#but there is a difference between simply having them and choosing to dwell with them and stoke them

[demigodofhoolemere]

Doubt is en enemy of faith and joy. Just as warm ocean water is the breeding ground for hurricanes, doubt is the breeding ground for spiritual hurricanes. Just as belief is a choice, so is doubt. When we choose to doubt, we choose to be acted upon, yielding power to the adversary, thereby leaving us weak and vulnerable. Satan seeks to lead us to the breeding ground of doubt. He seeks to harden our hearts so that we will not believe. The breeding ground of doubt can appear inviting because its seemingly peaceful, warm waters do not require us to "live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God." In such waters Satan tempts us to relax our spiritual vigilance. That inattention can induce a lack of spiritual conviction, where we are "neither cold nor hot." If we are not anchored on Christ, doubt and its allures will lead us away to apathy, where we shall find neither miracles, lasting happiness, nor "rest unto [our] souls." Just as hurricanes weaken over land, doubt is replaced with faith as we build our foundation on Christ. We are then able to see spiritual hurricanes in their proper perspective, and our capacity to overcome them is enlarged. Then, "when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, […] it shall have no power […] to drag [us] down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which [we] are built, which is a sure foundation."

Sean Douglas

[rose-maidenn]

Nakshatras and their Shakti pt 2

Read part 1 here

What is shakti ?

Shakti translates to power in english , in the abode of stars each nakshatra is a blessed with a power that's inherent to them , the power in this sector can be channeled as a divine guiding force for a beautiful fruitful life . Check for your moon , sun , asc and your Atmakraka ( planet in the highest degree ) .

Please discern while taking info take what resonates only . Likes , reblogs, comments and feedbacks are really appreciated I would love to know about your experiences 💙

Masterlist | old masterlist

Want a longer reading for how to embody your shakti according to your placements dm or check out

Paid readings

Magha

Tyaga shepani shakti

This shakti grants the natives amazing ability of lucid dreaming, and dwelling in the astral , in other words they're good at seeing things from various perspectives. This shakti allows them to set commandments towards their life and the people around them governing their actions thoughts and beliefs. This is the shakti of subtle control through the very opposite detachment.

Purva phalguni

Prajanana shakti

The power to balance the opposites or work with the masculine as well as feminine energies . They can easily play a role in bringing people together and themselves play both sides . Even in the most adverse situation this shakti allows for peace to be settled between people , situations and heres to having everything because when you balance things you choose everything.

Uttara phalguni

Chayani shakti

Prosperity through union , now the union maybe in case of family , spouse , business etc . Chayani shakti is a type of shakti that only gets better with the embodiment of it , one can marry rich but this shakti allows the maintainance of richness . Apart from matters of money they also attract love and the people they desire quite easily . They're generally born in rich families or make wealth quite early .

Hasta

Hasta sthapaniyaagama shakti

The shakti to gain objects that one desires now this shakti dwells very much on the physical plane it's like "I want it I got it" , the shakti allows the native to be the sun (savitur) and shine on the objects that they desire and the objects like the moon(ruling planet ) are the moth to their flame get attracted very easily. This shakti can be very much related to the abode of frequency work .

Chitra

Punyachayani Shakti

The shakti to accumulate praise or merit in ones work, this shakti serves the native as the people with this nakshtra are very praised for everything they do and they get recognition, people with this shakti are known , in a good way or a bad way, what makes them shine even brighter is when they're true to their intentions and feeling no matter how foreign that is . This shakti makes one gain honour through authenticity and uniqueness in their work and creation .

Swati

Pradhvamsa Shakti

This shakti gives the native the power to dissolve or change forms , this makes the native talented in many fields they're potent in working with many different kinds of people exploring many different arenas of life and living . They leave their marks on many people not In a grand way but in a small but strong way . For example you say a sentence to motivate someone and they remember it for the rest of their lives. This shakti of transformation also let's the natives rebuilt themselves and destroy themselves really easily.

Vishakha

Vyapana Shakti

This shakti is about bhog (enjoyment of what one has gained ) a lot of people know how to gain things but not everyone knows how to truly enjoy things but Vyapana shakti allows one to truly enjoy things and as the vibrating of enjoyment is one with the vibration of manifesting more this shakti bestows the native the power to gain more simply by being extremely grateful and happy about what they already have.

Anuradha

Radhana Shakti

This shakti makes the native extremely dedicated, virtuous and a great worshipper . They gain through worship of what they devote to be it God's, universe or their art . When devotional to God's and Godesses they can easily embody the energy of The God's and create what they desire through the blessings and be known for it one example can be in the case of Mirabai. If they're dedicated to their work or art they gain success and honour through unwavering dedication.

Jyestha

Arohana shakti

To rise and to conquer , Arohana shakti makes the native really resilient and they take the right steps to reach what they want , they know what to choose what to ignore what to win and what to lose, this is one of the shakti that will make people change places and fates and rise above all . One example of this shakti is that a lot of jyestha natives gain a lot through social climbing and also gaining and excelling various skills .

That's all if you want a part 3 make sure you like and reblog loves it helps me a lot 😌🩷

Thank you for reading

💙💙💙💙

[eamour]

past, present and future

when we are speaking of time as in past, present and future, we must keep in mind that manifesting doesn't happen linearly. time — the way we know it — doesn't exist. we only ever experience consciousness, therefore we can only experience it now. we are defined by what we are conscious of in this given moment, not by what we used to identify with in the past or what we are going to identify with in the future.

there is no objective past.

what is our past? how do we know that it has existed? well, memory. again, manifesting is a process that is enabled by our consciousness. what we are conscious of — or in other words — what we have been conscious of in the past only exists or continues to exist the way it does because of how we choose to remember it aka how we choose to be conscious of it. you could say that the past is an illusion.

dwelling on the past.

dwelling on the past, dwelling on past mistakes that have been made, and so on means to dwell on a state — an unfavourable state. if you repeatedly return to that state, you become aware of it once again, you experience it in your imagination and relive it. and, well, you embody that version of yourself again and what used to be a "past state" becomes your "present state". when you dwell on the past, you re-identify with the past version of yourself and bring them "back to life". why? because as we already know, what we are aware of being now manifests. "because our thoughts of the past that we dwell on, do not recede but precede in our future." — edward art

choose what you want to remember.

now, what does this mean? since we are all the conscious creators of our lives and the outer world is just a reflection of our inner world, we need to pay even more, actually most of our attention to our awareness. you get to choose what you want to remember, as "there is no difference between an 'imagined' past and a past you think you experienced". — vesora, my beloved.

you are not who you were once.

past and future — just like present — all exist within you, your mind, your imagination. you don't have to be tied to the past. you don't have to declare it as true if you no longer desire it. you are not obligated to deem it as real. and remember, no one can forcefully try to associate you with your past if you don't want it!

there is nothing to regret.

don't feel ashamed of yourself and of what has once happened to you. don't beat yourself up, don't complain about the past, don't feel sorry for yourself and use that energy to create a new, better version of what has once existed or happened. because, again, past mistakes (made by you or others) don't define who you are now.

change what has happened.

see, the 3D is a the physical product of the imaginal acts made in the 4D. it doesn't exist on its own, nor does it have to remain the way it is. and who is in charge of it? you! so you decide what is going to be a part of your life, what has been a part of your life and what will be a part of your life. all change that results in the physical world has to be imagined in the mental world first. that's how you manifest — that's how you decorate life.

be in charge of your story.

knowing that your past is whatever you make it and only exists in your mind, it quite literally means that you carry your "story" within you. it's like your whole past can be rewritten whenever you feel like it and no one can take that away from you. no one can influence you or take away your power as you and you only are in control of your path!

be present, live now.

you can change what you want to be aware of any time. you can always choose to rewrite your entire story, to add an unexpected plot, to end and start something new, to add a side story, ... to do whatever the hell you want, simply because you can and you will! let this be your wake up call to finally move on, forget about the history you are clinging on to and imagine a new story. leave the past as it is as it can no longer harm you. don't go back to it, don't look back, just move forward.

with love, ella.

[featheredenby]

The End? No, Of Course Not.

✨ I don’t know what part from the chapter to put here so I’m just gonna not. Also I managed to avoid writing a fight scene so good for me.✨

Written by: FeatheredEnby

Word Count: 1,013

Part Sixteen of: Show Your Fangs

A Superhero AU of Empires SMP/Hermitcraft/The Life Series

Scar crouches over the edge of the GFHA headquarters roof. He sits with his bow loaded with an exploding arrow, however it sits there rather lazily as he stares off into space. After all, there’s not much else he can do, well no, that’s a lie. Scar could be keeping an eye on the desolated city, he could simply ignore what the others told him to do, instead of keeping himself healthy he could run through the city and track down Grian.

It was agreed with Shelby, Lizzie, Gem, Cleo, and Katherine that it would be for the best if he was stationed on a roof and fought with his bow and arrows due to him being a good shot and his legs not being in the best shape at the moment. He sighs and looks down at the street, which someone darts across, suspicious. Scar clicks a button on the side of his visor and his vision zooms in on whoever it is.

Once he locks his eyes on them a large amount of information pops up in his vision, he jumps slightly, he’s never really used any of the special modes and it comes as a shock. Scar blinks a few times and starts to look at the information, first he sees that the person is human for the most part, then that they’re classified as a medium threat villain, and then he sees the names that are glitching over each other and realizes why there’s so much information in his line of sight.

The person running between mushrooms is none other than The Faker also known as False Symmetry, so another one of his friends has been living a secret, law breaking life, fantastic. Scar shakes his head, he doesn’t have time to dwell on these things. He has to save Grian. He shoots an arrow and in a bit of luck it goes through False’s sleeve and into the mushroom behind her which quickly starts to encase her in mycelium, he’ll deal with that later.

Scar decides that despite the fact that it’ll hurt like hell he doesn't want to sit and wait any longer. He stands up with pain shooting through his legs and climbs down from the roof. He then chooses to walk down the road straight to the GFHA headquarters.

-

Grian watches as everything happens around him. Pearl reveals her identity confident that no one can stop or will try to stop her. The mushroom people that work for her take turns patrolling around the city and Ren and Martyn essentially disappear.

And all Grian can do is watch, it’s as if it’s all he was ever meant to do with how much he’s stuck doing it day, after day, after day. One day however something different happens. Whatever is possessing his body walks down the road away from the GFHA’s building in Hermitopia. It turns a corner and standing there, practically dead on his feet is Hotguy or rather, Scar. He doesn’t look like he’s doing well at all, that idiot, Grian had told him to run to get out quickly but here he is.

Scar’s hair is tangled and his suit is slightly torn up, his visor is completely missing but the worst part is how clearly shaking his legs are. As the thing in Grian and Scar walk towards each other he can see the way that with every step he takes Scar winces or hisses in pain through gritted teeth. Grian wishes that he could run over and help but he can’t. All he can do is watch.

