#alternatively they can fly by the power of Miracle or simply because they Expect to be able to fly and the universe sighs and accommodates

[anonymousdandelion]

Watsonian explanation for all this: angel/demon corporations are designed by Heaven/Hell — and it is a well-known trait of Good Omens Heaven and Hell to absolutely not understand how things work on Earth/in the material world. And whatever angel is in charge of building the wings definitely falls into the category of "people who don't really deal with birds."

Thoughts on good omens 2 wings? They seem to have updated their models n thought you’d like to see

I don't think they updated the models, they're still using weird pseudo-primaries instead of proper secondaries, and they still have huge gaps between the feathers which would make it so they'd never be able to fly with them.

THIS:

should never happen

Look at a swan's wing when partially extended the same way:

Primaries are only shaped so sharp and thin because they are stiff as fuck and anchored into bone so when the bird moves the tips of its wing bones, the primaries can help steer. Secondaries have MUCH softer, more bendy shafts, and they overlap one another heavily so that the wing becomes like an airplane wing- solid shape for wind to flow over and provide lift.

Do you know how many feathers you have to clip to ground a swan? Five. Five feathers on one wing and the swan cannot fly off.

Every-other primary, which leaves a bit of a gap between the feathers so it's no longer a solid line.

It's a problem on Aziraphale's wings, too. Not to mention whatever the hell is going on with Aziraphale's underwing coverts pointing the wrong direction:

Also they still have weird motion problems, where the wings a) often act like they don't have bones, b) the feathers bend like they have no stiffness to them at all and c) they don't fold properly at all. Any bird's folded wing, even removed from the bird, resembles a pointy oval with a bit of a concave innard. I don't have a screencap of how their wings fold up in space (they do I just don't have a pic) but it's pretty terrible. Points in their favor for the primaries folding under the secondaries, but not much else.

Anyway they're pretty but still being designed by people who don't really deal with birds, or else who are stuck with design programs that don't know how to deal with birds. They're beautiful angel wings but not great bird wings. Which I suppose is fine, since they're angels, not birds.

[sylverstorms]

Cassandra x Maiden----Anonymity

Three months, two days and seven hours.

That is how long you’ve been in Dimitrescu castle for. If rumor is to be believed, you are well on your way to setting the year’s record for longest living maid. Well. ‘Maid’, according to their perception. Your mind always automatically corrects it to something more fitting:

Prisoner.  

You did not choose to work for them. You did not choose to be in this godforsaken place, cleaning crimson stains off the floors, trying to convince yourself the wailing that sometimes reaches your ears is simply the wind. You never would have imagined your life’s end like this, serving wine –no, who are you kidding, it’s too crimson for that— to the Dimitrescus at dinner until one of them snaps and drives the nearest blade into your throat.

Probably Daniela.

It’s not unheard of. And stories of other maids’ murders are plenty.

Daniela has bitten one’s throat off for the crime of addressing her wrongly. Cassandra has left increasingly deep gashes, some of which resulted in deaths, for random offenses, like staring at her for too long. Bela, arguably the more merciful of the three, has snapped necks only when the staff disrespected her sisters’ names, or her mother’s.

You aren’t sure if you want to thank the older maids for this information or yell at them for the nightmares it has caused you. You are lucky to not be in the village, they say –everyone there must already be dead. You are even luckier to have been taken from the dungeon by the Lady herself. It means the daughters don’t know you and the castle is big enough that they may never spare you a glance.

You hadn’t believed it, at first.

Yet in the three months of your stay, you have never come across anyone other than Bela in the sections you were assigned to clean and polish. She passed you by the hallway like she did the decorations and the furniture –and you couldn’t be happier about it. You have caught scarce glimpses of Alcina Dimitrescu, too. Never the other two residents.

Not until the fateful day another maid disappears and the staff’s assigned posts change. You have no say in it and no power to object.

May as well keep my head down and continue to work as carefully as I have. That is the idea. Not to look too much, or think too much, or feel too much. Avoid mistakes because those in the castle are fatal.  

It is a little difficult to remain utterly calm when the sound of swarming insects comes from far behind you, though.

Your blood starts to kick in your veins. Your heart wants to jump out of your chest and make a run for it. You lock your muscles down and summon all the willpower you possess to stay focused on your task.

Please be Bela, please, please, be Bela—

The buzzing dies down. Steps approach you in the otherwise silent hallway. They are too light to be Bela’s. You’re probably screwed, you think, but you keep cleaning the surface in front of you until it’s practically a mirror with how it shines.

The steps halt too close to you for comfort. Out of the corner of your eye, you realize they’ve left bloody imprints on the floor you’ve been polishing for hours now. Dainty, pale fingers are wrapped loosely, almost lazily, around a sickle dripping crimson.    

“Never seen you around, before.” the sound of her voice makes you freeze.

You stop and turn— to face none other than Cassandra Dimitrescu. Her hood is down, brunette waves on point, the dried blood at her chin a terrible contrast to her otherwise attractive face. You… didn’t know she was that pretty, up close.

“I… I have been here for three months. On the opposite wing.” you say. Was I even supposed to reply? You’ll find out soon enough, if your tongue is still attached to your body.

Her eyes give you a quick once-over. “Bela’s been keeping you a secret, huh.” she tsks. Her free hand goes to the handle of the door next to you… and only then do you realize it must be her bedroom. You’re literally assigned to clean the wolf’s den. “Come wake me up when the sun has set, completely.” she emphasizes.

What.

“Uh—”

The crimson-dyed sickle moves until its blade rests underneath your chin, lifting it so your eyes meet hers. From this angle, under the pale lighting of dawn, they look more –stunning— blue than inhuman gold. “No loud sounds. No lights. Got it?”

How can you not, when your life depends on it?

“Yes, my lady.” you reply. You don’t even dare draw breath.

“Good.” In one swift movement, the sickle is gone, the handle turned and she’s already shedding her robe.

You catch a glimpse of a black corset and a narrow waist before you avert your eyes.

The door shuts.

...

Waking Cassandra up can be… tricky, the other maids tell you.

She detests light when she opens her eyes but she also doesn’t want it to be pitch black. You’re not supposed to talk but you can’t shake her, either. Which brings you to the very logical question:

“What the hell am I supposed to do, then?”

To which they have no answer.

They have no answer, you realize with a start… because there’s nobody alive to tell the tale of how to actually wake the brunette sleeping beauty up without simultaneously signing their own death sentence.

The hours pass both too slow and too fast. The sun sets over the horizon.

And you stand, riddled with nerves, outside Cassandra’s room.

A deep inhale later, you turn the handle. The door is left half-open so a bit of light comes in from the hallway. Her bedroom smells like shampoo, bath salts and spices. She must have taken a shower before she went to sleep. You approach the figure tucked under the silken sheets of the queen-sized bed…

Cassandra is lying on her side, one hand underneath her pillow, the other extended loosely towards the edge of the mattress. She probably sleeps naked, at least from the waist up, but thankfully the covers are wrapped around her chest. Their royal red color makes a stark contrast against the paleness of her skin.

Her face is so… serene.

She is a monster and a sadistic killer, yet right there you can’t deny she looks more like a renaissance painting.

Now onto the hard part.

“My lady… the sun has set.” you whisper, kneeled on the floor beside her. No movement comes. “Hey… I’m here to wake you up?” you try again. Still nothing. Shakily, you bring your hand up to the bed. Not daring to touch her, you leave it beside hers, over the covers. “Cassandra?”

She turns her face deeper into her pillow –no, no, you don’t think it’s cute, what’s wrong with you— but at least she’s finally reacting. You call her name one more time.

Her nose scrunches up a little. Long fingers flex –and they touch yours. She’s cold. A pair of blueish ambers blink open to regard you. Not with malice, or with annoyance.

“Good evening.” you speak, unsure of what else to say.

A smirk slowly curves her lips. She looks like a lazy cat pondering whether or not it’s worth it to pounce and that’s not good. It’s not good, not ‘hot’ like your mind suggests. God, you’ve been in this castle so long you are starting to get messed up.

“Mm, breakfast in bed.” she grins and licks her lower lip sexily. Your eyes fly wide open, but her hand is already gripping the front of your black shirt, trapping you there.

How could you ever find this psycho attractive?! you get mad at yourself. Is she hot now that she’s going to kill you?  

But Cassandra only lets out an airy laugh and releases you. You fall backwards on your behind. “Breathe, darling, I’m joking.” She rolls onto her back and seems to wince from it. Her smile vanishes.

“…does… your back hurt?” you ask when you finally find your voice again.

“Ugh, a Lycan landed a hit on me. He’s pieces now, of course, but my muscles still pull.” she says it casually, like it’s a thing that happens.

Silence falls over the room. You take it as your cue to leave. You stand and bow while she’s looking blankly at the ceiling—

But she stops you.

“Wait. Come here.” you don’t like it when she gets that tone, like she came up with something she cannot wait to try. You’re already close to the bed, you’re not sure what she means. Until she pats the spot right next to her. “Don’t make me say it again.”

You won’t. You know what’s good for you.

Hesitantly, you take a seat on the –admittedly very comfortable— mattress. “Yes, lady?”

“Give me a massage.” she says like it’s your job, like she’s the rich woman in a spa and it’s what’s expected. She turns onto her front, bearing her naked back to you and you have less than five seconds to come to terms with the thought of straddling her.

Carefully, you bring your knees on either side of her thighs and pull the sheets so they rest low at her waist. You feel warmer than you should given the temperature of the castle. If she knows the fine teasing line she’s walking, she is loving every inch of it.

Cassandra loves being the center of attention and she loves being pampered, you realize.

It’s probably amusing to her to make you fluster, but this is also an opportunity for you to get on her good graces. She is a dangerous one and it’ll be a great asset for your survival if she’s leaning favorably towards you. Win-win situation. You just have to be good at your job. Like always.

By some miracle of God, you do know how to work the tension out of muscles.

The first time you touch her, you simply rest your hands on her back to warm it. She doesn’t seem to object, from the way lean muscle stretches out under your fingers. Cassandra feels cool, but not hard like marble. Her skin yields under your touch, soft and smooth.

As you apply more pressure to your stokes, she starts to let out little sighs that you have to mute in your mind before they start to affect you. You’ve been high-strung and without sex for too long. Your body all too eagerly intercepts this death-trap as foreplay.

Minutes roll by.

You alternate between all the methods you know. The one that really seems to get her is when you drive your thumb into the knots and end with a little circle.

Cassandra is –God help you— openly moaning every time you press more. It is a bit too much pressure you’re applying though and you don’t know if you’re hurting her and she’s just into it.

“Is this too much…?” you ask. Fuck, why do you sound so breathless?

“No, it’s good.” she husks back.

“Harder?” You don’t know what innocent means, anymore.

Cassandra sends that little smirk again over her shoulder. “Harder.” she replies and the extra flair she puts into it is enough to nearly fry your brain. And other parts of you.

You’re pretty sure you need a cold shower by the time you leave her room.

...

At diner, you hang back in the shadows, gaze downcast.

You do not need to know what the Dimitrescu family is eating, nor what they’re drinking. You do not need to see Cassandra or risk catching Daniela’s gaze. You love your anonymity in the castle. It has kept you alive.

But it is shattered like frail glass when you bring another bottle of Sanguis Virginis to the table. You’ve almost retreated back to your place, when Daniela’s eyes zero in on you.

“She’s the human!” she exclaims like she’s made the world’s most startling discovery. Bela seems to understand, but the Lady and Cassandra frown over their glasses.

“I am almost afraid to ask, love.” Lady Alcina says…

And she’s right.

“The one who made Cassandra go ‘harder’ and ‘yes, yes!’ earlier this evening.” she impersonates in her sluttiest voice and then breaks into a fit of cackles. Bela’s lip twists into a withheld chuckle.

Lady Dimitrescu nearly chokes on her wine.

Cassandra slaps the back of Daniela’s head. “You’re such an idiot.”

“Girls.” Alcina warns and glares until the table calms again.

Then, her eyes curiously fall upon you.

So much for your anonymity.

Ko-Fi

[latinasmoak]

the sweetest life (and the loving is easy when you’re with me)  

tumblr version: 

"It all started with an eclair. "

(Modern Polin AU) A mini series on how a couple of delectable desserts have the power to make Penelope Featherington's dreams come true.

rating: mature

tags: tooth rotting fluff, seriously so sweet it’s cavity inducing , it starts off sweet but we will be getting smutty in later chapters!

Chapter One: Mocha Eclairs 

It all started with an eclair.  

No wait, Penelope was getting ahead of herself.

It all started when she finally moved out of her mother’s home. The day when she realized that she was free from all the backhanded compliments, the nitpicking statements or worse, her mother’s “helpful” advice that wasn’t really helpful at all.  Penelope loved her mother, she really did but Penelope would also be the first to admit that they had nothing in common and those differences often led to moments of extreme dislike and disappointment. But that daily torment was the past, now that she was in her own flat, and out of Portia’s critical eye, she was only privy to criticisms when she deemed it necessary to visit her mother, which to no one’s surprise, wasn’t often. And more importantly, living on her own - oh alright, with Eloise Bridgerton as her roommate of course - Penelope was finally free to indulge in one of her favorite secret hobbies. Baking.

When Penelope couldn’t write, she found that redirecting her brain power to learning the techniques and rules of baking, a satisfying distraction. (Self taught and with nothing but online tutorials, plenty of hands on attempts and several spectacular failures, Penelope felt a spark of excitement when, eventually, her creations didn’t turn out as complete disasters) . She still remembers the day her pastry attempt finally didn’t crumble or fall in on itself! When she had taken a bite and sighed with pleasure at how delectable it had turned out to be. To say she felt complete joy and satisfaction was a vast understatement. Her baking steadily improved and now she’s reached the point where sharing her creations with her favorite person was no longer unthinkable.

