#confluence essence

[litrpgburrito]

In the captivating world of "He Who Fights with Monsters," confluence essences play a pivotal role. These magical combinations arise from the fusion of different essences, resulting in unique and potent effects. Let's dive into the depths of this enchanting system to bring you seven intriguing confluence essences:

1. Flameheart Elixir:

- Essence Combination: Fire + Passion

- Effect: The imbiber gains fiery determination and enhanced combat prowess. Their attacks burn with intensity, leaving enemies scorched in their wake.

2. Sylvan Harmony:

- Essence Combination: Earth + Nature

- Effect: The user becomes attuned to the natural world, gaining the ability to communicate with plants and animals. They can heal wounds using earth energy and manipulate flora to their advantage.

3. Chrono-Weave:

- Essence Combination: Time + Thread

- Effect: Wearing a garment infused with Chrono-Weave allows the user to manipulate time threads. They can glimpse into the past or future, alter minor events, or even freeze time momentarily.

4. Aetherblade Edge:

- Essence Combination: Air + Steel

- Effect: Forged weapons infused with Aetherblade Essence cut through reality itself. When wielded, they slice through barriers, teleport the user short distances, and disrupt magical defenses.

5. Luminous Veil:

- Essence Combination: Light + Illusion

- Effect: The user cloaks themselves in shimmering illusions, rendering them nearly invisible. They can create decoys, bend light around their form, and slip past guards undetected.

6. Voidshroud Cloak:

- Essence Combination: Shadow + Void

- Effect: Wrapped in the Voidshroud, the user becomes intangible, slipping between dimensions. They can phase through walls, evade attacks, and even briefly enter the void for glimpses of forbidden knowledge.

7. Celestial Resonance:

- Essence Combination: Star + Music

- Effect: When playing an instrument infused with Celestial Resonance, the user channels cosmic energy. Their melodies heal wounds, inspire allies, and temporarily elevate their physical abilities.

Remember, these confluence essences are as diverse as the stars themselves, waiting to be discovered by intrepid adventurers. Whether you seek power, wisdom, or wonder, explore the myriad combinations and unlock your true potential!

[thegreatwicked]

Padawan: Bonded Confluence

Ask and I shall deliver! Enjoy some more R&R time with your gorgeous Master!

Padawan: Bonded Confluence

Some hours later, you weren’t sure exactly how long your eyes fluttered open and you awoke to the soft warmth of a bed, enveloped in the unfamiliar comfort of plush blankets and soft pillows. As your eyes fluttered open, you stretched out luxuriously, savoring the feeling of being well-rested and not sleeping on hard ground with just a bedroll for cushioning.

But as you took in your surroundings, a sense of unease began to creep over you. The bed was empty. At that moment, it all came back to you - your nightmare had become reality. He had not come back for you, leaving you alone once again. Your eyes burned with unshed tears, your heart ached and the room felt cold.

As your panic peaked, a familiar scent wafted towards you. 

Lingering traces of cordite that even a prolonged shower couldn't dispel, the woodsy fragrance from countless nights spent among the company of ancient trees, and the charcoal-ashen scent imparted by humble campfires— aromas were woven so deeply that no amount of washing could erase them.

It was undeniably him. You snatched the pillow where he had laid his head not long ago. Each memory flooded back from his arrival at your recovery room to his whispered confessions of desire, his every sinful touch that had your toes curling, and his inappropriate use of the Force that left you breathless. The lingering dampness from your shared shower was still present, bringing back every intimate moment and solidifying the reality of what had occurred between the two of you. The comforting fragrance filled the entire room, easing the frenzy in your heart.

Not a dream.

His essence clung to every fiber of the pillow as you held it close to your chest, fingers digging into its softness letting yourself be consumed by its intoxicating fragrance and feeling instantly calmed by the ghost of his presence. He hadcome for you, after all, taking you to bed in your recovery room with such tenderness and passion. Well, mostly tenderness. 

You grinned. Yes, there had been some tenderness, but most of what existed between you and your former Master had been far more… passionate.

The familiar ache between your legs returned, prompting you to squeeze your thighs together and bask in the sensation for a few moments before getting up to find him. He was here, and you had three precious days with him. Three days of waking up like this, in his bed, maybe once this incessant war was over, there could be more days like this. More days where you could fall asleep wrapped in his naked embrace. 

But those were just fanciful musings at the moment; eyes on the target, not the horizon.

You had three concrete days with your Master and no time to waste. You released the pillow from your grip and sat up, taking in the empty room around you, true, he was nowhere in sight but you could feel his presence close by.

With a sleepy yawn, you swung your feet over the side of the bed, you briefly considered walking out to find him naked but knowing your Master there was every possibility that he could very well be on a com call with his men or even Anakin. And while the lolthcat would be out of the bag at that point, you didn’t want to force it, so you looked around for something clean to wear and the soft fabric of his discarded shirt immediately caught your eye. Without hesitation, you reached for it and brought it to your nose, inhaling deeply, letting his scent fill your senses, overpowering you with its clean yet slightly metallic aroma, like that of the charged air after a thunderstorm.

It was a silly fantasy, but one that had always stirred excitement for you; to feel the weight of his clothing against your skin and nothing else underneath, to have that smell cling to your skin.

The worn linen was soft and comfortable from having been washed and worn many times before, and it felt like being wrapped up in home. To have this simple garment that rested against his body finally caress yours, it was lovely and a sideways glance in the small mirror said it didn’t look too bad on you. The Jedi were modest beings who didn’t give much consideration or value to confidence in one’s appearance, but you knew enough about men to know that most of them universally approved of seeing their lover in their clothes. You had this idea Obi-Wan would either say something terribly eloquent, sensual, and romantic or something completely feral, filthy, and arousing and you didn’t much care which one. 

Oh, yes, this was much better than walking out naked.

True, it was no different than your own clothes aside from being larger, it stopped scandalously just a little bit above your mid-thigh and you didn’t bother with all the closures, you were fairly sure it wouldn’t be staying on very long. 

But your hunger for your Master quickly took second place for your body’s actual hunger for sustenance, or so the growling of your stomach told you so. The meager rations you’d been surviving off in the field for the last six weeks rarely satisfied the way real food did, it never tasted quite right either, but the worst part was that it almost always had no smell to it but freeze-dried and preserved food often had that distinction. Stars knew, you’d certainly eaten worse.

It filled the stomach and that was all that was required, things like taste and smell were luxuries that weren’t often afforded to you, in fact, the food at the temple wasn’t always much better, still a little on the bland side but at least it was hot. It wasn’t until you’d left the temple altogether that your relationship with food changed. Another growl. 

Your longing to fulfill your craving for the touch of your Master would have to be put on hold for a few moments.

Making your way to the small galley in his quarters, the sight of a colorful meiloorun fruit caught your eye right away and you snatched it up with carefree glee. It had been so long since you’d had real fruit of any kind instead of the calorie-dense meals afforded to you. In the field, it was rations, in medical, it had been flavorless muck fed to you through feeding tubes while the bacta’s waters worked to heal you, then back into the field, you went. 

If the food fed to soldiers was an indication of their value it was clear the Republic nor the Jedi cared very much for those who fought their battles for them, but it didn’t surprise you that the galley in Obi-Wan’s quarters as a General, saw that he had better food. Your eyes doubled in size when you saw things like roasted chuba nuts, fresh nysillin stalks, and spiced jorgan fruit chips but the ultimate test of your willpower was the uj’alayi cake that sat so lonely and unprotected… your tongue tingled with memories of the tasty sweet cake filled with fruit that you hadn't had since your time on Mandalore. 

It was hard but you limited your scavenging to some of the roasted chuba nuts and the jorgan fruit chips enjoying their satisfying crunch and burst of flavors awakened your taste buds, which had been dormant for far too long. The little crunchy snacks were lovely but the awaiting meiloorun fruit made your mouth water, the smell of it was perfect, ripe, and ready.

Peeling away its brightly colored orange and blue striped skin was like opening a present and you savored its succulent taste as it burst on your tongue. A delicate blend of citrus and honey, the sweet juice dribbling down your chin in a very unladylike manner, and you tried not to moan. It was hard not to wolf it down but previous experience had taught you that it was best to indulge slowly, after so long with such dense food the switch to richer ones could bring quite the digestive drama, you’d seen it a hundred times. 

You broke apart the rest of the fruit, gently separating the segments with care and placing it into a dish with the intention of, perhaps sharing the treat with a certain Master. Peering out from the galley, your thoughts turned to the location of your lover, so you closed your eyes and let the Force guide you.

Its gentle ripples called out to you, and with your physical hunger quelled, it was time to do something about the otherone. 

His eyes were closed deep in meditation, legs crossed, his hands folded neatly in his lap. A still hot cup of tea at his side, the steam curling in the air, much like the incense used at the temple. Sapir tea. You could smell it from where you were and it brought a smile to your face. 

In times of distress and strife, you would often brew a cup of tea just to bask in its warmth and allow its aroma to surround you, to feel the comforting ghost of your master. Sometimes, you would even spend your last remaining currency or trade away precious possessions in exchange for a few ounces of loose-leaf tea, keeping it close to in a pouch around your neck. It was your little secret.

It was hypnotic, the slow and steady rise and fall of his chest, the rhythm of focus and discipline, he always made it look so easy. 

Meditation had always been something you struggled with, always finding it so difficult to quiet the chatter in your mind, and while you somewhat regretted leaving him as you did, you wouldn’t change it. You had so much growing to do and it wasn’t until you found yourself with no one to rely on that your connection to the Force grew stronger.

It was no secret that Obi-Wan possessed a strong connection to the Force. But as you watched him meditate with such grace and tranquility, it was hard not to be in awe of his presence, which filled the room with its powerful energy. 

He exuded an aura of beauty and self-control that was truly mesmerizing. 

It was a breathtaking sight that stirred conflicting emotions within you: admiration for his discipline and an inexplicable urge to wreck it. 

You smiled and popped a piece of the fruit into your mouth as an idea began to take shape.

Bonded Confluence. 

That was the name of the formal practice that had long ago fallen by the wayside and largely forgotten when attachments were banned within the order. So named to reflect the converging of two rivers becoming one.

Through ancient practice, partners sought to fortify their Force Bond by aligning their minds and bodies through synchronized meditation and the exchange of physical and sexual energy. This harmonious fusion allowed for a profound spiritual and intimate bond, resulting in a state of deep meditation that could endure for hours. It was a union of sensuality and spirituality, creating a beautiful balance between pleasure and inner peace.

And if Ashoka was to be believed; the gateway to the most mind-blowing orgasms in existence. 

The notion that the intensity of physical pleasure could be matched by the tranquility of meditation and that the merging of sensual energy could extend and surpass an orgasm was fascinating.

Delicious, erotic, and possibly blasphemous thoughts swirled around in your head, and with a grin, you approached your sitting master making no effort to hide your presence. You had no reason to hide from him anymore, and it was freeing, to be so unguarded, besdies, he probably knew the exact moment you woke up and sensed your brief moment of panic.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked without opening his eyes. 

Your smile was soft and drowsy as you kneeled behind him pressing a sweet kiss to his temple.

“I think so,” His posture remained steadfast, though his handsome face split with a smile.

“What happened? A nightmare?” 

“No,” you said, shaking your head as if to brush him off, feeling silly. But his hand reached up to clasp yours and he looked at you, the concern in his beautiful eyes communicating his desire for an explanation. You hesitated only briefly before answering him, “For a moment, I thought it was all a dream,” 

You forced a smile, but it quickly faltered as you looked away. You didn't want to see the familiar look in his eyes, the one that made you think he was blaming himself somehow, like when he found you in the recovery room. The one just before he begged to know how he had failed you and hurt you. The memory might move you to tears and you had to change the subject quickly.