A mycelium thread grows out of the ground and wraps around Scar’s leg, it yanks him down and he collapses under the force. Grian’s head pounds, if he could at some level move he’d be punching something, probably the ground. His hands reach to his waist where a dagger sits. It’s pulled out into the spore filled air and Scar is lifted up by the stupid fungus that’s all around.

Despite clearly being delirious with pain, Scar tries to talk his way out of being killed by a mushroom, “Hey now, just put the knife down, there’s no need for murder.”

The thing that is not Grian speaks in a voice that does not belong to it, “And why is that dear Hotguy or is it Scar, can I call you Scar?” It doesn’t wait for a response, “Listen here Scar, until I kill you this vessel will never truly work to the best it can. All because of you.”

Scar shakes his head rapidly, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! G- Cuteguy has tons of friends.”

“Oh but you’re the only one he still feels like he has to make things up to. He’s filled with so much remorse and guilt that it makes me sick. All because of you.”

He shakes his head again, “That’s not true! You’re lying, this is just another one of the Red Witch’s schemes.”

The fungus cackles, it sounds like Grian’s laugh but distorted in awful ways. “Oh really? Because I’m the one inside his head and I happen to be the reason he became Poultry Man in the first place. He told you how it happened, how guilty he felt when he hurt you. At some level the guilt never leaves.”

It raises the dagger and the point pricks Scar’s cheek, drawing the smallest amount of blood. “But now, now I will destroy you then he won’t owe you anything and my vessel will finally work. Might as well give one of your winning smiles, this will be the last time that you can.”

The dagger cuts into Scar’s cheek and all Grian can do is apologize over and over and over again. Then something shakes the ground. Grian sees a magical bright blue shockwave spread out in all directions from the GFHA’s headquarters. He has no clue what it is. Someone runs to him and Scar and throws a potion in their direction, the thing possessing him screams. Everything goes black, it’s honestly peaceful.

[butchfairyzine]

“FEY: A Guide to Fairies of the Butch Variety” themes (Text version)🐸

This book will explore butch fairies, arranged into six differently themed sections. Below are descriptions of these themes, as well as a number of example concepts that might fall under them! You can choose one of the examples we’ve provided, or come up with something yourself - as long as you run it by the mods to approve!

We will be choosing five (5) artists and one (1) writer per theme - one (1) artist to illustrate the ‘title spread’, and four (4) to illustrate the ‘guides’ within. The writer will be asked to provide snippets, comments, short poems, and descriptions to intersperse with spot illustrations on the ‘guide’ pages.

🌱 Garden Fairies

Garden fairies thrive in the world’s backyards - they can be plant-themed, critter-themed, and insect-themed. Large or palm-size, they tend to their surroundings with care and good spirit, and are often brightly colored, eye-catching things. This is your ‘Seelie’ group, for a real-world folklore equivalent.

Example concepts:

A fairy taming a grasshopper steed

A petal-winged rose fairy sleeping in a flower bud

A butterfly fairy collecting nectar

🏡 House Fairies

House fairies reside in and around the home. They are usually small, hiding from humans in nooks and crannies and forgotten places - and will get stuck between the couch cushions. They come out when the coast is clear to make mischief: rearranging trinkets, pilfering snacks, turning up the corners of carpets - all heinous behavior!

Their own dwellings are not to be trifled with, however. They’re of the utmost coziness, warm and safe and full of . . . ‘collected’ goods . . .

Example concepts:

A fairy facing off against a housecat

A fairy in their little home surrounded by myriad stolen trinkets

Fairies scheming to throw something nasty in a human’s stew

🕸️ Dark Fairies

Dark fairies dwell in the domains of shadow - in fairytales with unhappy endings, in childrens’ nightmares, under the surface both figuratively and literally speaking. They rejoice in sowing discord and causing mayhem, and shun the light. These are your ‘Unseelie’ equivalents.

Example concepts:

A murderous moth fairy poised to strike

A hag-like fairy offering a bargain one can’t refuse

A gaggle of tooth fairies

👑 Courtly Fairies

Courtly fairies are those who spend most of their time between lavish palace walls, voluntarily or otherwise. Towering spires, silkspun sheets, all wreathed in swirling gold filigree - a fairy court makes itself known for miles around. Most other fairies consider them the least carefree, though every once in a while a monarch does crop up who rules the land with wild abandon, whipping all fairykind into a frenzy for a decade or fifty. 

As an aside: dark fairies enjoy courtly fairies as particular targets for their curses, twisting their beauty and opulence into ironic reflections.

Example concepts:

A cursed fairy monarch chained to their throne

A rogue fairy prince on the run

A fairy knight in beetle armor

🌆 City Fairies

City fairies have bid the splendors of the fey adieu for the neon-splashed fast lanes of a human metropolis. Usually, they try to (more or less) blend in, bask in humans’ energy, break their hearts and leave them wondering how you do that thing you do. Little city fairies exist, too, trying their best not to get crushed underfoot as they go about their busy lives!

Example concepts:

A raver fairy stealing the show in a color-soaked warehouse

A mundane-looking fairy creating otherworldly pastries with the help of some friends

A fairy guardian of some public property

🔥 Wyld Fairies

Wyld fairies are closest in essence to magic itself, to nature and those primordial forces they let flow through them: the elements. They eschew court-made laws, borders, customs, and causes, simply forging their own paths through life with little consideration of worldly issues. They are bright like fire, deep as water, free as the wind.

Example concepts:

A fairy fire dancer

A seahorse (or, ‘kelpie’) herding underwater-fairy

A fairy exploring the edge of the upper atmosphere

[raxistaicho]

Analyzing Hubert and Byleth's A support

Hey all, been a while since I had the idea to do an analysis post, but I finally had a good idea!

So everyone's familiar with Byleth and Hubert's A support, right? That's the one where Byleth is just minding their own business when Hubert suddenly bursts onto the scene and tells them he'll kill them for being a Nabatean.

Wait, wait, that doesn't sound right, I think we should start over from the beginning.

Now, the way it actually begins is with Byleth standing in the ruined cathedral at Garreg Mach, when Hubert emerges and begins monologueing, as only he can.

Nice place, isn't it, Professor? Standing here, you can almost feel the goddess's absence. Discounting what dwells within you, of course.

I do want to draw attention to something here. The last line there calls back to a line from their B support:

I see something of Lord Arundel in you… When I look at you, I feel I can almost see a second self lurking beneath the surface. It is as if you are in constant dialogue with something inside your heart—something with desires very different from your own. Does that description feel familiar to you at all?

After everything that's happened to Byleth and all their choices, Hubert's made peace with the fact that Byleth is different in a way he can't fully understand, and in a manner that reminds him of the goddess. It's also an acknowledgement that Byleth is both similar and yet different to the children of the goddess and the deity they've foisted upon the people of Fodlan. Because, let's not forget, the goddess Sothis is quite different from Byleth's beloved head gremlin.

But I digress,

Do you think some punishment would rain down from the sky if this monastery were to be destroyed? Of course not. Even if the so-called Immaculate One came back here for revenge… That would only be a result of this war, not the work of a deity.

This is more of the same; the goddess has no agency. Any act, however apparently divine, is simply the actions of Rhea and her kin attempting to appear godly. Because that really is the true nature of the Church of Seiros: very powerful otherworldly beings using their innate gifts to mislead the people of Fodlan into believing an all-powerful goddess is watching over them.

Again, Sothis, the primordial god, is dead, and by now she's forfeited any chance to return to the land of the living. The goddess truly no longer exists in any way that matters.

Byleth then asks whether Hubert hates the goddess, to which he replies,

If it is between love and hate, then I would choose the latter. The goddess failed to properly govern this world. That is why it is necessary for Lady Edelgard to become the supreme leader of Fódlan.

Basically, he's saying that the gods have failed so spectacularly that the only way to fix Fodlan now is through an act of continental war. And really... Rhea has failed. Fodlan was so thoroughly broken that the events leading up to 1180 is a string of calamities even before you get to the Agarthans' direct conduct. Even her own church is falling apart at the seams, with the southern branch extinct after trying to influence Imperial politics, the central and western branches openly in conflict, and the central branch privately scorns the eastern branch for being too even-handed.

Hubert closes this thought with,

Those with power must use it wisely. Is that not a teaching of the Church of Seiros? It's absurd to preach to others what you cannot practice yourself.

This is why I get frustrated seeing people just cutting everything up until this point and focusing only on the soundbit parts of the supports; they're excising the crucial context, that Hubert despises the Fodlan divinity because it arrogantly claims and authority its proven itself unworthy of.

Anyways, Byleth then has two choices as to how to reply, with both reaching the same conclusion,

Hubert then goes on to say,

That is not the case for inhuman creatures with lifespans well beyond our own. We must fight to preserve what makes us human.

This is what lies at the heart of his disdain for the Church of Seiros, and the whole reason he and Edelgard are doing what they have to do: the gods have failed to be godly, so humanity has to rise and govern themselves instead.

Gods are supposed to be wise, perfect, and eternal, and yet Rhea and the Church of Seiros, the true avatars of the supposed goddess, are not; they must make the same flawed hypocrisies as the humans beneath them do, so what right have they to presume they know which path humanity should take?

Anyways, continuing on,

You are the one closest to the enemy. I wonder if you will be able to maintain your humanity to the end.

Now, to understand what he really means by "human", it needs to be contrasted against what he's previously been discussing: the failures of the gods. "Humanity" in most instances it's mentioned by Edelgard and Hubert is in contrast to Rhea and her kin as gods, not as a species.

Edelgard's conflict with the godess of Fodlan and her church is in the way she and they have failed to govern Fodlan, not her distaste for their green hair and pointy ears. She's always clear where she takes issue; their belief that they know what's best for mortals despite being no better than them.

And make no mistake, Rhea does think she knows what's best for Fodlan in Sothis's absence, despite all evidence showing she doesn't,

For another example of Fire Emblem using "human" in a way other than to speak of them as a race, look to Engage,

Celine obviously wouldn't saying that dragons are inhuman, unfriendly monsters. Describing Alear as "human" is a way of expressing that they're humble and personable, which Alear absolutely is, if nothing else.

"Human", in this instance, just as in 3H, is contrasted against the idea of gods as otherworldly, unknowable, and aloof. Naga would be a great example of the latter, while still being a fundamentally benevolent character.

When Hubert speaks of Byleth "losing their humanity", he means losing their connection to other people and becoming distant, the way Rhea did. Dorothea expresses similar fears in chapter 11,

This is directly after Byleth fused with Sothis.

Dorothea worrying now implies that Byleth's unusual behavior is different from their ordinary stoicism.

Edelgard also brings up something similar in her own A support with Byleth, expressing concern that she's grown detached from ordinary people, and while she thought of Byleth as a kindred spirit in that regard, she's also relieved that they can express feelings like jealousy.