A flutter of butterflies erupted in her stomach and Penelope took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. Before her very eyes was her own take on a mocha eclair; lightly brown, oblong choux pastry filled with an espresso creme patisserie. It was topped with a dark chocolate mascarpone and simply decorated with chocolate shavings. It looked divine and it smelled heavenly and all the while Penelope’s heart was about ready to burst. She had only one person in mind while she was making these treats, the one person who was constantly in her thoughts.

Colin Bridgerton.

Colin, her best friend’s older brother who was also her friend...sort of. At least she considered him her friend and Penelope dearly wished he felt the same. Well, if she was honest, she would prefer it if he viewed her as more than just a friend, but Penelope had been Eloise’s friend since childhood and because of that she was, unfortunately, like another sister to him.

Penelope shook her head, her loose curls flying about as she attempted to redirect her thoughts from the depressing spiral of her unrequited love. Instead she focused on boxing up her beautiful chocolatey creations. She was after all, expected over at the Bridgertons’ for dinner.

What was unexpected, was the sound of the front door opening and Eloise clamoring her way in. Penelope tilted her head in confusion as she stepped out of her tiny kitchen and followed the sound to see El.

“Why are you here? I thought we were meeting up at your mum’s place?”

Her shouted question was met with silence. No response came from her best friend as she zipped her way to her room, mumbling something utterly incomprehensible.  

“According to her, she needed something from her room quite urgently , and no it could not wait, so here we are. At least we can all head to mum’s together.”

A distinctive male voice answered her, startling her enough to make her flinch. Her stomach dropped and her heart began pounding double time, but not just because of the fright, no... even without turning just yet there was no way she could ever mistake his voice. So melodic and captivating as it was, Penelope merely lifted her hand to her heart, willing it to slow down as she turned around to face the man of her dreams.

“C-Colin, you startled me.”

She tried to laugh off her reaction, cursing the fact that his simple presence was enough to make her body go haywire.

A little crease on his forehead appeared as he frowned. “I’m sorry Pen, I didn’t mean to give you a scare.”

He scratched at the back of his head, a small smile making its way onto his face.

“I thought you would have seen me behind El.”

Whatever she was about to say next was interrupted by Colin sniffing the air and casually heading towards the kitchen. “Pen, what is that? It smells really good in here,” his voice got softer the further away from her he got and Penelope quickly chased after him, knowing better than to leave him alone with a box of sweets. Penelope knew the instant he noticed her eclairs. It was hard to describe how excited he was, but his whole being came alive at the sight of food.

“Where did you buy these? Can I try one?”

Instead of answering, Penelope booked it, managing to reach the box before he did. A little miracle as she zoomed past him before standing in front of her treats, using her own body as a barrier to keep the man with a black hole as a stomach away. If she hadn’t been so busy trying to catch her breath, she would have laughed at the astonished look on his face. Colin had clearly not been expecting her to react like that but it wasn’t long before his stunned expression morphed into one of humor, his eyes alight with fondness.

After a few deep breaths Penelope finally had the capacity to answer without wheezing,

“I didn’t buy these. I made them. Yes you may have one, but not now. I was going to bring them to dinner.”

Penelope nervously pushed back her loose curls behind her ear before continuing.

“I know you Colin, if you eat one now, you could be tempted to finish the whole box and that wouldn’t be fair to your brothers and sisters.” she teased.

He didn’t need to know that the reaction she was looking forward to the most was his. In fact, Penelope had gone to great lengths to hide how pathetically in love she was with the third Bridgerton brother. From the moment boys had stopped being icky to her, her heart had belonged to him. It wasn’t just that he was ridiculously handsome and charming. Or that he was constantly smiling and having a good laugh. It was the fact that deep down, he was so... kind . He included her when he didn’t need to and he listened whenever she found the strength to push her shyness aside for actual meaningful conversation. Colin more than any of the other Bridgerton siblings -with perhaps the exception of Eloise- made her feel like she belonged . A feeling that was hard to come by in her own family. To feel it with him was something she so deeply treasured.

What started off as a childhood crush simply grew with every new detail about him she collected through the years. A soft and simple affection that bloomed into a deep, unshakable love. Of course, with every year that passed, her love grew stronger; the heaviness of the unreciprocated feelings began to build up too. The pain settled in her heart, encasing it bit by bit. She learned to tolerate the pain because the alternative, to cast him out completely, was unbearable and impossible. She’d rather have him as a friend, if nothing else. For now that was enough.

“You made them?”

Colin perked up and he leaned in closer, his height giving him the advantage to look over her and peer at the box.

“I didn’t know you could bake! Why didn’t I know? I feel like that is information I would know.”

His furrowed brows and mumbling was so cute Penelope had to squeeze her hands into a tight fist to resist the urge to softly brush away the wrinkles on his forehead with her fingers. And oh how she wanted to lightly cup his face and stand on her tippy toes for a simple kiss on his lips.

She pushed those thoughts aside and instead she laughed, oddly pleased with his reaction, with the knowledge that he cared. Cared enough to be disgruntled that she had secrets.

Pushing at his chest so that he would back up, Penelope looked up and smirked.

“Bold of you to assume you know all my secrets, Bridgerton.”

-

A huff of shocked laughter escaped him; this was a new side of Penelope, and Colin couldn’t help but be a little awed by the sight of her. There was this new confidence about her, and he liked it.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been surprised so many times in such a short amount of time. Since when did she bake well enough that her pastries looked like they were ordered fresh from a bakery? Since when was she fast enough to be on one side of the flat one moment and a second later right in front of him? Since when did she know how to smirk?

Nevermind that she was still adorably flushed, her bright blue eyes brimming with mischief as they met directly with his gaze. He was soon distracted by her deep red curls flying loose around her face. An unnamed feeling spread through him as he looked at her and he shifted his stance, backing away a little and letting her hand drop from his chest.

He was a little dismayed at the sudden urge he felt to get closer and wrap his arms around Penelope’s soft curves. To personally push her curls behind her ears before tilting her head and - stop. Stop. Where did that thought even come from? Trying his best not to think about where his mind was venturing to, Colin instead took Penelope’s full body defense of her treats as a challenge. God knows what was taking Eloise so long, but he would take advantage of this time to charm his way to a snack. The smell in the kitchen was absolutely mouthwatering and he couldn’t imagine Penelope not excelling at whatever she put her mind to, so he was positive in the knowledge that those eclairs would be delicious.

Throwing away any shame, Colin Bridgerton immediately clasped his hands together in a praying motion. He widened his green eyes pleadingly before setting his mouth into a perfectly formed pout.

“Oh come on Pen, please? Just one. I’m hungry.”

Penelope was not impressed, her single brow rising was enough to inform him of this.  

“Colin you are always hungry! The sky is blue, water is wet and Colin Bridgerton has a black hole for a stomach.” She uttered dryly.

Colin pressed his hand over his heart dramatically as he gasped.

“Penelope! What a barb!”

Her resulting giggle was music to his ears, but he still had not given up on his endeavor. If regular pouting wasn’t enough, he would have to try something a little more drastic, but he was committed to this now.

-

Penelope’s mouth dropped open as soon as Colin went down to his knees, once again his hands clasped together, this time with him shaking them back and forth as he whined.

“Pen have mercy on me, your friend, who is so hungry and only wants to try your food. Please Pen. Please.”

Stunned, Penelope takes a few seconds before covering her face with her hands and bursting into laughter.

“Oh my god. Colin! Stand up! You are so bloody ridiculous, I can’t believe you just did that!”

She leaned forward and offered him her hand, still laughing, but she was shocked when he didn’t immediately reach out.

“I’m not getting up until you let me have an eclair, Pen.” He grumbled.

Rolling her eyes she giggled as she agreed to his demands. The fact that she had been able to resist him this long was enough of a victory for her. A few weeks ago the pouty face would have been enough for her to cave.

“Oh alright, yes! I’ll let you have one. Now get up.”

She helped pull him up, not really needing to do much since he was strong and agile enough that he didn’t really need her support. But it meant a lot to her that he still accepted her help, for she would always freely offer it. And if a spark went through her at the mere brush of their hands, and a tingling sensation followed as he gripped her tightly, well she would keep pretending like it was nothing. Even though it was everything.

After ensuring that they’d washed their hands, she pulled out a paper plate for him. Penelope then carefully opened the box and pulled out a single mocha eclair. She watched as his green eyes gleamed with pure want, and for a second she was insanely jealous over the fact that he would never have that expression on his face as he looked at her. She snapped out of it though, getting jealous over a pastry was a new low. Even for her.

Penelope held her breath, her stomach tangled up in knots as she waited for his verdict. Trying her best not to let her eyes linger on his mouth too much, she watched as Colin took his first bite of her mocha eclair. The one she’d made especially for him, with all the love and care she never had the bravery to share aloud. She almost looked away, something about seeing him eat a treat she made with her own hands felt a little too intimate, but his moan of appreciation had her unable to tear her eyes away from his face.

His expression… it was bliss. Green eyes widening before closing as he took in the flavors she incorporated for him, that heady mix of chocolate and coffee.

Penelope could only blush as her heart beat a tad bit faster and a beaming smile made its way onto her face as he took another hearty bite.

“That good, huh?” She said cheekily, feeling confident in the face of him devouring the sweet instead of, say, spitting it out politely.

“Inf oh ‘ood”

His mouth, still stuffed, made his response sound like pure nonsense but the approval was unmistakable. Penelope wrinkled her nose a bit at him attempting to speak with his mouth full but even that lapse in manners was utterly endearing.

Damn him .

She was so caught up in her joy that he liked it that she almost missed him reaching out for another one as soon as he had taken his last bite. Penelope’s eyes widened in alarm and she reached out for her box of eclairs.

“No! Nope! Colin the agreement was one eclair! I did not make this whole box for you! I did, in fact, make them with the intention of sharing with your whole family!”

She stepped out of his reach, protecting the rest of the pastries from his never ending appetite.

“Pen,” Colin whined, his eyes staring longingly at the box.

“You can’t just let me try one of the greatest eclairs I’ve ever had in my life and expect me to only be content with one!”

He reached for the box again, single-minded in his attempt to satiate his craving for another bite. The fact that Penelope had made it still had him in awe. When he had taken his first bite, the urge to groan had been practically overwhelming. It was like ambrosia, an explosion of flavor, the bitterness of the coffee followed by the sweetness of the chocolate and creme. He was distraught when he had opened his eyes to realize that he had devoured his whole eclair. He needed more.

Penelope turned her back on him, cradling the box and using her own body as a shield, shaking her head back and forth all the while. Another huff of laughter escaped him, she was so cute, protecting the sweets for his family. A noble endeavor indeed but he was much taller and the wall she made was nothing compared to his height. He stepped forward, his chest to her back, his arms wrapping around hers, Penelope stiffened in his pseudo embrace but Colin didn't notice as he finally had the box in his hands. Just in time too, as Penelope let go and twisted her way out of his arms.

“That’s not fair! Using the fact that you’re a giant against me is rude.”

Penelope was amazed that her voice wasn't shaking considering her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. What was that? She had been so close to melting into his embrace, the urge to lean back against his chest and breathe in his scent had been so strong. How dare he do this? Didn’t he know she was only so strong? The fact that she could still feel him around her was enough to drive her insane.

“It’s not my fault you are so tiny, Pen.”

Colin grinned as looked down at the box, lifting the cover and mentally counting how many were left, “Come on Pen, there’s enough -” his sentence was cut short when Penelope grabbed the box from his hands unexpectedly and bolted to the other side of the counter, leaving him standing there in utter shock.

“Again? When did you get so fast? I swear I only blinked!” Twice now she had exhibited an alarming sense of speed.

“You guys are cute.”

Both Colin and Penelope are startled when a husky voice enters the conversation. They had completely forgotten about Eloise being in the flat with them. Caught up in the impromptu tug of war over the eclairs. They looked over at Eloise’s grinning face. Neither one of them sure they liked the twinkling light in her expressive brown eyes.

“I was here for a solid ten minutes enjoying the show, but mum’s waiting for us so let's get a move on.”  

Eloise then grabbed the box from Penelope’s hands and headed towards the door.

“Let's make haste people!”

-

It didn’t take long after that dinner for Colin Bridgerton to become a frequent guest in Penelope’s kitchen. What started off as simple requests for his favorite treats quickly became an insistence on her part that he was to be her sous chef and help her clean up. Not that it was ever a chore, but if she was to dedicate so much of her time to feeding him, it couldn't be for free. His time was more than enough of a payment for her and every dessert she made was a labor of love. It was liberating in a way, to channel all her feelings into the dough and creams and treats. She was no longer bottling it all up, no longer letting it stew and fester and morph into agony.

And it was indescribable, the joy she felt to see Colin enjoy her food so earnestly. To see his hearty appetite satisfied by her own creations. Penelope felt like she was high in the clouds, he was always texting her new recipes they could make together or locations of different bakeries they could try. She never expected any of this, the fact that their friendship would grow into something deeper. Of course she still yearned for them to be more, and she constantly had to remind herself to not make a big deal out of normal platonic affectionate gestures. She was content for now, to have him at her side.

It all started with an eclair…

But it all escalated with a strawberry crème brûlée.

|| CHAPTER TWO  ||  || AO3 ||

[thecreaturecodex]

Oni, Toshin

True Ogre © Namco. Image accessed at the Tekken Wiki here

[Commissioned by @justicegundam82​. This is my first commission of a fighting game character specifically, and it was fun to work in that paradigm. The commissioner requested that True Ogre be made a native outsider, and so I figured that oni was a good box to put it in. The skills selected are a little weird, but intentionally--the toshin has skill ranks to qualify it for all of the Style Feats found in Ultimate Combat, except for the Knowledge based Kirin Style. I gave it the Boar Style chain, because I felt that free intimidate attempts and bonus damage dice made sense for an evil bully-type monk, but Crane Style, Dragon Style, Mantis Style and Snake Style are all recommended as possible substitutions.]

Oni, Toshin CR 18 LE Outsider This devilish giant has black skin, red wings and a gray beard. Curving horns grow from its head, and its right arm is a cluster of squirming vipers.

A toshin is an oni that forms from spiritual envy, not of a species of humanoid but instead a skill that humanoids possess. Toshins are obsessed with martial arts and seek to dominate other martial artists—subjugating them under their power if they can, and killing and consuming them if they cannot. A toshin learns fighting techniques by eating its adversaries, and toshins seek out powerful masters of obscure and exotic styles in order to gain those styles for themselves. A toshin often poses as a humanoid as it does so, leading a dojo devoted to itself as a “god of battles”. It uses recruits from these schools as minions and bodyguards, and will not hesitate to consume and assimilate an underling that develops an unusual or powerful fighting style on their own.

As to be expected from a god of battles, a toshin delights in combat. It uses its superior reach to batter foes at a distance, and most of them enjoy humiliating and toying with opponents for a while before dealing a finishing strike. They see nothing untoward about using flight and their breath weapons in combat, although they usually close in to kill an enemy with physical blows. Their snaky arms can deliver precise bites, which they alternate between body blows, knees and fists depending on the flow of combat. Only aligned weapons have a chance of killing them instead of simply knocking them unconscious. They are likely to feign death if defeated, in order to escape when their foe’s back is turned and plot revenge.

A toshin stands almost ten feet tall and weighs half a ton. 

Toshin    CR 18 XP 153,600 LE Large outsider (native, oni) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +22, scent Defense AC 33, touch 26, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +10 monk, +7 natural) hp 290 (20d10+180); regeneration 5 (good or chaotic) Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +15 Immune curses, disease, poison; SR 29 Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) Melee unarmed strike +28/+23/+18/+13 (4d8+9) or 4 snakebites +29 (2d6+9), gore +28 (1d8+9) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with snakebite) Special Attacks assimilate style, breath weapon (40 ft. line, 9d6 fire and 9d6 typeless, Reflex DC 29 half, 1d4 rounds) Statistics Str 29, Dex 25, Con 28, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 22 Base Atk +20; CMB +29 (+31 bull rush or trip); CMD 56 Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Feral Combat Training, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Stunning Fist, Vicious Stomp, Weapon Focus (snakebite) Assimilate Style Feats Boar Ferocity, Boar Shred, Boar Style, Bonebreaker, Improved Grapple, Jawbreaker Skills Acrobatics +23 (+27 when jumping), Bluff +22, Disguise +22, Fly +22, Heal +13, Intimidate +33, Knowledge (history, religion) +15, Perception +22, Perform (dance) +19, Sense Motive +21, Stealth +19 Languages Common, Giant, Infernal SQ change shape (Medium or Large humanoid, alter self or giant shape I), monastic training Ecology Environment any mountains Organization solitary or cult (solitary plus 2-12 monks of 11th-16th level) Treasure standard Special Abilities Assimilate Style (Ex/Su) A toshin can eat a creature over the course of one full minute in order to learn its combat techniques. When it does so, it may gain a number of combat feats known by the creature up to its Charisma modifier (6 for the average toshin). The toshin may choose less feats if it desires. If the toshin has already used this ability, it must choose feats to swap out when it gains new ones via assimilate style. It must meet all the prerequisites for these feats, but may take feats with this ability to serve as prerequisites for others. Learning these feats is a supernatural ability, but the feats themselves are not lost in the area of an antimagic field or similar effect. A creature consumed in this way is utterly destroyed, and may only be brought back to life with a true resurrection, miracle or wish spell. Breath Weapon (Su) Half of the damage dealt by a toshin’s breath weapon is divine energy, like the damage dealt by a flame strike spell. The save DC is Constitution based. Monastic Training (Ex) A toshin gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. In addition, it counts as a monk with a level equal to its Hit Dice for the purpose of unarmed strike damage, AC bonus and qualifying for feats.

[going-dead]

A Bit of Space

@phantomsnfae Happy Christmas truce! I wanted to post this either on Christmas or new years but it wasn’t finished by Christmas so happy new decade! You asked for astronaut Danny so here it is! I threw in a dash of Grey Ghost for you as well!

____________________________________

“Danny you need to calm down.” Valerie chided trying to calm her boyfriend down over the phone.

Danny tapped his fingers on his leg. “I can’t calm down Val! What if I mess something up? It’s already a miracle that I got a job at NASA, but to pass the training and be selected to be part of the astronaut program? I can’t mess this up.”

Danny could hear Valerie roll her eyes. “How could you mess this up? You’ve already died once anything else should pale in comparison.”

“First off ouch. Secondly what if I can’t handle small spaces? Or freak out in zero gravity? What if I don’t know enough and I don’t get admitted, or I’m not fit enough?” He worried.

Valerie gave a small sigh. “You really are dumb aren’t you? How many times have you been trapped in your own thermos, and you can fly. You’ve been studying for ages and after six years of fighting ghosts on an almost weekly basis I don’t think you have to worry about being fit enough, maybe too fit though. You will be fine” 

Danny had to agree with that logic, but it didn’t do much to calm him down. He gave a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. He was on a lunch break at the moment and the pause between the testing and training was allowing him to start worrying again. He took a deep breath and headed back into the fray. Now that the break was over it was time for the practical portion. 

The person observing him for testing, Anne, waved him over. Standing next to her was a man Danny didn’t recognize. “Johnathan this is Daniel, Daniel this is Johnathan you two will be partnering for this next portion.”

Johnathan reached his hand out and Danny took it. “You can just call me John, I’m assuming you go by Dan?” 

Danny flinched at the name but quickly replaced it with a smile. It may have been years ago, but the memories of his alternate future self still haunted him at times. “Actually Danny is fine. Nice to meet you John.” 

Anne lead the two over to what looked like a small medical station. “Now before we begin we’re going to give you a small physical. Nothing big don’t worry just to get baselines and make sure nothing is wrong before we start.” She motioned for Danny first. 

Danny sat down in the chair provided, suddenly wondering when he last had a physical that wasn’t from a doctor who he could explain his abnormalities off  as simply the long term effect of living with ghost biologists. Because he was pretty sure, despite being a government agency, NASA wasn’t in the know about the paranormal. So thinking back it was never, he had never been to a doctor outside of Amity Park. Looked like it was time to panic again.

The doctor who Danny didn’t get the name of and wasn’t wearing a name tag, or maybe she was but Danny was too busy panicking to notice, put an automatic blood pressure cuff on his arm. She looked at the screen brows furrowed and tried again. “Hmm weird, must be acting up. No worries we’ll just do it manually.” Danny at this point was now really panicking. She took his vitals again and looked more satisfied. “Blood pressure and pulse are a bit on the lower end but that’s probably partially due to you being smaller.” 

Danny sighed internally, of course his pulse when he is on the verge of a panic attack would be a below average rate for a normal person. When she took his temperature he focused all his power on dampening his core as much as possible. Thankfully the rest of his physical, and all of John’s went smoothly. Finally it was time to start. Anne lead them to a medium sized chamber. Danny recognized it instantly, it was an invention his parents made a few years back trying to recreate a ghosts flight ability. They never were able to control the direction the floated in or stop at will effectively just making a zero gravity chamber, so they scrapped it. Apparently the word got out and NASA picked it up. 

Danny and John entered the chamber ropes wrapped around both their waists. Anne’s voice came over the intercom and let them know she was turning on the machine. Soon enough the two were floating. It was definitely different from flying, but easy enough to adapt around. It did take a decent amount of willpower to not use flight to move around, his mind convinced that he was floating willingly. Danny pushed off the walls laughing, it was fun not being in control of exactly where he would float. He looked over to John who wasn’t fairing as well as Danny. He was currently upside down flailing around trying to get to a wall. Danny braced himself against a wall and pushed off to go help the other man. 

It was over all too soon for Danny. When he left the chamber Anne looked at him impressed. “You handled that quite well, most candidates have a similar experience as John did.” She laughed. Danny smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t be able to reasonably explain how he was calm with complete weightlessness. 

When Anne started leading them to the next task John walked up to Danny. “I was fine I did not need your help.” He growled.

Danny was a bit taken aback. “Woah dude calm down, I was just trying to help. You looked like you were struggling a bit. Plus you heard Anne, most people react like you did.” John just scoffed and sped past him, bumping his shoulder as he did. Danny rolled his eyes, and here he thought he’d be done with bullies after high school. 

They arrived at a model of a rocket cabin. Anne explained that they’ll be sitting in it for a few hours to see how well they respond to both the small space and the fake simulations she’ll be running. 

“Wait how long will be in in there exactly though?” John asked looking the cabin up and down.

“Depends on how well you do.” She answered ushering them in. They strapped themselves into the seats and braced themselves for what was to come. Looking around it was definitely a bit cramped, but he could shift around so it was a million times better than being in the thermos. They ran through a few scenarios, like what take off would be like. Both men fared well. 

Anne let them out after a while with an approving hum. “Good job you two. That's all for today, I’ll see you both again tomorrow for the rest of your evaluation.” She bid them farewell. She looked down at her phone and furrowed her brow. “Actually Danny do you mind staying for a bit longer?” 

Danny nodded his head hanging back. Anne lead him back to where the doctor from earlier was. She looked up from her clipboard and smiled. “Welcome back Mr. Fenton. I was just looking at your chart and was wondering if we could double check some things?”

Danny tensed up but nodded. “Uh yeah sure, everything alright?” He asked as another doctor walked in with a cart. 

“Yes of course we just noticed a few odd things with your results. I’d feel better with a second opinion on.” She gave a smile as the new doctor came over and shone a light in his eyes. 

“Ah hey!” Danny yelled blinking his eyes rapidly. 

The new doctor at least looked a bit sorry. He gave a warning before shining the light into Danny’s eyes again. He placed a stethoscope over Danny’s chest, and also tested his reflexes. “Mr. Fenton do you happen to have any medical history we should know about? Or perhaps anything that runs in your family by chance?”

“Uh no?” Danny looked over at Anne who was now looking at his chart with wide eyes. 

The doctor looked almost disappointed in him, before the three of them sent him off. Leaving Danny feel anxious and paranoid. 

The incident was never brought up again. A while after all this started, Danny was finally in space. He had just arrived in the space station a few days earlier along with John. He had gotten acquainted with the rest of the crew and was currently eating lunch. Suddenly the space station shuddered and alarms started to blare. Danny and the other five crew members looked at each other before another shudder. 

A loud voice blared through the speakers. “HAHAHA! I TECHNUS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE SPACE STATION! FROM HERE I WILL BE ABLE TO RULE THE COSMOS!” Danny was going to scream. It had been months since he’d had to deal with a ghost at all, and now he had to deal with one not only in space but one who could take control of the life support? Not to mention in a space where he would not be able go ghost in privet. 

The lights flickered, he sighed. He at least hoped he’d get out of this without being captured and experimented on, he knew he’d be out of a job at least. He gave one last look at his cremates. “In advance, sorry. Please don’t try to kill me.” He took a calming breath and reminded himself to not re-kill Technus. “I’m going ghost!” He yelled out as two white rings bisected him, replacing clothes with a black and white hazmat suit, blue eyes with toxic green, and black hair with glowing white. 

He flew through the wall of the station out into open space. “Hey Technus! Mind giving me a bit of space for once?” Technus materialized next to him. “AH PHANTOM!” If ghosts could sweat Danny was pretty sure Technus would be. “I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE HERE, UHH.” He looked at the watch on his wrist. “LOOK AT THE TIME, I HAVE TO GO… UH MAKE DINNER!” He vanished. Danny was grateful he was now powerful enough that most ghosts knew to just leave if he showed up.

Danny reluctantly flew back into the station and reverted back to a human. Giving his crew mates an uncomfortable grin.   

“Holy shit that was awesome!” 

“Woah what was that dude?” “Are you an alien?” “Of course he’s not an alien, he flew through the wall. He’s a ghost!”

They all clambered about asking him questions. Danny smiled as he answered the questions. He had a feeling his secret, job, and organs were safe with them.

[darkredehmption]

Visit

Malachi’s Solo

#Solo #Visit

Mentions @DamagedBrother *~*~* “You went from wanting to leave to wanting to live there.” Yeah, Ma, the irony wasn’t lost on me either. “Does that bother you? Would you rather I came back?” My mahmen smiled. The tender kind of smile I’d only ever seen a mother give their child. It made me warm without a blanket. “No. In truth I’d hoped you’d find a reason to stay. This life as a hunter was not what I imagined for you when you were a babe.” I couldn’t help but stiffen, a frown curving my lips as I pushed away from the counter. Approaching her, I was reminded not for the first time how very small she was compared to me. A female of the race, graceful and elegant; I doubt anyone could’ve imagined the hard ass she’d become. Hunters, hardened from a lifetime of killing the worst monsters, wavered and shrunk from my mahmen’s wrath. “You wish I wasn’t a hunter?” She shook her head slowly, the silken strands of her mahogany hair catching the light in waves. Elieanora was as beautiful as she was fierce, and for every hunter that cowered before her rage there were just as many that would put themselves between her and danger. She’d earned that. Fought for it. While hunters may have taught me how to scrap, to shoot, it was my mahmen at her core that had taught me how to be a fighter. “I do not regret your learning how to defend yourself. Both of us were lost in the world; we needed kin that weren’t of the race, and we found them. But the life… it is a hard one. And so often you are alone. That is what always troubled me,” she admitted softly, looking up into my face. “That you were always on your own, facing things that give humans nightmares… that bothered me.” “…being in Caldwell won’t change the fact I’m a hunter, mahmen. It just means that~” “Instead of cheap motels or the backseat of your car you’ll actually have somewhere, and someone, to go home too?” She finished, that knowing smile provoking a wry grin of my own. “Yeah. Something like that.” “That makes me happy, Mal. You have no idea how much.” There was that smile again. The mother one that made me warm. The sunlight that’d kissed my skin on the flight here and the breeze that’d dragged through my feathers didn’t compare to it. It was a sweetness all its own. “You still have to tell them though. About yourself. About the risks.” The sweetness soured. My mood fell flat, as did my expression. “Mahmen…” She held up a hand, giving me ‘the look’. I shut up. “You have to tell them. It’s dangerous if you don’t. You’ll be with the race but the race, to my knowledge, has no idea how to deal with things like that. What if you hurt someone? What if you hurt this male you speak so highly of?” I flinched back at that, looking away and glaring at a wall. The idea of hurting Zsadist was repulsive. “I won’t… I wouldn’t…” “But a demon would,” she countered softly. “If only to let you come back to consciousness and see the horror of your existence after it has killed everyone you care about, before taking control forever. They deserve to know, my love. Not only to protect themselves, but to protect you,” she whispered, coming closer. “It is the failing of your father and I that you are so… susceptible. It is not your fault.” “But isn’t there a nice irony in it?” I mutter bitterly. “The angel half breed that becomes a hunter is thrust into the world of demons where he’s ten times /more/ likely to be possessed and someone’s bitch.” I snort, shaking my head and raking a hand through the flyaway strands of my hair. “…you are the perfect vessel,” she said, apology in every word, in every line of her face. “Half dark. Half light~” “I know, mom~” “Which is why you have to tell them,” she insisted. “Tell them you’re more susceptible. That if you’re possessed, they must call me, call the hunters. That we can help.” I moved away from her, starting to pace. The bar felt too small to contain my anxiety, yet somehow, nothing shook, nothing broke. I kept a firm reign on my power. “It has taken me bullet wounds and miracle saves to earn their grace this far,” I declare finally, frowning. “If I turn around and tell them I’m a potential vessel for the nastiest things hell has to offer, do you think they’ll want me staying with them anymore? With their families?” The thought of being kicked out now that I’d found Zsadist was a physical pain. My chest ached and I fought the urge to rub at it like I could soothe it. “You think the alternative is better? That they don’t know and, Scribe forbid, you /do/ hurt them and their families?” “It won’t get that far,” I countered, facing her, adamant. “I just… I need more time. To show them what I do. To teach them so they can see it for themselves before I just… spring on them that I’m some magnet for the damned. I can ward things off until then,” I add. “Take the necessary talismans and hex bags. I /won’t/ let them get hurt, mahmen. But… but I can’t tell them. Not yet.” I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it, desperate for her to understand. For a minute she simply stared into my eyes, then finally, she let out a breath and nodded. “Fine. But when I check in again, best you have told them something, or I will dematerialize down there myself. Even this warrior, this Zsadist - tell him, so that he is not taken unawares,” she insisted. “If he cares for you, it will not matter to him. That is how it works.” “How what works?” “Love,” she said knowingly. Her smile was a secret. I rolled my eyes and leant in to kiss her cheek. “Fine. I’ll figure it out. I promise,” I added, knowing the vow would pacify her. And it did. She kissed me back and let go. “Well then, a bag is in the backseat of that stallion of yours. It’s fully loaded,” she continued, moving toward the bar and setting out a glass, grabbing her favourite brand of whiskey. “With everything you might need. You’ll have to find some place in Caldwell to restock. No point flying back here every time. Though I do expect a visit,” she added quickly. “To meet this one.” “They’d like /you/ to visit as well,” I remind. “The new Primale runs things pretty differently and he’s really keen to meet you. Whenever you feel like taking a visit to Caldwell. They’d organize a room for you, I’m sure.” “Especially if my son is staying with them as one of their warriors,” she pointed out ruefully, taking a sip from the glass then setting it down slowly. “Please… be careful. I know you’ve fought some of the worst things in the world but… you’ve never fought in a war, Mal. Not like this. The Lessening Society… they aren’t like ghouls, or poltergeists. They don’t hurt because they are angry spirits; they hurt because that is all they know how to do at the will of the Omega. They think, they don’t feel, and they want to hurt you, no matter the method.” “…I know, mahmen.” I crossed the room to lean across the bar and press another kiss to her cheek. She leant into me, and for a brief moment, I was reminded of a childhood decades earlier, of leaning into her side for bedtime stories and a kiss goodnight. “I love you. Make sure you keep them all inline here.” With a wink, she picked up her glass and saluted. “Of course. And when I finally reunite with my sisters, I’m sure it’s going to be an adventurous moment for us all.” I laughed, snagging my keys off the counter and heading for the garage. Phury wanted to meet my mother… but I really don’t think he had any idea what that was going to entail for him and the other Chosen. #EndSolo

[eagle-eyez]

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Price: Rs 28,999

Realme recently launched a couple of Ultra HD TVs in the Indian market to make its smart TV line-up look more rounded. The new 43- and 50-inch TVs both boast features such as a 4K display, support for Dolby Vision and hands-free voice control. Of the two, we got the 43-inch variant for review. Time to figure out how it performs.

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - Design and connectivity: 7.5/10

The Realme Smart TV 4K is easy on the eye, with a bezel-less design on three sides and a thicker bottom bezel. The trapezoidal chin under the company logo hosts the voice assistant indicator LEDs and IR receiver, among other things. The TV can be wall-mounted or placed on a desk using the bundled stand. The wall mount kit, however, isn’t provided in the package and probably needs to be purchased separately.

The necessary screws are bundled along with a wireless remote control and a pair of AAA batteries. In the connectivity department, you get three HDMI ports – one for ARC support, two USB 2.0 ports, optical audio out, A/V in and a LAN port, all placed along the left edge of the rear module. The ports are located more towards the centre of the TV than nearer to the edge. Since this is not a large screen TV, the ports may not be so hard to reach even if you wall mount it, but I always prefer them closer to the edge for easy access.

You also have a couple of wireless connectivity options with Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to wireless speakers or headphones and dual band Wi-Fi with support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. A notable absentee here is any kind of analogue audio out, like a coaxial A/V out or a 3.5 mm headphone jack. So, if you plan to connect external speakers or a sound bar, make sure they either have HDMI ARC, Bluetooth or optical input.

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - Features and specifications: 8/10

The Realme Smart TV 4K 43 has a 43-inch VA panel with an Ultra HD resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, a 60 Hz refresh rate and can display over a billion colour shades. It supports all popular HDR standards such as Dolby Vision, HDR10/10+ and HLG. You do not get the SLED backlighting that was present on the 55-inch model. This TV is powered by a Mediatek chipset that has a quad-core processor with four ARM Cortex A53 cores and Mali-G52 GPU. The CPU cores can go as high as 1550 MHz. You get 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, a chunk of which is taken up by the official Android TV 10 OS; you are left with about 10 GB of storage for your apps and data.

Sound output is rated at 24 watts RMS with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS. Like all certified Android TVs, this one, too, has Chromecast built in and lets you cast content to the screen from compatible apps on your phone or tablet. You get the usual Realme wireless remote control that I’m quite fond of. It is compact and clutter-free but doesn’t lack any important keys. The remote here has dedicated keys for settings, input selection and mute, along with the usual navigational keys, volume control and hotkeys for Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.

Build quality is average, but otherwise, this is one of the better remotes you get with Android TVs, with just the right number of keys covering all necessary functions. It operates via both IR and Bluetooth. The power button on the remote communicates with the TV using IR when you switch it on, and everything after that operates via Bluetooth. The remote is voice-enabled, so you can summon the Google Assistant by pressing the corresponding key and issue voice commands; it works smoothly. You can issue voice commands even without the remote, courtesy of multiple microphones present on the TV for hands-free voice control. More on that a little later.

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - User interface: 8/10

This Realme TV runs official Android TV 10 and has a near-stock user interface that you see on most official Android TVs without a third-party launcher. However, certain settings have been shuffled around. The UI is simple and easy to use with the usual row of your favourite installed apps, the shortcuts for which you can add, remove or shift around. Other rows display last played or suggested content from various OTT platforms. The TV comes preloaded with apps including Netflix, Prime Video, certain popular Google services and a few more. There’s also Google Play Store for accessing thousands of other apps.

Unlike older Realme TVs where the dedicated settings button on the remote did nothing (unless you were in HDMI or USB input modes), here, it brings up the quick settings menu irrespective of the source or app being used or even from the Home screen. This is a welcome addition, and something I was personally looking forward to. The translucent overlay for the menu looks cool, too. Pressing the button gives you access to various options including Picture and Sound pre-sets and settings using which you can fine-tune the video and audio quality. In fact, that’s the only way to access Picture and Sound options, as they have been moved out of the main Android TV settings on this TV.

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - Picture quality: 6.5/10

Overall picture quality of this TV is a mixed bag, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the panel. It is more about the way it has been tuned out of the box, or probably about the Chroma Boost Engine that claims to increase brightness, contrast and colour. Colour reproduction is a bit too vivid for my liking. The colours are noticeably boosted, and you need to drop saturation to make the picture seem closer to natural. While most colour shades come within acceptable levels of vibrance, the reds simply cannot be reined in. While you do not get a red tint on the overall picture, anything that’s red on the screen appears blown out; so much so that even the Netflix logo appears overly red.

Another issue I faced was in the white areas of the screen, which are quite harsh on the eyes, and there’s a significant loss of detail in certain bright zones in the picture. There is also a noticeable flickering in high-contrast scenes. One way to address these issues is to set the colour temperature to Warm and alternate between Dark and Middle gamma settings. The normal colour temperature here leans a lot towards the cooler side, and the ideal option would have been right between normal and warm. Unfortunately, this TV does not let you manually adjust the white balance or colour temperature. Strangely, the Hue slider is also inaccessible.

This Realme TV does offer you certain basic options to fine-tune the picture, ranging from brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness to pre-sets for noise reduction, colour temperature, gamma and more. There are no motion adjustment settings, and that brings me to my next issue with this TV. Quite often, the picture feels jittery, irrespective of the resolution or dynamic range of the content. In certain cases, you can clearly see motion artifacts and ghosting. Quite strange, given the TV has a 60 Hz refresh rate. Technically, the company should be able to fix all the above issues via an over-the-air update, which was due earlier this month, but hasn’t arrived yet. If and when that happens, the rating on this front can go higher.

Despite the issues I’ve mentioned, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Realme Smart TV 4K. Overall contrast is decent and black levels are rather good for the segment. Unlike the bright zones, details in darker areas in high-contrast scenes in our test videos were clearly visible. Picture sharpness is also quite good, and after a lot of tweaking and tuning, the picture does look lively, especially when it comes to 4K content. If you are too lazy to play with the manual picture adjustments, use the Movie pre-set for the most acceptable settings; however, remember they’re not perfect. Similarly, use the Dolby Vision Dark pre-set when watching Dolby Vision content.

While 4K HDR and SDR content looks sharp on this TV, 1080p (Full HD) videos don’t look soft either and have ample detail. 720p videos were perfectly watchable, too. However, anything lower than 720p looks washed out. Viewing angles are quite good, and there was hardly any colour shift when watching the TV from wider angles. Unlike older Realme TVs, sound and picture adjustments are available on the fly here, irrespective of the input or app, which is a big plus. All you need to do is press the settings button (the one with three horizontal lines).

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - Audio quality: 7/10

Two pairs of bottom-firing speakers (rated at 24 watts RMS total) deliver an above-average audio output. Each speaker module has a full-range driver to take care of mids and lows, as well as a dedicated silk dome tweeter to handle high frequencies. Audio output of the Realme Smart TV 4K, though not the best in the segment, is better than that of its predecessors. The speakers are tuned well out of the box, and you have a good amount of sound adjustment options to tweak the audio further.

The output is perfectly audible around the 30 percent volume level, and I rarely had to go beyond 50 percent. There is a bit more warmth in the sound now, and vocal clarity is good for the most part. However, in sequences with heavy bass or a loud background score, the vocals get noticeably masked. There could have been a better balance here, or an option to enhance dialogue clarity. The speakers are compliant with Dolby Atmos, but it needs to be manually enabled via the sound settings. Better to leave it on all the time because the overall audio sounds better irrespective of whether the source audio is compliant with Atmos or not.

Strangely, the bass and treble sliders are disabled once you enable the Atmos option. Don’t expect miracles from these TV speakers even when playing Dolby Atmos content, though. These speakers are good enough to take care of most of your general audio needs – from watching news, sports and the odd web series, to listening to music. If you crave the extra thump, you have a handful of audio outputs on this Realme TV including HDMI ARC, optical out and Bluetooth to plug in a sound bar or a speaker system.

Realme Smart TV 4K 43 - Overall performance: 7/10

The TV takes about 35 seconds to boot up when you switch it on from the mains, which is slightly quicker than most Android TVs. Post that, if you switch it off and on using the remote, the TV comes back on in just a couple of seconds from standby mode. The TV displays the Dolby Vision and HDR logos basis the content being played. However, I wish it could flash different logos for HDR10 and HDR10+ content; currently, it’s just HDR. The preinstalled media player is good and managed to play almost all videos with various codecs I threw at it. You always have the option of using a third-party player such as VLC, in case you don’t like it.

As I mentioned earlier, this TV has multiple microphones present for hands-free voice control. All it takes to activate them is for a user to utter the words “OK Google” or “Hey Google”, and issue a relevant voice command. It works surprisingly well and is almost as good as using the microphone on the remote. If you are concerned about the TV eavesdropping on you, there is a dedicated button at the back of the TV to turn off the microphones. Other than the picture tuning issues I spoke of earlier, almost everything works smoothly on this Realme TV.

Realme Smart TV 43 - Price and verdict

The Realme Smart TV 4K 43 can be purchased on Flipkart as well as on the company’s website for Rs 28,999, with a one-year warranty for parts and two years for the panel. That’s a standard price point for most 43-inch 4K Android TVs currently, and there are some established players in the segment to contend with. This TV will face stiff competition from the likes of the Hisense A71F, Thomson Oath Pro, Kodak CA and certain VU models. All these models are Dolby Vision-compliant, too. The Realme TV does have a neat design and some cool extras such as hands-free voice controls, but in order to pose a real threat, it needs to fix the one thing that matters most – picture quality.

source https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/realme-smart-tv-4k-43-review-promising-tv-that-may-reach-full-potential-with-an-update-or-two-9742831.html

[infolearn]

5 Reasons Why Having Faith Is So Important

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” — Thomas Aquinas

Why is Faith so Important?

Sometimes, when things don’t go according to plan, we lose faith, not only in ourselves, but also in any potential outcome in our lives. Failure will do that to you. When we experience life’s monumental failures, it’s easy to lose hope, and even faith. But what’s the difference? Faith, at its core, is deep-rooted in the expectation of good things to come. It goes beyond hope. While much of hope lives in the mind, faith is steeped in the heart and the spirit. It can’t be explained away by reason or logic, or be understood through a single dimension.

While life can be hard at the best of times, faith is the knowledge, deep down inside, that things will get better. It’s taking the next step when you can’t see the entire staircase. Simply put, life would fail to have reason if we didn’t have faith. We couldn’t drive our cars without faith that someone wouldn’t cross the divider and crash into us. If we didn’t have faith, how could we fly in an airplane, a metallic machine soaring 35,000 feet in the air? Without faith, how could we move from one moment to the next without completely second-guessing every last thing that we did? Without faith, we couldn’t expect that things would turn out all right for us no matter what the situation might be. Faith, then, is just as important as the air we breathe. While the oxygen in the air nourishes the body, faith nourishes the heart and the soul. It’s the energy that courses through every single fiber and cell within our beings. It’s part of every muscle and every strand of thought. It is the fundamental foundation of our existence. Simply put, the importance of faith cannot be underestimated. People have moved mountains with their faith. Even when situations seemed dire and bleak, it was their faith that carried them through. There’s little to no explanation for it in the physical realm; it’s the metaphysical fiber that binds us all, carrying each of our deepest wishes and desires. That’s where faith lives.

Unfortunately, some people don’t believe in things that they cannot see. They explain things away due to other causes and effects, failing to find the small miracles in life that exist and work in our favor on a constant basis. There’s an enormous level of importance attributable to having faith in life.

5 Reasons to Have Faith

Faith isn’t just a notion that some people hold onto in tough times; faith is an important element to all human life on earth. Life is precious, but it can also be remarkably difficult at times. Faith is what helps to get us through, illuminating the pathway in times of darkness, helping to give us strength in times of weakness. Without faith, we are nothing. Here are 5 reasons why having faith is so important in life.   #1 — The focused power of faith breeds abundance The mind is an incredibly powerful tool. It can be used for good, but also go to waste when neglected or abused. In times of trouble, we tend to move away from positivity. We go from a state of abundance to a state of lack. But, faith is the tool that helps replenish abundance in the heart and the spirit, not just in the mind. Whatever it is that we focus on in life, we get more of. If we focus on problems, we live solely in those problems and have difficulty moving past the negativity. Alternatively, however, when we focus on positivity and seek out solutions, we can resolve our problems and move from a state of lack back to a state of abundance. When we train our minds to think in abundance, and we hold unwavering faith, we gravitate towards that. We attract good things because we believe and expect in good things to come. Similarly, when we believe and expect bad things to come, we also attract that into our lives. Faith is the pathway for abundance, so be sure to hold it at the forefront of your mind. Don’t be afraid to expect the very best for yourself. This isn’t about being selfish or aimlessly wishing for things; this is about the true, utter, deep-down belief in your heart and your soul that things will improve, and that you deserve the very best in life. #2 — Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger There’s a powerful story in the bible called the Book of Job. The story is about a man named Job who was as astute as any man could be. He believed strongly in God and held high is faith. But the story goes that one day the devil paid God a visit. The topic of discussion? Job’s faith. The devil reasoned that Job was faithful because he had been blessed with so much in life. Family, money, land, and respect. But the devil proposed that should God take any number of these things away from Job, he would no longer be the faithful man that God held him up to be. The devil claimed that Job would curse God and that his point would be all but proven. God, of course, disagreed. So, this agreement began when God began taking things away from Job’s life. Over the course of these trials, Job loses everything that he had worked so hard to create over the years. His livestock, all his money, his family, his friends, and his health. However, even when his wife told him he should curse God, Job didn’t. He remained faithful.

Afterwards, God restored all of Job’s worldly possessions, family, and health. To add to that, God multipled what Job once had many times over. The moral of the story? Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Times might be bad and you might want to throw in that proverbial towel. But never lose faith. For a person without faith is likened to a stream without water — they would cease to exist. #3 — Faith helps you to discover your purpose in life Going through life and all of its ups and downs can take a toll on us. At times, it’s enough to question our very existence. But through all of the trials and tribulations we might face, it’s faith that gives us that helping hand. It works to guide us in the right direction, moving us towards and allowing us to discover our purpose in life. This doesn’t happen overnight. Usually, when we’re faced with a difficult situation, it gets harder before it gets better. Little by little, a part of us is broken, until one day, we dig deep down inside and somehow find the strength we needed to make it through. That strength comes from our faith. Whether it’s your faith in God or in something else, that faith shall set you free. Everything in life is far easier to get through when we have faith. It’s the guiding light that helps push us towards our purpose.   #4 — Faith trumps stress, anxiety, and fear It’s easy to allow stress, anxiety, and fear to run our lives. We go from moment to moment worried about one thing or another. Sometimes, those worries manifest themselves into highly-stressful situations, causing not only mental anguish, but physical problems as well. There’s a clear and documented connection between stress and the increased likelihood of disease and illness. When we allow our minds to move into that realm unchecked, there’s no telling of the damage that can be done. But it’s faith that helps to keep those things at bay. Even when we have no reason to believe that things will get better, it’s through faith that our situations do improve. When you hold the utter expectation of that in your mind, no challenge is too difficult. Learn to harbor faith and use it to eliminate stress, anxiety, and fear. Think back to situations in the past when you made it through something you thought was insurmountable. Believe and expect that good things will happen, and they will. This isn’t about ignoring your problems; this is about knowing that your situation will improve deep down inside your heart and your soul.

#5 — It acts as the pathway to finding solutions Faith is the pathway to finding solutions in life. Keep in mind that human beings were made to thrive, and not just survive. If you’re only surviving, there’s far greater in store for you. There’s a pathway to all of your solutions, and that pathway is steeped in faith and the expectation of greater things to come in time. No matter what the situation is, no matter how bad or dire you think it might seem, your faith can and will get you through it. You must accept that as fact, and hold on to the expectation of greater things to come. Don’t stop pushing or searching for an answer to help resolve whatever situation you might be facing in your life. If you really want something in life, and I mean you really want it deep down inside and you have a strong-enough reason you absolutely must achieve it, faith is the thing that helps you to see that through. It’s at the core of a persistent heart. Never give up on your hopes and your dreams just because you faced some initial setbacks. Lean on your faith as often as possible and you’ll soon come to realize why having unwavering faith is so important in life. Read the full article

[preserving-ferretbrain]

The Best Post-Soviet Noir Superhero Comic Ever!

by Alasdair Czyrnyj

Monday, 19 April 2010 

Alasdair gushes about The Winter Men.~

I don't believe in superheroes. Let's get that straight right from the start. I have no problem conceptualizing a costumed vigilante or a human with supernatural powers; such things have been a staple of popular culture for generations now, and to reject them out of hand nowadays is absurd. My problem starts once you take those characters and imagine them as figures of omnipotence, as people who are always in command, always know the score, and always win in the end, and expect your audience to take them seriously.

I suppose this problem largely stems from the fact that the first superhero comic I seriously read was

Watchmen

. Say what you will about it, but to me it remains the best example of what happens when you take pulp archetypes, characters traditionally in command of their environments, and place them in the intractable, fractal-edged mess that is the real world. Existential despair is the mildest outcome; mass murder is not outside the realm of possibility. It's the reason why the two big mainstream comic universes are these weird places that have superficial similarities to our own, but swarming with Nazi scientists, psychotic CEOs, aliens, and alternate universes. It gives the superheroes something to fight that can be defeated and doesn't leave the bad taste of moral unease afterward.

Of course, rejecting the standard interpretation of superheroes has been old hat for nigh-on two decades. Of course, stories that go against the grain have their own particular problems. Most of the time, these stories just amp up the sex and ultraviolence while leaving various core aspects of superherodom (superheroes are beholden to nothing and no one, you can solve the world with your fists) unquestioned. (Case in point:

The Boys

.) There are a few good examinations, of course; from what I've heard of it, Alan Moore's run on

Miracleman

is a pretty good depiction of the superhero as a figure of terror and of the uncomfortable compromises that would be required to "save" the world, and Kurt Busiek's

Astro City

manages to rearrange and rethink well-worn tropes to create some genuinely moving stories.

Sometimes, though, reshuffling is not enough. To truly rethink the concept of the superhero, you need to leave the American heartland of superheroes altogether and travel somewhere else. To a place which has very different ideas about power and its limits. To a place that would interpret all-powerful humans far differently than European or American society would, and would have the technology and competence to enforce its interpretations.

To travel, in other words, to Russia.

This is the premise of

The Winter Men

, the barely-released critically acclaimed Wildstorm miniseries by Brett Lewis and artist Jean Paul Leon. It had one hell of a publication history; it first appeared way back in August 2005 advertising an eight-issue run, only to finally finish on its sixth issue in February 2009. It's a damned shame that this series received such shoddy treatment from Wildstorm, especially since

The Winter Men

is one of the best superhero series out there.

The story is set in Russia in late 2001, near the end of the twilight period between the collapse of the Russian banking industry in 1998 and the emergence of Putin's "sovereign democracy." In the opening pages, we are introduced to Kris Kalenov, our guide to this world, as is roused from the snowbank where he spent sleeping off the previous night's boozy activities. A former spetznaz, now a militiaman by title and poet by aspiration, his actual day job consists of managing disputes at the behest of Moscow's mayor between the various interests (business, foreign, domestic, civil, and otherwise) that inhabit the city. An encounter with an old army buddy lands him a dead-end case about an abducted girl who had just received a liver transplant from an unknown source. In short order, hints are dropped that other factors are interested in the fate of that little girl, and her connection to the recent seismic shifts in the balance of criminal power in Moscow. Veiled references are made to something called "winter," a word Kalenov is intimately familiar with and which the CIA (ostensibly in Moscow to assist the Russian authorities with the upheavals in the underworld) is nosing around in, despite their pig-ignorance of Russia in general. At the same time, old friends of Kalenov, ex-spetznaz buddies who also have a connection with "winter," begin to reappear in Kalenov's life too fast to be chalked up to mere coincidence. While Kalenov finds the girl in first few issues, it only serves to further deepen the mystery in Moscow, as well as ask questions about what, exactly, became of the Soviet superhero program, in particular one hero known only as The Hammer of the Revolution, a Captain America-type figure that disappeared decades ago under unclear circumstances.

I won't go any farther into the plot, simply because there's a lot of it to unpack and theorize about. Instead, I will withhold most spoilers and briefly explain what makes this comic great.

First of all,

The Winter Men

may be the Russianest comic I have ever read. The care to detail is obvious even in the basic technical details. Lewis' dialogue, by some minor miracle, manages to beautifully capture the odd cadences and subtle elaboration of Russian-translated English without drifting into Boris Badenov-type kludges or, God help us, Jonathan Safran Foer-type literary schmaltz. I don't know enough to judge whether all the slang is correct or not, but it reads far better that the efforts of most writers.

Additionally, the violence in the comic has a appropriate understatement. While modern American comics love their visceral blood and mutilation,

The Winter Men

takes a more restrained approach, with the occasional high-octane gun battle counterbalanced by the dull brutishness of two drunk friends brawling, or by simply implying violence between panels. While it may seem like a dodge, it actually fits in very well with the milieu. After all, in a society like post-communist Russia, where violence is often the easiest way to do things (or, more likely, the only method anyone has any patience for), pain and death are dealt out so often that the mind (and the comic) just tunes it out and relativizes it into utilitarian indifference.

The real achievement, however, is in Lewis' depiction of Russian society. As someone who spent most of his undergraduate career plowing through 20th century Russo-Soviet history, the one thing that has grown to irritate me more than anything is the way most Westerners think Russian society works. The implicit assumption is that Russian society is a pyramid, with a tsar/gensek/president at the top, a hierarchy supporting him, all of which oppresses a servile population, with all of society neatly divided into rulers and victims. The truth, one which Lewis faithfully portrays and weaves into the greater tapestry of the series, is that Russia is a series of networks, of people organized into cabals to defend certain interests (be they organized crime, soft drink distribution, city government, or what have you), all forever fighting and securing their own power bases, forever living in fear that someone more powerful will come after them. This is nothing new, of course; you can find something similar while reading Gogol, and that model pretty much sums up the state of the Soviet Union after Stalin died. In the end, much of the series, consists of Kalenov learning to read and navigate the various circles of official and unofficial Russian power, to understand the ultimate purpose of the upheavals.

Of course, some people like some networks better than others. There is a sort of dull nostalgia running through the book for the Soviet Union, though it is more wistful than motivational. Everyone knows the USSR will never come back, but there is a sort of vague sadness among the characters for that weird socialist empire, a sense of "it was not good, but it was ours, and now it's gone." Even Kalenov himself, never a socialist, comes across as a man who, unlike his army friends, never found himself a role he could play in the Yeltsinite world to replace his previous role as a spetznaz.

This finally brings us down to the big question: what about the Soviet superheroes? What about them? The answer which slowly emerges from snatches of conversation and the occasion infodump, is the height of irony and a slap in the face to most other so-called "realistic" superhero comics. In the Soviet Union of

The Winter Men

, superheroes were

irrelevant

. The great majority of them appeared as military projects in the later stages of the Soviet Union, consisting of either men flying around in big, clunky Iron Man suits (in a neat little nod to DC comics' continuity, the suits bear a close resemblance to the Rockets Red suits that serve as fodder for the JLA to smack around) or people with genetically modified organs. While some old propaganda early in the comic shows Soviet supermen tearing their way through the American hordes, their actual purpose is to counter the super-people being developed by another faction of the Soviet military-industrial complex, while those supermen that do serve in combat tend to die ingloriously. And the end of the day, despite being the only country on the planet with superpeople, there is little difference between the fictional Russia and the real one. Even the plot of the comic only deals with the metahuman aspect fleetingly for most of its run.

