

"What is the reason why the ancients valued this Way? Did they not say: If the good ones strive by means of the Way, they will achieve it, while those who have committed crimes avoid punishment by means of The Way? That is why it (The Dao) is most valued by All Under Heaven."

As you can see, Wagner's translation still gives off a vibe that the Dao excuses those who commit crimes and can thus avoid apprehension and repercussions. While this is one correct way to look at it, we must dig deeper into what the text is trying to tell us. I will take advantage of this opportunity to stress again the importance of working with two or more translations with these kinds of texts.

Focusing on Wilson's translation gives more leniency to my imposition that the thief can eventually turn away from their life of crime when they practice Virtue and the principles that are in accord with the inarticulate Dao. While it may be argued that the thief or good man has no choice but to rely on Virtue and the Dao in their craft, as suggested by the photo of the excerpt from the Zhuangzi, I dare say there is a choice. Some people are ultra-violent and have no code of conduct for their crimes; I can attest this much from first-hand, anecdotal experiences from my life as a former thief. We must remember the Dao supersedes and transcends all human-noted distinctions (Zhuangzi chapter 2) and that any Dao that can be articulated is not the Unchanging Dao (Dao de Jing 1). What "is" good and what "is" bad has no room when embarking on the Inarticulate Dao. The only example I can give you, wonderful people, is my own life experience with crime and turning away from that.

When my old using buddies and I would embark on a boosting heist (I'm making this sound all fancy, but it's really just a clever way to steal from department stores in plain sight), we would only steal what we need to get to feel better, get high and put food in our bellies. We never robbed people at gunpoint; no threats or violence had ever ensued. Did we practice thievery in step with Dao and its Virtue? Perhaps, perhaps not. But as suggested in the picture above of Robber Zhi speaking to his disciples, we practiced all of those things unknowingly, of course. It is truly an anomaly that we were never apprehended and faced repercussions. We can throw out any suggestion of white privilege because I was just the driver, not the one actually going into the stores and performing the boost. The ones who got their hands "dirty" were all people of color. Though, I'm not suggesting at all that my hands were ever "clean" because I was just a mere getaway driver. I am simply pointing out that race had no play in our evading of repercussions.

Here we were, as suggested by Wilson's translation, all caught up in the nets of crime such as drug dealing and purchasing, and thievery. I know of two people who have been pardoned and given new life, myself and the one who actually would go in and perform the boost. I've kept in contact with the "master thief" who would actually go into these department stores and perform the boost. He is sober, doesn't steal or boost anymore, and has a well-paying job; and importantly was never arrested for these crimes we committed together. Whether he is telling me the truth is beside the point because I, too, have turned away from my life of crime, and it seems like my friend has, too. If he did face repercussions, then, of course, my white privilege could've been a massive factor in my evading repercussions for these particular crimes. My friend has no reason to lie about this, though. So I can't help but think that both of us (when mainly it was just us two doing the boots/thievery) evaded harm and repercussions because we practiced our craft with virtue as our bedrock. We are both good people who didn't wish to live such a life that was fueled by petty crime and drugs. With our virtue still intact, we escaped the vicious cycle of drugs and petty crime.

So, in conclusion, yes, both "good" and "bad" people cultivate the Dao and its Virtue. We should not "gatekeep" the Dao and its teachings to only the good, pious person. The Dao and all its teachings should be available to everyone: the Cook, the beggar, the thief, and the King. The Dao doesn't discriminate between our petty human distinctions, and we should be more aligned with Nature's natural distinctions. Just as the Dao is a treasure for the goodman who is a blessing for all, it (the Dao) is equally there for the bad person and is its place of support.

[santoschristos]

The heart of the discipline of the personality is threefold. One, know yourself. Two, accept yourself. Three, become the Creator.

The third step is that step which, when accomplished, renders one the most humble servant of all, transparent in personality and completely able to know and accept other-selves. In relation to the pursuit of the magical working the continuing discipline of the personality involves the adept in knowing itself, accepting itself, and thus clearing the path towards the great indigo gateway to the Creator. To become the Creator is to become all that there is. There is then no personality in the sense with which the adept begins its learn/teaching. As the consciousness of the indigo ray becomes more crystalline, more work may be done; more may be expressed from intelligent infinity.

-Ra -The Law Of One

Indigo Twin Rays

Art by Fatih Gözenç

Indigo Twin Rays of structure, protection, deep healing, deep calm, deep vision, deep creation, energy placement holders, trust, whistleblowers, deep sense of soul calling/ life purpose, blueprinters, justice, The Lovers, maturity, spiritual mastery and richness, Neptune, strength, faith, courage, transformation/ transmutation and deep balance/ being centered.

[kensanwrites]

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[xxxdragonfucker69xxx]

The Abyssals crowdfunding campaign closes in about 24 hours.

I did not get to hourinblack all their charms. As penance, I am going to skim just the end of each charmtree, and tell you about the biggest, coolest power of each tree. I am also going to do this for necromancy because i am a necromantic slut.

ARCHERY:

World-Wounding Darkness: Shoot a hole in the world, leaving a black hole that sucks people in. This isn't actually near the end of the tree but it caught my eye and I was like holy fuck.

Heart-Numbing Spike: When you shoot someone, wound their ability to care about things.

Last Days Portent: Shoot out the fucking sun. Kills the lights over the battlefield. If you're being goth about it, kill the lights for miles around.

ATHLETICS

Mountains Become Dust: Physical scale is no longer a limit on feats of scale or destruction.

Light-Killing Stride: Move faster than someone. Didn't ask how fast they moved, you move faster than them.

Temple-Shattering Ruination Curse: Destroy a building to curse the land, making it shadowy and blighted and supernaturally scary. if you were being intense about it, it becomes an abyssal demesne, a permanent upwelling of goth energy

AWARENESS

All-Seeing Overlord's Lair: Extend your senses throughout your stronghold, you can't be surprised inside and your ghostly sentinels (you know, the wraiths you cast to patrol for you) can roam throughout

Morbid Inspiration Witness: Find inspiration in " the morbid, the eerie, or the darkly beautiful: an albatross dropping dead in flight, three  black cats crossing the same street in sequence, lightning striking a distant temple." That inspiration grants you bonuses on various projects, and also makes you care deeply about it. This is enhanced by further charms like Fervent Caprice Fever and Unrelenting Obsession Genius

Piercing Gaze of the Unmaker: Pick a place within, like 20 miles. You see it like it's your lair and you're there. Or maybe you want to cast your gaze on your rival instead? they are going to feel a crawling sensation up their spine from your gaze through <3

BRAWL

Illustrative Overkill Technique: When you kill or incapacitate a guy, it's so fucked up you can use it to threaten anyone else. Or like blow up a building or whatever

Explosive Gore Eulogy (!!): When you do that ^ you can also use their corpse as a weapon. Jesus christ.

Life-Annihilating Castigation: Pyreflame your attack and multiply (!!) damage by your opponent's wound penalty. If you get their ass they explode with pyreflame from within, and if it kills them their ghost burns up on the spot

Void Avatar Embodiment: Now with 0% prana! Envelop yourself in the void, dealing aggravated damage on touch and withering ranged attacks away. Also you're as close to death as you want to be <3

BUREAUCRACY

Hateful Scorn Panopticon: when you use Accursed Overlord Authority to inspire hatred in your followers, you can sense when any of them encounter your enemy, and where.