Of course, most of the Nabateans aren't quite as detached as Hubert and Edelgard seem to expect; Flayn and Seteth certainly aren't, but their focus is almost exclusively upon Rhea, who certainly is rather detached from ordinary people. That said, we can't fault characters for not having access to every scrap of information that the reader is privileged to have.

Anyways, in response to Hubert's fear, Byleth can implicitly give him permission to kill them;

I wonder if you will be able to maintain your humanity to the end.

If I'm unable to…

Does that mean you know I will do what must be done? You must trust me a great deal.

While this might seem like an "that escalated real fast!" moment, it's in truth an evolution of their C support, in which Hubert threatens to kill Byleth if they appear to present a threat to Edelgard, and their B support, in which Hubert grows more certain Byleth will be a threat to her.

My family, House Vestra, has been sworn to House Hresvelg for generations. Since the dawn of the Empire, we have worked to protect the emperor by any means necessary— both in the open and in the shadows. If you incur our wrath, you will see just what I mean.

With this groundwork in mind, we're meant to read Byleth's vague line as giving Hubert permission to kill them. The game's backstory is steeped in examples of characters gaining and abusing their power, for intentions both good and bad, Nemesis, Rhea, the Fodlan nobility, and Byleth by now would be keenly aware of the corruptive influence power represents, and Byleth at this point is already one of the most powerful individuals in Fodlan.

In contrast, should Byleth express confidence that they won't fail the way Rhea did, he'll accept it almost in stride, a response unthinkable for the man he used to be,

I wonder if you will be able to maintain your humanity to the end.

Of course I will.

You make it sound easy. I find myself trusting you. Even with my life.

I've seen people analyze this support as a sign that Hubert still doesn't trust Byleth, but if anything it's the opposite: after the decisions Byleth has made, and after the way he's opened up more to them, Byleth and Hubert have come to trust each other a great deal. Byleth entrusts Hubert with their life, while Hubert entrusts Byleth with his secret plans for the future.

They've become conspirators in ensuring the success of Edelgard's plans, and it's why they their relationship is one of my favorites in all of Three Houses, if not Fire Emblem as a series.

It's incredible seeing where they begin and where they end. So yeah, I hope anyone who's made it this far found that to be an interesting read of an oft-misunderstood support :)

[hazbin-loony-bin]

You know the Angel Sir Pentious thing has SUCH great potential for angst. Cherri has acted as a corruptive influence for Angel Dust, not respecting his desire to change: therefore, she could similarly jeopardize Pent. Or perhaps he’s entirely committed to Heaven after seeing how great it is and bonding with everyone there. Cherri however is perfectly comfortable in Hell: she gets to do all the drugs she wants and play ascended arsonist and there’s no pesky police like in the world of the living.

sure there’s also this burning sensation that all sinners experience but she’s kinda numbed to it by now and she was running from dwelling on pain even when she was alive

So Pentious is hurt, like so many before him, of an addict choosing their drugs over their significant other.

AD doesn’t know what to do exactly- he always hated people like Vaggie giving him grief and had to grow into the decision to quit himself, so he tries to respect Cherri’s ‘autonomy’ that way, but also is upset that she and he would be separated the same way if he manages redemption, and is also ofc feeling for Pent since they’d grown a little closer due to Charlie’s efforts and Angel was the one who tried to set them up.

Do people KNOW Pent is now in Heaven? Does Sera try to hide it? Does Emily help them have secret rendezvous? Is that even possible?

If it isn’t?

If they can only communicate by go-between? (or perhaps holograms like Adam uses, for slightly less angst but still ‘I can’t touch you’)

If it’s public, tho

perhaps Cherri does want to reform, but she simply, as Alastor predicted for most sinners, perpetually falls back down the addiction hole.

Pentious considers giving up Heaven for her- she tells him don’t even think about it.

Charlie is a mess- she doesn’t necessarily want to tell Pentious what to do, but her now-poster-child possibly giving up his graciously bestowed and, to her mind, hard-won position is absolutely driving her insane. What if people lose heart if he backs out? Why would he give up something so good on someone he barely knows?

She doesn’t understand it personally NOR politically.

perhaps she does mellow on one of the angles (understanding him) but not the other (“you’re a landmark case” “you have eternity” “surely you can put this off at the very least”)

Emily chats with Pent and discusses how many angels don’t have partners and that’s more of a norm than in Hell and Earth. When you’re emotionally whole, you just aren’t as driven to depend so desperately on other people.

Pentious fears that that means losing a part of himself and, even though it’s a mistaken takeaway and it’s not the point, has an identity crisis just the same.

Culture shock affects the entire gang as they hear how different everything possible is in Heaven. Some of them are happy for him, some of them are jealous.

Alastor has a grand old time gleefully exploiting that angst and watching carefully for any deep enough despair to make deals.

He’s so far removed from the possibility himself + aroace that any kind of separation he identifies with not one bit

until it seems that Rosie-

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

part 1 ! part 2 ! ao3

People, Aaron knows, are rather simple creatures. In the end it all comes down to this: it is in the human nature to need to be wanted. Not required or tolerated or any of those other substitutes we like to pretend are enough. No, being chosen, desired - not due to what you are or what you offer, but simply by virtue of being, well. You.

Aaron is so confident in this because unfortunately he also counts himself amongst these aforementioned people. He feels it, too. The gnawing in his gut, the emptiness in his soul. This stupidly impossible all-consuming longing for someone to truly see him and still want to choose him despite himself.

He is used to being on his own. So of course it has crossed his mind that maybe - just maybe - he is alone in this, too. Maybe he is the only one so laughably desperate for something as dumb and stupid and embarrassing as acceptance. (Or even love, but let's try to stay realistic).

After all, he is always starving in a way the people around him don't seem to be able to comprehend. Hungering for food and attention and praise like a mutt ditched at the roadside. And just like a rabid dog he is not above resorting to violence in order to get what he is owed. (Just like a rabid dog he wouldn't be able to recognize a helping hand even if it were right in front of his nose)

He tries not to dwell on it, though. The thought of being alone on this as well is unbearable for some reason. It is quite the simple logic, really. Aaron Stewart wants to be wanted, which means that everyone must want to be wanted. Anything else is simply inconceivable, and thus it must be. Sometimes this shared ache is almost enough to make up for the lack of  genuine human connection. (Besides, surely the cheesy melodramatic romances he secretly loves wouldn't be nearly as popular if he was the only one)

What is the thing that first made Aaron notice Callum Hunt?

The unfortunate truth is that it probably was the leg. After all he, too, lives in a society. The limb is clearly stiff, even as it is hidden by long baggy pants and Call does his best to play it off. If the hobbling hadn't tipped him off, Call's speed (or lack thereof) would've done it.

Still, he really wishes that it had just been his general.... Call-ness. That Aaron was different from other people. The he alone had immediately clocked the other where everyone else just saw an injured gloomy kid. (When he is in a particularly romantic mood he sometimes allows himself to pretend). 

Because how else to describe him? Everyone else focused and excited while that little ball of doom and gloom fails at acting unbothered. He is clearly annoyed at the growing distance between himself and the group so Aaron allows himself to fall behind, just to see how the other will react. It is kind of funny, really. Callum is so desperate to seem cool and collected when he is easily the most terrified of them all. And when the walls transform into stone? The laughable attempts at keeping up his grumpy facade has Aaron itching to punch him in the face.

This is exactly the kind of kid the Aaron from before would have delighted in tormenting. A loner, so none of the adults or other kids would give a fuck. Acting like he is alone by choice and not a pathetic wreck no one wants to willingly spend time with. That stupid fucking sense of detachment. As if he were somehow better than Aaron.

And worst of all: those eyes. The starvation he normally only sees in the mirror. As if that wimp had clawed off Aaron's eyeballs and plucked them into his own sockets. The never-ending hunger and defiance. That stupidly obvious sadness he can never quite mask. Can Aaron truly be held accountable if that mother fucking is all but begging for a beating?

Or maybe he is just projecting. 

But that was Orphanage Aaron. Orphanage Aaron who changed schools about as often as he changed clothes. Aaron who lived in detention and has been expulsed more than once. The Aaron who has to die. If he wants to make use of this impossible shot (he still can't believe that it was somehow granted to him of all people) he needs to become someone else once again. He would be a fool to let this chance slip through his fingers. 

That boy had taught himself to fight tooth and nail for every insignificant scrap. And his defence, that strategy had served him well enough. This is just like another foster family, in a way. Learn the rules, play nice, stay out of that fucking place for just a bit longer. The only difference is that he now has to keep it up for a few years instead of just some months. But it's fine.

Golden boy Aaron would be horrified by his past self. No, the golden boy had had a nice uninterrupted education in only one school. He always wrote good grades in all his subjects - something he is determined to continue even at this new...school? Boarding school? Apprenticeship? He may not know how it works down there but he is going to figure out. He always does, sooner or later. Not like he has a choice.

Golden boy Aaron remains so fit exclusively due to nice and legal sports his potential parents could brag about. He is good at it, but not so good that it would make other people jealous. Besides he doesn't have to be: his friendliness and camaderie make up for it. Golden boy Aaron never picks on other kids - quite the opposite, this Aaron absolutely hates bullies. Not enough to get violent, though. No, never that.

So it is exactly because of this urge to wreck the other boy that Aaron decides to stick close.

To be quite honest, this person that Aaron has to become-- no. This person that he is. Aaron can't help but find gol-- but find himself a bit. Well. Dull. But if this is who he has to become in order to survive, he will gladly morph himself once again. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is how the world works. And if this weird school really does somehow save him, he will do everything in his power to pay them back.

So he stays near this weird loner kid with the terrified eyes and the bad leg. A decision he is glad for when misfortune seems to follow the other wherever he goes. Perfect. Maybe he has to watch his tongue now, but sticking close to Callum might be just enough to quell at least some of his own less palatable urges. (Seeing that his father may or may not tried kill him in front of an audience is just a big bonus. Everything will look a bit more golden in comparison to that). 

[coraniaid]

Enemies ends with Faith warning Buffy that if she kills her, she'll become her: "you ain't ready for that".

And sure enough, Buffy does go through a large part of the first half of the next episode convinced she's about to become something monstrous, a transformation which she's clearly not prepared for ("I'm scared Will. There's this thing in me and I can't find it. I can't stop it. What if it changes me? [...] All of a sudden I could be something that's not me anymore.")

Of course, Buffy isn't (explicitly) talking about Faith here, but (to paraphrase Xander a few episodes earlier), she is talking about her a lot. Telling Willow that "to the naked eye [kissing Faith] looked like fun", or telling Angel that Faith wasn't "so bad to have around" or that she was "hurting a lot" in a way that "some people, protective-type people" might have been drawn to, or (on a more metaphorical level), bringing up Iago's motivations for trying to destroy Othello (all of which, ranging from anger at being overlooked or sexual jealously or simply because he enjoys doing it, because he's "the dark half of Othello himself", clearly apply just as equally to why Faith has recently become Buffy's enemy.)