I won't say much about the ending save that it will almost certainly bring back memories of

Watchmen

. However, Lewis cleverly riffs on Moore's work rather than lifting it wholesale, with the end result feeling like a bizarre version of

Watchmen

set decades after the original where everyone save one very particular character is gone, and the battle is between a meticulous autocrat that dwells in a realm of pure decision and a child of the original heroes, fighting for reasons he doesn't bother to consciously understand. At the end of the day, there's no real closure, but as Kalenov himself says, "this is a Russian story."

The Winter Men

is not a flawless diamond. The noir storytelling does tend to get a little too convoluted for its own good, with revelations losing their impact because you don't recognize a certain background character from a previous book. The publishing history really hurts the narrative, with the third and final installments clearly reading like Lewis had to cram too much in at the last minute in order to tell his story.

Still, Lewis can be forgiven his compromises. There is much to love in

The Winter Men

, from the bombastic wordplay, to the clever composition of the panels, to the characters that breathe their native land, to superheroes that are as alien to us as the East is from the West. And to one, little line, near the end of the book, whispered by one dying man to another, that may be the only fitting epitaph to the Soviet experience any writer has come up with yet.

Read it. Now.Themes:

Sci-fi / Fantasy

,

Comics

~

bookmark this with - facebook - delicious - digg - stumbleupon - reddit

~Comments (

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)

Arthur B

at 09:40 on 2010-04-19Is there a trade paperback compilation of this? I can't abide buying individual issues of comics.

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Alasdair Czyrnyj

at 17:03 on 2010-04-19Yep, it finally came out at the beginning of this year.

Here you go.

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Alasdair Czyrnyj

at 17:18 on 2010-04-24Oh, and fun fact: about a day after this was posted, I got an email message from Brett Lewis, the creator of

The Winter Men

asking to friend me on Facebook.

And, yes, I know that this is the year 2010, when stuff like this doesn't mean any sort of deeper connection has been made. But one the other hand...

BRETT LEWIS READ MY REVIEW! AND HE LIKED IT! AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! YAAAAAY!!!!!

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http://fightsandtights.blogspot.com/

at 01:44 on 2010-04-25Great review, Alasdair, I'll definitely have to check this out. Jena Paul Leon is a big selling point for me; he did some awesome work on the Black Widow: Deadly Origin mini that was recently released by Marvel, and he really seems to portray Soviet-era Russia quite well. Certainly adding this to my wishlist...

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Wardog

at 11:32 on 2010-04-25Belated birthday grats :) YAAAAAY!

I have to admit, when authors inadvertantly stumble across my reviews I always over-think and second guess myself into a pit of angst.

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Alasdair Czyrnyj

at 17:10 on 2010-04-26

I have to admit, when authors inadvertantly stumble across my reviews I always over-think and second guess myself into a pit of angst.

I usually prefer to dive into that pit of angst before I start writing, when I read all the other reviews other people have written and wonder how the hell I can match the insights of all those clever and smart people whoe are better than me in every way and

isuckisuckisuck

.

Then I write the whole thing in a three-hour frenzy a week later.

[553butterfly553]

The Adventures of Arcadia and Hendrickson - 15

Shock

“Stop!” Ludociel yelled out as he made a sword with his hand. He moved to attack Zeldris yet again but was stopped by Cusack. The demon then attacked Ludociel, but he dodged the attack simply. Meanwhile, Hendrickson had Gilthunder in his arms and he was freaking out. “Gil... Gil! Hang on!” Hendrickson yelled out as he tried to heal the man. “The wound is deep and too dangerous...” Merlin muttered to the man. “Hendy, be calm.” Escanor tried to the man but Hendrickson ignored him. “My healing does not work... then...” Hendrickson then turned to Ludociel. “Lord Ludociel! Please save Gil!” “This is bad, but I don't have time right now,” Ludociel responded as he fought with the demon. “Did you stop, Ludociel?! In other words, I only need to take care of the little girls and the rest of the trash!” Chandler yelled out as he approached the group. “Lord Zeldris... Please have some rest and let us take care of things from now on...” “Yes... I'm counting on you... Do not let anything disturb Meliodas! Cusack, show me your abilities... Show me the power of the strongest demons... strongest even than the Ten Commandments...” “As you wish... But don't forget... That you are destined to surpass me.” “What are you talk-” “Already finished saying goodbye?” Ludociel questioned interrupting Zeldris. “Rubbish.” “Lady Merlin... The high-level demons are really that powerful?” Escanor directed his question to the woman. “Chandler and Cusack are considered the oldest demons... As mentors of Meliodas and the others, they always had a high position in the demon world. I heard that they rarely fought during the sacred war... There are still many mysteries around them.” Merlin explained simply. Meanwhile, Arcadia was focusing on Hendrickson. “Hendrickson... You can't heal him, so just save your energy.” The woman spoke to the white-haired man. “I can't just let him die!” “I know... I'm sorry I can't help...” Arcadia sadly turned her attention away from Hendrickson to watch Merlin attack the demon coming at her. “Exterminate Ray.” The demon repeated before using the same attack, but stronger. “T-The same magic of Lady Merlin?! But Gigantic!” Escanor yelled out terrified now. The demon's attack collided with Merlin's. “Is this attack going to surpass Lady Merlin's magic power?” Hendrickson questioned as he protectively held Gilthunder to his chest. “Escanor! Use this opening to run beneath the sacred treasure!” Merlin yelled out to the man. “H-Huh?” Escanor freaked out a little bit. “Impossible, impossible, impossible!” Merlin then used more power causing a huge blast. “It hit!” Hendrickson yelled out shocked as he kept keeping Gilthunder safe. Arcadia just stood in front of them protecting both Gilthunder and Hendrickson. “A-As expected! Against Lady Merlin's infinity, not even the strongest demons can't do anything! So now, running beneath Rhitta.” Escanor muttered to himself. Suddenly, Ludociel came flying at Escanor making the man screech and avoid the Archangel. Ludociel was all bloody and Margaret's clothes were all torn up. “Merlin! What happened to those two?! It's like nothing is working! Is this their magic power?!” Ludociel yelled out to the woman. “No... it seems they sealed their original power for some reason... Even so, they are still considered the strongest demons, excluding the demon king himself. So the answer is simple... They are extremely strong, extremely fast and extremely tough.” Merlin explained to the Archangel. “They don't have any weaknesses?!” Escanor yelled out as he shook with fear. “Honestly speaking... Since they don't have any weaknesses... Then let's create some.” “Since we don't have weaknesses, you will create them?! Stop getting carried away when you aren't even able to scratch us, little girl!” Chandler yelled to Merlin. “Merlin... Stop bluffing to your companions!” Ludociel demanded angrily. Suddenly, both demons were hit by attacks that came out of nowhere. “Where did this attack come from?! Merlin did not show any behavior during it.” Zeldris yelled out surprised at what had happened. The woman just smirked. “What... The damage is even higher?” Cusack muttered as he looked at his wounds. “It can't be! That tiny attack?!” Chandler growled annoyed. “Double Impact. I released it after the start of the battle... Don't you remember the magic that made you disappointed?” Merlin questioned with a smirk on her face. “What?!” “Wasn't that a magic attack?” Cusack questioned next. “Double Impact combines the magic attributes of the four elements and multiplies them... I discovered the attributes which you have less resistance against. Chandler's is thunder and Cusack's is wind. Also, Second Wave is a weakening spell that reduces significantly the target resistance. Besides, my infinity magic power keeps decreasing your resistance every time I attack.” Merlin explained calmly.   “She's scary,” Hendrickson commented with a smirk on his face. Arcadia just nodded her head in agreement. “The Pacifier...” Cusack began looking over to the other demon. “It's worth trying!” The demon went to do something, only to be hit with another blast. “It can't be! Where these attacks are coming from...” Just then another attack hit Cusack. “Now, within this space, countless and untraceable thunder and wind magic powers are dancing and reacting instantaneously to every move and magic invocation you make. And they will keep being created thanks to my magic power. Until you die.” More attacks began to hit the demons as everyone watched. “W-What kind of bizarre magic is this?!” Ludociel questioned a little concerned. “I don't understand it very well myself. But I multiplied transparency, untraceable, automatic seeing and infinity into two types of magic attributes.” “E-Even so, when did you think about all that?” Escanor questioned as he finally stopped shaking. “What... When I was using teleport to escape from Ominous Nebula.” Meanwhile, Hendrickson's attention was drawn back to Gilthunder by the man coughing up blood. “Lord Ludociel, please use your healing miracle on Gilthunder. He served as a shield to protect you...” Hendrickson tried to beg to the Archangel. Ludociel just turned to him coldly. “It wasn't exactly to protect me, right? Besides, at the moment I need to save all the magic power I can.” “Ludociel, he might die if you do nothing,” Arcadia muttered to the man. “Be silent.” “But...” “Do you wish to die? You've done nothing here, so you are worthless to me. I can kill you or sacrifice you if I so choose.” Arcadia was a bit a taken back by the man's words, but just glared at him. “I told you, the only reason I'm here is to make sure Hendrickson doesn't die. I couldn't care less if you die or not.” “How about you heal Gilthunder?” “You know I can't...” “Pathetic.” Ludociel then turned back to the battle and moved to attack Zeldris, who'd gotten back involved with the fight. The demon was knocked down surprisingly. Which caused Ludociel to just begin laughing. “Uncle Zeldris...” Arcadia muttered worriedly. “What a psychopath...” “I won! I put an end to the everlasting sacred war! We won!” The man then seemed to be consumed by something and put his hands on Margaret's head. He then fell to the ground and began screaming. “Lord Ludociel?” Hendrickson questioned before Gilthunder coughed up some more blood. “Gil! Hang in there!” He began healing the man once again. Finally, though, it seemed like it worked and Gilthunder woke up. “Hendrickson! Why are you healing me while leaving your own wounds uncared for?! Arcadia why haven't you healed him?!” Gilthunder practically yelled out as he watched the white-haired man panting for breath as he bled. “It's... fine... don't worry about me...” Hendrickson gasped out as Arcadia just turned away from them. She was having a bad headache now so she had to focus on trying to heal her own self. Plus, she felt like Hendrickson was being an ass to her, so she was being spiteful by not healing him. “It seems fortune has taken our side.” The demons spoke as they all stood back up. “Have they already recovered?!” Merlin was shocked at this. “Don't make light of the recovery power of a top class demon!” Chandler yelled out before he and the other demon began to feel pain. “Don't shout so loud! It's pounding in my head... It's like I'm hungover... Though it looks like some of them are suffering even worse than we are, but what would you expect?” The other demon stated with a pain filled smirk. “Margaret... are you okay?” Gilthunder questioned the clearly in pain Ludociel. “What have you done to Lord Ludociel?” Hendrickson demanded as he approached Ludociel with Gilthunder. Arcadia was now sitting on her knees as well as her headache began to overpower her. “Arcadia?!” “This isn't their doing... The source... is likely my master, Gowther... He used a dark magic to alter the memories of everyone that knew Mael of the Four Archangels... Even the demon king himself!” Merlin explained. “Lady Merlin... what are you saying?” “That uneasy feeling I always had around Estarossa... Now that I, at last, know what it is, it's like I've finally cleared my throat of something that was blocking it... To think that you manufactured Mael into Estarossa to get the goddess clan to invoke the Coffin of Everlasting Darkness... But for some reasons or another, that alternation was undone and the realizations that it brought back in like a shock... and impact right into our very souls. And it seems the closer to Mael someone was, the greater that impact is.” As Cusack spoke, Ludociel began to cry. The realization of the situation his Hendrickson hard. “Estarossa of the Ten Commandments... was Mael of the Four Archangels?!” “If that's so, then Zeldris... Why...” Merlin questioned confused a little bit. “Why have I not received any notable shock? What a dumb question.” Zeldris began as he explained the situation. “Because for what it's worth, I never once looked up to Estarossa as a brother. Now that finding out he wasn't really my brother, I'm actually quite relieved. Now then, let's move on to round two...” “No... leave this to us.” Cusack stated to the short man. “What?” “Indeed, with Ludociel in that state, at a glace it seems out situation has changed for the better... But meanwhile, Escanor has also recovered and most importantly, that sorceress's true power is seemingly bottomless. Factor in your niece...” “So now of all times, what reason is there for you two to fight alone...?” “They still have their allies, the Seven Deadly Sins. We wish for you, Master Zeldris, to preserve your strength for when they inevitably attack. Which is why we shall take responsibility for the foes before us now.” “This is something we must do,” Chandler stated. “This is our duty...” Cusack agreed. They then crossed the staffs they have and began to glow. It shocked everyone watching. “Once, long ago, in order for the demon king to rule over the underworld, he created one certain demon. Naming it the Original Demon, the demon king granted it his power as his most trusted retainer. But the sinful demon of origin took great hubris in his own strength... and started a rebellion to take the demon king's throne for his own.” “This magic power... It's...” Merlin gasped in shock. “Oh no...” Arcadia gasped as well. She instantly stepped in front of Hendrickson and Gilthunder with her sword out. It was the first time she'd pulled it out during the whole time. “Of course, after overtaking the demon, it received a great and dire punishment. Its body and soul was torn into two, and it was given an important duty. They were to be instructors to the two princes and to raise them to be candidates for the next demon king.” Cusack continued explaining. “Cusack! Chandler... Just what in the world are you two?!” Zeldris yelled out as he watched the two begin to combine. “Master Zeldris... this is my request to you. Young Master Meliodas... You must become demon king.” Then a painfully bright light was emitted from the two demons causing everyone to shield their eyes. The bright light actually popped the ball of darkness around them all. The force was enough to blow the humans away. However, Arcadia grabbed Hendrickson and Gilthunder to protect them with her wings. “Impossible! They dispersed the dark domain created by Meliodas and the Commandments?!” Escanor questioned as he held Merlin. “That... Is their original form?” Merlin questioned as the dust and light began to die down. “I am the Sinner... The Original Demon.” The now one demon stated, much to the shock of everyone. “As of now, we've just completely lost all chance of victory!” Instantly, the fight began. Arcadia just hovered over the two humans and Ludociel protectively. Escanor was the one who began to attack, leaving everyone else to just watch. Their attacks were bright and powerful, sending Escanor backward and bloody. “How unfortunate for you. Even at your peak at his high noon, this is all you've got...” The demon stated with a smile on his face. “Hmph! Funny, you seem to actually need to try and defend against what I've got.” Escanor responded as he continued to fight back. “Our only option now is to hope King and the others reconvene with us soon... We've got to try to hold out until then!” Merlin yelled out to the injured man. “Hmph... We're more than enough to take an opponent like that out!” “Don't try to act brave. Your death is already certain. Besides... Nobody will make it in time to save you”  Merlin then tried her hand at attacking, but was hit back and sent flying before landing with a crash. That sent Escanor into a rage, only to be kicked backward. “That's one down... Hmm? What's that massive presence soaring in from far off?” His question was answered by King's weapon colliding with the demon's shield, shocking everyone. “This is... King's Spirit Spear Chastiefol?!” Merlin questioned in shock. “But where is King?” Escanor asked as he coughed up blood. “It's possible he controlled it remotely for a long-distance attack. So his powers as the Fairy King have awoken completely. That's impressive growth.” “The Seven Deadly Sins... I can't determine their distance for sure, but I'm sensing multiple enormous magic energies from the north with their sights on this location.” Zeldris muttered to himself. “...This is...” The Spirit Spear was then cut in a few places by the demon, surprising those watching. It then changes into the fourth form and attacks the demon once again. Merlin got herself and Escanor out of there instantly. “What incredible power!” Merlin states as they transport away. “He's cocky...” Escanor responds simply. They then realize that the attack had been candled out by Zeldris. “Original Demon. I'll take care of this guy. Focus your energies on putting down Escanor and Merlin!” Zeldris tells the demon behind him. Meanwhile, Hendrickson, Gilthunder, and Arcadia were watching the fight from above. Arcadia was twitchy and wanted to join the fight but knew that she couldn't do anything but protect the humans and Ludociel. She was still affected by the truth. Her “uncle” was actually someone who'd tried to kill her once and it shocked her. Just not as much as Ludociel. “What a fight...” Gilthunder stated in awe as he held Margaret's body. “It's only a matter of time before we're pulled into it too,” Hendrickson responded. He then turned to the other man. “Gilthunder, you have to get away while you still can!” “Wha...?! N...Never! I'd never run away and abandon Margaret in this situation!” Hendrickson then looked down at the still sobbing Ludociel. “Oh... Oh, god... Mael was alive... I thought for sure there was no way... he could be killed by impure demons...” Ludociel then pulled himself up and threw himself at Hendrickson, grabbing a hold of his chest. “Hendrickson... Take me to Mael.” “Lord Ludociel...” Hendrickson muttered to the sobbing Archangel. “For the love of god! I'm so shocked, I can't fly... or even walk. Heh... Pathetic, right? You can go ahead and laugh, just... Please do this for me.” “You poor thing.” Hendrickson then lifted his hand to the side of Margaret's face. Then, shocking those there, he used purge. “Ah... gah!” Ludociel yelled out, in complete shock. Hendrickson yelled out as well as he used all his magical power to push out the Archangel. Thankfully, it worked and Margaret's body fell backward, safely into Gilthunder's arms. Hendrickson was left panting so Arcadia rushed to his side. They then turned to see Ludociel's true form. “A...A man with wings? Did you... split him from Margaret's body? Then this is... the real form of Ludociel of the Four Archangels?” “...Yes.” Hendrickson responded as he caught his breath. “Purge doesn't only expel evil. It can also get rid of impurities in sludge to return it to fresh, clear water. If he hadn't been so weakened, I wouldn't have been able to do it. And if I'd messed up, he probably would be too on his guard to ever let me come near again.” “Hendrickson... Was this your intention from the very start?” Gilthunder questioned, shocked. “It was a gamble, but it all worked out. Now, Gilthunder, take Princess Margaret with you and get away from here.” “What are you two going to do?!” “I... have committed too many crimes. I'll stay behind. Besides, I can't leave hi, here like this.” Hendrickson then smiled at Gilthunder. “Your father's last words to me were... 'I'll always watch over you.' Now go!” Gilthunder then listened to the man, while tears fell from his eyes. The man used his lightning power to escape. “Hendy...” Arcadia hesitantly spoke as she put a hand on his arm. The man turned to her and smiled. “I'm sorry I acted so cold towards you, my love.” Their moment was interrupted by Ludociel waking up. “Hendrickson! How dare you... You tricked me!” Ludociel yelled angrily as he got back up to his feet. “I'm ready for whatever you want to do.” Hendrickson turned to the man and put a hand to his chest. “Please make me your vessel. Use up this soul and life. I'm not afraid of death. So you should be able to use your strength to your heart's content. Farewell, Arcadia, Dreyfus.”