Rotting Palace Proclamation: Reveal that you embedded a traitor in a rival organization. Or was it someone we knew all along?

Iron Tyrant Reign: When you do that Accursed Overlord thing, if it's a Defining Principle you can carve it into the world as an Old Law: everyone who hears or reads it must follow, words bleed through coverings or hover like fire in the air, the mindless dead automatically obey

Suffer No Betrayal: When you do the Panopticon, you can also count people who've broken your laws as enemies. You can immediately gain Defining Hatred... and possibly carve that as an old law with Iron Tyrant Reign? That isn't in the charm im just reading between the lines

CRAFT

Malicious Mechanism Mastery: Jesus this one is a cartoon supervillain bit. Reveal that an enemy has stumbled into your trap! If it's a corpse-based trap, it's worse!

Fivefold Malice Curse: Lay a curse on something you make, for instance if its bearer breaks an oath or acts against one of your principles. and if they trigger the curse they get blasted by your Bleak Expiations, aka Abyssal Limit Break aka You Cannot Escape The Goth

Soul-Tarnishing Treasure: Instead of an overt curse you can cause it to inspire vice, a sword demanding bloodshed or a chalice inspiring drink. You can't be totally free of this unless you give the object up

Drawn to Death's Beauty: When you use Magnificent Cenotaph Allure to imbue something with emotion, you can also fill it with the mesmerizing lure of death, so that people wander towards it like a will o wisp and cant look away

Betrayal-Spurring Gifts: Annatar their shit socially if you've given them something you've made. &btw cursing that shit is free

DODGE

Hanging Shrike Focus: Dodge up into the air and float back down, or fall on your enemies maybe

Queen of Killers Pirouette (!!): dodge so good you turn it back on them, like fucking zelda's neutral-B in smash

Tenebrous Cloud Dissolution: DRACULA FOG its fucking dracula fog

Breath-Seizing Mist: Hey how would you like it if dracula fog was inside your lungs

Icy Sepulcher Entombment: When you cause someone to despair at hitting you the ice literally grows around your heart and then freezes them over. The freezing stuff is actually pretty early in the tree but this is setup for

In Awful Glory Crowned: When you bring them to despair with Frozen Fears Blossom you can also drain their Willpower, and if you drain it all they become obedient to you. Unless they're unimportant in which case they might just fall over dead, turn into a ghost, and then be obedient to you

INTEGRITY

Freedom In Chains: If forced to act against death's chivalry or your principles, brood about it, then break free

Clarity in Hatred: Shaping defense if you're mad enough

Immortal Malevolence: If you've enshrined an intimacy with Eternal Enmity Approach, you can care so much that you simply do not die. Wake up the next sunset completely healed, but you can't use that intimacy again

INVESTIGATION

Heart-Haunting Condemnation: Scrooge a bitch. Nightmares and omens reinforce your accusations.

Bleak Justice Malediction: If your victim of the above draws on Ties to resist giving in to your accusations, the haunting spreads to those people and things too. If they die they haunt your victim. You can fully Book Of Job somebody here.

Omniscient Spymaster's Web. Know something. Your people told you. You think anyone can keep a secret from you?

[rafent]

𖥔 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 𖥔

* fell child mastery drabble

' Only like this did end seem as beginning; she-twin, he-twin, Nel and Rafal the corruption of some adam and some eve. '

...

Always did our Child gaze at angels, the heavens of Gradlon never remiss in them.

Dreamy eyes tracked the flights of bat-winged cherubs burning bright, sisters and brothers fulsomely fledged, their scales in wonderful midnight array. They couldn't be less like him; Rafal son of dragons, yet unable to fly.

Rafal named for wind, but unfit for wings.

- ✶ -

Often the flightless one braced his fingers against the sky.

On clear days, it was filled with many siblings. He couldn't match them in their transformations, so instead he imitated their aeronautical exercises the best he could. He climbed to the peak of the highest rock just to jump down. As he bruised on the pits at the craggy base, he clung to the belief that one day such reckless falls would awaken flight. A fool's placebo reconciling him to the unattainable, but it wasn't longing he insisted, it was training.

Other times the method was different. When he bit into raw meat he thought that he’d wake up the next day, a little more changed, a little more dragonlike. The snake he found flattened on the road weighed so light between his hands. It went so heavy down his throat he retched it back up.

It wasn't longing he insisted, it was training.

Rafal insisted, wanted, blistered, sometimes cried. He exhausted his options, his little legs and weary mind, but there was no training he could do for the second thing he really, truly wanted. Maybe that thing he desired just that little bit more. Flightless and twinless, he watched those gamboling children in the clouds.

Always flown in pairs.

- ✶ -

Always did our Child gaze at devils, the hells of Gradlon never remiss in them.

Many behaved as they were created to be; selfish, yearning, wanting, destined for more. Countless fledgling devils of Sombron and each a growing supernova that burned in the greater scheme of his galaxy, where many would die, and others would shine brighter, where that decision was decided by the violent expansions of others or the sanguinary excellence of oneself.

Only blood natural, only power law.

"Failure. You looked at me just now, didn't you? It feels disgusting, you know. Being stared at by someone like you."

"I di–" I didn't.

—crunch.

A sane and lawful beating because only power was law. The other godling wiped his blood off his cheek, never mind that it was shared. Especially because shared. Even afterward his eyes still glowed with calculation, like he were the master, the king, the one who decided every fate weaker than his own. He and all others - he and all siblings who brought Rafal one heartbeat closer to madness in the healthy circulation of their own minds, and the rightful stretch of their wings.

- ✶ -

Ancestor; Three Houses; Brash General; Lonely Heir; Strategist; Doting Sister; Shepherd Exalt. Seven archangels sprung from people's fervent yearning. An eighth for whom Rafal would kneel, pray, and yearn equally if only asked. Awaiting them at the promised crossroads that was, to him, all but promised land.

"Were you waiting long?"

Not really, he said of minutes, stretching an hour from his limbs. The statue encased in stillness until anticipated thaw, the loyal dog not once derelict across winter storm or summer scorch, he sat under the same barren tree without counting the time, for only one reason. Because there was no place he would rather be than their spot of promise. Two to meet here.

Lamb who could never be devil, petal-soft hand entered his, a shy smile for him. Always did Rafal gaze at an angel.

Nil was his name.

- ✶ -

The bruised and haunted eyes with which 'Nil' enters Lythos eventually abates, replaced by shy welcome of the new garden and the new company, even so skittishly clinging to Nel, to his tree, and to the place at her side he must convince others he has always known. Deceive Nel, Nil asks in parting, and Rafal obeys. Deceive Nel, Father orders in parting, and Rafal...obeys.

For many years, for some centuries, it has been Nel and Nil. That it still was, if now also come to several more pairs; they and the Divine One, they and Zelestia, and now Nil and his fruits. Peaches for example were only grown in Lythos, and pink, peachlike Nil finds lush bounty in lieu of arid scarcity agreeable - finds a place here.