His proper posture wavered, and a surge of soulfulness overtook him, crashing down like a rogue wave. You hadn't intended to make him so anxious and immediately regretted answering him at all but the storm soon calmed again as he took your hand, raising it to his lips and tenderly kissing the back of it.

“Forgive me, had I known, I would have stayed by your side,” You just smiled and swallowed hard forcing the damned butterflies back down where they couldn’t make you say or do silly things. “I can assure you, this is quite real,” 

To prove his point, he playfully pinched your arm and you jerked back slightly.

With a soft chuckle, you exclaimed, "I think I'm blessed with an overabundance of proof. No dream has ever left me so sore." 

Obi-Wan's cheeks were tinged with a slight blush, an uncommon sight that made it difficult to reconcile the two sides of him. On one side, there was the serene and collected Master Jedi who advocated for discipline, serenity, and a deep connection to the Force. On the other hand, there was the man you had always hoped existed beneath the Jedi facade - a man who craved pleasure, and passion; untamed and unrestrained.

As his lips met yours, the faint taste of sweetness from your little snack clinging to your lips. He pulled you in closer as his eyebrows raised in surprise and curiosity, savoring the unfamiliar flavor on your lips.

"Or hungry it seems, is that the meiloorun fruit I taste?" he asked licking his lips.

"I don't know, is it?" you teased with a naughty smile and his grin widened.

With a playful glint in his eyes, he reached up and gently took your chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling you back to him and pressing his lips against yours. His kiss was sweet as his tongue traced the edges of your lips, eagerly seeking entrance. As you parted your lips, the taste of juicy meiloorun from your earlier snack mingled with his own flavor, making the kiss even more delicious. The warmth of his breath and the softness of his lips against yours sent shivers down your spine, making it hard to pull away.

"It seems so," he said after releasing your lips. "Is there any more?"

You plucked another piece of fruit, holding it up to his awaiting lips eagerly offering him the sweet treat. He devoured the fruit but didn’t stop there, nipping your fingertips, his teeth grazing against your skin in a playful manner, then the gentle flick of his tongue against your skin.

"Delicious," he remarked with a grin, "The fruit was sweet as well," 

It was words and naughty little innuendos like that that made your heart race for this man, and you thought back to that little idea of yours, your grin betraying your mischief.

You reached for another piece of the fruit to savor, and his hand quickly intercepted yours. Just when you thought he might pull you onto his lap, he surprised you with a tender kiss on the inside of your wrist. The heat of his lips and the tickle of his beard sent delicious tingles down your arm, making you crave more of his touch.

"Join me?"

Your lips curled into a devious grin as you pressed your mouth to his, claiming him with a slow and irresistible kiss. He was caught off guard, but soon lost himself in the intensity of the moment, feeling breathless and wanting more.

"In a way," He was intrigued, judging by the way his eyebrows furrowed together. "Have you ever tried meditating with a partner?" Your voice dripped with sensuality as your question lingered in the air, pregnant with seductive implications.

“Yes…” He replied slowly, sensing an underlying meaning. "Though I suspect our definitions of 'partners' may differ considerably," 

You gave him a sultry smile, guiding his head back to face forward. Your fingertips lightly stroked along his strong jawline before pressing into the soft skin at the base of his neck for a teasing kiss.

Of course, there were rumors of the existence of Holocrons concerning the connection between sex and meditation but you had certainly never seen them. If such things truly existed it was certain those teachings were only accessible to Masters. Ashoka seemed to have a considerable understanding of the subject, leaving you to wonder where she acquired it and which Jedi Master she had convinced to teach her. And how?

She never elaborated on that subject, no matter how many times you would ask, she would just grin and tell you:

“You should try it sometime.”

No time like the present.

Obi-Wan glanced back at you, perhaps about to ask something but there was no room for questions now, only submission to your touch. You could feel something from him, a certain energy. Not fear or apprehension; quizzical. If nothing else could be said for your master it could most certainly be said he was a deeply curious man. 

You shifted your weight, against the warmth of his back against your chest, aligning your body with his. Your knees on either side of him, hands resting on his shoulders gently kneading and massaging the muscles. The heat from his skin seeped into your palms as you rested your cheek between his shoulder blades. He smiled a pleasant smile, he had no idea where you were going but he seemed to be enjoying it so far.

With a low murmur, your lips brushed against his skin as you whispered "Just breathe."

And he did, placing his trust in you by closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath through his nose before exhaling slowly. His shoulders relaxed with each caress of your breath as it tickled his skin. You found yourself hearing so many sounds that you might normally ignore, ambient noise that was often drowned out became crystal clear to you. 

The gentle whoosh of air vents, muffled chatter leaking in from the neighboring rooms, barely audible footsteps passing by, and a faint hum that seemed to come from deep within the walls

Most prominent was the sound of Obi-Wans breathing, and the faint thump of his heart. It was a soothing rhythm that seemed to synchronize with your own breaths. Your hands drifted down his arms, to his hands, gliding over his worn knuckles and back up again in a slow and steady motion. With each exhale, releasing any tension or negative energy from your body. 

He sighed and leaned back into your touch, his shoulders dropped, his muscles loosening, releasing all the residual stress he had been holding onto.

Unprompted, he began mirroring your movements, his fingertips exploring the curves of your bare thighs and tracing patterns along your skin, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

It felt as if there was a glowing light surrounding the two of you, created by the merging of your breaths in a continuous loop. It was a moment of complete stillness and connection between Master and Padawan. 

All distractions fell away; you were tuned into a frequency of the Force that you had never felt before, it pulsed and thrummed between you. The energy surged through your body, starting at your core and spreading out to your limbs until even your fingertips and toes buzzed with its power. Your muscles relaxed as tension melted away, replaced by a sense of weightlessness. All worries and physical pains evaporated in this moment of pure connection.

You trailed your fingers along his defined shoulders and up his neck, feeling his muscles twitch under your gentle touch. Fingers combed through his sandy hair, causing a surge of electricity to course through him every time your nails grazed over his scalp. Like a storm brewing beneath his skin, your fingers conjured tiny shocks. Down his neck, they went, following the hard planes of his muscular chest, tickling along that soft trail of hair. His breath hitched and a slight tremor ran through his body.

The act wasn't necessarily sexual, but it held a deep level of intimacy. To be in such close proximity with this man, feeling and hearing his heartbeat, and witnessing his unguarded state of relaxation and tranquility, and knowing that you were the one who put him there, was better than any stimulant.

You weren't entirely sure if this was how Bonded Confluence was practiced, but the serene feeling that surrounded you and the way his Force signature danced with yours assured you that you were on the right track. Ashoka’s guidance on the practice was limited but she had mentioned that it required discipline and you were beginning to understand why; to be so close to one to whom you were so drawn to and not give in to your physical desires was difficult

As unorthodox and untrained as what you were doing was he couldn’t deny there was something spiritual about it, the way your breathing and hearts were as one and the gentle peace and pleasure lapping at the two of you creating a connection that was both thrilling and uplifting.

You were sure to ask her many questions later because this form of meditation deserved more time to uncover its secrets further but there were other more pressing things you wanted to uncover as well. Your lips brushed against his cheek then your breath caressed the shell of his ear and your hands dared to explore him… further.

With a light touch, your fingertips moved down his forearms, over the bumps and ridges of muscle, and finally rested on his strong thighs. You felt the strain in his body as you traced the curves and angles of his hips, gently kneading the firm muscles. His lips parted with a soft gasp, arching towards your touch in eager anticipation.

The Force, amplified by arousal, crackled between you. He could sense every flutter of your fingertips as if they were on his bare skin. His trousers tightened, the fabric straining against his growing erection.

“Is this some new meditation practice, you’ve learned?”

You smiled into his neck sucking softly at the junction of his shoulder and neck, so as not to leave any marks he would have to explain later. He was trying to maintain his composure of what he thought meditation should be. It wasn't entirely his fault; Obi-Wan had always been a student of history and had perfected his meditative techniques long ago. But this situation was far from the traditional meditation he was used to and he seemed to be having trouble letting go.

That was until your fingers reached the drawstring closure of his trousers and began to gently unlace them. That's when he began to falter. Despite knowing it was a game he wasn't meant to win, Obi-Wan was not a man to give up so easily.

Your fingers traced along the seam of muscle and fabric. With a gentle push, you slipped your hand underneath the waistband, eagerly enveloping his rapidly thickening cock in your grasp, his mouth fell open.

“Q-Quite insatiable, aren’t you?” 

"Shh, just breathe, my padawan," you teased. 

Oh, how you longed to see the expression on his face when you called him by that title. 

"And what do you suggest I focus on?" 

The muscles in his neck tensed as he swallowed nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He seemed to have given up trying to clear his thoughts, evidenced by the way his hands tightened their grip on your thighs.

"Concentrate, Master," your words dripping with seduction as you continued to stroke him, "Feel the power of the force thrumming through you, driving your desires." 

With each stroke, you placed heavy emphasis on the words "feel" and "thrumming," your hand moving in sync with your words as you mercilessly teased him. He fought to contain his pleasure, but eventually, a deep groan of pure bliss escaped his lips.

His once rigid posture began to crumble as his fingers dug into your thighs, gripping tightly. 

"Can you feel it, Master?"

"Y-yes," His voice wavered, caught between a stutter and a growl. “Padawan…”

You slid your hand down between your legs, feeling the heat and wetness already there, spreading your thighs wider. Your warm breath tickled his ear as you slipped two fingers inside yourself, teasing and gathering more wetness. With your other hand, you stroked him slowly, spreading his precum over the head of his cock. The pleasure of your touch made you bite down on his earlobe, and a deep moan escaped from your lips as you continued to stroke and tease both of you simultaneously.

"You are truly testing my patience, young one." He warned again in a lower tone, but whatever threats he had in mind never came. 

You knew there would be consequences for this game later; he would make sure you remembered who was Master and who was Padawan. But oh, what a thrilling game it was!

"I apologize, Master. Let me make it up to you." 

Before he moved again to make good on his tone, you brought your fingers to his lips, painting them in your wetness. The heat of your touch made him shiver as he eagerly took them into his mouth, savoring the taste and moaning deeply as he sucked and caressed them with his tongue. The sensation was electric, sending tingles through your body and igniting a fire within you. You couldn't help but let out a soft gasp as he continued to pleasure your fingers with his tongue.

You were on cloud nine, reveling in the power you held over this fierce and formidable man. 

Your entire body tingled as he continued to pleasure your fingers, sending waves of heat straight to your core.

"Faster?" You asked him a little more out of breath than you'd intended, not your fault, you were remembering exactly what that tongue of his had been capable of.

He groaned onto your fingers, and shook his head, "Slower." He commanded, releasing your fingers and one of his hands slipped behind your head, pulling you into a kiss, flavored with the sweetness of your arousal.

"More." 

It took you to understand his meaning but when you did, you smiled into his lips, 

"As my Master wishes," 

Your hand left the warmth of his cheek and slipped back between your legs, teasing your clit for a moment before returning to your soaking pussy, first one finger and then two. You whimpered a little against his skin, never breaking stride with how you stroked his cock. The whimpering gave way to a moan when his hand left your leg and came up behind you to seize the back of your hair, adding an element of roughness that only intensified the experience.

"If you can manage my cock, darling, I think you can manage three fingers," His voice was low and held a dangerous edge to it. Even if you had initially intended to say no, it was now out of the question.