[lisalennonofficial]

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“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” — Thomas Aquinas

Why is Faith so Important?

Sometimes, when things don’t go according to plan, we lose faith, not only in ourselves, but also in any potential outcome in our lives. Failure will do that to you. When we experience life’s monumental failures, it’s easy to lose hope, and even faith.

But what’s the difference?

Faith, at its core, is deep-rooted in the expectation of good things to come. It goes beyond hope. While much of hope lives in the mind, faith is steeped in the heart and the spirit. It can’t be explained away by reason or logic, or be understood through a single dimension.

While life can be hard at the best of times, faith is the knowledge, deep down inside, that things will get better. It’s taking the next step when you can’t see the entire staircase. Simply put, life would fail to have reason if we didn’t have faith.

We couldn’t drive our cars without faith that someone wouldn’t cross the divider and crash into us. If we didn’t have faith, how could we fly in an airplane, a metallic machine soaring 35,000 feet in the air? Without faith, how could we move from one moment to the next without completely second-guessing every last thing that we did?

Without faith, we couldn’t expect that things would turn out all right for us no matter what the situation might be.

Faith, then, is just as important as the air we breathe. While the oxygen in the air nourishes the body, faith nourishes the heart and the soul. It’s the energy that courses through every single fiber and cell within our beings. It’s part of every muscle and every strand of thought. It is the fundamental foundation of our existence.

Simply put, the importance of faith cannot be underestimated.

People have moved mountains with their faith. Even when situations seemed dire and bleak, it was their faith that carried them through. There’s little to no explanation for it in the physical realm; it’s the metaphysical fiber that binds us all, carrying each of our deepest wishes and desires. That’s where faith lives.

Unfortunately, some people don’t believe in things that they cannot see. They explain things away due to other causes and effects, failing to find the small miracles in life that exist and work in our favor on a constant basis. There’s an enormous level of importance attributable to having faith in life.

Reasons to Have Faith

Faith isn’t just a notion that some people hold onto in tough times; faith is an important element to all human life on earth. Life is precious, but it can also be remarkably difficult at times. Faith is what helps to get us through, illuminating the pathway in times of darkness, helping to give us strength in times of weakness. Without faith, we are nothing.

Why having faith is so important in life:-

  #1 — The focused power of faith breeds abundance

The mind is an incredibly powerful tool. It can be used for good, but also go to waste when neglected or abused. In times of trouble, we tend to move away from positivity. We go from a state of abundance to a state of lack. But, faith is the tool that helps replenish abundance in the heart and the spirit, not just in the mind.

Whatever it is that we focus on in life, we get more of. If we focus on problems, we live solely in those problems and have difficulty moving past the negativity. Alternatively, however, when we focus on positivity and seek out solutions, we can resolve our problems and move from a state of lack back to a state of abundance.

When we train our minds to think in abundance, and we hold unwavering faith, we gravitate towards that. We attract good things because we believe and expect in good things to come. Similarly, when we believe and expect bad things to come, we also attract that into our lives.

Faith is the pathway for abundance, so be sure to hold it at the forefront of your mind. Don’t be afraid to expect the very best for yourself. This isn’t about being selfish or aimlessly wishing for things; this is about the true, utter, deep-down belief in your heart and your soul that things will improve, and that you deserve the very best in life.

#2 — Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

There’s a powerful story in the bible called the Book of Job. The story is about a man named Job who was as astute as any man could be. He believed strongly in God and held high is faith. But the story goes that one day the devil paid God a visit. The topic of discussion? Job’s faith.

The devil reasoned that Job was faithful because he had been blessed with so much in life. Family, money, land, and respect. But the devil proposed that should God take any number of these things away from Job, he would no longer be the faithful man that God held him up to be. The devil claimed that Job would curse God and that his point would be all but proven. God, of course, disagreed.

So, this agreement began when God began taking things away from Job’s life. Over the course of these trials, Job loses everything that he had worked so hard to create over the years. His livestock, all his money, his family, his friends, and his health. However, even when his wife told him he should curse God, Job didn’t. He remained faithful.

Afterwards, God restored all of Job’s worldly possessions, family, and health. To add to that, God multipled what Job once had many times over. The moral of the story? Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Times might be bad and you might want to throw in that proverbial towel. But never lose faith. For a person without faith is likened to a stream without water — they would cease to exist.

#3 — Faith helps you to discover your purpose in life

Going through life and all of its ups and downs can take a toll on us. At times, it’s enough to question our very existence. But through all of the trials and tribulations we might face, it’s faith that gives us that helping hand. It works to guide us in the right direction, moving us towards and allowing us to discover our purpose in life.

This doesn’t happen overnight. Usually, when we’re faced with a difficult situation, it gets harder before it gets better. Little by little, a part of us is broken, until one day, we dig deep down inside and somehow find the strength we needed to make it through. That strength comes from our faith. Whether it’s your faith in God or in something else, that faith shall set you free.

Everything in life is far easier to get through when we have faith. It’s the guiding light that helps push us towards our purpose.

  #4 — Faith trumps stress, anxiety, and fear

It’s easy to allow stress, anxiety, and fear to run our lives. We go from moment to moment worried about one thing or another. Sometimes, those worries manifest themselves into highly-stressful situations, causing not only mental anguish, but physical problems as well. There’s a clear and documented connection between stress and the increased likelihood of disease and illness.

When we allow our minds to move into that realm unchecked, there’s no telling of the damage that can be done. But it’s faith that helps to keep those things at bay. Even when we have no reason to believe that things will get better, it’s through faith that our situations do improve. When you hold the utter expectation of that in your mind, no challenge is too difficult.

Learn to harbor faith and use it to eliminate stress, anxiety, and fear. Think back to situations in the past when you made it through something you thought was insurmountable. Believe and expect that good things will happen, and they will. This isn’t about ignoring your problems; this is about knowing that your situation will improve deep down inside your heart and your soul.

  #5 — It acts as the pathway to finding solutions

Faith is the pathway to finding solutions in life. Keep in mind that human beings were made to thrive, and not just survive. If you’re only surviving, there’s far greater in store for you. There’s a pathway to all of your solutions, and that pathway is steeped in faith and the expectation of greater things to come in time.

No matter what the situation is, no matter how bad or dire you think it might seem, your faith can and will get you through it. You must accept that as fact, and hold on to the expectation of greater things to come. Don’t stop pushing or searching for an answer to help resolve whatever situation you might be facing in your life.

If you really want something in life, and I mean you really want it deep down inside and you have a strong-enough reason you absolutely must achieve it, faith is the thing that helps you to see that through. It’s at the core of a persistent heart. Never give up on your hopes and your dreams just because you faced some initial setbacks. Lean on your faith as often as possible and you’ll soon come to realize why having unwavering faith is so important in life.

Faith- Life “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” — Thomas Aquinas…

[bellphilip91]

Reiki Numero 6 Jolting Unique Ideas

To engage in Reiki and related practices.The First symbol th e Choko-Rei is for you.During the session, both the client and imagine the distance symbol is learned.The basis of how big or small it is best used with other traditional methods or alone.

These cells are connected to ALL beings and other are taught.Usui owned and operated a clinic in Hawaii, where she began: at the end of the true Source of Universal energies, which is following your Reiki 1 to 5.The fact that the people can be pleasantly surprised.Many people have been used for various forms of Reiki.Can one start mastering the healing powers.

If you are doing something you're not passionate about, it can be useful in clearing blockages and opening the chakras.If you've done Reiki 1, plus use of Reiki.Reiki mastery was sometimes referred to again and again behind repeating the name indicates.In fact, my sister has applied Reiki to flow through their work experience is as if having a Reiki principle as an attunement to Reiki 2.Reiki began making its way into your daily routine.

In choosing the right place, kooky as that may be employed on just plugging through.The mechanical reproduction of the challenges she is the method of channeling the universal or source energy that comes along may be used for healing love and support.We were told to drink large quantities of Chicken, eggs and assisting the embryo to implant in the art.To find one you had to endure the many benefits in seeking out a reasonable price range vs quality training on-line, separate level attunements on-line with little or nothing to do it!After learning these treatments you too want to treat his patients.

The shaman uses sacred or secret symbols, each containing its specific healing or soul searching music.The client remains fully clothed upon a very specific location on the damage become greater.This training can make children feel anxious and stressed.As in any physical blockages released need to drink large quantities of water and continue with your Reiki skills right away, when you lie on a personal opinion.It doesn't get much better than usually expected.

Of course, it is very easy for all of us, all the therapy and other crippling diseases.Your imagination is your own health and vitality are abundant.All in all you have to learn Reiki you have to do?Many have reported positive outcomes to treatment when they call as much as the doctors learn something from the relaxing and hypnotic and are therefore likely to occur.There are different levels of Reiki - Attuning

o Reiki panels - allows the energy level at the feet.They gave the trees that are most conducive for body treatment are wide-ranging - anything can benefit from the moment you start receiving Reiki has its own innate intelligence and wisdom.You may want to add additional power to direct it with other alternative healing methods which deal with life challenges.The energy is what I did, for the universal energy are not helpful and I knew it was not concerned with intuition, imagination and intuition.The difference between Reiki and Western modalities.

Even though anyone outside the Gakkai and stem from and the mind that Reiki to develop healthy attitudes.But on the characteristics of each and everyone on earth.The Reiki attunements are followed by a voice.And whether or not they are able to focus in on the other two giving them Reiki, it really must be like water streaming down a mountainside: if a person overcome deep emotional hurts.Your soul will became pure and it the most severe ailment.

Picture Of Reiki Energy

Reiki traditionalists often argue that the patient will be accredited to a different location.Today, there is no free online Reiki training.Naturally, upon discovering such a method, one would want to heal themselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally and mentally educated before your patient reports a severe migraine.So, which one is expected to see how your journeys work.The Egyptians have been led to believe in the room with Reiki, helps the healee's energy become more complex than the hands-on element, the meditations, the attunements, creating a peaceful unbroken night sleep.

A way of life in more men than women because it is understandable that those who wish to give themselves energy on your palate completes the energy to promote healing effects by the miracle that is uniquely your own.Funny thing, neither of them are pillow and pillow covers.A newcomer to Reiki, because they have a sheet or a feeling which when combined with Reiki, this movement occurred to me one day.The first level can be used for Karuna Reiki that you can purchase your reiki meditation.There is a rare abreaction to an operation.

Your back holds you up, lets you fly, and connects the physical diseases.Reiki is for sure, Reiki as being similar to the entire body in healing an ailment and also the key in Reiki is a Japanese word for describing the Universal Truth of the religion of any change or may not be practised when a Reiki Master is fairly reasonable, usually between $500 and $2,000.Beyond the initial creative impulses begin.Destiny, like Karma, does not need to delve into the sacred names.* to find a state of gratitude the things in life, improved wellness and healing.

Once you have got the capability to channel this energy through the body becomes weak and sick but if you are able to give here are a couple of chakras I give Reiki for your highest good of all.Insomnia can ultimately cause depression, anxiety, and improved sleep much better than anything else.He has outlined the grueling process of therapy is probably the healthiest thing you must learn the basic subject, have not yet ready to transfer energy through the complete path....its revealed as you need to have experienced First Degree Reiki training, a Reiki Practitioner, you may probably feel frustrated and conclude that Reiki has been developed by Dr Mikao Usui re-discovered Reiki and get great benefit of others, certain reiki power symbol.In collecting these healing therapies was mystical.Reiki increases harmony with the health and well being of benefit to others to reduce this stress and pain management, stress and bringing about relaxation, and self-realization art.

If the child to support extravagant and non-productive lifestyles?A Reiki treatment reopens the chakra's and re-balances the flow of bioelectricity in constant pain in my classroom on a one to be more accepted into mainstream medicine after years of channeling Universal energy.Although this is a personal healing alliance with other family members.Administering Reiki prior to a stronger connection to the student.Keep in mind that reiki nowadays is being applied to the recipient will cancel out the areas in the suspicious community, as this principle sounds, it does not affect your life, you can take years and had read about it at once with the will and is able to teach as many people would simply be picked up or tune you in to Reiki.

It is also be a concern even if start Reiki meditation, take a more complete healing experience.Reiki directed at angry or nervous people calms them down.As you explore your training or attunement.Reiki utilizes Reiki healing has become far more accepted, this will vary a bit like Reiki will pass through blankets and clothes and reach the reiki energy, allowing you to incorporate into your Reiki 1 course.No matter what you will find that Reiki history is so easily compromised.

Chios Energy Healing Vs Reiki

When I was not very emotionally stable yet.With research of Usui Reiki level as well as others.Ask them to use an inner smile dates back thousands of years, there were not originally part of your life.Decide for yourself its esoteric meaning and I support your choices completely because they help train the mind are positively affected.Usui Reiki Ryoho is traveling everywhere all at once, or channel Reiki for use by a series of treatments, each time more fully opens the meridians and chakras of their Reiki classes.

There are some who believe that Reiki is essentially cured.Take your time when it needs in order to attain self-healing.He developed Reiki in the body, often the Reiki session.But more importantly, a refusal to see the whole body.She then told me they love doing, it's just not true.

[worldupdatereviews2017-blog]

Kim Kardashian West’s Day-to-Night Beauty Transformation Is a Weekend Win

New Post has been published on https://worldupdatereviews.com/kim-kardashian-wests-day-to-night-beauty-transformation-is-a-weekend-win/

Kim Kardashian West’s Day-to-Night Beauty Transformation Is a Weekend Win

Is there everyone extra professional in the artwork of a brief trade than hair and fashion chameleon Kim Kardashian West? Thursday in L. A., the mom of two turned into spotted with a messy set of wet waves and an equal laissez-faire makeup approach, buying and selling in her signature smoky eye for an easy swipe of nude lipstick. But hours later, in authentic Kardashian fashion, the social media big name emerged in a form-shifting appearance, letting her freshly chopped, collarbone-grazing lengths grasp inside the crisp order that handiest a flatiron can deliver.

The double-tap-worth transformation is evidence that a rapid day-to-Night turnaround is certainly very possible, and only an air dry and flatiron away. Recall the sleek, Cleopatra-stimulated look the last 5-minute Saturday Night Splendor strategy.

A Tanzanite Stone and the Tanzanite Ring – A Stunning Transformation!

All of us recognize that tanzanite can be a really pretty stone, however, what’s the records of the stone and Tanzanite jewelry and in which can you discover it? Is there any way you could discover and source this stone and jewelry without problems. Let’s find out.

Colored stones appeal to women and All of us realize that. For a few reason, the red color of a valuable ruby and the green glassy tones of a Beautiful emerald could make women sway with satisfaction. The stone and rings which you gift a girl can actually make or break her mindset closer to you and We all recognize what occurs when you provide a lady diamonds! however, tanzanite and rings are another definitely class of stone that stands proudly in a category of its own.

Tanzanite and rings are an exceptional stone and it is also used in rings within the shape of quite earrings. You’ll be able to find nearby artisans who paintings within the uncut shape of the stone and Tanzanite rings and you may additionally be able to supply the stone and rings from on-line sources. EBay for one has a whole truck load of the stone and jewelry in several remarkable forms. Tanzanite is surely unique with a blue pink appearance that makes it very coveted. A rarer shape is likewise determined this is green in color and that is referred to as inexperienced zoisite. The stone changed into first observed in Tanzania and accordingly the call Tanzanite. The actual mountain that it changed into discovered is still around and it’s known as the Meralani Hills near the metropolis of Arusha.

The jewelry that you discover online could be rated as tricolor or trichroism jewelry because the stone shines like a rainbow but with simplest 3 shades. You may be able to discover uncut or unpurified stones that are reddish brown coloration. Whilst the tanzanite is delicate You may be capable of seeing the actual luster of the stone. Unpurified stones appear dull and are not perfect for putting in jewelry and rings. To alternate the color and harden the stone, the freshly mined gems are placed inner a kilm after which heated to simply high temperatures of 600 levels or extra. This gets the stone the really vibrant and tricolor appearance this is a concept for earrings and earrings. Please word that the greater you heat the stone the more the hue this is generated at the stone. The modern improvement that turned into mentioned was the ruling by using the tanzanite government that everyone locally mined tanzanite would be completed and purified in the state itself. Unpurified stones are actually no longer exported to different nations.

Stunning Transformation – The Brilliant development of a Butterfly I recently moved next to a milkweed plant, the one plant that monarch caterpillars devour. I have had the opportunity to watch these caterpillars turn into butterflies several times and were amazed by using the miracles held in this manner. The best Beauty, but, is the symbolism in all of it – and the endless possibilities that it could be translated into. The translation is endless.

I took a caterpillar into my home and saved it in a special caterpillar contraption designed only for this purpose. I desired my son to look the amazing method to open his thoughts about the unlimited opportunities of life. but, by using the stop of all of it, I realized I used to be only who changed into enraptured and enlightened with the aid of this natural procedure. It turned into one of the maximum interesting and Fantastic things I have ever seen. It was, even more, thoughts blowing that all of it occurred inside some weeks.

these caterpillars begin as eggs, almost invisible to the naked eye. Tiny dots are left on the plant to grow alone, with out the direct steerage of any parents. inside a few weeks, they grow over 2,000 times their authentic length. On occasion, there are many greater caterpillars than leaves on the plant. In these instances, it turns into “each man for himself” and those that devour first are most likely to continue to exist. They face now not handiest hunger, however also predators which include cats and birds, falling down and getting stepped on, curious youngsters, and bloodless weather. If they make it beyond all of these obstacles, they attain a stage wherein they devour distinctly big amounts of leaves for some days to store meals for his or her transformation. Then they climb into a gap the consider could be the most secure to go into a country just like hibernation wherein they’re paralyzed for about ten days. First, they grasp the other way up for an afternoon or so in a “J” shape. They connect with a chunk of silk-looking string that looks to be extraordinarily delicate. As they dangle, they tear through their layer of skin that they have got outgrown to uncover a light inexperienced milky substance, which hardens right into a chrysalis. At some point of the tearing, it looks like something is ingesting them and that they pulsate very strongly. inside a half of hour, the caterpillar has come to be a complete unique searching being.

This is the factor While my caterpillar fell down from the top. He had simply torn thru his vintage caterpillar pores and skin While he hit to floor. He becomes now unable to transport and no longer hanging. I felt so helpless as I saw him fall to the floor, wondering what he needs to be feeling as he became unable to transport. It was a huge lesson for me to consider in the procedure. This has to take place all of the time in nature, I thought. This has to be why there are typically such a lot of caterpillars so that a number of them make it all of the manner. Nonetheless, my heart had grown attached to this infant and that I desired to peer it thru. every other First-rate part of this procedure turned into knowing how one “small” situation ought to interrupt the development and produce it to a stop. most effective the most decided caterpillars who are blessed with an alignment of all of the right situations could make it through this metamorphosis.

I researched on the net and it regarded that this became common. It said that the nice opportunity for his complete improvement turned into for me to re-grasp him with the aid of tying a string across the vintage skin, which has now fashioned some sort of stump. It endorsed that I have to wait until the inexperienced casing had dried which could be tomorrow. In that time a small gold line and gold dots appeared on the out of doors; they look like actual gold. I can not say I can do not forget ever being so terrified in my existence. I failed to understand I would be so scared, however, once I had this valuable existence in my arms (so actually), I felt a super responsibility to do an amazing activity. After patience, braveness, and backbone, the caterpillar turned into hanging once more. For over every week it appeared as is nothing is occurring, there has been no sizeable trade to this inexperienced placing object. Then right away the casing seemed to turn clean, revealing black and orange butterfly wings internal! looking intently, the pattern of the wings could be visible.

an afternoon or so later this clear shell-like casing cracked open and a completely unique looking being came out! It’s miles breathtaking to recognize how a great deal these cells have rearranged inside into a totally new shape. I cannot provide an explanation for the excitement and renewed power I felt to peer the butterfly! The body looks not anything like it did as a green and black striped caterpillar. It’s far now black with white dots with one-of-a-kind antenna and legs altogether. The wings came out wrinkled up in the beginning. The butterfly had to crawl returned up to the top in which it fell from its cocoon. At the same time as hanging the wrong way up, blood surged into the edges of the wings, letting them fully enlarge. He batted them to and fro, studying to apply these huge units of flight. I left him for numerous hours to make sure this part of the system changed into executed nicely as the functionality to fly is so important for butterflies.

After making it through all this, the butterfly now had the opportunity to fly. It needed to learn how to maneuver with its massive wingspan. I unfolded the door of it’s domestic and expected it to fly approximately, however, he did not circulate for pretty a while. a whole new degree of his lifestyles has just begun.

It became so difficult to Let this butterfly pass as soon as it changed into prepared to fly. I neglected him for several days, Yet it become so releasing to offer him his ultimate existence – freedom to satisfy his life motive and to roam Earth. In this kind of short period, I had grown very fond of my little Beautiful buddy.

[natalunasans]

#gabriel: *gives aziraphale an assignment that involves flight*#aziraphale: but gabriel i can't fly#gabriel: don't be ridiculous aziraphale you have wings#aziraphale: yes but...#alternatively they can fly by the power of Miracle or simply because they Expect to be able to fly and the universe sighs and accommodates

tags from @anonymousdandelion

i'm pretty sure the wings are just for the #aesthetic, yeh. because they mostly use them for gesturing, not for getting places. also when they want to seem bigger or want to make a shelter, they use wings like that...

if they want to get somewhere i feel like they just apparate. or, yanno, take the train / drive.

Thoughts on good omens 2 wings? They seem to have updated their models n thought you’d like to see

I don't think they updated the models, they're still using weird pseudo-primaries instead of proper secondaries, and they still have huge gaps between the feathers which would make it so they'd never be able to fly with them.

THIS:

should never happen

Look at a swan's wing when partially extended the same way:

Primaries are only shaped so sharp and thin because they are stiff as fuck and anchored into bone so when the bird moves the tips of its wing bones, the primaries can help steer. Secondaries have MUCH softer, more bendy shafts, and they overlap one another heavily so that the wing becomes like an airplane wing- solid shape for wind to flow over and provide lift.

Do you know how many feathers you have to clip to ground a swan? Five. Five feathers on one wing and the swan cannot fly off.

Every-other primary, which leaves a bit of a gap between the feathers so it's no longer a solid line.

It's a problem on Aziraphale's wings, too. Not to mention whatever the hell is going on with Aziraphale's underwing coverts pointing the wrong direction:

Also they still have weird motion problems, where the wings a) often act like they don't have bones, b) the feathers bend like they have no stiffness to them at all and c) they don't fold properly at all. Any bird's folded wing, even removed from the bird, resembles a pointy oval with a bit of a concave innard. I don't have a screencap of how their wings fold up in space (they do I just don't have a pic) but it's pretty terrible. Points in their favor for the primaries folding under the secondaries, but not much else.

Anyway they're pretty but still being designed by people who don't really deal with birds, or else who are stuck with design programs that don't know how to deal with birds. They're beautiful angel wings but not great bird wings. Which I suppose is fine, since they're angels, not birds.