Half-bitten fruit nesting in one hold, he used the other to turn a page. Reading on that bench of a sunny patch, there was peace in paradise, even if he knew it wasn't for an imposter. Even if he balked to sleep alone without Nel, nightmares of not yet severed reality startling him awake with a whimper. Gradlon though out of sight did not fail to be totally gone. The serpent planted its whispers, coiled curse heavy over his heart.

—someday, you'll betray this eden.

Peach finished, the apple this time.

- ✶ -

Apocalypse; Eschaton; Ragnarok; serpent-fulfilled prophecy and world's end by any chosen name. The Fell Heir with his scarred ambitions and his belated ascension with none to weather his squall. Rafal meaning gust, and only his breaths flowed through his desolate planet. Rafal named for wind, and his Four Winds departed on divine ark, he the fifth to stay behind for his sins. Peace like the crack of a whip for his kind that halcyon dreams did not suit, and yet there was some of it, perhaps, at the edge of existence.

Only like this did end seem as beginning. Kings and laws and civilizations lost their once tightly clutched meaning, as if everything were simply returned to the cosmic dust from which they had sprung millions of years ago. A fresh and bloodless slate by every last drop of blood corrupted.

Only like this did end seem as beginning; she-twin, he-twin, Nel and Rafal the corruption of some adam and some eve. He sinful, she faithful. They who shed the patterns of old bloodied testaments; they, new age twins born not by womb but reborn by choice.

Only like this, at both end and beginning, he awakened, understood to where and for why his cogs ought turn. Brother bled of his foolish curse by sister's veins, for another twin once more he sat, and once more he waited. Loyal beside her, not once derelict across winter storm or summer scorch, every day he looked after Nel. Every night he looked to the stars where Nil was watching in that true promised land.

- ✶ -

Always did our Child gaze at angels.

Caped in seraph feathers and forsworn of serpent scales, one remarkable Fell Child who showed they could with red and blue, once black and now white, all at once be divine. Their hand extended to another who had once lost his way: our Child, no longer powerless and ravaging to be strong; our Child no longer blinded, reaching for Gradlon to heal where Gradlon had burned.

Rafal whose final paradox breathed within the failed lungs of his world: that by twilight there was, finally, dawn.

"Welcome to you both," divinity welcomed. "It really is a lovely morning."

...

��� RAFAL 」 has mastered: Fell Child

[lunar-serpentinite]

Nandhini's Legacy AU : Family Masterlist

A directory for all the Magical families that have a role in my Tamil!Potters AU titled Nandhini's Legacy

Nandhini's Descendants

Status: Extant

House Words: The Forests Answer to Us

Residence: House of Serpents (Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India); Nagaraja Hall (Gloucestershire, England)

Insignia: Cobra (Lotus Eater), cow, elephant

Colour/s: Green and gold

Head/s: Nithila, daughter of Aathirai (Main); Lily Potter (British branch); ████████ (Italian branch)

A South Asian Magical family from Tamil Nadu, with known branches in the United Kingdom and Italy. The main branch in Tamil Nadu do not carry surnames but as a collective they refer to themselves as Nandhini's descendants or Aditya's descendants. The United Kingdom branch carries the surname Potter. There is little information on the Italian branch. Should the main branch members find themselves in need of a surname for whatever reason, they have their pick of either Nandhini, Aditya, or Potter.

They are known for their unique variant of Parseltongue, commonly known as Potter's Parseltongue in the western world, and their unique connection with snakes. Their estates are known to house an extremely rare type of Magical snake called the Lotus Eater cobra, which appears in their heraldry.

The British branch is also known for their contributions to the country's Potions field and their work in the Magical ceramics industry.

The title of the Head and Heir of the family is primarily passed down the female line but only in secret. In the eyes of the public and the law, they practice patrilineal primogeniture like most other families. This specifically stems from old survival tactics of their ancestors but in the present day, the practice is continued out of respect and fondness of tradition.

They are known to rarely marry outside their South Asian circles, if at all. Regulus Potter ne Black is the first person who is not of South Asian descent to have successfully married into the family.

Through marriage, they are connected to the House of Black.

Notable members: Harry Potter, James Potter, Lily Potter (nee Evans), Regulus Potter (ne Black), Nithila, Lathishri, Kadhir, Iniyan

More information on the family

More information on members (Harry Potter, Lily Evans Potter, others TBP)

The House of Black

Status: Extant

House Words: Toujours pur (Always pure); Birthed by Shadows, Thrive in Darkness

Residence: 12 Grimmauld Place (Borough of Islington, London)

Insignia: Hawk, three crows

Colour/s: Black and maroon

Head/s: ████████ (Main); Sirius Black (British branch)

An ancient and powerful family whose earliest ancestor has been said to have lived as early as pre-Islamic Arabia. According to their own members, the family donned the surname of Black because their ancestors survived and thrived in the shadows of great kingdoms and empires.

In the present time, it said that the House of Black is so massive that their influential reach spans from North Africa all the way to West Asia. Smaller branches have left Asia and Africa and have settled somewhere else in the globe. One of the most notable branches would be their British branch which consists of at least three sub-branches. They are primarily known for their natural talent and extensive knowledge and use of Mind Magic, as well as their open usage and mastery of the Dark Arts.

Despite their fame and influence, little is actually known about the House of Black as a whole. Individual branch seats, heads and members are known, but the House's main seat and head remain a mystery even to the most prolific information hunters in the underground market.

The family's British branch is considered to be one of the country's Sacred Twenty-Eight. The British branch as at least three known sub-branches. The head British branch is historically Egyptian while the other two known sub-branches are historically Levantine (Palestinian) and Persian. The British branch is also notable for their tradition of naming their members after various objects in the night sky, from constellations to stars to natural satellites.

Famously, they rejected Dark Lord Voldemort's offer of allegiance in his first campaign. Orion Black, the Head at the time, has been reported to have told him that their family has "seen more formidable and competent Dark Lords back in the day". However, the family also did not make any moves to stop the Dark Lord's campaign either.

Like the other pureblood families, they generally refused to marry non-purebloods.

Through marriage, they are connected to the Potter family, the Lestrange family, and the Malfoy family, among other families.

Notable members: Sirius Black, Regulus Potter (ne Black), Andromeda Tonks (nee Black; estranged), Bellatrix Lestrange (nee Black), Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black)

More information on the family (TBP)

More information on members (TBP)

Maison Malfoyenne

Status: Extant

House Words: Sanctimonia Vincet Semper (Purity Will Always Conquer); Mountains Bow to River Rapids

Residence: Château de Port du Rhin (Port du Rhin, Strasbourg, France); Nadder Court (Wilton, Wiltshire, England)

Insignia: Mute swan, serpent

Colour/s: Blue and green

Head/s: Cassian Malfoy (Main); Lucius Malfoy (British branch)

A French magical family who trace their origins back to Strasbourg, France and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Historically and traditionally, they are a family of lawmakers, judges, and politicians. Their main branch in Strasbourg is noted to have a hand at shaping the French Magical Parliament to what it is today and members of the family continue to hold significant power in the Magical Parliament themselves.