Of all the Season 3 episodes Faith isn't in, I think this is the one where her absence makes the most sense. Her arc this season wouldn't be as satisfying if we could read her mind and see her motivations. Just like Iago (at least according to Ms. Murray's dissertation), she's not really a person in her own right. She exists as a reflection of Buffy's own feelings, "but you never really see what's in someone's heart".

Though it wasn't the writers' concious intent, I do think you can view this season's central arc as the closest the show ever really gets to a love triangle: with Buffy forced to choose between dwelling in the comfortable past that Angel represents and the thrill of living only in the moment that Faith represents, and ultimately rejecting and accepting aspects of both so that she can move on into the future. And in this viewing, I think it's important that Angel and Faith are treated on an equal footing in this episode. Buffy doesn't get to use her newfound powers to read Angel's mind, and she doesn't get to read Faith's mind either. They are both blank slates: Angel representing who Buffy was before the events of last year, and Faith representing a possible demonic transformation (and note that the question of whether Slayers are demons or fully human will be pretty central to the next four seasons of the show).

The episode takes away Buffy's mind-reading powers almost as soon as she gets them, and while they give her a broader sense of empathy (or at least help to further develop an empathy she's been gaining since the show's first episode when she realized the difference between Cordelia being "nice" and being nice "to me, anyway") they don't help her resolve her confusion about her vampire boyfriend and "the whole bad girl thing" Faith has working for her.

But in just a few episodes' time, she's going to have to make a choice. And, coming back to her fears at the start, there's a risk that in doing so she'll become something that's not her anymore. When Xander tells Buffy in Graduation Day that he "doesn't want to lose her" before she goes to fight and possibly kill Faith, it's hard not to be reminded of what Buffy told Willow this episode. What if it changes her? What if, all of a sudden, she's not Buffy anymore?

[midnight-omega]

Pack Structure and Society hc

Hello its me im back with another long post. It was originally jsut supposed to be about packs but it got kinda mixed up with some other general society stuff. This is made for my writing personally so it's not even close to a one size fits all but feel free to take concepts u like !

As always stick around after the cut

🏔️ In my society packs are very central. My au isn’t total traditional, but I do take a lot of the more traditional stances when it comes to packs.

🏔️ Packs are typically a mix of blood relatives. It’s much more rare than you’d think to find a found family kind of pack where no one is related

🏔️ Packs are lead by the pack head, traditionally an alpha. A pack will also have a second, traditionally an alpha or beta. Large packs have a few more designations as well. The heart is the packs top omega usually unrelated /unmated to the head. Some packs also have a matchmaker, usually an omega in charge of choosing mates and giving relationship counseling. Some packs have a finance head, exactly what it sounds like usually a beta in charge of money and land. All packs typically have at least one pack paw. A paw is the pack’s muscle, think palace guards in fantasy aus. Large and rich packs will have enough paws to elect a paw head to coordinate their protection. Paws are traditionally alphas. Packs that are very religious will often have a religious leader as well. Their title varies from religion to religion as do their dynamics. This is sometimes different than like a priest in a church in a neutral town (keep reading for those) and sometimes not.

🏔️ The power hierarchy in order is:

--Pack Head

--Second

--Paw Head (optional)

--Heart (optional)

--Finance Head (optional)

--Matchmaker (optional)

The religious head is not included as their place on the hierarchy can vary depending on religion and culture.

🏔️ In very traditional packs (most of them in my au) these positions are passed down by blood. As such each of these power positions is controlled by a different family, not mated pairs.

🏔️ Most packs tend to hold counsels with all these positions in attendance when big decisions are made, but at the end of the day what the pack head says goes.

🏔️ Packs can vary in size, but for my world building im going to focus on larger, rural area packs

🏔️ These large packs typically own quite a bit of land! Members are usually spread out over multiple buildings with the largest property functioning as the pack head’s home and a communal space. The pack head’s door is always unlocked.

🏔️ All buildings are usually within walking distance making my world a hell of a lot more rural than irl as you have these large tracts of pack-owned wilderness between villages

🏔️ A pack on the smaller end probably only has one village, or cluster of dwellings whatever you wanna call it ig, while larger packs can have three or four. In this case there’s usually some kind of town hall type meeting for all members to mingle a few times a month.

🏔️ These packs are self governing. Usually the heart and the head paw are in charge of discipline and justice, with the blessing of the pack head. 

🏔️ Since packs are self governing, packs have the power to execute, tho it is rare. Usually an offending member is outsourced to a private or government run prison, but in extreme cases a pack can legally kill

🏔️ Traditional packs are extremely territorial, and trespassing is one of those cases punishable by death

🏔️ Packs have a… long…. Complicated… history of alliances and enemies it can be super confusing for someone new to the area

🏔️ Packs do take in packless people from time to time. It can happen more formally or more relaxed. Formally a pack will seek individuals at shelters for packless, rehabilitation centers, or finishing schools. More laid back packs will simply advertise.

🏔️ Packs also arrange marriages between their allied packs (which in the 21st century can span across the entire globe) and some are known to buy omegas in particular 

🏔️ There are towns/cities on neutral grounds where pack borders meet. These towns are government owned and run and often have all the little shops and markets and religious centers and hospitals and pharmacies and movie theaters and libraries and what have you. Pack members can visit these neutral towns anytime they want! Tho very strict packs will not allow their omegas out on their own without a chaperone 

🏔️ While each pack is different, it’s not uncommon for packs in my setting to adopt a representative animal to act as a logo/crest of sorts! Some packs can be very closed to outsiders and these are the ones that often have their members tattooed or branded with the animal for recognition and a rite of passage

🏔️ While packs in a country/area do have cultural things in common they can also differ widely. 3 packs might be neighbors in territory, but one is devout Catholic while another is made of Wiccans and moon worshippers while another still are totally agnostic and are just really passionate about a certain football team. Stepping into a different pack can feel like transporting yourself to a different world/time. 

🏔️ There are two kinds of schools in this world: public government owned ones that are in the neutral towns that any area pack can attend, or private home schooling left up to the packs (but the government does check in on certain milestones for these ones) I'll make a different schooling hc later !

🏔️ Most of the packs in this world are pre established. New packs are often met with hostility.

🏔️ Packs almost always meet on neutral ground no matter if the function is positive (a mating dance perhaps or a holiday event) or negative (bickering over where the real border is)

🏔️ Some packs are self sufficient and farm and hunt on their own. These packs have lots of betas !

🏔️ Other packs rely on the neutral towns to provide for them, so their villages tend to be close to the border.

🏔️ Pack wars are mostly a thing of the past, they don’t really happen much tho certain packs are hostile towards other ones.

🏔️ All packs have a scent to them, you can tell when a person is of a certain pack or not and pack bonds are usually maintained by platonic scenting.

🏔️ Some packs desperately search for new members as they have issues with interbreeding

🏔️ Money is less of an issue in my world, a packs main source of income are usually a few working alphas and betas and if some betas and omegas decide to sell produce in the neutral towns. The central government will provide a ton of social services so these traditional packs (who are often considered like a cultural thing important to preserve) don’t struggle in modern times. 

🏔️ A pack will typically have less omegas compared to another dynamic, they’re more rare! It’s why some packs take protecting their omegas so seriously. In ancient times rogue or enemy packs were even known to steal and forcibly bond omegas from other packs. The protective instincts have remained even tho this is heavily illegal now and would be grounds for one pack to kill members of the other.

🏔️ Nature and land is way more important than irl !! Most packs keep their lands pristine wilderness they use for hunting or recreation. There are a few packs who have donated certain lands to the government to be preserved as national parks all packs can enjoy. Overall tho destruction of wilderness is taken so so seriously.

[the-girl-who-didnt-smile]

THE LESSER GODS

The Lesser gods, The Seven gods, or simply The gods, are the original creations of Bon Dieu. They were created as part of His divine plan, to serve as intercessors between humanity and Himself. The gods are the most powerful beings in existence under their Creator, Bon Dieu. 

They were created at The Beginning of Time, the event which took place shortly before the Big Bang. Because the Big Bang had not yet occurred, time did not work as it does now. As such, many different things occurred at The Beginning of Time.

The gods were born in the following order:

Grandmother Serpent

Lady Rose

Lady Love

Maman de la Vie

Baron de la Mort

Ironman

The Doorkeeper

He made Lady Rose, and her twin Lady Love on the same “day”; on the seventh “day”, He rested.

The existence of the gods is defined by a set of Rules established by Bon Dieu. 

The first three Rules are:

THE GODS CAN NEVER FIGHT.

THE GODS MUST ASSUME HUMAN FORMS.

THE GODS CANNOT CREATE ANOTHER GOD.

Although they assume human forms, those are merely three-dimensional avatars they project in order to make themselves intelligible to humans, and other lower beings. The avatars cost them nothing to create, and there is no limit to the amount of avatars they can create. 

As per THE SECOND RULE, they are powerful enough to shapeshift their avatars however they please, but are forbidden by Bon Dieu from assuming a non-human form for more than one day. The only exception is Grandmother Serpent – the prototype, who was allowed to assume any form of his/her choosing. The gods assume human forms, to underscore their thorough inhumanity.

In actuality, the gods are giant “clouds” of extraordinarily powerful magic that dwell outside the known universe. Here, the word “magic” simply means that which defies all laws of physics.

Each “cloud” is associated with a color that is visible to the human eye, as follows:

Grandmother Serpent - white

Lady Rose - pink

Lady Love - blood red (originally, a redder tint of pink)

Maman de la Vie - purple

Baron de la Mort - black

Ironman - red (originally, green)

The Doorkeeper - gold

The word “cloud” is merely an approximation of what they actually are, as they are far too complex to be perceived by the human eye, or understood by the human brain.

The “clouds” are actually clusters of human souls, selected from the infinite number of universes that exist within the multiverse. Each “cloud” contains multiple souls, which correspond with different aspects of that “cloud”. The Doorkeeper is but one “aspect” of the gold cloud; Grandmother Serpent is but one “aspect” of the white cloud. Since each “aspect” is represented by a unique avatar, every “cloud” stores many different avatars. The various “aspects” of a single “cloud” share the same hue, but differ in saturation (tone) and/or value (tint or shade).

The gods derive their personalities from their human souls, but are stripped of their memories. Memories from their past lives occasionally resurface in a process similar to dreaming, only to be immediately forgotten once the anomaly is over. Their souls are so thoroughly mixed with their other “ingredients”, they cannot be harmed by weapons or attacks that destroy souls.

Unlike their Creator, the gods are gendered. Since they are not organic life forms, their genders are totally unrelated to sexual biology. Instead, they are a metaphorical representation of their compatibility to reproduce. To deter the gods from breaking His Rules, Bon Dieu made it impossible for a lone god to create another god on its own. If two gods pair with each other, only then can they create another god. They are absolutely forbidden from doing so by THE THIRD RULE.