You moaned a bit more with the addition of a third finger, the wet sounds of your pleasure filled the room, an affront to the decorum of the established Jedi practice, but oh, how he approved. 

"Yes, that's it." He murmured, you shuddered, this hadn't quite become what you'd intended, but you'd never look at meditation the same way again. "Let me taste them,"

Watching how his eyes doubled in size at the sight of your listening slickness coating your fingers before he devoured them eagerly one by one left you breathless. Your combined stroking of his cock and the intoxicating scent and taste including your arousal flooding his senses elicited a moan from him that saw your cunt clench on nothing, the throbbing desire for him burning hotter with each passing second.

Each time his hips rocked forward, his forehead creased in concentration and pleasure. His moans grew in volume as he eagerly sucked on your fingers, his cock pulsing with a desperate need for release. He pushed himself deeper into your hand, gasping and trembling with desire.

“Ah-!” He groaned at a particularly overzealous touch and released your fingers from his mouth, “Darling, I think it’s time for a change of position,” 

The taut muscles in his back and arms flexed hypnotically as he reached for your waist and effortlessly pulled you into his lap. As you settled in, his piercing blue eyes met yours, radiating with an intensity that matched the ferocity of the kyber crystal at the heart of his lightsaber.

His gaze raked over you hungrily, and he seemed to enjoy seeing you in his linen shirt, only now noticing it, your smooth skin was food for his eyes from the gentle line of your neck to the dip between your breasts, down the supple slope of your stomach and finally resting at the moist warmth between your legs that he had eagerly savored moments before.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, placing his rough hands on your thighs and the curve of your backside. The sensation of the calluses from his hands added a gentle texture to his touch. The ebb and flow of the force nestled over the two of you like a blanket, in a way normal meditation could never touch you. 

He slipped under the shirt reaching up your back and back down resting on the curve of your ass, his lips hovering a breath above yours, the tiny little puffs of breath like a siren’s call to close the gap between you. Your lips began to tingle in anticipation and while it was unbearable, it was also a tortuous exercise in control and you decided to see just how long you could stand it.

His skin tingled all over from the near touches and the closes of your lips and it was clear he was struggling with the same thing you were, his hands flexed on your legs several times.

You glanced back down into his lap at his swollen cock and the need to touch him, to bring him pleasure, was overwhelming and all-consuming. As you looked up into the celestial embers of his eyes, sharing soft breaths and caught in a trance of desire, you reached down his chest and slipped your hand into his trousers once again, feeling the heat and hardness of him in your grasp.

He was thick and hard, his skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat. Every time your thumb brushed against him, he shivered and let out a soft moan. For a few minutes, all you could focus on was the sound of his ragged breaths and the steady beat of his heart, like a drum calling to you. The intense pull between you felt almost tangible, like an invisible force bringing you closer together, drawing you in like magnets.

“Slow?”

He nodded slowly, confirming, “Slow” 

Your fingers danced over the tender skin of his length, tracing every curve and ridge with a feather-light touch. His eyes fluttered shut, overcome by the delicate sensation, and he let out a low groan as you continued to slowly stroke his cock. His face contorted in pleasure, surrendering to the blissful sensations pulsing through his body. In that moment, all he could do was feel your touch and bask in its exquisite pleasure.

Allowing himself to simply feel. 

His force signature quivered as he let the warmth and the light fill his body giving over to this meditation with you, intertwining with yours in a beautiful symphony of light and heat. You let the force guide your movements, you could feel his thoughts, his desires, his emotions as if they were your own. And it only fueled the fire inside of you even more. His raw desire and need for you radiated through the Force, adding to the already intense atmosphere between the two of you.

It was beautiful seeing him like this, a conduit for pleasure, his hand kneading your thighs with each stroke of his cock. 

But as good as it felt, the ache between your legs was growing stronger and more urgent. The desire to feel any part of him touch you there again consumed you. The air around you pulsated with your need, until suddenly Obi-wan's eyes snapped open, piercing right through you, it startled you.

Seeing and feeling your need, he pulled you close, his hand cupped your cheek, and pressed his lips to yours. Exploring every crevice of your mouth while his other hand trailed down your body. He slowly stroked his way between your legs, his fingers finding all the right spots that sent waves of pleasure through you. Your moans and gasps were met with expert caresses, his lips never breaking their passionate kiss.

“Shh, darling,” he murmured as the pads of his fingers swept through your folds gathering the wetness there, “Slow?”

You nodded and he cupped your throbbing pussy making you groan before offering the blessed relief of the pressure of a fingertip over your clit. You felt as though you might fall apart at the touch, it was somehow more powerful, more intense and the man was barely touching you. You shuddered under the softness of his fingers, hips rocking into his hand. 

Your hand slowed to a painful crawl and there was a distinct whimper from Obi-Wan, “Darling, either touch me or don’t but please, do not just stop.” 

You cursed yourself for neglecting his pleasure and quickly resumed stroking him with renewed enthusiasm. He responded with a grateful moan, guiding you with his breathless instructions until you find the perfect rhythm.

“Yes, that’s- a little faster,— Like-like that…” He groaned as you adjusted your pace to his liking.

He didn’t ask for guidance on how to pleasure you, he already knew what made you cry out for him. A finger slowly plunged inside you, offering another relief while simultaneously drawing heavenly circles around your swollen clit. Usually, such a slow tempo would have you begging for more, but at this moment, you were content to sit in his lap and whimper like a kitten, savoring every moment of the gentle touch.

When Ashoka had told you that her first venture into this Bonded Confluence had lasted over six hours, you’d outright called her a karking liar. It didn’t seem possible for pleasure to last so long, but now you were beginning to understand how it could and your mind was quickly opening up to the possibilities.

Luckily, she took it in good humor, and now you realized just how wrong you were. And now it seemed you’d be eating your words when you saw her next, there were certainly worse fates.

“Close your eyes,” Obi-Wan whispered in his deep, alluring voice. “Focus your thoughts,”

You nodded in response, feeling yourself falling deeper into the meditation. It was as though all of your senses were heightened, every touch was like a burst of starlight.

“Feel the connection,” Obi-Wan whispered, his voice warm against your ear. “Let it guide us.”

Your hips moved of their own accord as if begging for more contact and Obi-wan was more than happy to oblige. He used his other hand to grip your hip firmly, keeping you steady as he pushed his finger deeper inside of you. 

“Yes, that’s right, feel my touch, let it consume you, allow it to reach every part of your body.” 

As Obi-Wan's fingertips grazed across your skin, a soft moan escaped your lips and you felt a trail of goosebumps form in their wake. It was like an electric current running through your body, sending shivers down your spine and leaving you craving more of his touch. You were on the verge of losing control, but he pulled away just in time to prevent you from reaching that point of release.

“Not yet,” he whispered against your lips, “Stay with me,” 

You gave a slight nod, and as you leaned in to kiss him again, you could feel his breath quicken.

He was trying to extend that moment of almost ecstasy, to see how long you could both hold onto it. It was torturous, it was heavenly.

“Can you feel it?” Obi-Wan breathed against your lips, his hand still working between your legs as he held you in his lap. “The connection between us?”

“I feel it,” you sighed in response, the heat pooling low in your stomach as he continued to bring you closer and closer to climax with each passing moment.

“Hold onto it, just for a moment.”

You could feel his own arousal through the Force, your mind was beginning to blur as the pleasure slowly built inside you. You were treading carefully, like a vessel slowly filling with water one droplet at a time until it reached the brim and threatened to spill over. You were trying to maintain that delicate balance, just before reaching the point of overflow.

Obi-Wan’s lips trailed down your neck with gentle kisses as he whispered praises and sweet words. His fingers moved with skilled precision, coaxing out every single sensation possible. Having him so close, not just physically but the way your signatures melded together, flickering as they connected and crackled brought the swirling sensations to peak, you teetered over it about to tumble over, and there you held on. 

Eyes closed, you were acutely aware of every sensation as he pressed his fingertips against your skin, his breath mingling with yours, and the heat of his body enveloping you. And then, you saw it - a light that shone so brightly and purely, banishing all darkness in its wake. It seemed to dance in your vision, like an endless sea of stars twinkling in the night sky. This radiant glow filled you with a warmth and joy, unlike anything you had ever experienced before. In that moment, there was only the two of you, bathed in this ethereal light that seemed to connect you on a deeper level. Time stood still as you basked in the beauty of this moment, feeling grateful for having found this light in the midst of life's chaos.

“Let go.” 

And so you did. You surrendered yourself completely to him, letting his touch guide you toward mind-numbing ecstasy. His voice was the gentlest whispers’ so soft so sweet and it was all it took to see you tumbling over the precipice. It was a perfect harmony between physical pleasure and the Force. One minute you were floating in pleasure, the next it consumed you. Yet the vessel didn’t spill over, it remained brimming despite the pleasure that washed over you.

You were lost in a haze of pleasure as you rode out something that transcended the simplicity of an orgasm. Every touch and stroke felt like it was magnified tenfold by the force bond between you. His fingers never stopped their divine ministration over your clit, nor did he stop plunging them inside you, your body rippled around him and you shook with the strength of your orgasm as it washed over you like a never-ending tsunami, coming in powerful waves each growing weaker until you fell weak in his arms, once more, your master caught you. 

The vessel shook, but still, it didn’t overflow.

As you slowly opened your eyes, the tumultuous waves of emotion subsided and your gaze met his. The depth of his perfectly serene eyes captured your attention, shimmering and sparkling with a crystal-clear clarity. Every shade of blue imaginable danced within them, like the ocean on a bright summer day. You could see everything - past, present, and future - in those mesmerizing orbs.

“So beautiful,” he muttered dreamily as he sunk his mouth onto yours.

You began stroking him once again, wanting to give him as much pleasure as he was giving you. He groaned appreciatively at your touch, letting his head fall back. 

"Obi-Wan," you gasped, "inside me...now."

“As my padawan desires,” he murmured breathlessly.

He pulled you closer, his strong arms wrapping around your waist in a tight embrace 

His hips lifting gently to meet yours, positioning you just so, as he thrust upwards. A surge of pleasure shot through you like an unstoppable force, and you clutched onto him for dear life as he stretched you again. His hands roamed down your back before settling on your hips, guiding you in rhythm with his movements. Your fingers tangled into his hair while his hands traveled down your back, pausing at your hips before slipping under your shirt to grip your ass. Every thrust was like fire and ice, a delicious ache that built and released in waves of ecstasy.

His groans mingled with your own as he drove into you relentlessly, his cock throbbing and pulsing inside you. As you moved together, finding a rhythm that suited both of you, your connection through the Force only grew stronger. Obi-Wan's touches and thrusts were now guided by your own desires and needs, making the pleasure even more intense.

Obi-Wan’s lips moved from yours to trail down your neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh as he made his way to your breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it until it hardened under his touch.

“I-I’m close!” You rasped.

“I know, hold onto it again, hold on darling,” He grunted, driving himself closer, harder, up into you. “Just a moment!”

Obi-Wan's movements became faster and more urgent, driving you towards another peak of pleasure. You felt yourself spiraling once again, but this time it was even more powerful than before this time something bright swelled inside you, a euphoria unmatched by any meditation exercise ever, you floated in it, basking in its lights and warmth, feeling Obi-Wan’s heart beat in perfect time with yours. 

"Come with me," he breathed against your lips as he felt himself reaching the brink.

Gasping for air, you looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes you nodded, knowing that this was what you both wanted – to be connected in every sense of the word, so you let go again. His body moved with yours with a need that was indescribable coupled with the fierceness of your cosmic connection.