This tradition continues with the British branch of the family. Armand Malfoy established himself as a pillar of the early Magical British community shortly after arriving in the country and receiving land and a title from King William I. His descendants would go on to become notable members of the governing bodies of the time. The family has produced a certain number of Chief Warlocks and a couple of Supreme Mugwump candidates.

The family has a fondness for establishing their family estates nearby rivers. The main family seat of Château de Port du Rhin is located near the River Rhine, while the British seat of Nadder Court is located near the River Nadder. They are also known for their mastery of water magic.

In the Dark Lord Voldemort's first campaign, Lucius Malfoy had joined the ranks of his Death Eaters but soon defected once his then-fiancee and current wife Narcissa Malfoy nee Black made him choose between her or the Dark Lord.

The Malfoy branch of the family was listed as part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Like the other pureblood families, they generally refused to marry non-purebloods.

Through marriage, they are connected to the House of Black, the Lestrange family, and the Lovegood family, among other families.

Notable members: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black), Draco Malfoy, Pandora Lovegood (nee Malfoy), Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna Lovegood

More information on the family (TBP)

More information on members (TBP)

Clan Weasley

Status: Extant

House Words: Roots Run Deep

Residence: The Burrow (Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, West Country, England)

Insignia: Rowan, oak

Colour/s: Orange and green

Head/s: Arthur Weasley

Historically a Scottish Highlands Pureblood clan, the Weasleys used to be protectors of a Magical part of the Caledonian Forest before they were driven out of their ancestral home around the time when the local Pureblood clan leaders were forced to hand over their authority to the growing power of the British Ministry of Magic. The Weasleys' portion of the Caledonian Forest was handed over to wandmakers under the Ministry and the Weasleys themselves were forced to relocate further and further away from their ancestral home until they settled in Devon.

The Weasleys' current residence is in Ottery St Catchpole where many of their relatives have also settled. Though they don't have the same power and strength they used to have, they were able to smuggle some saplings from their ancestral home and they have been caring for the trees that grew from those saplings in the years since.

Their Magic is closely tied to the earth and the trees they take care of. Many of them eventually end up in careers where they work closely with wood (carpenters, carvers, broom makers, Quidditch players) or the earth and the creatures that dwell in and on the earth (agriculturists, all sorts of animal caretakers, etc.)

They are also known to have fairly large family units, with their main branch currently having seven children in the youngest generation.

Notable members: Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley (nee Prewett), William Weasley, Charles Weasley, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Weasley

More information on the family (TBP)

More information on members (TBP)

The Park Clan

Status: Extant

House Words: Beware the Spider

Residence: Sangju Park Clan Ancestral Home (Hamchang-eup, Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea); Sangjeon Pavilion (Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire, England)

Insignia: Fox, star, spider

Colour/s: White and blue

Head/s: Park Ho-Jung (Main); Aloysius Parkinson (British branch)

[WIP]

Notable members: Aloysius Parkinson, Primrose Parkinson, Pansy Parkinson

More information on the family (TBP)

More information on members (TBP)

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

Ape Canyon’s Bizarre 1924 Bigfoot Attack

In July 1924 five miners claimed that they were attacked by a group of apemen. The story goes that a member of the mining party, a man named Fred Beck, took a shot at one of the creatures after being spooked. Later that night, the monsters appeared at the miners’ cabin, tossing boulders and rushing the door to break it down.

According to The Oregonian, the first paper to break the story, the apemen were covered in long black hair. They stood at 7 feet, weighed over 400 pounds, and possessed great strength. At one point, they made a hole in the cabin’s roof and dropped a rock inside, knocking Beck in the head. Despite the apemen’s mastery of rock-throwing, the gun-toting miners were able to hold their ground. By the morning, the creatures had retreated, allowing Beck and the other humans to run out the log-fort and return to civilization.

At a time when the word “Bigfoot” hadn’t been coined yet, people referred to the miners’ violent apemen as “mountain devils” and “gorillas.” As word of the ambush spread, the story also became increasingly outlandish. A skeptical mention in the Engineering and Mining Journal put the number of combatants involved at “more than twenty animals,” while one Native American editor tied the apemen to the Seeahtik, a mythical tribe who used hypnotism to hunt for their game.

Although the Washington media’s interest in the Bigfoot assault eventually faded, the gorge where it happened was christened “Ape Canyon,” ensuring that the battle remained a part of local folklore. After the modern conception of Sasquatch took off in the late 1950s, researchers like journalist Betty Allen rediscovered the Ape Canyon incident and incorporated it into Bigfoot mythology. Probably encouraged by this new Bigfoot mania, Fred Beck sat down with his son Roland to create a memoir of the failed 1924 siege, titling his 1967 booklet “I Fought the Ape Men of Mt. St. Helens.”

Despite the long passage of time, Beck remembered the greatest Bigfoot brawl of the century rather well. Before that fateful day in July, Beck and the other miners had already come across large, unfamiliar tracks. The week of the incident, they heard whistling outside every evening, as though two creatures were trying to communicate with one another. During his description of the attack in the booklet’s first chapter, Beck clarifies a couple details that were misreported in the press. It was actually his friend “Hank” (a pseudonym) who shot the first apeman, for example, and it wasn’t true that Beck was hit in the head by a rock.

At most, Beck and his mining party saw only three apemen at a time, although there might have been more. When things quieted down in the morning, the miners came out of their cabin, and Beck spotted one of the creatures standing near a cliff. He shot it three times, sending the damn dirty ape over the edge, down to a fall that was four hundred feet below. After fleeing to a park ranger station at Spirit Lake, Beck wanted to keep the whole ordeal a secret, but “Hank” couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The story spread, journalists requested interviews, and curiosity-seekers and law officers scoured the area for signs of the attackers.

In the second chapter of the booklet, Beck reprints a 1964 news article about the Mt. St. Helen apemen, mentioning his own incident and the 1950 disappearance of a skier on the mountain. Further on, he admits to having been clairvoyant since childhood, noting a history of “visions” and “spiritual meetings.” Because a psychic element just wasn’t enough, Beck completely twists his story and speculates that the apemen were beings from a lower plane of existence. As a lost link between humans and their ancestors, the apemen sometimes manifested into our own dimension, anxious to ascend their petty state. They are curious, largely harmless critters, and are only searching for a higher consciousness.

This spiritual gobbledygook, although not entirely unwelcome for entertainment purposes, is entirely absent from the original ’20s reportage. There’s been debate over how much influence Roland had on his father’s written account, and even whether Fred Beck could remember the story as accurately as he thought he did. In terms of more practical solutions, a logger named Rant Mullins admitted in 1982 that he rolled rocks onto a cabin in the Mt. St. Helen area in 1924. Mullins had also faked giant footprints for decades, suggesting he was responsible for another important part of Beck’s “ambush.”

Another theory argues that the miners mistook a rock slide that hit their cabin for the monsters, and yet a third maintains that the assailants were teenagers from a local YMCA, who couldn’t be seen clearly due to the time of night. As for the Bigfoot that Beck shot and sent down into oblivion, this was either the case of an overactive imagination, or the brutal assassination of an innocent apeman attempting to reach a higher consciousness.

[erikalentz]

Pokemon Half Moon - Forgiveness

On the same time the Rift Hunters fight Volo, Giratina have an unexpected visit.