The gods are powerful enough to change their genders, but most of them generally have no interest in doing this.

Each god has two powersets: a weak powerset, and a strong powerset.

The weak powerset relates to the powers they can lend to a human.

The strong powerset is generally only used when fighting a serious opponent. Naturally, the only opponent that can challenge a god is another god. Their strong powersets are powerful enough to destroy the entire multiverse, which is why they may never break THE FIRST RULE.

The birth order of the gods determines their power level, as Bon Dieu increased their power levels with every iteration.

Bon Dieu is so powerful, His magic cannot be accessed by a human or former-human. The most powerful magic that a human can access is the magic of The Lesser gods.

While they are powerful enough to manifest anywhere, most of the gods generally dwell outside the universe, in a zone called The Spirit World. Exceptions are The Doorkeeper and The gods of Life and Death. In order to access any of the other gods or their powers, The Doorkeeper has to open a “door” to their “world”. Nobody else can open portals to The Spirit World; anyone who attempts to do this is always thwarted by The Doorkeeper.

The gods cannot be categorized as “Good” or “Evil”.  Because they spend most of their time interacting with living humans on Earth, most of them are rarely seen in Heaven or Hell. Exceptions are The gods of Life and Death, who travel freely between the afterlife and the living. While The Doorkeeper is occasionally seen in the afterlife, his preferred abode is Earth – the intersection between Heaven and Hell.

Together, they form a jazz band.

ABILITIES

Immortality - The Lesser gods are truly immortal. They have existed since The Beginning of Time (that is, the beginning of the universe) and will continue to exist after The Death of the Universe. They cannot be killed except by a being at least as powerful as a god.

Near Invincibility - Attacking or destroying an avatar inflicts zero damage on the god. In order to damage a god, one must target what they actually are. Although they are each associated with a color that is visible to the human eye, they can make themselves completely imperceptible to all technology that humanity and other lower life forms could ever create. As the most powerful beings under Bon Dieu, it is exceedingly difficult to damage the gods. Relative to lower beings, they are virtually invincible and are best understood as Laws of Nature.

Near Omniscience - Because the gods exist outside the universe, they perceive and process all the data it contains instantaneously and continuously. While they are not truly omniscient, they are virtually omniscient compared to lower beings.

Avatars - Each god projects avatars into three-dimensional space in order to interact with humans and other lower beings. The avatars are made out of “magic”, as in a substance that can imitate the properties of matter without actually being matter. For this reason, the avatars defy the laws of physics and cannot be harmed by normal attacks. Because the avatar is merely a projection, the god takes zero damage when one is destroyed.

Shapeshifting - Although the gods are required to assume human forms, they are allowed to temporarily shapeshift the avatar into non-human forms for less than one day. 

Possession - The gods can control humans and/or lend them a fraction of their power by possessing them. Also works on other lower beings.

Manifestation - The gods are powerful enough to project avatars anywhere; however, most of them rarely manifest on Earth, Heaven, or Hell, preferring to dwell in The Spirit World. Exceptions are The Doorkeeper, whose preferred abode is Earth, and The gods of Life and Death, who can manifest amongst the Living or the Dead.

Dream Communication - The gods can communicate with humans and other lower beings through dreams.

Weak powerset - Relates to the powers they can lend to a human. Unique to the god.

Strong powerset - The true powers of the god, which are strong enough to kill another god and can only be challenged by a being at least as powerful as a god. Unique to the god.

REAL WORLD INSPIRATION

The Lesser gods are inspired by the following real world concepts:

The Dahomean Pantheon (especially, the Seven Children of Mawu-Lisa)

The Seven African Powers

Divinities described in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou

Pictured: Artistic rendition of Mawu-Lisa

In the Dahomean pantheon, the seven “children” of the Creator, called “Mawu-Lisa”, form a core, sacred pantheon.

From Herskovits[1]:

"...Mawu is one person but has two faces. The first is that of a woman, and the eyes of that part which belongs to the woman is the Moon. That face takes the name of Mawu. The other side is the side of a man. That face has for its eyes the Sun, and it takes the name of Lisa. The part called Mawu directs night. Where the Sun is, Lisa directs the day."

“Since Mawu is both man and woman, she became pregnant. The first to be born were a pair of twins, a man child called Da Zodji, and a woman child called Nyohwè Ananu. The second birth was So, who had the form of his parent, man and woman in one. The third birth was also of twins, a male, Agbè, and a female, Naètè. The fourth to be born was Agè, a male, the fifth Gu, also male. Gu is all body. He has no head. Instead of a head, a great sword is found coming out of his neck. His trunk is of stone. The sixth birth was not to a being, but to Djo, air, atmosphere. Air was what was needed to create men. The seventh to be born was Legba. Mawu said Legba was to be her spoiled child, because he was the youngest.”

This core, seven-member pantheon is still worshiped in present-day West Africa. 

From Sofo Hadaya[2]:

“In vodu, the notion of God is not the same as in America. We believe in the high creator, Sakpo-Disa, who is a hermaphrodite and combines the sacred masculine and the sacred feminine. The sacred masculine is Sakpo and the sacred feminine is Disa. This is the power that created the world and his various children. Sakpo-Disa’s first son is called Aholu or Sakpata, the earth god. Sakpata is pan-West African. The second born of Sakpodisa is Tovodu, the river god. Each vodu sect has a name for this god. For example, in your village she is called Mami Wata. The Yoruba, the Ewe, the Fon, they all have their own names for Tovodu. The third child is Vodu Da, or Anidoho. The seventh child is Legba.”

With some variation, the seven siblings are usually listed as: 

Sakpata

Xɛbyoso (Xeviosso, Heviosso)

Agbe (Xu, Hu, Wu)

Gu (Ogu)

Age (Ague)

Djo (Jo)

Legba

Several of the seven “children” have counterparts in the Yoruba pantheon. Sakpata is counterpart of Sopona; Xɛbyoso is a counterpart of Shango; Gu (Ogu) is a counterpart of Ogun; Legba is a counterpart of Esu-Elegbara.

The first three are linked to the elements of the Earth, Thunder, and Sea respectively. Sakpata is Vodun of the Earth (Ayivodun) ; Xɛbyoso is Vodun of Thunder (Jivodun) ; Agbe (Xu) is Vodun of the Sea (Tovodun) [3] .

The seventh and last child is always Legba.

Because Sakpata does not appear in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou, a fictional counterpart to Blanc Dani replaces him as the first-born child. Serpent worship - especially the rainbow-serpent Dan Aidowedo (Aido-Hwedo) - was also a prominent feature of the Dahomean pantheon. Dan Aidowedo is not part of the seven “siblings” but predates their birth, assisting the Creator in the Creation of the Universe. A different divine serpent, Dangbé, was worshiped by the Huedans, who were conquered by the Dahomeans[4]. Gede and Agasu also appear in the Dahomean pantheon[5], while Azili was introduced to worship in Hueda[6].

Most of these deities do not appear in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou. The only one confirmed to appear is Legba, who became Papa Liba (“Papa La Bas”). There are theories that involve Xɛbyoso, Mami Wata ( Tovodu ), Avlekete (Avrekete, child of Agbe [7]), and Joe Feraille ( Ogun/Gu “collective”) , but these are just theories. Sakpata, Age, and Djo appear to be completely absent from the historical record of Louisiana Voudou. For this reason, inspiration was also taken from the Seven African Powers.

Pictured: “The Seven African Powers”

The Seven African Powers is a modern invention that was not a part of historical Louisiana Voudou. It is also something of a misnomer, as there are obviously way more than seven African powers. Not to mention, Africa is a continent that extends far beyond the relatively small region of West Africa where the “Seven African Powers” originate. Rather than suggesting there are only seven African powers, they are seven in number because the number seven is spiritually significant. “The Seven African Powers” also pertain to Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s concept of “collectives” - categories of deities that consistently feature in African Diaspora Religions across the globe[8]. While there are criticisms of the concept, inspiration was drawn from it out of respect for African American Voudounsis who have embraced the Seven African Powers - particularly those based out of the American South, especially Louisiana. The Seven African Powers is not a concept invented by Luisah Teish, but she introduced a modification by replacing Orula with Oya. This modification was included, as some theorize that the counterpart of Oya (Manman Brigitte) might have been worshiped in New Orleans’ past; conversely, there is no evidence or theories of Orula worship. 

This modification also allows for a more gender-balanced lineup. In real life, the balance of masculine and feminine energies is important in Afro-Centric Voudou.

* tentative; Anderson’s (2024) Voodoo: An African American Religion describes theories that Joe Feraille is derived from Ogou Feray, and that Mami Wata and Avlekete were worshiped as vodun.

**very tentative; based on my own speculation that Mama You could be derived from Manman Ezili, Betsy Toledano was a worshiper of Xɛbyoso, and Charlo could be derived from Chal Ogou or Ti Chal Ogou if not Ti Chal Lakwa. Anderson describes a theory that Mama You is derived from Manman Brigitte, but dismisses it as unlikely.

The above table is not to claim that Papa Liba is the same as Elegua, or that Erzulie Freda Dahomey is the same as Ochun. Instead, it is categorizing them according to their similarities. A more neutral means of describing these categories might be “the trickster collective”, “the freshwater collective”, “the iron collective”, “the thunder collective” and so on…The following table describes the real-world equivalents to The Lesser gods, including two alternative characters that could replace Baron de la Mort and Maman de la Vie.

Blanc Dani and Papa Liba are bolded, as they are the only two who definitively appear in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou. While all others are absent, there are theories that involve the remaining members.

There is no direct evidence of Ezili worship in the historical record of New Orleans; however, it is worth investigating whether there is any connection between Mama You and Manman Ezili . An alternative theory briefly mentioned by Jeffrey E. Anderson posits that Mama You is derived from Manman Brigitte [9] .

Baron Samedi is also absent from the historical record, but Anderson theorizes that Grand Zombi (or, one of the “great spirits” called Grand Zombi ) refers to one of the Gede lwa , especially Jan Zonbi or Kapten Zonbi . This might not be correct, as Teish identifies Grand Zombi with the indwelling spirit of the divine serpent[10].

Several deities in the historical record might have some connection to the Ogou famille . Joe Feraille might be derived from Ogou Feray . Assonquer might be derived from Ossangne , a lwa who does not belong to the Ogou famille but is worshiped alongside them in rit Nago . Charlo might be derived from Chal Ogou or Ti Chal Ogou if not Ti Chal Lakwa . None of these are confirmed, but worth investigating.