The vessel spilled over.

With one final, powerful thrust, he plunged himself deep inside you, his body shuddering with pleasure as he called out your name. You could feel the heat and weight of him filling you, his release sparking a wildfire of sensation throughout your body. Every nerve ending was alight as waves of ecstasy crashed over you, leaving you breathless and spent in his arms.

He continued driving his hips into yours and milking every last drop of desire from his throbbing cock. He whimpered and surrendered completely to the overwhelming sensations that bore down on him until he was finally as spent as you.

There were no words exchanged only the most primal of connections between two Force-senstive beings that transcended all things, all laws, all banned practices. It was perfect and it seemed to go on and on. 

But Obi-Wan wasn't done yet, when it should have ended, it didn’t his eyes rolled back and his head lulled as he gripped onto your legs, and he tipped you onto your back and continued driving into you, each stroke throbbing and pulsing

The room was filled with the sounds of your heavy breathing, skin slapping against skin, and the occasional moan or whimper. Obi-Wan's movements were becoming more desperate and urgent, his hips slamming into yours with a primal need that matched your own.

Your hands were gripping onto him tightly, nails digging into his back as you rode out wave after wave of pleasure. You couldn't form any coherent thoughts or words.

As his thrusts became more erratic and frenzied, you knew that he was close to reaching his climax once more. You couldn’t believe it. You could feel yourself getting closer as well, the coiling tension within you building to an almost unbearable level.

“Once more darling, once more.” He was all but pleading, the desperation in his voice, that he wanted so badly for you to come again was shattering.

You could feel your body teetering on the edge again, the intensity of his thrusts pushing you closer and closer to your peak. Obi-Wan's lips trailed down from your neck to your chest, leaving a trail of hot kisses as he continued to drive into you. The pleasure was overwhelming and before you knew it, you were tumbling over the edge once again. Your back arched off the floor as ecstasy washed over you, your entire body shaking with the force of your release.

Then the vessel shattered.

You cried out into his mouth as waves of pleasure rippled through every part of your body.

Obi-Wan followed immediately, Driving his hips into yours with desperation bordering on madness as his entire body thrummed and pulsed and throbbed with the strength of his orgasm and he cried out. Spilling inside you again, pulsing and throbbing until every last drop was spent. 

He all but collapsed onto you, Obi-Wan’s weight nearly pressing you onto the floor, but you didn’t mind at all, in fact, you felt oddly comforted by it. He was barely able to hold himself up, his whole body shook. His heart pounded against yours, both of you still connected as he nuzzled into your neck. There was only the sound of labored breathing and he trembled above you yet you felt perfectly calm and collected, it was a beautiful thing to see him this way, undone, shaken, and raw. He smiled and kissed you slowly, still seated within you, groaning every time you clenched him from the residual shock of your orgasms. 

"I-I don't, I've never—" he stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. “Padawan, where did you learn that?” he gasped against your mouth. 

“Ashoka.” He looked shocked, “She tells me it can last for hours,”

His eyes went wide, “Hours?” He blinked in disbelief.

You nodded brushing his hair out of his face, “Can you imagine it? Hours of touching and pleasure and kissing?”

He let out a small laugh. "It's hard to comprehend. I'm not sure I'd survive so long without blood to my brain." He paused for a moment before adding with a twinkle in his eye, "But there are certainly far worse ways to die.”

“We’re going to have to try again I suppose, since we obviously failed,” Your laughter bubbled up, a mixture of amusement and disbelief at the notion of your recent actions being deemed a 'failure.' It was almost comical to think that something as trivial as this could be considered a failure.

“Oh yes,” he replied with a smirk, “completely and utterly.” He agreed, “I suppose we’ll have to work on our discipline, won’t we?” Oh, how horrible.

“Later, I’m still hungry.”

“Was I not satisfying enough?” he teased, reaching over to pluck a juicy meiloorun fruit and hold it to your lips.

“Satisfaction is never a problem where you are concerned, Master. But if I’m going to have the strength to go for hours, I’ll need something more filling than fruit.”

You grinned and reached for another fruit, taking a bite before offering it to him. Obi-Wan took it from your hand and bit into it, his eyes never leaving yours as he chewed slowly. The sight was incredibly erotic and you couldn’t resist leaning forward to capture his lips in a kiss once again.

A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he drove his hips forward again, still buried deep inside you. The change in angle made you moan and your body tremble with pleasure.

"You need more filling you say?" he asked teasingly, his lips grazing yours in a tantalizing kiss.

“Master, please.” You moaned.

He brought another piece of fruit to your lips, then brought his lips to yours sharing the taste of the fruit. “Quite a messy eater you are.” He noted as the juice dribbled down your chin, he leaned forward with a flick of his tongue licking it up, “I think we’ll need a bath next, or maybe another shower.”

Was it good for you guys? Do me a solid and give me a reblog if you liked it so my stories can reach more Obi-Wan fans! Let me know your thoughts and give me a comment too and if you'd like to join my tallest and the Obi-Wan Swoon Squad, just let me know and you will be tagged in all my future Obi-Wasn/Reader inserts!

And a bit shoutout to my beta reader for this chapter @rivnedellshe's also writing some lovely Obi-Wan goodness so go chek her out!

#Obi-Wan Swoon Squad ASSEMBLE!! @pickleprickle @hereticpriest @December @burnthecheshirewitch @starvingbrokestudent @bad4amficideas @split-spectrum @imherefordeanandbones @aelfgiure @squeegeeweegerton. @j4desblurbs. @way-too-addicted-to-anime

If I made a mistake you're not looking to be on a taglist, my bad! Just let me know and I'll remove you! Have a lovely day!

[skaldish]

Do you think animism can sometimes get too close to anthropomorphizing other creatures

Not if you understand the word in the correct sense.

Most definitions of Animism you'll find online go something like this: "Animism is the belief that everything has a soul or vital essence to it."

This is often extrapolated to mean: "Animism is the belief that everything has human-like sentience."

But this is all based on how "animism" and "souls" are understood from a Christian point of view, and what Animism looks like from a Christian perspective is not going to give you much insight into how it functions.

A more accurate definition of Animism goes something like this:

Animism is any paradigm that acknowledges the interconnected nature of all things, and that all things were, are, and will continue to be defined in relation to each other. Everything both seen and unseen is part of the same ecosystem.

The "everything has a soul" bit is a rough interpretation of how Animistic paradigms don't view "the spiritual" and "the mundane" as separate things, but rather as phenomena occurring within the same ecosystem…including sub-ecosystems like individual living beings. Any lines drawn between "the spiritual" and "the mundane" are purely interpretive, because like anything in any ecosystem, removing one collapses the whole.

Whether or not this begets "everything having a soul" sort of just depends on how you want to draw those lines, and how you define the concept of "soul" or "vital essence."

Now, with that all said, let's talk about anthropomorphism.

(Note that I only speak about this within the context of Norse Heathen Animism, and that the following doesn't represent all Animistic paradigms.)

Anthropomorphism is a kind of personification, and personification in Norse Heathenry serves an allegorical function: It helps us portray what a spirit is like to a general audience.

Experiencing spirits is weird, at least for me, because the experience is built on a confluence of things: The spirit's astral appearance and how my mind interprets it, their material manifestation if they have one (it's usually commonplace, like an object or phenomenon), their apparent sentience, their accompanying vibes, information received via mental downloads, and any other "reading" I may get through various channels of perception. All these things work together to create the experience of the spirit. If that experience is human-like, then it makes sense to portray that spirit as human-like when describing them.

Personally, I don't see anthropomorphism as an issue on principle; it's a feature, not a flaw. It's only an issue when people don't understand what it's for, or misuse/misunderstand the function it serves. If you're trying to interpret it as literal rather than allegory, then the resulting confusion is going to make for a rough time.

[bestworstcase]

Your thoughts about Remnant's kingdoms having imperialistic and expansionist tendencies that don't have anything to do with Salem or Ozma makes me wonder, at least based on what I vaguely remember of the game RWBY Arrowfell:

In Arrowfell, we learn about the existence of ruins outside of Atlas and Mantle with ancient historical artifacts, and that makes me question if Solitas really as empty as it seemed, or was there already indigenous people living there before the displaced settlers of whatever regions of Sanus showed up on their doorstep? Did THEY get destroyed by those settlers?

Did those people live alongside Solitas' Grimm with no issue, and shit only went down AFTER the emotionally repressed imperialists of Sanus came in and wiped out whatever culture they had, imposing their own "Grimm evil emotions bad must repress and subjugate" nonsense onto a culture that might have already figured out a better solution?

I keep thinking about this because of how the settlers of the local settlements there within the game have vastly different appearances, and strongly implied different cultures compared to the likes of Mantle and Atlas.

tumak!

i rotate those ruins in my mind a lot, because the only thing we really know about them is that they predate the great war and they’re a formally-designated “heritage site.” vine talks about artifacts taken from the site as though they’re very ancient, but his statements are framed pretty overtly as bullshit—he comes across more as a new age mumbo jumbo type of hobbyist than someone serious about history. older than the great war just means that the ruins are at least a century old.

so there’s definitely a layer here of atlas—which has probably not been around much longer than a century or two—culturally not having a very accurate sense of historical scale (a la US americans thinking anything older than a century or two is ‘ancient’) and exoticizing The Past. whereas beacon’s professor of history teaches teaches the great war and its aftermath as recent history, because vale is much older.

that said, tumak does look like it’s a few centuries old, because it’s all built of stone. in any other story i’d take it as a given that the people living there were conquered or displaced by mantelian settlers for… the same reasons i take it as a given that mistral being called an “empire” and having “territories” means what it sounds like.

what gives me pause with regard to tumak and mantle is—well, two things:

there were no grimm in western solitas when mantle’s first settlers arrived.

it’s heavily implied that the global industrial revolution began in mantle following the discovery of large dust deposits under the tundra.

now, the one thing we know for certain about grimm is that they eat people and they die in captivity, meaning that they do need to eat. the simplest explanation for there being no grimm in western solitas when the mantelian settlers turned up is that there weren’t any people there for grimm to eat.

the second point matters matters because the industrial revolution is a prerequisite for building anything with steel: before this confluence between practical necessity and a great abundance of underground dust deposits, every large structure on remnant would have been built with timber or stone or clay, or whatever material happened to be abundant in a given region.

(i am making a drastic oversimplification here but, in essence, the main reason we had our industrial revolution when and where we did is england ran out of trees and started digging for coal. coal mines have a lot of coal on site, making coal-powered machines a more cost-effective way to pump water out of deep shafts than manual labor, and then after a certain point these pumps become very efficient and it becomes cost-effective to employ mechanized rotational movement further away from the coal mines, and then you get automated spinning jennies and trains and it all snowballs from there. whether it’s on purpose or not, remnant’s industrial revolution occurred under precisely similar conditions and i think that’s neat.)

one presumes that mantelian settlers didn’t go from living in natural caves or snow shelters to steel-frame construction overnight. the technological innovation needed to build with steel in subzero temperatures would have been a long, iterative process. both tumak and the “ancient monument” built in the same architectural style are also situated on the continent’s western coast, while mantle is at least a few hundred miles inland (although it’s difficult to get an accurate sense of scale from the game map). if i’m right that these settlers were displaced from northeast sanus by valean expansion, the west coast of solitas is where they would have landed.

we also know that mantle itself is built on top of what seems to be an enormous dust mine.

in the WOR episode, the early settlement is represented like this, with people keeping watch over coastal cliffs and grimm being frozen solid by the cold:

the amity arena ice sabyr card indicates that the ice-encrusted solitan grimm adapted to the cold fairly quickly:

These Sabyrs seem to have somehow adapted to Mantle's environment. Gone are the days when the cold kept the Grimm at bay, and now we deal with the ice crusted versions of the Sabyr. Still, there is a burning question in our minds. Didn't these Sabyr… adjust a little too quickly?