(I wanted to draw Giratina and Arceus in their Pokemon form, but it didn't worked... So I did them in human form)

_________________________________________________

Silence reigned in the Distortion World. Giratina lay full-length on a floating earthen platform at the highest point of his dimension, having abandoned his Original Form for his alternative form, body and wings partly covered in ice that was beginning to melt, and barely able to make the slightest move after his battle with Kyurem. The dragon breathed in and out slowly, one breath after another, trying to forget the cold that was numbing him.

When the three dragons of Unova and their heroes arrived in Hisui, Giratina sensed their presence from his dimension, as did the Lake Trio. It took him less than three days of spying on them in the shadows to discover that they were time travelers from the future. As a Legendary Pokemon, the Renegade Pokemon was quick to recognize the phenomenal power of the monochrome dragons; their powers of fire, lightning and ice may appear classic, but their perfect mastery of their elements and their ability to manipulate the environment made them terrifying adversaries capable of destroying entire lands with their brute force. That said, although Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem were indeed powerful, they remained unknown demigods to Hisui. Although his name had been forgotten and he had been banished from the human world, Giratina remained one of the region's deities present at the creation of the universe, lingering in the memories of the locals in the form of their fear of the dark. Since he was on his native territory and had the full power of his Original Form, Giratina thought he would have the advantage against Kyurem, whom he saw as incomplete and less powerful than Reshiram or Zekrom... But he was too arrogant. The ice dragon was much stronger and more resilient than his frail appearance would suggest: he took the blows without flinching or grumbling in pain, and remained impassive and upright in the face of his attacks. Despite the injuries and their disparity in strength, Kyurem never give up, and their fight eventually ended in a tie.

After long minutes, the dragon slightly opened his eyes. He gazed down at the ground beneath his platform, where he could see his shapeless world, devoid of physical laws, stretching as far as the eye could see. A world which he knew every inch... And a world that constantly reminded him of his status as a fallen deity, and of the millennia he had spent in this dimension since his banishment by Arceus.

... Ah. I am back here again. Giratina dejectedly thought before sighing.

This wasn't the first time the Renegade Pokemon had tried to escape the Distortion World. He tried to join the human world and reach his creator's domain countless times, for as long as he had existed... But he never succeeded. Every attempt ended in failure, and he always ended up back in the land of his banishment, notably at the hands of Palkia, who tracked him across dimensions and forcibly returned him to the Distortion World as soon as he escaped. As he found himself chained and isolated from everyone over the years, anger and resentment grew in Giratina's heart... If Arceus gave him life, then why didn't he belong in his universe? Why did he create him if Dialga and Palkia were enough to shape the world he wanted? Does he consider him a mistake? The Renegade Pokemon had no answers to these questions.

Giratina didn't know what to do, or what to think of himself... And it was during these moments of doubt that Volo came into contact with him. This man had found some faded but still present books and writings of a people he was descended from, and some of them mentioned his name and his status as the third member of the group of Creation gods who gave birth to the universe, enabling him to open a rift in the Distortion World in order to summon him to Hisui. Now back in the human world, Giratina discovered that Volo wished to meet Arceus, and offered to lend him his strength to achieve his goal. The dragon could feel the burning determination that animated the man just by meeting his eyes... Volo possessed an iron will and a steely ambition to get closer to God. That said, although Giratina was impressed by Volo's ability to unearth the traces of his existence, the fact that his attention was focused solely on his creator made him bitter... Millions of years he'd been imprisoned in an unknown dimension without being able to talk to anyone, and the first person to call on him didn't see him as a Pokemon with his own identity. Human accounts described him as a monster, an evil being that causes nothing but destruction and misfortune in his path... And that's exactly how Volo looked at him: a violent, monstrous Legendary Pokemon.

At that moment, a feeling stronger than his anger towards Arceus took hold of Giratina; a feeling he unconsciously ignored but which had consumed his soul for thousands of years... Despair.

His creator had banished him and refused to see him again. The human world only saw him as a ferocious beast. Even if he saved someone's life in front of witnesses, he would remain a demon in their eyes.

If he had no place in the universe, and couldn't reach Arceus on his own... Then he'd force him to stop him once and for all.

Since they both shared the desire to see Arceus (albeit for different reasons), the Renegade Pokemon agreed to make a contract with Volo: the dragon offered the man the ability to use some of his powers in exchange for giving him access to the human world. Freed from the chains that shackled him in the Distortion World, Giratina began to open space-time rifts across different temporalities, past and future, in his original universe as well as in other dimensions, bringing together all those who had been transported by them to Hisui. As he opened time portals, the region's Pokemon gradually began to be more and more aggressive towards those who walk on their territory, some even becoming gigantic specimens among their species. While Volo expressed admiration and a particular interest in these rifts and their effects, Giratina felt no emotion in creating them... He didn't care about his contractor's true intentions, for he knew that Arceus only agreed to meet those he wished to see by himself, and Volo didn't fall into that category. All the dragon cared about was getting his creator to step out of his role as distant observer, no matter what punishment he had in store for him.

... But he failed. Again. Arceus sent a young boy from the future to Hisui to settle the situation, and a group of time travelers and their dragons later arrived of their own volition to stop Volo. His creator didn't even come forward to confront him in person... This fact hurt Giratina far more than his defeat by Kyurem.

I opened many space-time rifts... I caused chaos in time and space, many Pokemon lost their minds and attacked humans through the effects of the rifts, Child of Man Volo planned to destroy Hisui... And yet it wasn't enough for you to stop me yourself?

The cold gradually faded from Giratina's body, but tiredness began to cloud his mind. The dragon was about to fall asleep... when he suddenly heard a noise not far from him. The Renegade Pokemon then saw two cracks materializing in the void, like glass breaking. After a few seconds, the cracks opened and two huge silhouettes emerged, floating in the air for a short moment before landing on the platform on which the dark dragon lay. It didn't take long for Giratina to realize who it was...

"Dialga. Palkia." He whispered.

A silence fell between the three dragons. Dialga and Palkia had sensed the unleashing of Giratina and Kyurem's powers and attacks at the summit of Mt. Coronet, even from their own dimensions. Both were about to head for the top of the mountain to put an end to the duel, but the ferocity of the battle shook part of time and space, opening some space-time rifts across Hisui and causing Alpha Pokemon to attack anyone who crossed their path. With the situation in the region spiraling out of control, the gods of time and space decided to help the humans and close the rifts, while the Rift Hunters took it upon themselves to stop the cause of the chaos. It would be a lie to pretend that Dialga and Palkia weren't worried for the Unova Dragons, and even Giratina... However, the two Legendary Pokemon suspected that the dark dragon would’ve become furious if he had seen them, and that wasn't what they wanted. What's more, they trusted Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem and their heroes; these time travelers were excellent trainers and good-hearted people, capable of facing any danger and protecting everyone.

Giratina stared blankly at the two gods for a few moments, then sighed.

"No need to be on guard. I am not going to attack you. I do not have enough strength to even fly."

" ... "

" ... I can guess what you are going to ask me. Yes, I opened the space-time rifts in Hisui and in other temporalities. Many Pokemon have become dangerous because of me. I have no intention of lying or denying my responsibility in this disaster... If you have come here to chastise me, go ahead. I will not retaliate."