The name Vériquité appears in Helen Pitkin’s fictional novel An Angel by Brevet (1904) ; because other deities described in this novel are attested by non fiction sources, it is possible that Avlekete was worshiped during this time period. The female deity with snakes for legs might have been Mami Wata , who is worshiped as vodun of the Sea ( tovodun) in some places in the world. The lightning stones seized from the home of Betsy Toledano might have been sokpe, possible evidence of Xɛbyoso worship. There are also several other clues of Xɛbyoso or Shango worship, as described by Albert J. Raboteau in Slave Religion, and a possible connection between Thunder-Bird of Missouri Voudou and Xɛbyoso. 

“La Mer” and “Thunderstruck” (name subject to change) are italicized, as they are currently excluded but should arguably take the place of “Maman de la Vie” and “Baron de la Mort” respectively. The dynamics between the Earth-Thunder-Sea trio - especially the rivalry between Sakpata and Xɛbyoso - is a key feature of West African mythology. However Sakpata is absent from Louisiana Voudou; for this reason, I chose to exclude all three.

The decision to include Baron de la Mort and Maman de la Vie instead is a choice tailor-made for the Hellaverse – a story that takes place in the afterlife. Uniquely, the gods of Life and Death can have many interesting interactions with Demons and Angels, especially if it is possible to sell your soul to The god of Death, or The goddess of Life. Additionally, Manman Brigitte is described as the counterpart to Oya in the Seven African Powers. It would be strange to include her while excluding her husband. As Rulers of the Dead, there are several interesting storylines these characters could take part in. Their inclusion can also serve to educate the audience about the differences between the real-world Papa Legba and Baron Samedi.

And so, the tentative lineup was chosen. Here, the intent was to not exceed a maximum capacity of seven characters, where each can integrate smoothly into the pre-existing world, with interesting story potential and character interactions for each member. The Doorkeeper is the single strongest candidate, followed by Grandmother Serpent, as their real-world counterparts feature prominently in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou. The gods of Life and Death easily integrate into a story set in the afterlife. Finally, Lady Love, Lady Rose, and Ironman are all central figures to The Original Tragedy that involved the death of Lady Love’s daughter – the backstory to the gods as a group, and the explanation for The Doorkeeper’s unpredictable behavior.

The concept of “clouds” was inspired by in Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s The Signifying Monkey, where he describes the concept of a unified Esu-Elegbara collective[8]:

“This topos that recurs throughout black oral narrative traditions and contains a primal scene of instruction for the act of interpretation is that of the divine trickster figure of Yoruba mythology, Esu-Elegbara. This curious figure is called Esu-Elegbara in Nigeria and Legba among the Fon in Benin. His New World figurations include Exu in Brazil, Echu-Elegua in Cuba, Papa Legba …in the pantheon of the loa of Vaudou of Haiti, and Papa La Bas in the loa of Hoodoo in the United States. Because I see these individual tricksters as related parts of a larger, unified figure, I shall refer to them collectively as Esu, or as Esu-Elegbara. These variations on Esu-Elegbara speak eloquently of an unbroken arc of metaphysical presupposition and a pattern of figuration shared through time and space among certain black cultures in West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. These trickster figures, all aspects or topoi of Esu, are fundamental, divine terms of mediation: as tricksters they are mediators, and their mediations are tricks…”

While he was inspired by the real world Papa Liba and Spirit at the Crossroads, The Doorkeeper is best understood as a novel aspect of the “gold cloud” that does not exist in the real world; the “gold cloud” is the fictional counterpart to the Esu-Elegbara collective. Similarly, Ironman is best understood as a novel, fictional aspect to the Ogun-Gu collective, and so on.

The Doorkeeper, Baron de la Mort, and Ironman symbolize three masculine archetypes, while Lady Love, Maman de la Vie, and Lady Rose symbolize three feminine archetypes.

Special significance is given to the fully androgynous Grandmother Serpent, alongside Lady Love and The Doorkeeper, who are both subtly androgynous. These three form a divine triangle, with The Doorkeeper being the masculine principle, Lady Love being the feminine principle, and Grandmother Serpent being androgynous. For this reason, they occupy the first, third, and seventh spots in the birth order. The triangle corresponds with St. Peter (Papa Liba), The Virgin Mary (Mama You), and the divine serpent (Blanc Dani*) which form a trio of three important divinities to Louisiana Voudou. The Doorkeeper symbolizes Dahomean influences, Grandmother Serpent symbolizes Huedan influences, and Lady Love symbolizes Haitian influences.

*or, possibly, Grand Zombi 

Pictured: Milo Rigaud’s “triangle”

Likewise, Milo Rigaud described a divine triangle formed by Damballah, Papa Legba, and Erzulie in Haitian Vodou[11]. Given the prominence of St. Michael (Blanc Dani), St. Peter (Papa Liba), and the Virgin Mary, it is worth investigating whether there is any connection between this triangle and Louisiana Voudou.

Although they are completely unrestricted by sexual biology or the limits of an organic body, the gods are gendered to reflect the dichotomy of masculine and feminine energies found in Voudou and related traditions. The balance of these energies is an important concept in these belief systems.

POTENTIAL FLAWS / ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS

Here, some inspiration was taken from Luisah Teish’s (1985) Jambalaya , as it is a central text to the revival of New Orleans Voudou. To some, Jambalaya is considered a landmark text that inspired Black women to reclaim witchcraft and Voudou. However, Teish is herself involved in a controversy with the white transgender community, who have criticized her for transphobic remarks against Caitlyn Jenner and trans exclusionary feminism. 

To summarize my stance: I disagree with the privileged, white transgender people and their allies, who tried to smear Teish without attempting to understand her criticism of Caitlyn Jenner and “rainbow flag imperialism”. My real concern is whether Black transgender women consider Teish to be transphobic or intolerant. In the white transgender community, JK Rowling is widely criticized for trans exclusionary feminism; I do not know if Luisah Teish is equally denounced by the Black transgender community.

Outside of the Caitlyn Jenner situation, I have also heard criticisms of Teish’s version of Voudou, which is part of the “New Wave” / “New Pagan” segment[12]. Unlike the transphobia accusations, these criticisms come from people of African descent, who do not view “New Wave” Voudou as legitimate. Indeed, the “New Wave” segment is overwhelmingly white, where Black people are very much the minority. Teish is herself from the “Afro-Centric” segment, but Jambalaya is one of the most important texts pertaining to the “New Wave” segment. While Teish embraces a connection between Voudou, Wicca, and Paganism, people from the Afro-Centric segment reject this notion and considers it offensive[13]. My decision to include elements from the “New Wave” segment is controversial.

In light of this, I have attempted to be selective about the elements inspired by Teish’s (1985) Jambalaya . The main inspiration is my chosen nomenclature, and Teish’s modification of the Seven African Powers. While Teish introduced a small modification to the Seven African Powers, she did not invent the concept. If it was deemed appropriate to remove elements from Teish’s (1985) Jambalaya, it should be possible to substitute these without much issue.

Ideally, every member of The Lesser gods should have a counterpart in The Dahomean pantheon, the Seven African Powers, and divinities described in the historical record of Louisiana Voudou. I took some creative liberties here, which is a potential flaw in the drafted lineup.

That being said, the concept of the Seven African Powers is itself controversial. While there are African American Voudounsis who accept the concept of the Seven African Powers, there are also African American critics of the concepts. Some take offense to the grouping of Erzulie Freda Dahomey with Ochun, Blanc Dani with Obatala, and so on, arguing that this confuses the orisa with the lwa and vodun. If deemed inappropriate, the Seven African Powers could be removed, focusing on the Dahomean pantheon and historical record of Louisiana Voudou instead. In which case, it is acceptable that the proposed lineup deviates from the Seven African Powers. I do not think it would be necessary to alter the seven-character* lineup, but it would be necessary to rework the concept of the “clouds” so not to correspond with the Seven African Powers, but a different concept entirely. 

*alternatively, nine-character lineup. see below.

The term “loa” originates in Haitian Vodou but has been adopted in New Orleans, at least in Afro-Centric and New Wave Voudou. However, I am against calling these characters “Loa”, as this misrepresents what the word lwa ( loa) actually means. 

In the present day, it is improper to call the lwa, vodun, or orisa “gods” outside of a casual context. However, it was common for practitioners of Louisiana Voudou to refer to their deities as “gods” during the 20th century[14]. Since this story takes place in the early 20th century, I decided to adopt this nomenclature. I have also chosen to call these characters the lesser “gods” (never capitalized) to signify their status as the Seven “Children” (original creations) of le Bon Dieu . 

Each of The Lesser gods has an epithet that begins with “The god(dess) of…” None of these should be applied to their real-world counterparts; it’s as reductive as describing Jesus as “The god of mercy”.

This is a potentially controversial choice. If it was deemed improper to call these characters “gods”, here are two alternatives:

The Seven Laws (as in, Laws of Nature)

The Seven Spirits (alliterative, capitalized ‘Spirit’ to signify their high status)

The decision to exclude Xɛbyoso and Mamiwata is quite the questionable choice. Upon further investigation, there are actually many clues that Chango (or, his counterpart Xɛbyoso ) persisted in Mississippi River Valley Voudou, making his exclusion controversial . Additionally, the exclusion of Yemaya and Chango throws off the balance of the Seven African Powers. Spiritual energies identified with Seven African Powers become scrambled. Furthermore, the current lineup overrepresents Haitian influences on Louisiana Voudou. On the one hand, it is prudent to include some elements from Haitian Vodou to honor its “parental” influences on Louisiana Voudou. On the other, overrepresenting these elements can contribute to tension with the Haitian community, who resent being associated with the commercialized side of New Orleans. Likewise, African American Voudounsis equally resent the manner in which their heritage is inaccurately confused with Haitian Vodou - often, the bastardized version of it that is embraced by white people.

For the above reasons, it might be advised to swap Xɛbyoso and Mami Wata (or Avlekete) with Manman Brigitte and Bawon Sanmdi. Baron de la Mort and Maman de la Vie do not need to be eliminated entirely, they just would not be part of the Seven “Children”. A downside to doing this is it increases the character count from seven to nine, which is probably not feasible; it still might be the right decision.

In this alternative, nine-character lineup, The Seven Original Children would be: 

Grandmother Serpent

Lady Rose

Lady Love

Thunderstruck

La Mer

Ironman

The Doorkeeper

The birth order has been shuffled so that Lady Love occupies the third spot, and that Thunderstruck, La Mer, and Ironman form a novel elemental trio (Thunder, Sea, Iron). This could potentially be changed.

Baron de la Mort and Maman de la Vie are the only two other beings who have achieved the status of godhood, in a manner akin to “secret bosses”. They are not part of The Seven Original Children, as they were created at a much later time – after the Creation of humanity. They were not born at The Beginning of Time, but the moment Eve accepted the Fruit of Knowledge, creating the Realm of Hell. As He knew this would come to pass, Bon Dieu created The gods of Life and Death at that very moment, tasking The god of Death with escorting human souls to Heaven or Hell. 

In this alternative scenario, The gods of Life and Death are not the siblings of The Doorkeeper, but serve as a “rival” family. While The Doorkeeper’s theme is Louisiana Voudou, theirs is Haitian Vodou. Because The Doorkeeper only feels familial love for his siblings, he does not extend this affection to The gods of Life and Death. Instead, what they feel for each other is mutual respect, fully aware of the danger they pose to each other.

The colors associated with each character would be:

Grandmother Serpent - white

Lady Rose - pink

Lady Love - blood red (originally, a redder tint of pink)

Thunderstruck - red

La Mer - blue

Ironman - green

The Doorkeeper - gold

Maman de la Vie  - purple

Baron de le Mort - black

This nine-character lineup may be the superior concept to the exclusion of Xɛbyoso and Mamiwata.

Although I have chosen not to call them "The Loa", another option is to reverse this decision. Because this story does not take place in the real world, it may not be an issue that these characters do not accurately represent the real-world concept of lwa.

TRIVIA

Five of the seven gods were chosen to represent different aspects of Alastor’s psychology, in order to allow for interesting character interactions.

Sir Duke represents his “gentlemanly” persona. 

Lady Love represents his “avenging” nature.

Baron de la Mort represents his murderous nature, and fear of death.

Maman de la Vie represents his suppressed desire to protect life.

The Doorkeeper represents his chaotic character.

Alastor in particular is connected to The Doorkeeper and Lady Love, who represent to him Saint Peter and the Virgin Mary. Assuming the Virgin Mary does not exist in the Hellaverse, she is replaced by Lady Love and Lady Rose. 

NOTES

Da Zodji and Nyohwè Ananu are the Sakpata (Sagbata) twins. SOURCE: Herskovits, Melville Jean, and Herskovits, Frances Shapiro. Dahomean Narrative: A Cross-cultural Analysis. United States, Northwestern University Press, 1958. p. 125. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/dahomeannarrativ0000hers/page/124/mode/2up 

Montgomery, Eric and Vannier, Christian. An Ethnography of a Vodu Shrine in Southern Togo: Of Spirit, Slave and Sea. Netherlands, Brill, 2017.

Encyclopedia of African Religion, edited by Ana Maman and Molefi Kete Asante. United Kingdom, SAGE Publications, 2009. Retrieved from: http://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofafricanreligionpdfdrive.com/

Herskovits, Melville Jean. Dahomey, an Ancient West African Kingdom, Vol. II. United States, Northwestern University Press, 1967. p. 248. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/dahomeyancientwe0000hers/page/248/mode/2up? 

Herskovits, Melville Jean, and Herskovits, Frances Shapiro. Dahomean Narrative: A Cross-Cultural Analysis. United States, Northwestern University Press, 1958. Retrieved from: http://archive.org/details/dahomeannarrativ0000hers/

Hebblewaite, Benjamin. A Transatlantic History of Haitian Vodou: Rasin Figuier, Rasin Bwa Kayiman, and the Rada and Gede Rites. United States, University Press of Mississippi, 2021.

Herskovits, Melville Jean. Dahomey, an Ancient West African Kingdom, Vol. II. United States, Northwestern University Press, 1967. p. 153. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/dahomeyancientwe0000hers/page/152/mode/2up? 

While Gates only refers to Esu-Elegbara as a collective, his concept of a “unified figure” can be applied to several of the Seven African Powers. See: Gates, Henry Louis. The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. United States, Oxford University Press, USA, 1988. pp. 5-6  https://archive.org/details/signifyingmonkey0000gate/page/5/mode/2up

Anderson, Jeffrey E. Voodoo: An African American Religion. LSU Press, 2024.

Teish, Luisah. Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals.United States, HarperCollins, 2021. Originally published in 1985

Rigaud, Milo. La tradition voudoo et le voudoo haïtien: son temple, ses mystères, sa magie. FeniXX, 1953. p. 105. Retrieved from: https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/AA00002240/00001/110 

Jerry Gandolfo describes three different segments of modern New Orleans Voodoo (“Unconscious Competents”, “Afro-Centric”, “New Wave / New Pagan”) in: Dickinson, Christine. Aspects of Performativity in New Orleans Voodoo. The George Washington University, 2015.

Interview with Ava Kay Jones, in which she is quoted stating, “...I want to clarify that Voodoo is not all of these things that they’re portraying. It’s not Satanism, it’s not Witchcraft.” “It’s not Paganism. [–The Divine Prince Hoodoo Obeah Bokor]” “And I’m seeing people who–like if they have no ties to New Orleans, to Africa, to the Carribean–who are mixing Voodoo with Satanism, with Witchcraft, with anything they choose to make it, it’s not so. We are spiritual people. And as I stand right here in Congo Square, which was the only place that my ancestors way back when could dance, I am down the street from the church that I attend, which is Our Lady of Guadalupe St. Jude, and I went to that church when I was in my mother’s womb. And so, I want people to know that what I grew up in, in New Orleans, was not to deny God or Christ, because I would never be so foolish as to do anything like that. But I want people to know that the contributions that my African ancestors made to this City, and I’m really seeing that contribution obliterated, especially after Hurricane Katrina, when my City–the City that I love, and where I was born–is now being made into the image and likeness of people who have no ties or connection with the City, the culture, or the heritage, and that has to stop.” Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&t=205&v=9OK5_8zRVbM 

Two examples of this are Luisah Teish, who used the phrase “Voudou gods” in Jambalaya, and Ava Kay Jones, who used the phrase “gods and goddesses” in interview with Ron Bodin. Granted, for true historical accuracy “saints” or “spirits” should probably be used in place of “gods”, as this seems to to be the terminology used during the Depression era. See: Teish, Luisah. Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals.United States, HarperCollins, 2021. Originally published in 1985; Bodin, Ron.Voodoo: Past and Present. United States, Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1990. p. 80-81. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/voodoopastpresen00ronb/page/80/mode/2up?q=jones

[texasthegreatdestroyer]

OC/Reader x Qrow: Amends.

This is based on canon plot in a universe where the reader or OC has joined the fight against Salem, more specifically during Volume 6, after Jinn's revelations about Salem, as the team temporarily settles in the abandoned village.

The cold bites at your hands... The toolshed nearby the residence that team took up was hardly enough to protect against harsh elements. In all reality, it was probably a dumb move on your part to sneak out of the house, but you felt as if there was no other choice...

In a moment of weakness for all, it was always Qrow or Ozpin who kept everyone together, but as it stood, Ozpin was no where to be found, at least not ever since the spat between him and the rest of the team, the horrific revelations to come of it... As for Qrow? He was in no state to deal with everything himself. His meaning of life was ripped to shreds right before his eyes and he wasn't taking it well. He just berried himself in the bottom of the bottle...

You were stupid to think you could ever take up that helm... this wasn't your second venture away from the residence. You had done it once more prior. Canned food was the only thing in the house and it was hardly a meal, so you had made the decision to set forth to bring back a hardier meal, eventually returning with a rabbit that you had tracked down, killed, and skinned. Just as you had brought the meal in for everyone to indulge, you were unpleasantly surprised to be met with distain and verbal lashings from the older man, along the lines of "What were you thinking!?" and "What if something followed you!? You could have gotten everyone and yourself killed!"

You felt your heart shatter in two, and the shame of your actions having come over you. Despite this, all you could do was push forward and finish what you had started. With the fixings in the pantry and the game you had claimed, you made a meaty rabbit soup for your allies... unfortunately no one was really receptive. Everyone just seemed too tired and lacked the desire eat. Qrow was no exception to this, half heartedly apologetically turning his nose up at it.

You could sense that his anger remained, and wished not to poke the bear further, simply choosing to leave him be, and eventually just sneaking away once more, to remain out of his site. Now here you were. Cold, tired, disheartened. It had been hours. It was the dead of night, and the chances of anyone looking for you seemed unlikely. Everyone was most likely to be asleep. You found yourself thinking back to everything that had happened. Everyone had been lied to. You included. You were lead on to fight this futile battle with no consideration for your own feelings, and to be met with such distrust when you trusted Ozpin with your life was insulting and infuriating. You weren't even taking it the hardest. The lies opened up wounds for everyone. Everyone's trust was defiled, Qrow's self worth was practically ran through a wood chipper- how could the man who was supposed to guide them on the right path in this battle abandon them when he was needed the most? But before you could dwell further on your own personal feelings, a chill shot up your spine as the gentle sound of the door rustling put you on your guard. You get up, grabbing your weapon, standing at ready to take one whatever may had been stalking you in the darkness. But your stance quickly fell to ease, as a familiar, tall, thin silhouette appeared, leaving the safety of the darkness. "Qrow??? You scared me... what are you doing out here???"

"I could ask you the same thing." The difference in his tone compared to earlier was comforting to say the least. "W-well! I- uh... Sorry... I shouldn't have come out here..."

"No. It's okay..."

"It is? But you got mad at me earlier-"

"I know! I know... I came her to apologize."

This struck you as odd. Qrow didn't strike you as the kind to apologize. In fact, he was pretty stubborn. He must have truly messed up if he felt the need to apologize about anything. "Really? Are you sure? You had a pretty good reason to be upset, ya know. I don't fault you for being pissed off."

"Yeah, well I do blame myself. Look, I get what you were trying to do. I should have been more patient and I should have been appreciative. I just- no. There's no excuse. I was being shitty. I'm sorry." "I know. You're stressed." You saying what he wouldn't seemed to shock the man. He rubbed the back of his head as if to try and shrug off her observation, but he couldn't really hide it and he knew that. "It's that obvious, huh?" "Well of course it is, silly! Everyone's stressed out... and to be honest, you seem to be taking it the hardest... That's why I-... well I wanted to try and help out a little bit? I don't know, I just didn't feel right standing by and doing nothing while everyone struggled to push themselves past it. And look how well that turned out... I just made it worse..." You can't help but feel a little a helpless, unwittingly making yourself seem small, matters not helped by the fact that your body trembled from the cold. Qrow taking note of both things approached you closer, his arms now around you, trying to warm your body. "Damn! You're cold... Don't punish yourself for trying your best. You're doing what you can to keep everyone together and you're doing a better job at it than I am... I think I should take a thing or two out of your book. These kids need us after all. Oz sure as hell isn't here to guide us..."

"I'll keep trying my best, Qrow. I know things are hard right now. They probably will be for quite awhile, but if you ever need anything, you have people who are here for you, you know? Ruby, Yang, myself even. I will always be here for you. You don't have to bottle up your emotions around me. It's okay to be angry and hurt... so don't shut everyone out, okay???" Qrow's embrace grew tighter now. His body was trembling too now, but you couldn't tell if he was trying to hold back tears or if he was just cold himself. It was certainly too dark to tell, and his tall, lengthy self encased you, your face buried in his chest, so your vision was obstructed. "Are you cold, Qrow? We can go inside..." "Yeah... we'll warm up by the fire. How does that sound?" "As you wish" You spoke in a soft whisper.

The two of you hadn't separated quite yet. The two of you seemed to savor each other's affections for a good while, before letting go, and heading inside. And on the way you struggled wading through the snow as it went up to your knees. When Qrow noticed you weren't keeping pace, he reached out to you, grabbing your hand gently, and guiding you along, your steps fitting perfectly within his own as he paved the way for you to walk.

Once the two of you made it inside, you brushed the snow off yourselves, and as promised, you and Qrow sat in front of the fire, huddling close to each other under a blanket until finally the both of you fall asleep... (May be continued.)

[thorburned]

the mirror realm that blake and rose are in for most of pact is actually really interesting, because it's kind of like the opposite of a pocket realm. most pocket realms we've heard about, like theodora’s collection, demesnes, and knotted places, are relatively small but have a lot going on in them; the mirror realm on the other hand is almost completely dark and empty, but seems to connect to every reflective surface in the world. it seems unlikely that this realm was carved out specifically for blake and rose, given how big it is, and the fact that several others are able to enter it, including faerie and demons, with some like bloody mary seeming specifically adapted to the space. you could argue it's not even a realm so much as a very limited filter through which to view and interact with the world, but some major realms, like the spirit world and ruins, also function kind of like filters, mapping pretty directly to the mundane, physical world, with different features emphasized, and populated by specific types of others. i'd term realms like the mirror realm something like 'thin realms' or 'bare realms'.

mirrors, and mirror worlds, are a concept that have a fair amount of meaning in human thought, so it makes sense that a realm specifically highlighting them could exist. thinking of other features that could define an otherwise bare realm, that could form something coherent if everything else in the world were filtered out, that specific types of others could find a niche in, the first thing that comes to mind is something like the 'nowhere space' from hilda. it's made up of the combined unused space in a given human dwelling: the gap between furniture and floor or wall, the space inside a shelf when its drawers are pulled out, the back of a closet behind what's stored. outdoors, the realm becomes a massive, unnavigable void, as so much space is unused for human purposes, with no thresholds to subdivide it. in hilda, the indoor sections are mainly inhabited by nisse, house spirits, but in the otherverse i could see it also being home to the predatory monster under the bed and monster in the closet. this one almost exists as a counterpart to the ruins, where the denizens are mostly echoes and incarnations of human emotions and concepts, and areas of the landscape unvisited or uncared for by humans drop into nothingness.

other potential realms: the light, the world extending only as far as the light touches, changing with the passage of the sun and the flicks of switches, and its inverse, the dark, the shadow realm, inhabited by others to whom light is anathema. there could also be realms defined by life or lack of life, or realms inhabited by elementals that can only exist in bodies of water or near sources of heat. in fact, i think the digital aether is the most similar example in a known realm. originally, it might have existed as a bare realm of electrical impulses, with only the occasional flicker of lightning and animal nervous systems, but as the transfer of power and data along clear lines became so integral to human technology and culture, others began to fill the available niche, and the digital aether ascended into mainstream relevance among practitioners, or at least technomancers. 

sight also strikes me as relevant. the default for sight seems to be a view into the spirit world, layering that realm over the physical world as a filter that can be interacted with or adjusted to focus on whatever the practitioner chooses. the line between a thin realm being another level of reality or simply a way of perceiving the world might be academic; for a fish that can never breathe air or walk on land, what it can sense in the water might as well be all that exists in the world.

[linyihuite]

Acoustic Panel: How To Integrate Them Into Your Interior?

While the wooden cleats were mainly used to partition spaces, they quickly became indispensable in interior decoration. It's hard to imagine a comfortable and pleasant living room without integrating a few wooden elements such as cleat panels. Nevertheless, to bring out the practical and aesthetic side of the cleat, some tailor-made advice is needed. For example, you can use it as a headboard, as a wall decoration, as a bookcase or even as a ceiling. Find our best tips for integrating ACOUSTIC PANEL a house.

Acoustic panel for partitioning rooms

The first idea that immediately comes to mind when talking about Acoustic panel is to use it as a partition wall. Indeed, they are quite simply the ideal materials to separate two living spaces: the bedroom and the living room, the kitchen and the living room or even the office and the living room. These panels have the advantage of both a rigid dividing wall and which nevertheless allow free air and light to circulate inside the rooms of the dwelling. 

In the search for a classic and warm style of decoration, it is in your interest to choose fairly thin, but resistant cleats. The ideal thickness is between 10 mm and 15 mm. And with the thickness of the felt, a total thickness of 20 to 25 mm would be highly appreciable.

Acoustic panel a beautiful entrance room with cleats 

As an essential decorative idea highlighting the panels in cleats, there is no better than the establishment of an entrance room. You just need to have a few panels in your living room to get some. Our cleats can also be used in your kitchen to create a more convivial space for meals. And unlike other types of partitions, they still allow you to unify the different rooms of the house in some way because of their light and warm appearance. 

In addition, by hanging coat hooks on your cleat wall, you get an essential vintage coat rack in a raw style. In the same alternative, also add a wooden bench that can be used as a shoe storage box and a shoe removal corner.

Previous：Wooden Flooring 101: Benefits And Reasons Why You Should Try Engineered Wood Flooring

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[ad_1] Reworking Properties: The Newest Developments in Actual Property Transforming Actual property transforming has taken on a brand new stage of significance in recent times. With altering market dynamics, householders and actual property traders are turning to property transformations to maximise their funding potential. On this article, we are going to discover the newest traits in actual property transforming which can be shaping the business. 1. Open Idea Residing Areas: Over the previous decade, open idea residing areas have gained recognition amongst householders. This model eliminates boundaries between totally different sections of a property, making a seamless movement between the kitchen, eating space, and lounge. Open idea residing areas not solely create a way of spaciousness but in addition enable householders to socialize and entertain company whereas making ready meals. 2. Good House Know-how: The combination of good dwelling expertise has revolutionized actual property transforming. House automation methods enable householders to regulate varied points of their property, together with lighting, temperature, safety, and even home equipment, by means of their smartphones or voice instructions. From safety cameras to good thermostats, these applied sciences improve comfort and effectivity whereas including worth to the house. 3. Power Effectivity: Sustainability has grow to be a prime precedence for a lot of householders. Power-efficient transforming is gaining momentum, with the set up of energy-saving home equipment, LED lighting, and good thermostats. Householders are additionally contemplating renewable power sources, corresponding to photo voltaic panels, to scale back their carbon footprint and save on power prices in the long term. 4. Out of doors Residing Areas: With the rising want for out of doors residing, householders are reworking their exterior areas into practical and welcoming areas. Out of doors kitchens, lounging areas, hearth pits, and swimming swimming pools have gotten more and more in style additions to properties. These transformations enable householders to benefit from the outside and entertain whereas rising the general worth of their actual property. 5. Multi-purpose Rooms: Flexibility and flexibility are key in actual property transforming. Multi-purpose rooms, corresponding to dwelling workplaces, visitor rooms, or train areas, have grow to be important for householders who require flexibility of their residing preparations. These adaptable areas will be simply reworked to satisfy varied wants, making certain that the property stays practical for altering circumstances. 6. Sustainable Supplies: Sustainable supplies are actually a dominant pattern in actual property transforming. Householders are choosing eco-friendly supplies like reclaimed wooden, bamboo flooring, recycled glass, or low VOC (unstable natural compound) paints. Not solely do these supplies contribute to a greener atmosphere, however in addition they add a singular aesthetic enchantment to the property. 7. Getting old in Place: Because the inhabitants ages, householders are contemplating transforming in a manner that enables them to age in place. Options like wider doorways, seize bars, zero-threshold showers, and well-lit areas make sure that a property is snug and accessible for residents of all ages and skills. In conclusion, actual property transforming is evolving in response to altering existence, market calls for, and sustainability considerations. Open idea residing areas, good dwelling expertise, power effectivity, out of doors residing areas, multi-purpose rooms, sustainable supplies, and getting old in place renovations are simply a number of the newest traits defining the business. By embracing these traits, householders and actual property traders can remodel their properties into fascinating and practical areas that meet the evolving wants and preferences of as we speak's householders. [ad_2]

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Tips to Choose The Right Spring Outdoor Patio Furniture

Here is a complete this website guide to help you know how to choose the perfect spring outdoor patio furniture.

It’s getting warmer, less rainy and we’re slowly clambering our way out of our dwellings and into the light for what always feels like the first time in 3 years. That’s right, it’s spring, and that means one thing. It’s time to prepare for our welcomed, albeit brief British summertime.

That also means having somewhere to actually enjoy the sun when it does shine. You don’t want to face the disappointment of running to your back garden, hoping to enjoy the sun only to realise all there is to sit on are those warped plastic garden chairs you got 5 summers ago. No, this guide will tell you how to choose the perfect spring outdoor patio furniture because you deserve better.

Here’s our brief patio furniture buying guide.

Know your materials

One of our best tips to select spring outdoor furniture is knowing your patio furniture materials and what each one means in terms of long-term ownership. Choosing between hard plastics, metals and woods will determine the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor patio furniture, the comfort afforded by them and how much maintenance is involved. Choosing the perfect spring outdoor furniture starts here.

Plastics and metals are generally cheaper and less maintenance than woods, but they sacrifice aesthetic charm and comfort - not something we recommend (as you can see pictured). If your budget allows it, we’d opt for a higher quality wood such as mahogany or grade-A teak for the perfect balance of looks, luxurious comfort and little to no maintenance (high-quality woods are higher in natural oil and rubbers, protecting them from rot, insects and general wear).

Complement your surroundings

Second in our patio furniture buying guide is matching your furniture to your environment. This sounds obvious, but many of us see a stunning furniture set in the catalogue or showroom, get it home and realise it sticks out like a Victorian broken thumb.

If you have a contemporary setting, opt for more angular and minimalistic designs (avoiding anything with ‘Lutyens’ or ‘classic’ in the name) or go for a lovely rattan patio furniture set. For conservative environments, opt for scrolled arms, lattice backrests and deep, supporting seating positions.

Wooden patio furniture is particularly adept to each environment due to its high variability in designs. Be sure to go in with an idea of what would best suit your current landscape.

Don’t overdo it

We’ve all bought things on impulse before. It’s hard to avoid. Emotions take over reason as you’re presented with something which is simply too good to be true, which is often the case. Shopping for the perfect outdoor patio furniture is no different.

Always begin shopping with a list (yes, a written list) of exactly what you’re looking for, this way you won’t be sold into a patio furniture set that is far too large for your space, one which is a knock off of the your dream set (though you still paid premium prices), or one which will be way more maintenance than you were prepared to undertake. Think long term.

Study your seller

Particularly true if you’re buying premium garden patio furniture, this may be one of the most important tips in our patio furniture buying guide. Like any sizeable investment, it pays to know who you’re buying from and what their reputation is after you’ve made the purchase.