(which, lol. it’s dust. solitan grimm incorporate dust into their bodies to give themselves a protective coating against the cold; we’ve seen the geist in the mine use dust to armor itself against attack. a lot of the amity arena grimm cards are fun; the one for seers is literally like “they’re super weird, we have no idea what they do because we’ve only ever found broken husks, but they’re floating crystal balls with tentacles so we assume they must be able to control people. probably.” grimm studies is pseudoscience!)

and then back to the WOR episode, the depicted distance between mantle and alsius is wildly exaggerated:

with mantle located on the southwestern peninsula and alsius being where mantle stands—or stood—in the present day. before playing arrowfell, i always took that to be just a stylistic choice to emphasize the economic separation between mantle and alsius, but:

again, nothing is to scale here, but mantle and the atlesian crater are in the right place, there’s an abandoned dust mine on that southwest peninsula, an outpost with a train on the western island, and tumak and the other ruin along the west coast. so the relocation depicted in the WOR episode—a migration inward from the coastal region to where mantle is today—actually seems to have been literal.

what makes the most sense to me is that these coastal ruins were built by the original settlers a few hundred years ago. both tumak and the “monument” are mainly underground, with these barrow-like stone caps over the entrances: this strikes me as a solidly defensible layout for fending off weakened, scattered packs of grimm, but not one that could withstand the increasing numbers of cold-hardy grimm as time went on.

in the SDC WOR episode, it’s noted that mantle’s existing dust mines were nearly depleted before nicholas schnee discovered new deposits in the mountains to the north. and in arrowfell, if memory serves, the old southwest mine was exhausted and abandoned long ago. taking this to its logical conclusion, the people living in tumak and other coastal settlements had to deal with a relatively fast spike in grimm populations at a time when dust was already becoming scarce, so they abandoned these sites and migrated to a more defensible area—the plain flanked by mountains—where they serendipitously found much larger and deeper dust deposits. and that became mantle and alsius/atlas.

meanwhile, over on the eastern side of the continent…

the geographic separation here is pretty striking! in between mantle and the free towns to the east we have a large inland sea and mountains. these towns are explicitly not part of the kingdom and, as you noted, have a pretty different culture. (including cultural attitudes toward the grimm: a huge megoliath wanders into essen early in the game and the townspeople just… clear out of the immediate area and keep an eye on it from afar, which is probably also how the unnamed village in v4 dealt with that geist. there is also a lady from dormir who goes into GRIMM-INFESTED CAVES, alone, to dig up dust. nothing bad happens to her.)

tellingly, bram thornmane seems to view these free towns as independent polities for the purpose of fueling his persecution complex by treating his residence in essen like a quasi-exile from atlas, but when it’s politically expedient to do so he acts as though these are satellite communities dependent on atlesian protection, hence his use of the grimm lures to attack them as well as atlas and mantle. i imagine that this is a common atlesian attitude.

one of the villagers—cerise claire, who fled from crossed to essen when the former was overwhelmed as a consequence of thornmane’s scheme—mentions having ancestors who fought during the great war; specifically she implies that her ancestors were involved in resistance to the mantelian regime’s prohibition against art and self-expression. the free towns don’t seem to be particularly young—wood and stone, again suggesting pre-industrial construction—so they must have existed before the war.

cerise is also a faunus (i think; it’s hard to tell if the wolfish ears are attached to her head or just to her hood and they’re not the same color as her hair, but they’re a prominent feature of her design and why do that if she’s not meant to be faunus) which certainly. carries a lot of unspoken weight in the remarks she makes about her ancestor bravely keeping a journal of their years fighting in the great war… and if her family lived in crossed back then, well.

gestures at vacuo’s side of the great war being a desperate bid for independence. gestures at the implication that the vytal accords were in large part a decolonial project; vacuo and menagerie became sovereign states, and a huge swath of eastern anima seems to have been freed from mistrali rule.

mantle and mistral formed an alliance during the conquest of northern anima; if if the towns in eastern solitas are older than the great war—which is quite plausible!—then they likely existed during this period of time and it seems reasonable to think that they might have been occupied as well, if not by mantle then by mistral. eastern solitas being under occupation prior to the war and liberated by the accords thanks in part to the efforts of a local rebellion tracks.

but an interesting thought occurs to me: this means the quasi-scientific modern narrative that the grimm “adapted” to the cold unnaturally fast might be baseless. there would have been cold-hardy grimm living east of the mountains already. perhaps the intense hardship and struggle of those early years simply drew an existing population of grimm over the mountains?

[horsesource]

"If we examine the process of 'understanding' people and ideas from the perspective of Western thought, we discover that its basis is this requirement for transparency. In order to understand and thus accept you, I have to measure you with grounds to make comparisons..I have to reduce..I understand your difference, or, in other words, without creating a hierarchy, I relate it to my norm. I admit you to existence, within my system..

This theory [of difference] has made it possible to take in, perhaps, not their existence but at least the rightful entitlement to recognition of the minorities swarming throughout the world and the defense of their status..But difference itself can still reduce things to the Transparent.

Agree not merely to the right to difference but, carrying this further, agree also to the right to opacity that is not enclosure within an impenetrable autarchy but subsistence within an irreducible singularity. Opacities can coexist and converge, weaving fabrics. To understand these truly one must focus on the texture of the weave and not on the nature of its components. For the time being, perhaps, give up this old obsession with discovering what lies at the bottom of natures..This here is the weave and it weaves no boundaries. The right to opacity would not establish autism; it would be the real foundation of Relation, in freedoms.

The opaque is not the obscure, though it is possible for it to be so and be accepted as such. It is that which cannot be reduced, which is the most perinneal gurantee of participation and confluence..

As far as my identity is concerned, I will take care of it myself. That is, I shall not allow myself to become cornered in any essence; I shall also pay attention to not mixing it into any amalgam. Rather, it does not disturb me to accept that there are places where my identity is obscure to me, and the fact that it amazes me does not mean I relinquish it. Human behaviors are fractal in nature. If we become conscious of this and give up trying to reduce such behaviors to a transparency, this will, perhaps, contribute to lightening their load, as every individual begins not grasping his own motivations, taking himself apart in this manner. The rule of action (what is called ethics or else the ideal or just logical relation) would gain ground by not being mixed into the preconceived transparency of universal models..

I thus am able to conceive of the opacity of the other for me, without reproach for my opacity for him. To feel in solidarity with him or build with him or to like what he does, it is not necessary for me to grasp him. It is not necessary to try to become the other (to become other) nor to 'make' him in my image. These projects of transmutation--without metempsychosis--have resulted from the worse pretensions and the greatest of maganimities on the part of the West...

It is impossible to reduce anyone, no matter who, to a truth that he would not have generated on his own. That is, within the opacity of his time and place..This same opacity is also the force that drives every community: the thing that would bring us together forever and make us permanently distinctive..We clamor to the right to opacity for everyone."

Edouard Glissant

[whatsthatmagiccard]

Ongoing list of the cards under the MB2 playtest cards, as per the official card image gallery. Just text. There's so many. Somebody go put these into the Scryfall Tagger like they did last time.

Interestingly, not all cards that directly reference another make the backing card visible as part of the joke (see Intangible Vibes).

If there wasn't a direct reference, usually, they just used the most recent card they had that fit the frame. Unique cards are bolded.

A Girl and Her Dogs + Abbot of the Sacred Meeple + Defender of the Queue + Jeskai Baller + Knight of Lost Causes + Noble Ox + Plain Walker + Sliver of Hope + Tax Taker -> Phyrexian Pegasus (MOM)

Arcanum Things + Avacyn's Collar, the Symbol of Her Church -> Kor Halberd (MOM)

Brigid, Who's Seen Some Stuff -> Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile (LRW)

Champion of the Hareish -> Champion of the Parish (DDQ)

Essence of Ajani + Friarball -> Surge of Salvation (MOM)

Intangible Vibes -> Intangible Virtue (ONC)

Muraganda Eldrazi -> Eldrazi Displacer (OGW)

New Master of Arms -> Master of Arms (WTH)

Alberix, the Trade Planet + Duelist's Convocation International + Heart of a Duelist + Map to Lorthos's Temple + Two by Four -> Temporal Cleansing (MOM)

Blurry Visionary + Catch of the Day + No-Regrets Egret + Panglacial Shinobi + Search Elemental -> Preening Champion (MOM)

Can't Quite Recall -> Ancestral Vision (TSR)

Night of the Flying Merfolk -> Kiora Bests the Sea God (THB)

Subgoyf -> Sharding Sphinx (MOC)

There / They're / Their -> Said / Done (MH2)

(Wisedrafter's Will is inconclusive; digital print)

(Your Wish is My Command is inconclusive)

(Call from the Grave is inconclusive, though likely Call to the Grave (SCG))

Cleaver Blow + Common Black Removal + Halving Season + TL;DR + You Compleat Me -> Vanquish the Weak (MOM)

Creepy Crawler + Lifening Elemental + Magus of the Chains + Pinchy McStingbutt -> Nezumi Informant (MOM)

Lich's Duel Mastery -> Lich's Mastery (DOM)

Liliana's Other Contract / Liliana's Undead Minion -> Grasping Shadows (LCI)

Odric, Lunar Marquis + Toofer, Keeper of the Full Grip -> Syr Konrad, the Grim (likely MOC)

The Many Deeds of Belzenlok -> Rite of Belzenlok (DOM)

Yawgmoth's Day Planner -> Witch's Cauldron (CMM)

All-Star Kicker + Boulder Jockey -> Trailblazing Historian (MOM)

Bolshak Dragon -> Shivan Dragon (M20)

Boltfire -> Firebolt (MH1)

(Dwarven Confluencer is inconclusive)

(Flanking Licid is inconclusive, but likely Convulsing Licid (STH) or Enraging Licid (TMP))

Gobland -> The Autonomous Furnace (ONE)

Immerstum Battlefield + Planeswalkerificate + Snap Judgement + Toddler's Rage -> Volcanic Spite (MOM)

Pyromancy 101 -> Start From Scratch (STX)

Vuzzle Spaceship -> Shrapnel Slinger (ONE)

Wormhole Warp -> Chaos Warp (likely MOC)

(Zone of Flame is inconclusive)

(Built Bear is inconclusive)

Dairy Cow, Flavor Nightmare, Phyrexian Seedling, Spuzzem Strategist, Starting Town NPC -> War Historian (MOM)

Glade of the Pump Spells -> The Hunter Maze (ONE)

Keeper of the Crown / Coronation of the Wilds -> Lovestruck Beast / Heart's Desire (ELD, showcase)

Meandered Towershell -> Meandering Towershell (KTK)

Naturalize 2 -> Naturalize (M19)

Penumbra Umbra -> Penumbra Spider (MM3)

Plant a Sapling / Fully-Grown Treefolk -> Herbology Instructor (MOM)

Questing Cosplayer -> Questing Beast (ELD)

Teferi, Druid of Argoth -> Surrak and Goreclaw (MOM)

The Colossal Dreadmaw -> Colossal Dreadmaw (XLN)

Werewhat -> Tireless Hauler / Dire-Strain Brawler (MID)

Wrenn and One -> Wrenn and Realmbreaker (MOM)