Dialga and Palkia's faces showed concern. Although their confrontations with Giratina had been sporadic over the millennia, this was the first time the two dragons saw him in such a weakened state.

They glanced briefly at each other, then Palkia asked in a calm voice:

"Giratina. Why did you open those rifts?"

The Renegade Pokemon was surprised by this question. Usually, the god of space didn't talk much and was content to bring him back to his dimension with the strength of his arms. Dialga, though less quick to confront him directly, was nonetheless aloof with him. None of them seemed open to conversation, and Giratina had long since given up the idea in the face of their indifference and coldness... Yet the dark dragon felt none of these emotions as he met their eyes. Neither Dialga nor Palkia showed any inclination to attack or judge him, despite the fact that he was on the ground. Their divine aura seemed to have faded, as if the Distortion World had vanished any notion of hierarchy between the three Pokemon so that they could speak as equal beings.

Giratina remained silent for some time, his gaze shifty and hesitant, before allowing himself to reply:

"... I did it to get Arceus out of his dimension."

"You wanted to push Father into the human world?" Dialga said.

The dark dragon winced at the word "Father", but he nodded.

"Why?" Palkia asked again.

" ... "

Giratina watched the abyss below him out of the corner of his eye.

"When the universe was created... We were the first Pokemon to whom Arceus gave life. It was through your existence that time and space existed, while I kept the resulting antimatter under control. However, after Arceus shaped the human world, I felt a rift beginning to form between me and the three of you... Our creator paid you a great deal of attention, and he did not hesitate to reframe you in one way or another if you came to fight each other. But me? I got the impression that I did not matter to him... I never saw him show any strong emotion towards me, whereas he was a little more expressive towards the two of you. Our trio gradually turned into a duo after 10,000 years... And seeing the being who breathed life into me and those I considered my companions leave me behind hurt terribly."

The Renegade Pokemon's throat knotted as he spoke. His impassive mask cracked, and his sadness showed on his facial features.

"I tried to tell Arceus how I felt on several occasions... But he would not hear me. So anger began to cloud my judgment, and in a moment of impulsiveness, I confronted him in a battle."

Giratina briefly paused.

"The legends claim that I wanted to usurp Arceus’ throne and take his place… But that was never my intention. I did not care about becoming God or replacing my creator, or even about him granting me more powers... I just wanted him to listen to me and understand my pain." Pause. "You probably won't believe me... But I ended up regretting what I did that day. I should not have gotten so angry or even tried to defy Arceus. Resentment blinded my reason... I was punished for it and banished far from everyone, and I have no one to blame for my downfall but myself."

A dejected smile then played across the dark dragon's lips.

"... When I think about it, perhaps my greatest sin was believing that I had a place in Arceus’ world. All that was asked of me was to fulfill the role of stabilizer of the universe by controlling antimatter, and nothing else. In the end, my biggest fault is having a heart... If I did not have a heart capable of feeling attachment, I could have got used to loneliness over time and not caused anyone any harm."

Giratina's smile faded and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"... I do not know why you are both here. But if Arceus asked you to... Then tell him I won't run away from the Distortion World anymore. I won’t try anything to get back to the human world. I will stay here... As a monster." The dragon said, closing his eyes.

Dialga and Palkia looked at Giratina with wide eyes. When they heard about the appearances of space-time rifts in Hisui and other temporalities by Reshiram and Zekrom, the two gods thought that the dark dragon was planning to destroy the region or disturb the balance of time and space in revenge for his banishment to the Distortion World. However, they realized through his confession that it wasn't grudge that drove him to open the rifts... But despair. An unhappiness that Giratina had kept buried inside himself for an incalculable time, only able to scream into the void of his dimension without ears to hear him, before rage and pain faded away to make way for resignation and hopelessness. His plan was not to confront Arceus... He actually wanted to give him a reason to stop him for good by taking on the role of the "bad guy", a role he was reluctant to do.

Dialga and Palkia lowered their gaze, a grave look forming on their faces... They felt guilty about their past behavior towards the Renegade Pokemon. Having been born as deities, their creator took the time to teach them to preserve the universe, while leaving humanity free to forge its own history on Earth. The gods of time and space were keen to protect Arceus' creations out of respect for him, but their lack of emotional development in the early years of their lives before the birth of Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie - one of whom is the Emotion Pokemon - made them aloof towards others, especially when they became independent and fully devoted to their duties as divine guardians. None of them suspected Giratina's growing grief because of their responsibilities and pragmatic upbringing, just as they never questioned the reasons that led their creator to banish him to the Distortion World even millions of years after that day. Dialga and Palkia were close to the dark dragon and could have eased his doubts, but they did nothing to prevent his banishment because of their closed hearts; chains that only began to crack a hundred years ago when they began to truly observe humans, before breaking completely when they felt Emmet and Dawn's emotions themselves through their memories, offering them what they lacked for so many long years: knowledge of emotions, human morality and the ability to empathize.

The gods of time and space felt ashamed to claim to be the guardians and protectors of mankind and the universe when they left their own sibling alone without reaching out to him after his fall. Had they sought to understand him and reach out to him earlier, Giratina would probably not have been banished and the three of them could have lived different millennia... Together, as the Creation Trio.

Dialga and Palkia regretted their past mistakes... This time, they are determined not to repeat them. They too had their share of responsibility in this space-time incident, a fact they fully acknowledge, and they no longer intend to abandon Giratina.

The space master moved closer to the Pokemon Renegade, lowered himself to the dragon's level and extended his hand to gently stroke his head. This unexpected gesture surprised Giratina, who then reopened his eyes and looked at Palkia dumbfounded.

"Have no fear, Giratina. We did not come here to punish you." Palkia said in a calm voice.

"What? Why? I am the one who opened the space-time rifts... I am the one who disturbed the balance of time and space!"

"That may be so. However, you did not do it because you wanted to destroy the world, did you?" Dialga said.

Giratina looked down briefly before answering in the negative with a shake of the head.

"I made it clear to this Child of Man that I refused to be captured, and that the creation of a space-time rift and when it opens is entirely up to me. That is why I have never opened more than one rift at a time at irregular intervals for almost two years. I am a demon, but I am not stupid... I knew his plans were doomed from the start. I just used him for my own reasons, that’s all."

Silence.

"You know, Giratina... What you said is partially true." Dialga said, which caught the attention of the Renegade Pokemon. "Indeed, Father took the time to teach us the knowledge and principles necessary to fulfill our roles as deities. We were the founding pillars of his universe, and he wanted us to be its protectors. However, even though we stayed by his side for many years, we did not know what he was thinking behind his ineffable face. Even today, we do not know who Father really is... It is as if he was near and far from us at the same time."

"Father offered us knowledge that helped us to be the gods we are today... However, the lack of connection and development of strong emotions was gradually distancing us from others, humans and Pokemon, to the point where our hearts ended up frozen. How can we declare ourselves protectors of beings on Earth if we do not understand them on a spiritual level?" Palkia continued, his face serious and his fist clenched.

Dialga in turn approached Giratina and lowered himself to his level.