Anax and Cymede & Kynaios and Tiro + Convention Maro + Chea, Friend to Maybe Too Many + Hish of the Snake Cult + Wowzer, the Aspirational -> Niv-Mizzet, Supreme (MAT)

Chatzuk, Mighty Guitarist -> Melira, the Living Cure (ONE)

Don't Worry About It -> Growth Spiral (DMC)

Fludge, Gunk Guardian -> Yargle and Multani (MOM)

Glimpse, the Unthinkable -> Hidetsugu and Kairi (MOM)

Jund 'Em Out -> Rebuild the City (MAT)

Lutri, Pauper Otter -> Lutri, the Spellchaser (IKO)

Mothers Yamazaki -> Djeru and Hazoret (MOM)

Narod, the Beige Flower -> Doran, the Seige Tower (LRW)

Pokey, the Scallywagg + Terry Pin, Turboturtle -> Baral and Kari Zev (MOM)

Rin and Seri, Inseperabler -> Rin and Seri, Inseperable (M20)

Stone Drake -> Halo Forager (MOM)

Wrath of Finkel -> Shadowmage Infiltrator (inconclusive)

Indicate -> Vindicate (EMA)

Kozilek, Compleated -> Kozilek, Butcher of Truth (ROE)

Marchesa's Surprise Party + Rule with an Even Hand -> Sovereign's Realm (CN2)

Omnipresent Impostor -> Farfinder (IKO)

Who's That Praetor? -> All Is Dust (UMA)

Luxior, Ignited -> Luxior, Giada's Gift (SNC)

Microscope -> Urn of Godfire (MOM)

(Mox Poison is inconclusive)

(Orb of Origin is inconclusive)

Runed Terror -> Skittering Surveyor (MOM)

Fetching Garden -> Blossoming Sands (MOM)

Lazotep Archway -> Scoured Barrens (MOM)

Madlands -> Bloodfell Caves (MOM)

Maestros' Totally Safe Hideout + Omenpath to Naya + Processing Plant + Temur Elevator + Under-Construction Skyscraper -> Jeskai Monastery (MOC)

Slumbering Waterways -> Thornwood Falls (MOM)

The Heron Moon -> Geier Reach Sanitarium (CMM)

Value Town / Take a Trip To... -> Swiftwater Cliffs (MOM)

[rammandirayodhya]

“Ram Mandir Ayodhya”

Let's talk about the beauty of India – “Ram Mandir Ayodhya”.

The story of Ram Mandir dates back to ancient times when Ayodhya was the capital of the mighty kingdom of Kosala. The revered epic, Ramayana, chronicles Rama's life, his exile, and the triumph of good over evil in the form of the demon king Ravana. Ram Mandir - the living testament to the confluence of history, devotion, and the collective heartbeat of a nation. This sacred sanctuary, arising from the dust of centuries, is not just a place of worship but a symphony of stories etched into the very soul of India. The journey towards the construction of this magnificent temple is woven into the very fabric of India's rich cultural tapestry, blending history, religion, and the collective consciousness of millions.

"The Melody of Ages: Echoes of Timeless Tales within the Sacred Halls of the Ram Mandir Ayodhya"

Travel back in time to the days of the illustrious Kosala kingdom, with Ayodhya as its pulsating heart. Here, the epic of Lord Rama unfolded, a saga written across the skies and etched into the very earth upon which the Ram Mandir now stands. The Ramayana, that timeless scripture, narrates the divine odyssey of Rama, his trials, and the eventual triumph of virtue over vice. Ayodhya's spiritual gravity, rooted in the belief that the temple site is the sacred birthplace of Lord Rama, has beckoned pilgrims and seekers for centuries. This hallowed ground, now adorned by the resplendent Ram Mandir, echoes with the footsteps of those who sought solace in the embrace of devotion. The significance of Ayodhya in the Ramayana laid the foundation for the belief that the very spot where the temple stands today is the birthplace of Lord Rama. Over the centuries, Ayodhya became a symbol of devotion for millions of Hindus worldwide, fostering a deep spiritual connection to the Ram Janmabhoomi.

"Endurance Through Time: Tracing the Centuries-Long Struggle Leading to the Ram Mandir Ayodhya"

The narrative of the Ram Janmabhoomi also carries the weight of centuries of struggle and disputes. The Babri Masjid, built in the 16th century, stood on the same site, leading to a complex and emotionally charged legal and social battle. Decades of legal wrangling reached a pivotal moment in 2019 when the Supreme Court rendered a verdict in favor of constructing the Ram Mandir, a decision that recognized the sentiments of millions and sought to heal historical wounds.

"Sculpting Divinity: Exploring the Architectural Marvels and Spiritual Essence of the Ram Mandir"

The Ram Mandir isn't just a temple; it's a masterpiece of architectural poetry. The design of the Ram Mandir is a harmonious blend of architectural brilliance and spiritual symbolism. Its three-storied splendor is a canvas painted with intricate carvings, soaring domes, and spires that seem to touch the heavens. The sanctum sanctorum cradles the divine family – Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman – in an ethereal embrace. Wander through the temple complex, and you'll be mesmerized by sculptures breathing life into the Ramayana. Each intricately carved scene tells a story, inviting devotees and visitors to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Rama's journey. The temple complex also features captivating sculptures depicting scenes from the Ramayana, inviting devotees to relive the epic saga of Rama. The sacredness of the site is enhanced by the serene surroundings, creating a tranquil atmosphere conducive to prayer and contemplation.

"A Symbol of Unity: The Ram Mandir Ayodhya, Bridging Hearts and Faiths in a Tapestry of Harmony"

The construction of the Ram Mandir has been a unifying force for the nation, transcending religious and cultural boundaries. The Ram Mandir, rising from the heart of Ayodhya, is more than an architectural marvel – it is a beacon of unity. Its construction serves as a reminder that within the varied threads of India's cultural fabric, there exists a harmonious tapestry. It exemplifies the spirit of inclusivity, fostering a sense of belonging for people of all faiths. The dedication of the temple to the ideals of Lord Rama, such as righteousness, justice, and compassion, sends a powerful message of unity in diversity. The temple transcends religious boundaries, inviting people from all walks of life to partake in the divine aura that permeates the air. The Ram Mandir Ayodhya stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith, the resilience of a nation, and the ability to overcome centuries of challenges. As pilgrims and wanderers alike embark on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya, they are greeted not just by stone and mortar but by the living essence of the Ram Mandir. It is not merely a structure of stone and mortar; it is a living embodiment of the values that have shaped the cultural landscape of India for millennia. It is a sanctuary where the past dances with the present, where devotion intertwines with heritage, and where the melody of unity resonates through the ages. In the shadows of this sacred abode, Ayodhya continues to weave its tales, inviting all to be a part of its eternal narrative. As pilgrims and tourists alike flock to Ayodhya to witness this architectural marvel, they partake in a journey through history, mythology, and the unwavering spirit of devotion that defines the essence of the Ram Mandir.

Now let's talk about the spritual date for all Hindus! and Ram Bhakts 22nd January 2024

"The Unveiling of Ram Mandir Ayodhya on January 22nd, 2024"

First let me tell you something is that we are the luckiest generation that we are witnessing many years struggle of our ancestors coming to end. 22nd January 2024 is a memorable day for everyone. On the auspicious day of January 22, 2024, the spiritual landscape of Ayodhya witnessed a historic moment that reverberated through the hearts of millions – the grand opening of the Ram Mandir. After decades of legal and societal debates, the culmination of the construction process marked a significant milestone in the religious and cultural history of India. Devotees, dignitaries, and people from all walks of life gathered in Ayodhya to witness the inauguration ceremony. The air was thick with anticipation and reverence as the doors of the Ram Mandir swung open, revealing a breathtaking architectural marvel. The three-storied structure, adorned with intricate carvings and symbolic representations from the Ramayana, stood as a testament to both faith and craftsmanship.

The sanctum sanctorum, the heart of the temple, housed the divine idols of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. Pilgrims and visitors alike marveled at the spiritual aura enveloping the sacred space, where centuries of devotion found a tangible expression.

The opening of the Ram Mandir was not merely a religious event; it was a moment of unity and harmony. People from diverse backgrounds came together to celebrate the cultural heritage woven into the very fabric of Ayodhya. The resonance of hymns and prayers echoed through the city, carrying with them the hopes and aspirations of a nation united in reverence for Lord Rama.

[amsietnationrp]

In the lands of Amsiet, where magic flows as naturally as rivers and the elements hold dominion over all life, six distinct villages rise from the heart of a mystical realm, each embodying a unique aspect of nature. At the center of this elemental tapestry lies the majestic Jongsog Village, a grand settlement built around a colossal, enchanted cascade. Those villages, with their unique traits and inhabitants, although so different in many aspects, must cooperate with each other, for the confluence of all elemental energies.

FANTASY!AU ✦ MEWE ROLEPLAY ✦ 21+ Navigation ✦ Lore ✦ Application ✦ Reservation

Cloaked in the embrace of volcanic rocks, is the Enjō Village. This land is ruled by the creatures of flame: the Vampires, whose existence thrives on the heat of their surroundings; the Werewolves, with their primal connection to the fiery forces that govern their transformations; and the Nephilim, beings who channel both divine and infernal energies. The village is a crucible of fiery passion and power, where the very ground burns with elemental energy.

On the shores, cradled by the endless expanse of the ocean, is the Daeyang Village. The Selkies, shifting between seal and human forms, along with Merpeople, inhabit the coastal regions, their presence a fluid blend of land and sea. The rhythms of the tides and the harmony of the ocean define the very essence of life in Daeyang.

To the northeast, the Haneul Village floats high amidst the clouds, its people living in the airy realms above. This village is home to the majestic Dragons, whose powerful wings command the skies, and the reborn Phoenixes, whose fiery plumes symbolize eternal renewal. The air is alive with their presence, a dynamic dance of freedom and grace where the winds whisper ancient secrets.

In fertile lands, nestled among rolling hills and ancient forests, the San Village thrives. This is the realm of the Elves, with their deep connection to nature and the land; the Fairies, whose magic nurtures and protects the flora; and the Nymphs, guardians of the natural springs and groves. The harmony of the earth shapes their lives, and their presence ensures that the land remains vibrant and thriving.

Far to the east, the Inazuma Village crackles with the energy of lightning and storms. The Kitsunes, masters of illusion and trickery, wield the electric power of the skies, while the Qilins, noble beings whose presence signifies great power and protection, harness the storm’s raw energy. The very atmosphere here buzzes with a dynamic energy, a testament to the electrifying forces that govern their lives.

[frank-olivier]

Navigating the Nexus of Transformation: Humanity's Quest for Agency in a Global, Technological, and Cosmic Landscape

As we venture into the uncharted expanse of the 21st century, humanity is at the confluence of three transformative forces: a global revolution synchronizing nearly 190 nations, the dawn of the "Transhumanist Stage" with its revolutionary technologies, and the profound implications of potential extraterrestrial life. This nexus challenges the very essence of our existence, posing fundamental questions about unity, autonomy, and what it means to be human.

The global push for unity, while promising cooperation and peace, veils risks of societal homogenization and totalitarian inclinations. The tension between global synchronization and individual autonomy has reached a critical juncture, necessitating vigilant oversight to ensure that unity enhances, rather than erodes, personal freedoms.

Simultaneously, the Transhumanist Stage, marked by brain-computer interfaces, cognitive enhancements, and immersive metaverse experiences, redefines human boundaries. While promising unprecedented innovation and efficiency, these technologies threaten to dilute individuality and emotional depth. Urgent ethical deliberations are required to safeguard humanity's essence amidst this rapid advancement.

The possibility of extraterrestrial life introduces a cosmic dimension to our transformation, prompting existential inquiries into mutual awareness, influence, and humanity's universal purpose. This line of questioning underscores the enduring philosophical conundrums of our species: the pursuit of meaning and our place within the cosmos.

A common imperative emerges from this complex landscape: the preservation and empowerment of human agency. To navigate the transformative forces shaping our world effectively, a multifaceted approach is crucial. This entails four key strategies: firstly, ensuring global unity while preserving autonomy by vigilant participation in global policy-making to safeguard individual freedoms. Secondly, adopting ethical tech governance through inclusive, forward-thinking discussions that prioritize enhancing human agency, emotional depth, and collective well-being. Thirdly, cultivating critical and communal intelligence by fostering a global culture that values critical thinking, empathetic engagement, and the sharing of diverse perspectives. Lastly, embracing existential inquiry to reflect on humanity’s identity, leveraging profound existential questions as a catalyst for resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty.

By embracing these strategic imperatives, humanity can harmonize the transformative potential of global unity, technological advancement, and cosmic awareness with the indelible essence of our humanity, forging a future that is at once progressive, resilient, and profoundly human.

Richard Dolan: Globalist Revolution, UFOs, and Transhumanism (The Richard Dolan Show, January 2022)

Sunday, November 10, 2024

[theblackbookofarkera]

Copper golems

Deep within the vulnerable kingdom of Eronah, behind locked doors and in secret workshops, a select group of Elshar rabbis labor at an extraordinary task - the creation of an army born not of flesh and blood, but of copper and divine breath. These sacred artificers work to forge what may be their nation's last hope of survival: an army of golems infused with a fraction of Elshahim's own breath.

The creation of these copper defenders represents a unique confluence of metallurgy, theology, and mystical engineering. The rabbis begin with pure copper, which they believe best conducts both physical energy and divine essence. Each golem is carefully shaped through a process that takes months, with every curve and joint inscribed with microscopic prayers in ancient holy script. These prayers serve both as spiritual reinforcement and as intricate command structures that will guide the golem's actions when awakened.

The most crucial and controversial aspect of their creation is the incorporation of what the rabbis call a "shrewd" - a tiny portion of Elshahim's breath, captured through complex theological rituals that have been debated in secret rabbinical courts for generations. Some religious authorities argue that attempting to harness divine breath borders on blasphemy, while others contend that Elshahim himself has provided this knowledge to protect his chosen people.

Each golem stands roughly twice the height of a man, their copper forms burnished to a warm glow that seems to pulse with inner light. Their features are deliberately left abstract - smooth faces with subtle suggestions of eyes and mouth, limbs that favor function over form. This abstraction is intentional, as the rabbis believe too close an approximation of the human form might attract malevolent spiritual attention.

The golems are said to rest in vast underground chambers beneath Eronah's synagogues and religious schools, standing in silent rows awaiting the day of their awakening. According to closely guarded texts, they can only be activated by a specific sequence of prayers spoken by a quorum of thirteen rabbis working in perfect synchronization. Once awakened, they will follow a complex set of predetermined commands encoded in their prayer-inscriptions, prioritizing the defense of civilian populations and holy sites.

What makes these guardians particularly formidable is their immunity to conventional sorcery. The prayers etched into their forms create a kind of spiritual insulation, while their copper construction resists many forms of magical manipulation. They are said to be especially effective against demons and corrupt spirits, as the divine breath within them acts as a natural repellent to unholy forces.

However, the creation of these defenders comes at a tremendous cost. Each rabbi involved in their creation must fast for forty days before beginning the work, and the process of capturing and implementing the divine breath is said to leave many practitioners permanently changed, their hair turned white and their eyes bearing a distant look as if they've gazed too long into divine mysteries. Some never recover from the strain, spending their remaining days in contemplative silence.

The exact number of copper golems created remains a closely guarded secret, though rumors speak of enough to form a significant fighting force. The rabbis maintain that the mere existence of these defenders serves as a deterrent to Urakkad's aggression, even if their enemies don't know the full extent of their capabilities. They believe that divine providence will ensure the golems are revealed at precisely the right moment to save their nation.

Stories occasionally surface of solitary golems being tested in remote locations, their movements described as eerily graceful despite their massive size. Witnesses speak of seeing copper giants performing complex martial maneuvers with perfect precision, their forms moving with a fluid grace that seems impossible for beings of metal. These accounts are neither confirmed nor denied by the rabbinical authorities.

Perhaps most intriguing are the theological implications of these creations. Some scholars argue that the copper golems represent a new phase in the relationship between the divine and the mundane - a merging of spiritual and physical crafting that suggests new possibilities for how humanity might interact with divine power. Others worry that such attempts to harness divine essence, even in defense of the faithful, may have unforeseen consequences.

For now, the copper defenders wait in their hidden sanctuaries, their forms gradually developing a patina that some say reflects the age of the prayers they contain. They stand as a testament to both the ingenuity and desperation of a people determined to survive, their very existence embodying the thin line between preservation and hubris, between faith and presumption.

The rabbis continue their secret work, each new golem representing both a prayer for peace and a preparation for war. In their workshops, they whisper that when the time comes, the sound of marching copper feet will herald not just the defense of Eronah, but the manifestation of divine protection made gloriously, terrifyingly tangible.

[navigating-supplychain]

A profound impact on Supply Chain operations

In today's corporate world, change and invention are ceaseless. Companies of all shapes and sizes maneuver through unknown territories in pursuit of competitive edges and perfection in operation execution. The once clear-line divisions between industries grow more obscure while the patterns within international commerce keep transforming persistently. Amid such chaotic complexity, supply chain management steps into prominence.

In the context of supply chain management, AI's contribution is nothing short of transformative. It has enabled organizations to gain greater visibility and control over their supply chains, allowing for real-time tracking of inventory, efficient order processing, and data-driven decision-making. The integration of AI solutions into supply chain processes has led to increased operational efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

In the ever-evolving landscape of supply chain management, a remarkable transformation is underway—one that holds profound implications for organizations across the globe. At the heart of this revolution is Gen AI, an extraordinary confluence of Artificial Intelligence, Gen AI is not merely an invention; it's a revolution that promises to rewrite the rules and reimagine the very essence of supply chain management.

[litrpgburrito]

Let's explore some **He Who Fights with Monsters** essence combinations that could evoke powers reminiscent of those from **Yu Yu Hakusho**. Here are six intriguing combinations:

1. **Spirit Blade**:

- **Essences**: Magic (Spirit) + Blade (Weapon) + Fire (Element)

- **Confluence**: This combination grants the user the ability to create a blade of pure magic, infused with fire. The blade can cut through magical barriers and deal devastating damage.

2. **Shadow Shifter**:

- **Essences**: Stealth (Speed) + Shadow (Element) + Illusion (Magic)

- **Confluence**: Users of this combination can meld into shadows, move silently, and manipulate illusions. They become adept at stealth, misdirection, and creating illusory duplicates.

3. **Soul Reaper**:

- **Essences**: Death (Element) + Spirit (Magic) + Healing (Recovery)

- **Confluence**: A powerful combination that allows the user to manipulate life force. They can heal themselves and others, but also drain life energy from opponents. Think of it as a balanced blend of Kurama's abilities.

4. **Elemental Fist**:

- **Essences**: Earth (Element) + Water (Power) + Fist (Weapon)

- **Confluence**: Users gain control over the elements, enhancing their physical attacks. They can create earth-based armor, launch water-based projectiles, and deliver devastating punches.

5. **Telepathic Sage**:

- **Essences**: Divination (Magic) + Mind (Spirit) + Wisdom (Recovery)

- **Confluence**: This combination grants heightened psychic abilities. Users can read minds, predict opponents' moves, and gain profound insights. It's like having a mix of Genkai's wisdom and Kurama's telepathy.

6. **Dragon's Roar**:

- **Essences**: Fire (Element) + Wind (Power) + Roar (Sound)

- **Confluence**: Users can unleash powerful breath attacks, similar to Hiei's Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Their roars create shockwaves, scorching flames, and gusts of wind, making them formidable in battle.

Remember, these are fictional combinations inspired by both **He Who Fights with Monsters** and **Yu Yu Hakusho**. Each essence confluence would have its unique strengths and weaknesses, just like the characters in these fantastic worlds! 🌟¹⁵⁶⁷

Grab the 'Hakuflow' shirt!

https://tinyurl.com/mr2v7xxt

(1) Essence combinations : r/HeWhoFightsWithMonste - Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/HeWhoFightsWithMonste/comments/np9rk6/essence_combinations/.

(2) Yu Yu Hakusho: 10 Most Powerful Techniques, Ranked - CBR. https://www.cbr.com/yu-yu-hakusho-most-powerful-techniques-ranked/.

(3) List of YuYu Hakusho abilities - Wikibin. http://www.wikibin.org/articles/list-of-yuyu-hakusho-abilities.html.

(4) The Most Powerful Yu Yu Hakusho Characters, Ranked - CBR. https://www.cbr.com/yu-yu-hakusho-most-powerful-characters-ranked/.

(5) He Who Fights With Monsters (Literature) - TV Tropes. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/HeWhoFightsWithMonsters.

(6) Beginner's Guide to the World of "He Who Fights With Monsters". https://hobbylark.com/comic-books/beginners-guide-to-the-world-of-he-who-fights-with-monsters.

(7) He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon | Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57189884-he-who-fights-with-monsters.

(8) Yu Yu Hakusho’s 8 Main Characters, Ranked Weakest To Strongest. https://screenrant.com/yu-yu-hakusho-characters-ranked-weakest-strongest/.

[jameson-hawthorne]

If you were to ask me about Crumbl Cookie, I’d say I enjoy it. But if you were to ask me on a deeper level , I’d say that my adoration for these culinary marvels transcends mere enjoyment; it embodies an intricate appreciation for an experience that engages all the senses in a harmonious celebration of flavor and nostalgia. Upon entering a Crumbl Cookie establishment, one is immediately enveloped in an aromatic symphony that tantalizes the olfactory senses. The air is suffused with a sumptuous tapestry of scents—rich butter coalescing with the saccharine allure of sugar, interlaced with ethereal hints of vanilla and deep, dark chocolate. This olfactory bouquet serves not only as an introduction to the baked delights but as a prelude to the emotional resonance that accompanies each meticulously crafted cookie.

As I peruse the weekly lineup, an exhilarating anticipation courses through me. Each week, Crumbl unveils a rotating selection of flavors that reflects an innovative spirit while simultaneously paying homage to timeless cookie recipes. There’s an almost childlike giddiness that envelops me as I eagerly await the revelation of new flavors—perhaps a sumptuous Nutella-filled creation or a seasonal Pumpkin Spice that encapsulates the essence of autumn. The mere contemplation of these delectable concoctions stirs a sense of wonder, akin to unwrapping a cherished gift on a momentous occasion. It becomes a delightful game of chance; the exhilarating possibility of discovering a new favorite juxtaposed with the comforting familiarity of beloved classics.

When the moment finally arrives to indulge, the experience is nothing short of euphoric. The inaugural bite is a revelation—a sublime confluence of textures and flavors that pirouette across the palate. The exterior presents a delicate crispness, yielding to a sumptuous, chewy interior that envelops the taste buds in warmth and opulence. Each cookie is a masterclass in flavor construction: the bittersweet nuances of high-quality chocolate, the buttery richness of the dough, and the occasional effulgence of flavor from add-ins such as sprinkles or nuts coalesce to create a multi-layered taste experience that captivates and enchants.

As I luxuriate in each morsel, I am transported to a realm of comfort and delight. The act of consuming a Crumbl cookie is akin to being ensconced in a warm embrace on a brisk day—an enveloping sweetness that evokes cherished reminiscences and soothes the soul. The experience also manifests a communal aspect; a palpable excitement permeates the air as friends and family converge, fostering connections through a shared appreciation for these extraordinary creations. The simple act of sharing cookies ignites conviviality, laughter, and conversation, allowing us to forge indelible memories together.

Ultimately, my profound affinity for Crumbl Cookie is intricately woven into the very fabric of my existence. It is not merely a dessert; it is an exquisite indulgence that enriches my life, a ritual that transmutes the mundane into the extraordinary. Each cookie represents a moment of elation, a burst of creativity, and a celebration of the sweetness that life has to offer, imbuing my soul with a sense of joy and fulfillment.

heylookielookieitscrumblcookiecrumblcoookieforlifecrumblcookieheylookielookieitscrumblcookiecrumblcoookieforlifecrumblcookieheylookielookieitscrumblcookiecrumblcoookieforlifecrumblcookieheylookielookieitscrumblcookiecrumblcoookieforlifecrumblcookieheylookielookieitscrumblcookiecrumblcoookieforlifecrumblcookie

...what the

[keicordelle]

At the Confluence of Creation and Devotion

FFXIV | Themis/WoL | Explicit | 6108

When he agreed to follow Natus into the future and make a new life for himself on the Source, Themis knew it would be challenging. He just hadn't expected how much so. With the thinner aether and fractured essence of the Source, even small acts of creation are beyond his current skill. If he wants to craft a gift for Natus for Valentione's Day, he's going to have to do it by hand. In which Themis offers Natus a gift, and Natus shows him just how much it means to him.

A commission for @natus-vincer! So glad to get to work with Natus and Themis again. Happy Valentione's Day! <3

My ficlet commissions are open through kofi, and if you're interested in a longer piece like this, send me a message and we can talk!

-

The half-formed spell slipped from Themis's grasp. Magic evaporated from his fingers, leaving him dry and empty inside. He winced as the recoil snapped back in his face, biting back a curse. Another failure.

Frustration bubbled up beneath his breast, in the place where once his magic had lain so thick. Even with the thinner aether and fractured essence of the future, he ought to be able to manage this much at least. All he wanted was to twist a simple spell as a gift for Natus for Valentione's Day next week. A miniscule act of creation, that was all! In Amaurot, it wouldn't have cost him so much as half a thought, much less a half day of frustration and failure. He was Elidibus, for heavens' sake! Or, he supposed, for the sake of the Twelve, if he wanted to fit in in his new world. Natus had assured him that his "somewhat archaic" speech patterns would not be out of place here in Sharlayan, but if he wanted to integrate himself properly into his new home, he was going to have to learn to adopt their customs.

Customs like Valentione's Day. What a novel delight, to have a day dedicated entirely to expressing your love for another. They hadn't had anything quite like it back in his era, and he found he rather liked the notion. If only adapting to the limits on his magic was quite as simple as adopting new holidays and speech patterns...

Well, there was only one way to learn. Themis blew out a breath, fingers flexing as he steeled himself to try again. Slowly and carefully, he coaxed his magic from where it dwelled within him, his entire being focused on the shape he wished it to take. Sweat beaded along his brow as he eased it out along the familiar paths carved by decades of creation. Light formed between his palms, his fingertips tingling as aether sparked along them. He gritted his teeth, tongue caught between them and breath held at he tried to force it into the ornate coil of metal that he held in his mind. Careful, careful....

[Read the rest on Ao3!]

[neurosismancer]

So, let me put on my Internet Old Person hat and tell you kids about the the way we committed music piracy in the long long ago of 2001, and the fragility of those music collections in those days.

You might know Napster. You might know Limewire. But there was a music piracy tool in between those. A little remembered program called AudioGalaxy, and it worked a little like Napster and a little like BitTorrent. The exact details of how it worked are immaterial, but one thing it did was when you searched for an artist, the songs were sorted, in essence, by popularity (e.g. how many people had that specific song file shared.)

Now, I can’t understand why this was a thing, but there was a strange phenomenon in the early days of file sharing and music piracy where people would share songs with the wrong artist name or song title. Certain bands and artists got a lot of stuff attributed to them that they never recorded. “Weird” Al Yankovic may be the most infamous victim of this, with nearly every novelty song and song parody released attributed to him regardless of quality or subject matter.

The confluence of these two phenomena are how I discovered one of my favorite bands of all time.

So, in my late teens, I found a new favorite band. A quickly little one-hit wonder known as DEVO. Y’know, the band that dd “Whip It.” They had the funny red hats that looked like flowerpots. Those guys.

Anyway, I had become obsessed with this band to the point of autistic hyperfixation, and I wanted to hear everything they’d ever put out. At that point, they’d released nine studio albums, a couple live albums, and two collections of early demos, and I wanted them all. So I would find myself crawling in the bottom pages of the AudioGalaxy search results looking for those obscure tracks—b-sides, songs on soundtracks and compilations, the occasional bootleg, They’d pop up between songs that were obviously not by DEVO, and much like our poor friend Alfred Yankovic, any sort of vaguely quirky 80s song got assigned to DEVO.

That was how I found it. A song called, simply, “Detachable Penis.”

Now, I had never heard of such as song, but I knew on the face of it, it wasn’t a DEVO song.

But with a title like that, I knew I had to find out just what in the name of fuck a song called “Detachable Penis” sounded like.

It sounded, dear reader, like this:

(CWs: blurry images of a dildo, the word penis, spoken word poetry)

And I immediately went to Google, because this song somehow tickled an itch in my brain, and I had to go and find out the real band that recorded this song, because how the hell else was I going to get every song I could of theirs I could get my grubby little hands on. The band was called King Missile, and I was hooked.

I’d like to see any music discovery algorithm beat that.

I eventually acquired their entire major discography along with a few EPs and B-Sides. I eventually burned those to a CD, which I could listen to with my MP3 CD Player.

And I realize, upon writing that, for you youth “MP3 CD Player” is a noun phrase that needs explaining. See, while the iPod had been released at that point, and similar devices were also on the market, they were all prohibitively expensive. The economical way to listen to pirated music files was to burn them to CD, but some CD players had software that allows you to burn those song as as _data_. Suddenly, you could have a single CD with 700 megabytes of MP3 files—room for an artist’s entire discography, if not multiple artists.

Since I was download a whole lot of MP3s with my high speed DSL connection, I was taking up an awful lot of space on my hard drive that needed to be offloaded somehow. CD-Rs and an MP3 CD Player were the optimal solution. And it worked…

…until it didn’t.

In the summer of 2002, my parents took me on a vacation to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It was in the latter city where someone got into our rental car and swiped my MP3 CD player and a binder of CDs—both pressed CDs I’d acquired and CD-Rs of illicitly acquired MP3s, along them a CD-R I’d burned containing the nearly complete King Missile discography.

Songs I had only on that one CD-R.

It took me a decade—ten fucking years—before I’d recovered all the music that was on that disc.

This is the sort of discovery and the sort of loss that kids will never experience again in this day of Spotify and the all-you-can-eat buffet of music on demand we have now.

[brineffxiv]

As thanks for all we have done we are invited back to Radz-at-Han to meet again with Vrtra.

Vrtra and his people have worked together to create warding scales for us to take to our allies in thanks.

All of the scales have been donated by Vrtra himself, but he sees the pain as a minor thing compared to the suffering we have delivered his people and his land from. I am humbled by his generosity and the love he has for those whom he looks over.

Alphinaud is a bit rude in bringing up the Dragonsong War, but I cannot deny I was also curious to learn what Vrtra's thoughts on it were.

I do not think mere words can express the love Vrtra holds for his people.

Vrtra, unfortunately, does not possess any knowledge that might help us with the Final Days, as our world was long since sundered when Midgardsormr came to it.

Thank goodness, Y'shtola. I though I was the only one who wasn't completely star-struck by Hydaelyn.

Vrtra tries to give us some assurances, and relates a story of asking his father why this star was the one he chose to settle on. That Midgardsormer believed in Hydaelyn, and that so long as She endured, so too would dragonkind.

We make to leave, but Vrtra calls me back: he would speak with me alone.

He would offer some advice to the only child of man to have earned his sire's trust. My existence is a ceaseless storm, an endless confluence of forces; I shall know no rest. Worse than that, are the terrible effects on those caught up in all that happens around me; my companions.

I see them: Ysayle, Moenbryda, Papalymo, Minfilia, and Haurchefant. All dear friends I have lost.

Vrtra urges me to spare no effort to keep my loved ones safe, for he knows the suffering of the powerful, having watched his siblings driven mad by loss.

Alisaie and Alphinaud come back to find me, as they noticed I had fallen behind. And with those somber thoughts I rejoin my friends at the High Crucible, where they are picking up the warding scales.

Are we going to Garlemald? FINALLY! I have been waiting for this since I found out Garlemald was a location that FATEs happened in (via Party Finder) all the way back in ARR!

Nidhana is awake! Alisaie went and treated her! She is very happy to see that she caught us before we left, as she wanted to thank us for everything we've done.

Though, as Urianger reminds her, it was due to her ingenuity and courage that we were now poised to bring the fight to the Telophoroi directly.

Nidhana hadn't even known, she came here right after waking up and hadn't thought to ask.

Her joy at finding out what her work had done and is going to do appears to have changed the flower's color!

Nidhana suggests that the flower's change of color could be a reaction to "akasa"; and unseen energy defined by Hannish alchemical theory. It can neither be created or destroyed and is only affected by what she calls "spiritual emotion". And invisible essence harnessed by the heart, mind, and spirit.

This is the first time any of my friends have heard of such a thing... And as this is the first explanation anyone has offered about how this mysterious flower works, I am inclined to believe she's on to something. How exactly this will be important, only time will tell.

Back in Sharlayan, it seems I must be stressed, as the flower has returned to its original ashen grey. I am thinking about what Vrtra said, to protect my friends.

Suddenly there comes a knock at the door.

It is G'raha, Alisaie, Alphinaud, and Krile! They have brought a veritable feast courtesy of the Last Stand!

G'raha enjoying his burger is a delight.

Man, I want a burger now.

I cannot put into words how wonderful this entire sequence was. It was all just. Ah! So happy. So many little character moments. My friends!

And it seems the mood in the room was just as joyful, as the brilliant green of the flower attests.

...Speaking of friends.

Hehe... there's just so much personality in these two. I enjoy the dark hilarity of their interactions.

Aha! I knew you had to be siphoning that aether back to the main tower in Garlemald.

Zenos knows we're coming for him. And he's probably looking forward to it.

...I enjoy this insight into Zenos' mind. He's a deeply disturbed man. But, he also comes across as deeply depressed. He found the one thing in life that held any mote of positive emotion for him, and having known that, finally, he could not bear to return to what he'd known before. So he ended it.

But he found that death could not hold him. And so, returned to life, he would set the world on fire to have that feeling once more.

Suddenly, I find Zenos very relatable.

I would hazard, Fandaniel, that Zenos sees in death the one option of escape from his own head available to him. You see the emptiness as a loss, where he sees death as gaining an escape from a life of constant mental torment. In his own words, Zenos experiences life as choking on mud. Literal nothingness is preferable to that.

But preferable to nothingness... Would be to experience something good again. And the only thing he knows that fits the bill, is fighting to the death with me.

What, uh, what did you dream about, Fandaniel?

Fandaniel, what was the dream about?

Oh no.