"To both of us, the three of us were equals. This was an obvious fact, an absolute truth... Yet we had not noticed that loneliness weighed on you over the years or that you felt left out."

The gods of time and space then looked at the dark dragon, their eyes burning with determination and sincerity.

"I am sorry, Giratina. I should have listened to you when you wanted to talk to me." Dialga said.

"I am sorry, Giratina. I should not have been so brutal towards you." Palkia then declared.

Giratina was completely taken aback by his elders' words. The dragon had long thought that they knew Arceus perfectly... But in reality, they were just as lost as he was about their creator. And what shocked him the most… Was that Dialga and Palkia never thought of themselves as a duo. Their distant behavior towards him wasn’t an act of malice or intentional from their part, but the result of a lack of true communication. The two of them always considered him as a part of the Creation Trio, even after his banishment.

"Dialga, Palkia..." The dragon managed to whisper after a few seconds.

"The fact that I did not see your pain earlier is my sin that led to your banishment and this space-time incident today. I have my share of guilt in these events." The god of time said. He then placed his paw on Giratina's right wing and looked at him solemnly. "I forgive you, Giratina. I hope you can forgive us for our mistakes."

"I forgive you too, Giratina." The space god declared, placing his hand on his companion's left wing. "I also have my share of guilt in your banishment and this space-time incident, and I will not deny my sin of not being able to help you back then. You do not have to bear this cross alone... We will carry it with you."

"You are not a monster or a demon."

Palkia gently lifted Giratina off the ground, then he and Dialga embraced him close to them.

"You are our sibling." They said in unison.

The dark dragon remained motionless. He took a brief moment to absorb the confessions of the two gods... As soon as his mind registered their words after this moment of suspension, tears once again rolled down his cheeks. But it wasn't sadness that overwhelmed him... it was relief. The legends were full of sharp verbs describing him as a horrible, merciless beast whose very existence caused such dread and disgust that he came to believe he didn't deserve salvation. Yet Dialga and Palkia held him close, in a protective gesture, and offered him forgiveness. The lost, wandering fragment that he was ceased to fall into the void, and he was allowed a place in the world of his two companions... his two siblings.

Giratina inhaled and exhaled deeply for ten seconds or so to calm his irregular breathing, letting himself be enveloped by the warm embrace of the two dragons, and returned the gesture by wrapping his wings around their waists. He was too tired to raise his voice, but he let out a few discreet sobs, each tear he shed gradually making the negative emotions gnawing at him disappear.

"I am sorry..." The Renegade Pokemon murmured. "I am sorry for everything I have committed in the past."

"It is all right, Giratina." Dialga replied. Palkia, for his part, patted his sibling on the back to comfort him.

The three dragons lay close together in a restful silence. Suddenly, as if out of the darkness...

"Dialga, Palkia, Giratina."

The Creation Trio froze instantly, breathless. They sensed an ineffable presence behind them whose aura engulfed everything around it by its mere appearance, so much so that shivers ran down the backs of the three Legendary Pokemon. Dialga and Palkia knew perfectly well this energy signature... They had spent a considerable amount of time with him to know that it was not an illusion or astral projection, but his physical presence. They turned slowly, and saw Arceus.

"Father..." The god of time spoke.

Giratina's eyes widened in shock. That imposing stature, his graceful movements, that voice as deep and calm as a windless ocean... Although millions of years had passed since his banishment, the dark dragon remembered these details which made him realize that his creator was indeed there, in front of him. His siblings had forgiven him for his sins and accepted him as one of their own, but what about Arceus? Was he angry with him? Had he finally decided to punish him for opening the space-time rifts?

Arceus noticed Giratina's confusion and fear, and then said in a reassuring voice:

"Have no fear, Giratina. I did not come here to fight."

The Renegade Pokemon wasn't expecting this answer, and neither were the gods of time and space. After a moment's hesitation, Palkia ventured to ask:

"Why are you here, Father?"

There was a silence.

"I heard your confessions..." Arceus then looked at Dialga and Palkia. "And I have seen the memories of these two Children of Man." He said, pointing to Emmet and Dawn's diamond and pearl.

The Legendary Pokemon recognized the two gems. They had left them with their creator after their conference with him, having observed and felt a fragment of a human's life due to the blessing of Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie, and had offered to see the perspective of a being from his universe before leaving and discreetly helping the Unova Dragons. Dialga and Palkia didn't know if Arceus would be receptive to the Lake Trio's spell as they had been, or even if he would observe Emmet and Dawn's memories in the first place... However, it seems their words intrigued him enough to do so.

Arceus contemplated the lives of the Subway Master and the young teenager, and felt the emotions linked to the events and trials they went through. He was initially somewhat confused by the experiment... However, discovering the spiritual perspective of two humans for the first time aroused his curiosity, and he repeated the experiment for some time in order to understand them better. As God and the first being born from the void, he had immortality and infinite powers to create anything he could imagine, a gift he put to good use in shaping the universe; stars, galaxies, planets, and the beings and environments that inhabit these new lands... Arceus gave form and life to everything that made up his world, like a director building a stage for actors before they join the audience to see the play they were putting on. First it was one play that spanned a certain period of time, then another, then another, one after the other for millennia. The Creator never tired of watching the lives of beings living on Earth, leaving free will to humans while ensuring that the world was preserved from destruction from the sidelines.

However, while his role as producer and spectator gave him the privilege of observing everything and changing the direction of a script to get the ending he wanted if necessary, Arceus gradually forgot that his perception differed from that of humans, who didn't have immortality and the same notion of time as he did. As he looked at Emmet and Dawn's memories, he realized that his plan to end the space-time crisis in Hisui without intervening directly hadn’t been without consequences; Both found themselves suddenly separated from their loved ones without knowing what happened to them or the reasons behind their disappearances, and the year and eight months they’d spent without them - which seemed like a very short time to the creator - had been an infinitely long time for them, causing wounds that they healed as best they could after escaping death.

Arceus was baffled... He never wished any harm to anyone in his long life. His only desire was to see the universe he created live on and become more beautiful. That said, after taking time to reflect on his own memories, the Creator recognized that his role as a distant observer had its limits, and that his indirect actions had caused both good and harm. He’d never been an actor himself, unlike humans and Pokemon, which made his judgment and perception incomplete. What Palkia said also applied to him: he couldn't claim to be a protector if he kept his heart sealed and without fully understanding humans and Pokemon.

The God took note of this lesson. He accepted that he was fallible, that logical, pragmatic thinking didn't always mean it is the best solution, and that he didn’t need to be afraid to show his doubts and emotions to others.

This time, he won't be a spectator. He'll walk on the stage as an actor. For Giratina and these two Children of Man who haven't given up hope.

Arceus floated towards the three dragons, then lowered himself to their level. The Renegade Pokemon, past the shock of the presence of his creator whom he thought he'd never see again, lowered his head and let his gaze wander elsewhere. In the years since his banishment, he had only dreamed of howling his resentment towards the God, lacerating him with the most incisive words that existed in the human world. However, now that his fury had faded, Giratina found himself silent... He took advantage of the silence that had settled to put his mind in order, then after a moment of reflection and apprehension, took a deep breath and looked at his creator.

"...Arceus."

"Yes?"

"I know it does not seem much considering my actions... But I want to say it again in front of you... I am sorry. I am sorry for my anger that day... For opening the space-time rifts..." Tears streamed down his face again, but he managed to keep his voice clear. "I am sorry for everything."

A few seconds passed, and then the creator's face softened.

"I also ought to apologize. My lack of emotional display and overly pragmatic reasoning led you to believe that I did not care about you, when that was never the case. I never intended to cause you pain or make you feel inferior to anyone... But I ended up hurting you unintentionally through my ignorance. I am sorry, Giratina."

"Arceus..." The dark dragon whispered, his throat knotted with emotion.

"I have my share of responsibility for this space-time incident. I will not look away from my past mistakes. From now on, I will open my heart and soul to others in order to get to know them better, and I will make sure that tragedies like what happened today never happen again. I care about this universe and all the beings who live in it..."

The God brought his head closer to Giratina, and gently rested his forehead against the dragon's one, closing his eyes.

"And I care for my children more than anything."

Dialga and Palkia stared at each other briefly, looking surprised.

"I... I am your child?" The Renegade Pokemon said, completely taken aback.

"Yes." Arceus replied in a quiet voice. "You are my child, Giratina. I have never ceased to regard you as such, even after your banishment. I apologize again for my past actions... And I forgive you for your sins."

The dark dragon froze for five minutes at this sentence... When the shock wore off, new tears rolled down his cheeks and he snuggled up to his creator, his breath irregular and his voice stuck in his throat. Soon afterwards, he felt Dialga and Palkia close by, having joined the embrace in their turn. The pain and hatred Giratina felt towards himself had led him to believe that no one would forgive him, that he was nothing but a repulsive demon and the only way to absolve his sins was to disappear into oblivion for all eternity... At that moment, his fears disappeared completely.

His existence is not heresy. He is not a monster. His two siblings and Arceus forgive him, and he belongs to this universe.

He has been granted the right to live. Giratina vowed not to waste this opportunity and to do what is right to protect the world.

"Thank you... Father." The Legendary Pokemon said in a weak voice, but filled with gratitude.

"You are welcome, my child." Arceus replied in a soft, comforting voice.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Ape Canyon’s Bizarre 1924 Bigfoot Attack

In July 1924 five miners claimed that they were attacked by a group of apemen. The story goes that a member of the mining party, a man named Fred Beck, took a shot at one of the creatures after being spooked. Later that night, the monsters appeared at the miners’ cabin, tossing boulders and rushing the door to break it down.

According to The Oregonian, the first paper to break the story, the apemen were covered in long black hair. They stood at 7 feet, weighed over 400 pounds, and possessed great strength. At one point, they made a hole in the cabin’s roof and dropped a rock inside, knocking Beck in the head. Despite the apemen’s mastery of rock-throwing, the gun-toting miners were able to hold their ground. By the morning, the creatures had retreated, allowing Beck and the other humans to run out the log-fort and return to civilization.

At a time when the word “Bigfoot” hadn’t been coined yet, people referred to the miners’ violent apemen as “mountain devils” and “gorillas.” As word of the ambush spread, the story also became increasingly outlandish. A skeptical mention in the Engineering and Mining Journal put the number of combatants involved at “more than twenty animals,” while one Native American editor tied the apemen to the Seeahtik, a mythical tribe who used hypnotism to hunt for their game.

Although the Washington media’s interest in the Bigfoot assault eventually faded, the gorge where it happened was christened “Ape Canyon,” ensuring that the battle remained a part of local folklore. After the modern conception of Sasquatch took off in the late 1950s, researchers like journalist Betty Allen rediscovered the Ape Canyon incident and incorporated it into Bigfoot mythology. Probably encouraged by this new Bigfoot mania, Fred Beck sat down with his son Roland to create a memoir of the failed 1924 siege, titling his 1967 booklet “I Fought the Ape Men of Mt. St. Helens.”

Despite the long passage of time, Beck remembered the greatest Bigfoot brawl of the century rather well. Before that fateful day in July, Beck and the other miners had already come across large, unfamiliar tracks. The week of the incident, they heard whistling outside every evening, as though two creatures were trying to communicate with one another. During his description of the attack in the booklet’s first chapter, Beck clarifies a couple details that were misreported in the press. It was actually his friend “Hank” (a pseudonym) who shot the first apeman, for example, and it wasn’t true that Beck was hit in the head by a rock.

At most, Beck and his mining party saw only three apemen at a time, although there might have been more. When things quieted down in the morning, the miners came out of their cabin, and Beck spotted one of the creatures standing near a cliff. He shot it three times, sending the damn dirty ape over the edge, down to a fall that was four hundred feet below. After fleeing to a park ranger station at Spirit Lake, Beck wanted to keep the whole ordeal a secret, but “Hank” couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The story spread, journalists requested interviews, and curiosity-seekers and law officers scoured the area for signs of the attackers.

In the second chapter of the booklet, Beck reprints a 1964 news article about the Mt. St. Helen apemen, mentioning his own incident and the 1950 disappearance of a skier on the mountain. Further on, he admits to having been clairvoyant since childhood, noting a history of “visions” and “spiritual meetings.” Because a psychic element just wasn’t enough, Beck completely twists his story and speculates that the apemen were beings from a lower plane of existence. As a lost link between humans and their ancestors, the apemen sometimes manifested into our own dimension, anxious to ascend their petty state. They are curious, largely harmless critters, and are only searching for a higher consciousness.

This spiritual gobbledygook, although not entirely unwelcome for entertainment purposes, is entirely absent from the original ’20s reportage. There’s been debate over how much influence Roland had on his father’s written account, and even whether Fred Beck could remember the story as accurately as he thought he did. In terms of more practical solutions, a logger named Rant Mullins admitted in 1982 that he rolled rocks onto a cabin in the Mt. St. Helen area in 1924. Mullins had also faked giant footprints for decades, suggesting he was responsible for another important part of Beck’s “ambush.”

Another theory argues that the miners mistook a rock slide that hit their cabin for the monsters, and yet a third maintains that the assailants were teenagers from a local YMCA, who couldn’t be seen clearly due to the time of night. As for the Bigfoot that Beck shot and sent down into oblivion, this was either the case of an overactive imagination, or the brutal assassination of an innocent apeman attempting to reach a higher consciousness.

[solianapaeris]

Spiritual/Philosophy/Psychology book recommendations:

* Ego and Instinct by Daniel Yankelovich

* A Sense of the Future by Jacob Bronowski

* The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

* Reincarnation: The Phoenix Fire Mystery by Joseph Head

* Synchronicity by C.G. Jung

* The Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee

* Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

* The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz

* Creating Affluence by Deepok Chopra

* The Spirit of Intimacy by Sobonfu Somé

* The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

* The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

* A New Earth by Eckhart tolle

* Three Essays on Universal Law: The Laws of Karma, Will and Love by Michael A. Singer

* The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

* The Search for Truth by Michael A. Singer

* The Art or Saying No by Damon Zahariades

* Karma: What It Is, What It Isn’t, Why It Matters by Traleg Kyabgon

* All About Love by Bell Hooks

* Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes