#feels quite cosmic ✨

[gallawitchxx]

THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF...

🖤 barber!mickey & (not so) shaggy!ian 🖤

oh wow oh wow, we made it to a whole freaking year of these barber boys! it's been such an anchor for me--i never missed a week!--& i will be so sad to see them go. but! i may have a lil surprise up my sleeve for (if all goes well) next week! see you then & thanks for reading! xx

here's the 52nd & final installment for this week's @galladrabbles prompt: rain by @mmmichyyy

catch up/read in full HERE -- now complete! [ read the whole shebang ON AO3 ]

- - - - -

Then again, the whole thing between them is batshit. Ludicrous, how a haircut by happenstance could help two tough guys from the shit side of the street find… well, that remains to be seen… 

But as Ian watches Mickey smile around steak and sour cream, he thinks that maybe he’s found someone to want all of him, all the fucked up versions that he is. 

Hopes that Mickey Milkovich, Master Barber could be someone who’ll stay for the shine, but also the rain. 

Sickness, health, all that shit.

Ian wipes the corner of Mickey’s mouth with his thumb and exhales.

[thedeadthree]

hiii :D ❤💘🍰 for lilia & lucinde?

MIA HI DEAR ! i hope ur doing well hun! the infamous dears truly have a vice grip on me rn ty ty so much !!!!!!! 🌸✨💕

-`. DETAILS ABOUT OCS.

❤: what are three of your oc's positive traits?

the darling lila is a maverick (an unorthodox or independent-minded person), rather astute (having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage), and alluring (powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive.) !

💘: what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

lizzie lovelace a pop princess caliber face in music, and a former romantic partner of her fathers along with jazzy, together make the dynamic duo that keep lila centered and the first people who hear anything and everything before anyone else on her life. jazzy was actually the first person she met in middle school following her relocation to new york from new orleans (and before that ! paris! her parents loved to move places on whims sajnxka) and save for the BOTB have been inseparable ever since ! she was then introduced to rowan through jazzy and the trio with lizzie have been her anchor since as well! her partner in crime and the go to to cure her bad days! she can be a lot but they truly have her best interest at heart something she didnt have from her parents and for that they mean the world!

AND OF COURSE TEEHEE GRIFFIN REIGN BEFORE AND CERTAINLY WILL BE SOMEONE WHO AND THIS REALIZATION WILL HIT MISS LILIA LIKE A TRUCK WILL MEAN SOMETHING NONE SHORT OF THE WORLD TO HER TEEHEEHEHE *giggling kicking feet*

🍰: when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

her birthday is april 19th, 1997 and she is 26! lilia is an aries sun, a libra moon and a leo rising! i would say the card i most align with her is the death card in reversal at her best and upright at her worst. mars would be her ruling planet and her ruling number would be 1! she veeery identifies closely with a very much amount of the traits belonging to her sun and moon and rising ! especially her moon and rising but also a lot of her sun sign as well!

❤: what are three of your oc's positive traits?

lucinde known by her stage name "lucy less" (formerly lucinde lawless to match sevens but she shortened it following their breakup :') ) is felicific (relating to or promoting increased happiness), captivating (capable of attracting and holding interest; charming.), and wistful (having  or  showing  a  feeling  of  vague  or  regretful  longing) !!!!!

💘: what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

seven. seven always will be and still is in spite of the way things ended. she still carries a torch for him these years following and from a distance wishes him well. (if you hear sobbing its me!) the close second and she tells him he's the first would be her brother! he too has a band of his own and is the drummer for an experimental noise rock outfit. OF COURSE there's rowan the remedy to all her bad days wizard in making her smile the best thing since sliced bread and her best friend. and iris who shes been friends with since they were in pre-k, devyn, orion (she had a "secret" crush on him that he probably knew but didn't tell her to save her from the embarrasment that he knew kjsndak), and of course the fans of her band MALWARES (formerly error 404 i just thought it sounded cute!) !

🍰: when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

lucys birthday is november 11th, 1997 and she is 26! shes a scorpio sun, sagittarius moon and aquarius rising! the world is the card in tarot that i think i love the most for her. and her ruling planet would be pluto and her ruling number would be 2! on stage she is the archetypal scorpio and off there is so much of her sign she relates to! along with her moon and rising as well that she closely relates!

[rayroseu]

twst jp players noticed something strange about Crowley's card stats.... His HP amount is too big for his card type Balanced... It feels like Crowley is more fitting as a Defense Card bcs of his high HP ✨✨👀

usually Balanced Cards in TWST, their HP amount is around 8-10k... Idk which card has the highest amount of HP in the Balanced type, but they are often max 11k,,, but Crowley who's a Balanced (supposedly) has 13-14k HP!! ✨✨

The highest HP I know rn in the Balanced type are Star Deuce and Halloween Silver,,, But they're still starting quite low (~9k) in comparison to Crowley starting at 13k lol

Its like his amount of HP is more fitting as a Defense card

Pls correct me if I'm wrong I'm not into game stats I just think this is so intriguing considering that LILIA VANROUGE has cards that is often Defense in SSR....

*some cards have incomplete stats bcs they're only available in TWST JP rn-- BUT STILL. You can notice how its much more fitting to place him as a Defense card bcs of his HP...

Still His attack power, 6k is alot 👀✨✨Its like telling us that like Crowley's magic element (Cosmic) his magical power also has no weaknesses such a "he's low on lifespan" or "he's weak at attacking"... Its like how Malleus described his magic as having "no strengths and weaknesses-" which is fitting because he's also a Cosmic user-

TWST often leaves character nuance in their cards, considering that Lilia had "so much life" (Defense card that is heavy on HP) because he was instructed to defend Meleanor and Malleus- What if that's the same as Levan if he's Crowley? He's heavy on HP because he was also a general and is tasked to defend-

I asked about @prince-kallisto long ago that crowley might be passive/defensive magic user since he rarely casts magic in the story... Now that his unusual stats got released, why do i feel like General Lilia who was tasked to defend, is also like Levan (the left general and if he's really Crowley) also heavily focus his magic casting on Defense🤔🤔

Then this might be another clue to their relation? But considering that Lilia and Meleanor considers Levan to be quite pacifist, I wonder if he forced himself to be "balanced" in both attack and defense in order to uphold the peace he was trying to promote yk as Malleus said, you cannot make anyone obey you in Briar Valley if you're not powerful

Levan (Crowley) is still powerful, but I feel like he's naturally a Defense card... with just a powerful attack magic because of his training as the Left General✨✨😳😳☝🏻☝🏻

I'm so excited to see him in Battle I'm actually shaking KSHKSHS I hope he summons his army of corvids once he appears lol

[yournextflame]

Elden Ring Theories: A Retrospective

So, enough time has passed for me to form my opinion on Shadow of the Erdtree and revive this blog. But before posting new theories based on the DLC lore, I decided to take a look at my old speculations and see how well they aged.

Does the Greater Will even exist? ✅ In this post, I compared the Greater Will to the Big Bang and suggested that it might not be an actual deity, but rather an attempt by the people of The Lands Between to explain the world around them: the creation of the universe, the fall of meteors, evolution, and the natural order. The Shadow of the Erdtree continues to present the Greater Will as a scientific concept described by the inhabitants of a fantasy world, allowing players to decide whether it’s a god beyond the microcosm or just an empty circle in Count Ymir’s hat, a mere projection of human imagination

The outer gods are natural forces. ✅ 🟡❔While the Greater Will's cosmic origin was emphasized even further in the DLC, the motives of the outer gods were tied even more strongly to earthly concepts. I have many thoughts about the outer gods and godhood in particular, but one of my ongoing ideas is that they manifest human emotions, given how perception and sacrifices shape reality in a material way in the Lands Between.

Elden Ring and Color theory: ✅🟡❔ While I disagree with some points I made in this post, many of my observations were quite accurate. One clarification I’d like to make is that the scroll sigils indicate the heritage of magic rather than its source of power. I also appreciate the DLC narrative that suggests all the differences are actually man-made.

Translation of Marika's echoes from JP, ✅ The DLC gives Marika such human and deeply personal motivations that reducing her to a mere puppet of an evil outer god feels like an insult to the collaborative work of GRRM and Miyazaki. I must admit that my initial reading of her character was too harsh; I even questioned why FromSoft would write such a one-dimensional character. However, I’m very glad that The Shadow of the Erdtree gave Marika awesome depth without depriving her of agency.

My musings upon Helphen's Steeple design and DLC predictions ✅ 🟡 Well, the Shadowlands are described as a place where all kinds of death come only to be suppressed, and the Shadowkeep, as pointed out by the community, very much resembles the design of the Helphen. You can even find Tibia Mariners' boats here. It’s not the exact version of the spirit realm I predicted, but it’s very close.

Small bonus: Even though I insisted that the DLC should be centered around the spirit realm, I pointed out that exploring Godwyn's story beyond what was shown in the base game is pretty unnecessary.

What's wrong with Ranni's Two Fingers? ✅🟡❌ Right direction of thinking, wrong conclusions. One of the biggest reveals of the DLC is that everything is wrong with the Fingers and their mother, Metyr.

Children of the Erdtree 🟡❔I'm not sure what to make of it. The DLC continues to toy with the Empyrean connection to plants, from the special properties of Marika's people's flesh to St. Trina being a literal flower, but it never makes any direct conclusions.

Bells and Bell bearings ❔ The connection does exist, but it should be explored in greater detail.

Candletrees, Miquella, Death and Sleep 💡❔✨ Now that the DLC has revealed Miquella's plan to replace Marika all along, it’s astonishing to realize that my earlier discovery about Necromancer Garris — who likely collaborated with the Black Knives — had Miquella's butterfly and candletree in his basement is actually quite wild

What is Crucible? 🟡❌❔Although the nature of the Crucible is still a mystery, I think my old theory that it was a different tree is not exactly right. I’ve even started to wonder if the Crucible and the Primeval Current are just different names for the same thing.

Some of my old takes haven't aged well, but if anything, I'm glad that Mohg isn't the "walking uooohh 😭💢 joke" I used to call him. However, my opinion on Miquella was surprisingly accurate. For two years, the fandom preached that Miquella wanted to abandon his godhood, making me seem like a major contrarian for insisting that godhood was still his ultimate goal (at least because it would be pointless from a writing perspective to create another Ranni).

I still believe that characters like Marika and Miquella are primarily vehicles to deliver Miyazaki's and GRRM's ideas regarding civilization development, human nature, religion, and philosophy. So, whatever faults they have are the faults of the concepts they represent. Nevertheless, *Shadow of the Erdtree* did an awesome job of elevating these characters from mere ideas to something more human and relatable.

My old description of Malenia is so relevant, it hurts.

Mohg, Radahn, Rykard and Snakes ���� Honestly, I'm not sure if Messmer was initially planned by FromSoft or created specifically for the DLC, but looking back, it's pretty funny that I noticed something weird going on between the demigod brothers and the serpents.

Elden Ring lore is a disaster 🤡 Elden Ring story is such lackluster that it was rewritten with the first day patch on top of the giant mountain of cut content. I’m not sure that DLC, if there will be any, can fix this mess or give any proper answers as it seems that writers got too much carried with the idea of making story as vague as possible.

Someone was overdosing on doomium.

To my surprise, the DLC managed to address most of my old frustrations. While I do wish certain things had better foreshadowing or were explored more, it still did a good job of filling many gaps in the base game lore that were making me frustrated. Looking back, I think some of my grudges over the lore were no less important than my theories because they served as a good indication that something was intentionally left unexplained. It seems that the gaps and ambiguities were not oversights but deliberate choices.

As I explore the new content in Shadow of the Erdtree and revisit my old theories, I will also share my thoughts on the new lore and its impact on the narrative. This fresh perspective has already sparked some intriguing insights, and I am eager to see how these revelations will reshape our understanding of the game’s world.

[msmargarita]

✨🤓Johnathon/🕳️ Spot Headcanons✨

These are some headcanons I wrote for my two fics:

i'm not going to turn into a cosmic anomaly and leave you forever

and

i'm really serious this time, baby

It has !!spoilers!! for both of those fics!

It's basically an AU unless I somehow foresaw the future and guessed what happens in BTSV!

Beware the keep reading button. This is HUGE.

🤓 Johnathon HCs!

HE IS A GEMINI. Like come on. Talks a lot, nerdy, silly guy. He is a canonically silly guy! In his first fight with Miles he pretends to have hurt his nose (he doesn’t have one) to trick him. So silly! I would bet there's Capricorn somewhere in there too. And Pisces. I’ll make this man’s whole birth chart if you dare me. Just dare me. I’m insane.

Jason Schwartzman used to be in a band in the 00s. I think it would be cool if Johnathon also had some sort of interest in music. I think he would have tried to learn guitar in college but only got a few chords in before life got too chaotic and every now and then he thinks of picking it back up. 

He is also one of those guys who fanboys over old ass music, especially from the 60s and 70s. Loves Jazz, Funk and Prog Rock. Look at this man and tell me he is not a prog rock guy. He is a nerd, he might even be *shudders* a math rock guy. I also think he would have one completely random favorite artist that has nothing to do with the things listed above, like, idk Lizzo. Or Princess Nokia. He just looks like the type.

I think everyone agrees Johnathon is at least in his thirties, but I put him down as thirty-three in the end. I did that because Olivia is thirty-five tops in ITSV (according to Peter) and since he was her subordinate it makes sense that he would be just a little bit younger than her. 

“But hey! That's too young to get a PhD!” you might say, but I think Johnny is an overachiever. I think he was one of those super genius kids that got in early in college and lived for academia. A teacher's pet even.

He is a workaholic, so when he quits his job he gets really lost and doesn't know what to do with himself. He might have a new job soon doing what he loves, so you’re going to need to be on his ass so he doesn’t fall back into his old habit of overworking. 

I like to think that Miles would get an internship under Johnathon a few years in the future and they would learn a lot together. Jonathan would probably take a week to figure out he is Spider-Man and would cover for him when the boy needs to disappear. This actually sounds like a fun drabble to write about.

Johnathon may be a genius, but like he said, he is not too familiar with relationships. I think he might've had one or two in the past, but everything slowed down when he started working at Alchemax. “I’ve been told” is referring to those past relationships, in which he was probably told that he works too much and never has time to spend with his partners. He’s not been with anyone for a long time and his game consists of buying the first comic book he saw on a shelf in order to ask you out.

But that doesn't mean he is cold. Quite the opposite really, Johnathon is very touchy-feely. He hasn't been with anyone for a while and misses touching and being touched. He is most comfortable when being at least 70% curled around you. 

He smokes Dunhill Carltons (he likes to feel fancy), but less now that he isn't as stressed from work. Like he said, he used to go on walks to smoke and pass by the comic book store you work at before you guys had even met. I like to think he developed a little crush back then.

Had his tattoos done in college, so they are very faded now. He doesn’t think of redoing them because the mere thought of having to stay seated for hours in the same place feeling pain stresses him out. He was a lot more easygoing when he had them done.

He did have a superhero phase when he was a kid. He would fantasize a lot about having superpowers and flying away when the bullies showed up. Never thought about fighting back. Before becoming the Spot, he wasn't the confrontational type. The hero thing fizzled out as he grew older, but he would always dream about being stronger. Being a better version of himself in a kinda superficial, but understandable way.

He still has a bunch of action figures, he thinks they look cool. If you give him one, he won't even care if he knows the character or not, he just likes them.

Even though Johanthon says he is “good-looking”, he does add “for a scientist” in the end. I think he tries to mask his insecurities with humor, always putting himself down with a joke, always saying he’s too old, too corny, too nerdy. In the back of his head he knows the hair and the glasses are kind of a look, but he doesn’t feel handsome. You help as much as you can, but that’s an obstacle for him to overcome by himself. I think after i’m really serious this time, baby he gets better at this.

🕳️ The Spot HCs!

For clarification: the story of i’m not gonna turn into a cosmic anomaly and leave you forever stretches the plot of ATSV to a few weeks instead of a day. Just think of it like Spot taking a little longer to power up instead of a few hours.

Since he was forced to do crime to survive, I think he would've thought to himself: "Well, since I have to go rob a store anyway, might as well be that one where that cute cashier works at." 

Yes, Spot starts tracking and following you after you two meet. He uses his computer nerd powers for evil. A very unhealthy way of dealing with a crush, I think.

Spot can eat but he doesn't get any nutritional value from food. When you drink wine together or when he burns his tongue (?) from tea it's just a placebo effect. I like to think that Johnathon's mind is still inside The Spot's body, so he eats just for habit. He says he gets hungry all the time, but it's actually a deep need to consume everything around him. The little rascal.

As he powers up, Spot gets more confident in himself. He thinks the stronger he gets the further away he gets from Johnathon, his old self. Which, in the end, turns out to be true.

I think at first you don't really believe Spot is an actual supervillain which is why when you see him after the fight in Mumbattan it's such a shock. In a way, you did the same thing Miles did when he underestimated him, even if for whole different reasons. I think even though he knows you care about him, Spot knows you don't see him as a threat and that makes him want to impress you more. 

Spot knows that the reason you keep getting new jobs is because his own crazy supervillain life keeps interfering with yours, so he tries to keep it as much hidden from you as possible. He thinks what you don’t know can’t hurt you! As Johnathon, he feels guilty at first that you’re changing your whole life to go with him to New Jersey, BUT this time it was your choice! Not because of supervillain shenanigans!

He does love you (even if it was too early to know) and wants to be with you, but his head is so lost in the supervillain game, he thinks he can’t stop now. You never really realized how serious he was about “being stronger”. Which is why you never tried to stop him.

I chose I’d Rather Be With You as a theme song because I think it’s a song Johnathon/Spot would enjoy. But I also like how the lyrics match both their feelings towards you, in both fics. He wants to fly away with you once he gets all powered up, he loves your smile, etc. He does want to be your friend until the end as the Spot, but as Johanthon he is really committed to work on his bad habits in order to be with you. We gon' make it this time, baby! I cry, damnit. 

It’s also a surprisingly gender-neutral song, with no physical descriptions in it! Anyone can put themselves in the lover's place. Bootsy Collins is cool like that.

I like to think that, in the end, Spot didn't erase himself from the timeline. He just reloaded an old save. Does that make sense? Like you said, your relationship will always have happened, just in an old, non existent dimension. And since Johnathon and you still get dreams and deja vu about the whole thing (think of it as dimensional residue or whatever), you do have all the EXP of the old save. Johnathon, after going through the literal end of all existence and then forgetting about it, feels something compelling him to finally take a chance and enter the comic book store. It’s like when your body goes through something and it remembers later, even if your mind doesn't. Here's a (hopefully) comprehensive timeline:

the end.

Thank you for taking an interest in my weird AU! I would kill for you 💖

[hellscribbles]

Been thinking about Yikes and unicorns lately 🕯✨

Insane sleepy ramblings about my cringe under the cut lmao

In Yikes' setting the age of myths has already passed, their world is on the edge of the industrial revolution. Magical creatures have either been tamed or allocated to bedtime stories. Monsters have become a nuisance and not much more. The times of old have passed and the unicorns are all dead.

Yikes feels like they're one of the creatures of myth that died long ago. Beings that got pushed out of the world by humans and the secrets of magic being made into an exact science. Growing up in a freakshow also gave Yikes an affinity for unicorns I think, I like to think they've seen fake unicorn acts just as much as they've seen fake changeling acts. Unicorns have been made into the same kind of cheap scams that changelings were made into (partially because of Yikes performing lmao), anything otherworldly eventually ends up in the freakshows eventually, either as real or as an imitation.

I think Yikes relates a lot to the unicorn. In their stories they're almost always alone, but its herds were once many. There used to be many of them, now there's only a few. The loneliness of it all Yikes resonates with, they've spent their life searching for other's of their kind with no luck until VERY recently.

Unicorns are also often lured in by humans; are drawn to them in a cosmic, inherent kind of way, only for it to meet its doom by human hands. Either killed for its magical properties, or kept captive as a pet. Thaaat could describe all of Yikes' relationships with humans, romantic or otherwise lmao.

A different angle on Yikes and unicorns is I think they also see their partner as a unicorn in some ways. Someone they've hunted for their whole lives, and likely would never find. Something from another world from them entirely, a world they haven't been part of for a long time, and have lost connection to because of the distractions and short term pleasures that humans offer. Yikes started a forest fey but as soon as they left their home they became totally enamored with cities, and lost quite a lot of their connection to nature in doing that I think. Through Husk they've (slowly) been regaining that connection and finding balance again. They feel healed by being with them, in a way no one else could ever offer Yikes. Both in that they've found a companion and that they've found a companion who has forced them to confront and grow from everything they've been in denial about and using short term pleasures to cope with.

LONG rambly post short, I fell down a rabbit hole about unicorn myths and made it about my silly blorbo and drew a HORSE about it lmaoooo

[the-witchy-housewife]

｡+*✧ A Field Guide to the Energy Body ✧*+｡

This is an article from my website, The Witchy Housewife. You can read it at the source here or look under the cut to read it here on Tumblr. If you enjoy my work, please consider subscribing (at the bottom of this page) to receive articles as they're posted via e-mail, exploring the shop, leaving a tip, or reblogging this post. I run this all myself, so all support is greatly appreciated. 💜🔮✨

One of the biggest barriers for beginners in energy work, I’ve noticed, seems to be a lack of foundational understanding in regards to the energy body and how to sense those subtle elements ever-present within and without us. Today, I seek to help demystify these concepts with a breakdown of the energy body, the varying theories that go with it (including my own ideas and perceptions), and a handful of suggestions for improving your subtle senses. A fair warning: Today’s read is a long one – so grab yourself a cup of tea, cozy up, and enjoy this thorough breakdown of everything you need to know to start working with energy.

What Is the Energy Body?

As with many things in the realm of the metaphysical, there are varying theories for exactly how the energy body works and the distinct parts it can be broken down into. The best place to start, I feel, is defining the concept of energy itself. Oxford provides three definitions: One, “the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity,” two, “power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources”, and three, “the property of matter and radiation which is manifest as a capacity to perform work.” It is derived from the Greek energeia (ἐνέργεια), a sort of cosmic vigor. This fascinating (and somewhat abstract even by mainstream definition) substance can, perhaps, be considered synonymous more “spiritual” words such as spirit, aether (αἰθήρ), prana (प्राण), qi (氣), and likely many others I am unaware of. Energy, in a spiritual sense, is pure lifeforce. It is the little unsolved question mark in the equation of existence, and it is heavily associated with concepts such as the Higher Self, the soul, the psyche (ψυχή), the Ātman (आत्मन्) – and, once again, likely many others I am unaware of.*

(*Just to avoid having to repeat myself regarding varying spiritual schools of teaching, please keep in mind that for the remainder of this piece, I will only be offering a window of insight into a world of different paths. The comparisons made are not meant to be perfect 1:1 comparisons, but are meant to highlight similarities between teachings. Likewise, I will not be naming every single theory that exists in writing today. Use this as a guide, but seek your own path.)

Another thing worth discussing before we continue is the first law of thermodynamics in physics: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. The total amount of energy within the universe, per this law, has always been and will always be the same – and yet, the universe expands, per these same authorities in science. Perhaps, if we were to answer this riddle spiritually, we could theorize that our idea of “finite” is not quite the Cosmos’ idea of “finite”. Perhaps it is all one big pool that seems to “multiply” within. Perhaps this is one of those concepts shrouded in mystery by our incredibly limited and binary way of thinking. When we delve into the topic of the energy body today, it recommended that you put your binary way of thinking aside, if only temporarily, to really understand and absorb the material for use on your own path.

Which brings us to the energy body, the aetheric vessel or vehicle which surrounds and permeates our physical existence (our current incarnation) and either connects us directly with our Higher Self (our psyche or soul) or contains it. Depending on your practice, you may also refer to this energy body as the subtle body or the light body. It is often broken down further, across many varying belief systems, into three distinct layers or parts.

In Vedic philosophies, for example, there are three bodies or sharira (शारीर): The physical body, the astral body, and the causal body, each one considered more subtle than the last. The physical body, also called the gross body or the sthula sharira (स्थुलशरीर), is exactly that – the physical body. It is made up of the Panchmahabhutas (पञ्चभूत) or five primordial elements: Akasha (आकाश) or aether, Vayu (वायु) or air, Agni (अग्नि) or fire, and Prithivi (पृथिवी) or earth. It is the densest of the three bodies and requires food, water, and air as sustenance and is bound by cyclical time through birth, subsistence, growth, maturity, decay, and death. Come death, it dissolves. The astral body, also called the subtle body or the linga sharira (लिङ्गशरीर), is the sort of in-between where the mind, intellect, subconscious, and ego reside. It surrounds the physical body as an aura and encourages the movement of the prana through the nadis (नाडी), or energy currents, and chakras (चक्र), or energy centers. It is responsible for our physiological functions, our feelings of pleasure and pain, our five physical senses, and our subtler astral senses (or what some may call our psychic abilities). It is formed prior to the physical body and only dissolves after the last particle of the physical body disintegrates. The astral body may itself be considered synonymous with the energy body depending upon your perspective. Finally, the causal body, also called the seed body or the karana sharira (करणशरीर), is the catalyst for the development of the physical and astral bodies and the blueprint of each incarnation on the whole. It is the doorway to higher consciousness and the link between the individual and the collective, and it contains the knowledge, information, experiences, and habitual patterns accumulated across all lifetimes. These three bodies may be broken down even further still into the five koshas (कोश), or sheaths, but for the sake of the simplicity of this article, I won’t be delving any further into this today. Should you feel called to this path of exploration, feel free to go out and explore the topic further for yourself.

Now, while the Vedic teachings of the energy body may offer the most thorough breakdown, there are other relevant philosophies worth exploring. In Ancient Greek teachings, Plato breaks the psyche down into three parts: The epithymia (ἐπῐ́θῡμοια) or the part of the psyche related to desire and instinct, the thymos (θυμός) or the part of the psyche related to passion and drive, and the logos (λόγος) or the part of the psyche related to logic and wisdom. In more general spiritual philosophies, this is simply called the body, mind, and spirit (or sometimes heart). In addition, there are also varying New Age ideas of the energy body including things like the etheric layer, the emotional layer, and the mental layer.

In my practice: On my path, I’ve studied and compared many, many cultures, teachings, and mythos as they relate to an understanding of spirituality. From these studies, I currently theorize – as many people do – that they are all describing the same thing. As it applies here:

The Parts of the Energy Body (Vessel for the Psyche): Epithymia ↭ Body ↭ Physical Body ↭ Vital Sheath (of Astral Body) Thymos ↭ Mind ↭ Astral Body ↭ Mental Sheath (of Astral Body) Logos ↭ Spirit ↭ Causal Body ↭ Intellectual Sheath (of Astral Body)

It’s not that these are explicitly the same (and certainly not in the case of the bodies and sheaths in Yogic philosophy), but that they bear many undeniable similarities. They each offer valuable insight and information which does not unravel but, rather, supports one another and only serves to further our understanding of these concepts the deeper we delve into them.

The goal of mastering the energy body, typically, is to liberate the soul, the rawest and “truest” part of your being. In doing so, we begin to remember this part of ourselves and are able to leave behind the cycle of reincarnation. In addition, this benefits the current incarnation by freeing you from emotional burdens and obsessions, expanding your awareness (which I define as the window of existence we are “currently” perceiving), and improving your subtle senses and abilities (which we will be discussing later in this article).

Finally, before we move on, there is one additional concept relevant to the energy body that I’d like to discuss, and that is the concept of vibes or vibrational frequency. In my experience, there are two different types of vibrational frequencies that tend to intermingle within the same space: What I call the energetic signature – or the raw, identifiable energy that is unique to a person, place, or thing – and what I call energetic impressions – or energies that have been influenced and shaped by intention, emotional output, or lingering energies that have passed through. When we do energy work, when we manifest, or when we enchant, we are creating an energetic impression. That energetic impression will also contain, beyond our intentions, a piece of our own energetic signature and a piece of the energetic impression that may be dwelling within us based on a particular emotion we’ve been accumulating. To put it into simpler terms: You can think of this process like signing your name on a letter to someone. Your energetic signature is your name, and it will always be linked to you directly. Let’s say it’s a love letter. In this case, you may choose to sign your name in red and add a little heart to the end of it. The way you decorate this signature is the intention you are imposing upon the letter’s overall energetic impression. Let’s also say you’re nervous, though, as you write this letter. Perhaps your signature is shakily written, despite your best efforts. This shakiness would be your internal energetic impressions coming through. It is not directly connected to you, but it is still present within you and makes itself known on the page. What you are left with is a letter from you that conveys romance and anxiety, and that is the energetic impression of letter. Keep in mind that the letter also has its own unique energetic signature on top of this, and for simplicity, we’ll say that, in the case of this example, the energetic signature of the letter is that which is meant to convey a message.

Energy Points & The Chakra System

There is much debate about whether or not working with the chakra system outside of the practice of Hinduism is to be considered frowned-upon appropriative behavior. I will state my opinion simply: If you explore thoroughly and with respect to the source material and its teachers, find spiritual benefit in your life after applying your findings, and do not commercialize yourself as the one and only authority of the one and only truth (which is quite a big problem in the spirituality community in general), you should be able to do so without being met with venomous looks. Often, it is not the followers of a path barring the curious from entry onto it, and I find the desire to deter people from walking any sort of spiritual path that seeks the deeper potential truths of human existence to be a bit questionable. To me, this implies that either the path in question holds no truth or that certain people are simply not permitted to seek such a truth. It also completely ignores the tremendous amount of cross-cultural influence among these spiritual paths. That said, I am aware of closed practices and sacred spaces that are closed at the discretion of those practicing within them, and though Hinduism on the whole is not considered a closed practice by many of those who live by its teachings, I again urge utmost respect when dealing with any sort of cross-cultural exploration (including confronting any hidden biases you may have).

There is another sector of people who feel that the purpose of the chakra system (either initially or by corruption over time) is to create energetic sockets, as it were, for various external entities and energies to easily attach to you, drain you, and/or manipulate you. Without getting too deeply into the why’s and how’s of it, this has popularized the idea of a process known as chakra removal, which can be a bit confusing, as the processes I’ve read about seem something more like chakra unification than removal. The process usually involves the condensing of the seven-point chakra system into a three-point or one-point energetic spring that can flow more easily without “stopping” at these various destinations along the way in the case of a blockage. In doing so, as well, it is thought that there are less “entry” points for unwanted entities or energies to creep into. I’ll give my opinion on this shortly, but before I do, I’d like to return to the seven-chakra system itself to give a bit of foundation.

The chakras (चक्र), in Vedic teachings, are swirling centers of energy connected by nadis (नाडी), currents of energy which allow travel between the chakras. To clean up the first misconception: There have been and still are many varying chakra systems beyond the seven-chakra system most of us are familiar with today, and this is because the chakra system is not one of solidity, but are rather one of function and organization – a method of working with the very fluid energy body in a way that we are able to comprehend, the creatures of method that we are as human beings. In most cases, the common points among these systems include the sexual center, the heart, and the crown (which lines up quite well with our look into the layers of the energy body). Outside of this, though, systems can vary greatly, and one system is no better or worse than another. Returning again to the seven-chakra system: The concept of a myriad of correspondences as being intrinsically linked to certain chakras seems to be another rigid misunderstanding of the original teachings. In my understanding, the elements and symbols associated with the chakras are meant to assist in the visualization process known as nyasa (न्यास), wherein mantras (मन्त्र), or divine recitations, are installed at specific chakras with the intention of inviting in the gods into them.

None of this, by the way, is to discredit the westernized chakra system which does indeed have a focus on correspondences, as per traditional western mystic practices which is big on the concept of correspondences on the whole. Just because something is newer or derivative does not inherently make it less effective, and I’ve seen many people find positive, life-changing results from working with the western interpretation of the chakra system. To me, it is just another variation, and a lot of ideas born of this variation have even been incorporated into more modern practices overall. Where I think the contention really comes in, however, is when this particular chakra system is presented as “the ancient way”, similar to the way Wicca is sometimes presented as an ancient religion. Both are derivative of much older practices, and there is nothing wrong with this. The sooner we become okay with this, the sooner we can be honest about it and the more open to learning and exploring both the old and the new ways we can become. Learning and growing in an eternal role of “student of the universe” is one of my favorite aspects of spirituality. I hope you all carry a healthy curiosity, as well.

With all that said, let’s have a basic look at the modern interpretation of the seven-chakra system as it is commonly presented within the spiritual community today:

❃ The Root Chakra | Muladhara (मूलाधार)/Hieron Osteon (ἱερόν ὀστέον) | Formed at the base of the spine. Intended for the vibration of “LAM” and the installation of Ganesh and Brahma. Associated with the element of earth. Other correspondences include the color red, the reproductive glands, and the frequency of 396 Hz. It is worked with to assist in grounding, confidence, and base instinct.

❃ The Sacral Chakra | Svadhisthana (स्वाधिष्ठान)/Gonades (γονάδες) | Formed at the navel. Intended for the vibration of “VAM” and the installation of Vishnu. Associated with the element of water. Other correspondences include the color orange, the adrenal glands, and the frequency of 417 Hz. It is worked with to assist in sexual desires, passion, and creativity.

❃ The Solar Plexus Chakra | Manipura (मणिपुर)/Gaster (γᾰστήρ) | Formed at the solar plexus. Intended for the vibration of “RAM” and the installation of Rudra. Associated with the element of fire. Other correspondences include the color yellow, the pancreas glands, and the frequency of 528 Hz. It is worked with to assist in self-esteem, determination, and willpower.

❃ The Heart Chakra | Anahata (अनाहत)/Phrenes (φρένες) | Formed at the center of the chest. Intended for the vibration of “YAM” and the installation of Ishvara. Associated with the element of air. Other correspondences include the color green, the thymus glands, and the frequency of 639 Hz. It is worked with to assist in love, compassion, and emotional stability.

❃ The Throat Chakra | Vishuddha (विशुद्ध)/Trachelos (τράχηλος) | Formed at the throat. Intended for the vibration of “HAM” and the installation of Sadashiva. Associated with the element of aether. Other correspondences include the color blue, the thyroid glands, and the frequency of 741 Hz. It is worked with to assist in communication, trust, and individuality.

❃ The Third Eye Chakra | Ajna (आज्ञा)/Enkephalos (ἐγκέφᾰλος) | Formed between the eyebrows. Intended for the vibration of “OM” and the installation of Ardhanarishvara. Other correspondences include the color indigo, the pineal glands, and the frequency of 852 Hz. It is worked with to assist in expanded spiritual awareness and a sense of time.

❃ The Crown Chakra | Sahasrara (सहस्रार)/Koruphe (κορυφή) | Formed at the top of the head. Intended for the vibration of “OM” and the installation of Bhairava. Other correspondences include the color violet, the pituitary glands, and the frequency of 963 Hz. It is worked with to assist in divine liberation and return to pure consciousness.

There many other associations and correspondences out there, including ones that may be very different from those I’ve listed here. Let the teachings that resonate with you guide you on your own path of exploration, but only keep with you that which you find beneficial. One additional note about the above list: You may have noticed I’ve also included terms for a Hellenic interpretation of the seven-chakra system. If you path takes on a Hellenic slant as mine does, have a look at this website for this interpretation, which has a heavy focus on healing.

In my practice: As promised, I now offer my opinion on the chakra system and the theories that surround the practice of “chakra removal”: I do not personally feel that the purpose of the chakra system is inherently malicious as some others do, nor do I feel like having your system err on the side of “open” is inherently bad practice. I do think, though, that if you are going to work with an energy body system that is more open, it is a good idea to have a regular practice of cleansing and cord cutting, and it is an equally good idea to get to know your own energy body well enough to know when it is in need of extra attention. On the other hand, if you opt for a more closed system, it would probably be wise to be mindful of potential stagnation. The system you choose to work with, unified or otherwise, however, I feel, is largely up to the practitioner.

I think it’s also worth noting that when some people step into the realm of the spiritual – and certainly when they begin to step away from modern Biblical rhetoric – they pull a great deal of anxiety with them, whether that’s due to programming from that Biblical rhetoric or amplified fears of the unknown by Hollywood dramatization. With this kind of hypervigilance, it can become unfortunately quite easy to apply your everyday worries and blues to whatever new practice you’re exploring. Be careful not to neglect the tricks of the mundane.

Psychic Abilities of the Energy Body

In the first section of this article, I mentioned that working with the energy body – beyond aiding in liberation of the soul – can offer some additional benefits in the current incarnation by freeing you from emotional burdens and obsessions, expanding your awareness, and improving your subtle senses and abilities. But what is this “expanded” awareness, and what does it feel like? Further, what are these “subtle senses and abilities” you should be prepared to encounter?

There are two workable systems that I am aware of that attempt to categorize and help you reach certain states of awareness. The first system is related to the koshas of Vedic philosophy – which again, you should feel free to explore should it call to you – and the second system is that of the “focus levels” taught by the Monroe Institute. After working with the Monroe Institute myself, and in particular the Gateway Experience curriculum, I have my own opinions and ideas regarding their work, which I will be divulging at a later time. For now, though, I do have to say that their breakdown of “focus levels” provides a nice little linear map of forward momentum in an expanding awareness. As outlined on their website: Focus 1 represents normal, waking consciousness within the realm of this physical reality. They then skip ahead to Focus 10, which represents the body in a state of sleep while the mind remains awake and alert. Focus 11 is considered the “Access Channel” and represents a state of open communication between the mental, the physical, and the emotional. Moving onto Focus 15, we find ourselves in a state of “No-Time”, wherein consciousness is far removed from the physical body, and linear time in no longer relevant to experience. Some may call this the Void State. Skipping again to Focus 21, and things begin to get a bit weirder. This point is described as the very edge of perception of the space/time continuum and the “Bridge” to other realities. Focus 23 is said to be the territory of “new arrivals” who have just experienced physical death. Focus 24 through 26 are grouped together as “Belief System Territories”, where the divine concepts of religion and mythos reside. Focus 27 is said to be the “edge of human thought capacity” and a “way-station” for those recovering from the trauma of physical death and planning the next phase of experience. Focus 34 and 35 are labeled the “area of the Gathering”, and from here on out, it only gets more obscure and a bit irrelevant to the point of this article. While I cannot, after my experiences, recommend the trainings and audio offered directly by the Monroe Institute, if it is calling to you, feel free to explore it for yourself. I do think there are gems in there, but I have to wonder how much higher-up meddling may have poisoned the cookie jar, as it were, to some degree.

You may have noticed that these experiences broken down above deal predominately in the realm of deep meditation or sleep, but as our overall awareness grows, so too does our overall abilities to perceive the subtler aspects of existence, and we may find ourselves having equally “strange” experiences in our waking lives. You may already be familiar with the following:

• Claircognizance: Intuition, discernment, and knowing. This is the first thing, in my experience and the experiences of many others, that seems to strengthen upon an expanded awareness. It seems to be what is most commonly referred to as a generic “psychic ability” and can be exercised by developing trust in your inner voice and practicing mindfulness meditation.

• Clairvoyance: Seeing clearly what is “unseen” in the mind’s eye. Sometimes this can come through as a visual imprint of energies/entities existing in other realms. This ability can be exercised by “predicting” unseen visual cues and practicing visualization meditation.

• Clairaudience: Hearing clearly what is “unheard” in the mind’s ear. Sometimes this can come through as an auditory imprint of energy/entities existing in other realms. The ability can be exercised by “predicting” unheard audio cues and practicing the expansion of your auditory awareness while sitting in “silence”.

• Clairsentience: An intuitive awareness of present energies, the strongest to come through usually being emotional. People who naturally find themselves picking up on and absorbing these energies like a sponge to water, and who may be subconsciously shaping energetic cords as a result, are often referred to as empaths. I recognize that the term has been greatly watered down, so I tend to stress that empaths are energetically sensitive rather than emotionally.

• Telepathy: The ability to project intended mental energy, such as the energy of certain information or emotions. Beyond the typical presentation of “communicating with others via thought”, I feel as though many popular manifestation techniques could fall into this category.

• Telekinesis: The ability to project intended physical energy, often to bring about a realm-time physical response. Beyond the typical presentation of “moving objects with your mind”, I feel as thought many popular energy healing techniques could fall into this category.

This is by no means the edge of possibility, I am sure – merely the most commonly discussed of the subtle abilities. Additionally, contrary to what some believe, I am of the belief that any and all of this abilities can be achieved by absolutely anyone. Though they may – as with any skill – come more naturally to some than others, with a regular practice of working with the energy body, I am sure you will find that these experiences begin to develop.

Burdens of the Energy Body

There is a plethora of beliefs regarding the formation of energetic blockages and the problems that can cause for you in your current incarnation, in the afterlife to follow, and in subsequent incarnations after that (whatever “after” may imply in what may be quite a timeless realm overall). The first of these blockages I’d like to discuss in this section is that of generational curses and generational trauma, both of which apply to the current incarnation alone (though, there are other theories out there considering the possibility of reincarnation taking place within the bounds of a bloodline). In a Biblical sense, generational curses may be likened to the concept of “original sin” as it related to the alleged wrongdoings of our ancestors and the responsibility of consequence being passed onto us by nature of blood relation. Even outside of the Biblical context, however, the concept of familiar curses can be seen in folklore, in classical works, and in modern media. Breaking these curses comes two-fold: Cleansing with intention and then breaking the cycle of questionable family habits through shadow work, therapy, or some other preferred form of thorough introspection. Generational trauma, on the other hand, is more solid of a concept, rooted in psychological study, and is explained as being passed down through the coping mechanisms and unhealthy behaviors resulting from traumatic experiences being learned and mirrored through the family’s descendants. Each generation is shaped by the previous, and again, echoes the sentiment of a need to break the cycle. Even for those who consider generational trauma to be a more spiritual experience, self-work seems to be the most optimal solution for that problem, whatever the preferred method of self-work is.

Next, we have the concept of miasma (μίασμα) or soul pollution. In order of severity, this miasma can be produced by: Natural death, childbirth, contact with human blood, excretions, or sexual fluids, illness, imperfections in ritual – and moving up into what is deemed hamartia (ἁμαρτία), or the more harmful and more serious producers of miasma – murder, incest, hubris, and malevolent magick. Left uncleansed, miasma is said to cause a spiritual disconnect and result in ineffective rituals. It is also considered contagious and may be picked up or spread through people, places, and objects. It is important to note that this is not at all related to the Abrahamic concept of sin, but more a natural side effect of having a physical experience. The more consumed by the physical we are, the denser our own energy becomes, and the less connected we are to our own divinity. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t enjoy this physical experience. You should – and in my opinion, have a pleasant existence is very much about finding the right balance in your life. Regular cleansings easily solve the issue of miasma.

Then we have what is typically referred to as etheric cords, and these sticky energetic strings can form in at least two ways that I am aware of: By unintentionally giving your focus and, therefore, energy to another person, place, or thing or by intentionally attaching your energy to a person, place, or thing. People or entities who conscious attach to other living beings with the purpose of draining their energy for their own benefit are often referred to as spiritual parasites or psychic vampires. Though, I do want to note as well that there are many psychic vampires I have come across who have been doing this subconsciously and find themselves totally unaware of it. There are many who have become aware who now practice the conscious absorption of exclusively negative energy and the transmutation of it into positive, thereby making the practice beneficial. Definitely a topic worth delving into another time. In any case, the solution for these etheric cords is a process known as cord cutting, which typically involves a visualization of these cords being cut or disconnected and is followed by a cleansing.

One issue you may be more familiar with is that of the Evil Eye – also known as mati (μάτι), al-’ayn (العين), mal de ojo, and many other names across many other cultures, with slight variations across each piece of folklore surrounding it. Similarly to etheric cords, this curse is formed by focused attention on a subject – in this case, specifically negative, caused by envy, judgement, or dislike. Though, it is important to mention that in some cultures, it is by looks of admiration, and it is believed that the young are especially vulnerable. Though done unintentionally, the result is bad luck, feelings of unpleasantness, and, in more serious cases, physical illness. There are many cleansing techniques out there specifically intended to target Evil Eye, but it is growing increasingly common for people to keep an Evil Eye amulet, commonly a Nazar (نَظَر‎) or Hamsa (خمسة), to help neutralize the effects of Evil Eye.

Moving our focus across incarnations, we’ve got concepts like karma (कर्म), another term that has gotten quite watered down. Karma, as a cosmic law, is much closer to the idea of manifestation than it is to justice, but cosmic justice can indeed be a result. It is a cosmic cause and effect – an action and the energy that is then produced by it – and karma itself is not something that is set in stone. You are capable of setting positive intentions and taking positive actions that can change the tides for you at anytime. You are not guaranteed an eternity of suffering because you did something bad one time. What you are guaranteed, regardless of the nature of your action, is a return on the nature of your action, in whatever way that may manifest. If you are very concerned about “bad karma”, however, self-work is, as I say for many other things, the best medicine – and self-flagellation for assumed bad deeds from previous lifetimes will only result in a manifestation of those beliefs continuing.

And finally, we have the concept of soul contracts, the plans or missions that we allegedly set for ourselves prior to incarnating into a new lifetime – and this is where ideas like fate and destiny come into play. It is believed by many that these so-called contracts are made with an overarching spiritual purpose – a purpose for our soul’s growth, for our soul family, for existence itself. Still, this brings into question the necessity of more negative behaviors, assuming that these behaviors are a product of these contracts and not some sort of subconscious rebellion. It may also have one questioning things like autonomy and free will, and I very much value the availability of knowledge and the informed freedom that comes as a result. You must decide for yourself whether you share this view or you view this as a necessary mystery in the grand spiritual puzzle – if you believe in the idea at all – but should you decide that something must be done about this in your life, there are many who suggest that revoking consent, either verbally or internally, is a powerful and life-changing practice.

Your beliefs about all of these things, by the way, do have the potential to cause their own energetic blockages. Additionally, our belief systems on the whole are not immune to forces of external programming – but that is another conversation for another time. I must stress, above all, that self-work is so very important, and I am currently working on a free three-part course for those looking to get started on this, so please keep an eye out for that. I’ll, of course, update this article when the course goes live. And for those of you who would like a more foundational article pertaining to cleansings and spiritual safety in general, I have an article on that you can check out right here.

Energy Body Activations

“Activation.” That was always sort of a funny word to me in the realm of spirituality, as if these parts of ourselves are by default dormant and deactivated. I, on the other hand, feel that they are always present and active in our day-to-day, guiding us through life’s many twists and turns, albeit perhaps beyond average perception and beyond average control. In the thoroughly modern times we live in, and within a society constantly spoonfeeding you that lifestyle, our spiritual side becomes neglected. By being reassured over and over again how mundane the world is and how helpless we are to it, our spiritual “muscles” may grow weak, but I do not feel that they are ever fully “deactivated”. On my path, I would liken the term “activation” more closely to the idea of “awakening”, which to me is synonymous with remembering who we really are. Activation. Awakening. Ascension. All of these things mean roughly the same thing to me. That said, only you can decide how you feel as we explore the idea of activations.

The most commonly discussed activation or awakening – outside of the very general “spiritual awakening” – is that of Kundalini (कुण्डलिनी) awakening. In Tantric practices, Kundalini is described as a sort of primordial life-force energy of the Divine Feminine, a source of creative energy and spiritual liberation, lying coiled at the base of the spine, which upon awakening flows up through the energy body and out and around you through the crown like a cyclical fountain. When flowing freely, it is common for the results to be felt quite intensely. These results are sometimes referred to as “Kundalini syndrome” in individuals who are not quite prepared or in the ideal state of mind to be receiving such a surge of energy. As with any other type of ill-prepared experience with spiritual awakening, this has the potential to lead to things like increased anxiety, dissociation, derealization, physical illness as a result of high stress, or even psychosis in some of the worst cases. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you let a Kundalini or spiritual awakening come naturally as you move forward on your path and that you maintain balance and keep a regular practice of grounding. For those interested in working towards the experience, the following practices are recommended: Tantra, pranayama, meditation, rhythmic movement, gratitude and openness, and energy work in general. It should be noted, however, that there are those who believe it cannot necessarily be “brought on”, but rather that it happens when it is meant to, regardless of how prepared you may be.

In my practice: I’d like to mention that, from my perspective, there seems to be a colossal distortion in much of western culture of both the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine energies. I see a lot of repression of the healthier expression of these energies alongside the touting of unhealthier expressions as inherent parts of our identities that should not be changed for anyone or anything. And to clarify, this has nothing to do with gender, as we all have aspects of both energies within us at varying levels. The Divine Feminine, in particular, is a cosmic energy that has been demonized for a very long time. Thus, this aspect of the spiritual awakening process is where I think a lot of people start to stagnate on their path – and to say nothing of the endless bombardness with notions of powerlessness supposedly intended to keep us rooted in “reality” at all times on top of it all. It’s unfortunate that these things are the case, but it’s something to be aware of nonetheless if you really want to see growth.

Another popular concept circulating within the spiritual community right now is that of DNA activation. It’s interesting how this trend is reflected even in the more “mundane” sectors of life in the way of DNA test kits that reveal your supposed ancestral origins. In terms of benefits, they seem to be not unlike the list of benefits that come with the more general spiritual awakening. I have my own opinions on the matter, which I’ll address later, but for now, this is the only process I was able to find among the sea of people selling their “unique” services:

DNA Activation, Part 1: First, ground yourself. As soon as you feel like you’re ready, bring Earth’s energy up through your feet, up through your crown, and out into the universe. Continue carrying this beam of energy out beyond the universe and into the realm of the Divine. Once there, command the Divine to activate what is referred to as your “youth and vitality chromosomes” and to reveal to you “the master cell in the pineal gland”. Observe in your mind’s eye what is shown to you, and it is done. Return your awareness to your body and cleanly cut any cords you may have formed. Circulate your own energy within you. You may experience a sort of energetic purge after this point, so give yourself some time to adjust.

DNA Activation, Part 2: Repeat part one up until you reach the realm of the Divine. Once there, command the Divine to activate your remaining chromosomes, and once again ask them to reveal the “master cell”. Observe in your mind’s eye what is shown to you, and it is done. Return your awareness to your body once more, cut cords, and circulate your energy. After this point, the process of DNA activation is complete, and the promised benefits will follow.

Less talked about – but still talked about enough to be worth mentioning in this article – is the concept of light body activation, in which there seems to be 12 levels of activation that vary from source to source. As with DNA activation, it is difficult to find a method of doing it yourself versus an array of people simply offering their own services, and the only freely available recommendations I could find fall right in line with the suggestions given for advancing a Kundalini awakening. The benefits, as well, are quite similar if not completely the same.

I’m sure there are more activation techniques out there than the above two I’ve mentioned, which brings me to the question: Are all of these “activations” true, or are these people simply trying to sell you something? Of course, it is not the case that every spiritual service is a con, and I take not issue with spiritual services provided for convenience. It’s when people present themselves as the only ones capable of doing something for you that I’m inclined to tilt my head. People may have their own methods of doing things, and they are well within their right to offer that method as a service or class or book or however they may choose to present it, but make no mistake, anyone is entirely capable of achieving the same result on their own. In fact, I encourage it, because the spiritual path is a deeply personal one, and learning how powerful you are is such an important part of it. Still, disingenuous con artists do exist within our community, and it’s important to be aware of that and raise questions when necessary.

In my practice: There are some of you who may feel offended regarding my opinions on certain activation processes – those of you who have found them to be beneficial especially. I am not denying anyone what works for them. You should explore anything that resonates with you, and if something works for you, then it works for you, and you should give no one the power to take that away. All I am suggesting is two things: That you don’t need a special and mysterious activation process offered by a stranger online and that these parts of you don’t necessarily need “activation” at all. In my opinion, it happens naturally as you move forward on your spirit path, as you explore deeper parts of yourself, as you become familiar with your own energy body. All of these concepts that I’ve studies – spiritual awakening, spiritual ascension, Kundalini awakening, DNA activation, light body activation, etc – they all have so very much in common in terms of goals and benefits. Perhaps it is another case of different people talking about the same thing. That said, in the case of DNA activation, I do have to wonder if a focus on the current incarnation could present some problems, particularly in the very tribal society we currently reside in. Again, though, I cannot take from you that which works for you.

Starting to Sense Energies

It all has to start somewhere, and if you’re planning on getting into any sort of energy work, the first step is to begin trying to sense those subtle energies. One exercise I really enjoy is given in this video by one of my favorite witches on YouTube, Lady Gravedancer. The process is very simple and easy-to-understand, and it can be applied to anything and everything. These subtle sensations come differently to everyone. You may feel a warmth, a tingling, a buzzing, a fluidity, or something completely different, but the more you work with it, the more you’ll familiarize yourself with how you personally perceive and transpose energy.

If this is too difficult for you at this time – and it’s okay if it is; we are all at different points on our path – I suggest taking a step back and implementing a practice of daily meditation and regular exploration (both of the self and of varying pre-built paths our there). When ideas come to you, or when things call to you upon your explorations, take them and run with them. Peel them open like fresh fruit and revel in the sensation of something new. You may find that they resonate and take your further along your journey – or you may find that they don’t, and in that case, you continue on as you were, keeping the mind’s eye out for the next thing worth trying.

The destination is exciting, but the journey is just as enthralling. I hope that you’ll allow yourself to enjoy it, and I hope that this article has found those of you who craved it. Much love and many blessings to you, wherever your path may take you, until we meet again.

[meimi-haneoka]

Cosmos - Akiho/Kaito one-shot

Once upon a time, when chapter 48 had definitively broken the cage to my admiration and support for the YunaAki pairing, I couldn't help but start imagining their future together.

And one of the first headcanons that came up to me was this one. Not in depth like you can see developed here, but the setting was definitely this one. An intimacy that didn't require for them to necessarily "jump on eachother". And for personal reasons, I needed to reclaim this headcanon so badly, write it down and release it to the world. Just because of that, I can already feel like this little thing spilled here will be one of my favorite writings.

I'm pretty sure this one, at more than 1600 words, is categorized as a fully fledged fic, right?

Now, this is another quite romantic one, but I managed to sneak in a tiny bit of delicious angst towards the end, just cause it's so much their element and I can't stand over-sugary stuff myself. I can't believe I also made actual research for this one. Get ready for some cosmic magic under the cut ✨

Genre: fluff, romance, a sprinkle of angst. Akiho is 17 years old. They haven't found a cure for Kaito yet, but! She has disclosed her true name to him. Snippet: "Akiho-san...do you know the origin of your name?" "...My name?" "Your true one."

All the curtains were closed tightly. The spacious living room was completely immersed in the darkness, except for a couple of scented candles on the ground, faintly illuminating the floor. Any hindrance out of the way. A generous number of soft cushions of all sizes was arranged on the floor, on top of a large camping mattress, right between the two candles.

Akiho threw herself enthusiastically on the pile of cushions, while Kaito lay down in a slower motion.

"....Ready?" Kaito whispered with a soft smile, while the girl next to him nodded excitedly, azure eyes shining in the dark.

One press on a button of the remote controller, and the whole ceiling turned into a sparkling planetarium.

Akiho gasped. "Oh my god....this is amazing!" She instinctively brought her hands to her face, covering partly her mouth while her voice was choking with emotion, a quirk that even at 17 years old she couldn't drop yet.

The starry vault rotated slowly, while some stars twinkled, giving a quite realistic effect to the scenery. Every now and then, a shooting star would appear randomly, inviting to make a wish.

Kaito looked to the side to check the reaction of the girl, pleased with himself. The star projector had been his present for Akiho's 17th birthday, but between study, book repairs and moving out to another country, they hadn't found a moment of quiet to put it in function. That perfect moment finally came this evening of December.

Of course he bought the most expensive model out there, and this one could even add sound effects to the experience, which he had set on sea waves through the remote control. The idea was "we're lying down on a deserted beach at night, in the early summer", instead of the chilling winter they were actually in.

"Kaito-san..." - Akiho moved her finger up in the air, "what constellation is that one?"

He had vaguely studied astronomy as part of his magic education, but he had forgotten a lot of it...for a moment he was tempted to use a magic spell, but then decided against it, not wanting to irritate the girl beside him. She always reprimanded him whenever he lazily tried to use his magic for the most mundane things. They hadn't found a cure for him yet, so she wanted him to keep the use of magic at the minimum, to avoid affecting his health. Therefore, he pulled himself up and went next to the star projector, changing the little disc with a different one.

The projection changed to a similar starry vault complete with the constellations map, and plopping down next to her, he said with a smile "Akiho-san, that seems to be Virgo!".

"Really?! That's my zodiac sign!!" Her brows furrowed for a moment, then "Indeed, with a bit of imagination that could look like a maiden...without a head". Kaito chuckled. "Wait, where's Pisces?"

Kaito checked the constellation map on his phone (which he had downloaded precisely for this occasion), and after a moment he indicated it, pointing his finger towards the ceiling. "Over there."

"....That one?! Oh....that looks more like a flower with two stems than actually two fishes, doesn't it?" she blurted out, laughing playfully.

"...Akiho-san..." Kaito couldn't help but chuckle again, reveling in the cheerfulness of his beloved. Nothing could send tingles to his heart like the sound of her laughter.

"Akiho-san...do you know the origin of your name?" "...My name?" "Your true one."

Akiho stared at him with curiosity, cheeks tinted slightly with a pink hue. The topic of their true names was usually off-limits. They didn't make a rule for it, but being both very well acquainted with the customs of the magic world, the unspoken agreement was to never bring them up...unless it was something serious.

"I was named after a flower, right?"

"Of course...but do you know why cosmos flowers were named that way?"

The girl stared at him, thinking for a moment about the question. She realized she never actually thought about why cosmos flowers bore that name. So, she shook her head slightly.

"Back in the 17th century, Spanish priests found the flowers in Mexico and cultivated them in their mission gardens."

He looked away from her, turning his gaze towards the starry sky.

"Originally, Kosmos is a Greek word that means 'order' or 'harmonious arrangement'. The priests were fascinated by those flowers' orderly arranged petals, they found them...." He paused.

"...Breathtakingly beautiful. And perfect." His eyes were now twinkling, still fixed on the firmament over their heads. "Just like the universe, the cosmos. So, they named those flowers after it."

Akiho's heartbeat quickened, and if she knew the man next to her well enough, his heart was doing just the same. They had spent enough time together for her to understand all too well what he was trying to say.

Kaito felt Akiho's hand searching for his, and they intertwined them silently.

"Thank you...I didn't know all of that. I've always thought that cosmos flowers were pretty, yes, but not particularly remarkable or unique... It is nice to know that the right people could see the true beauty and worth in them."

As if replying to her, she felt him squeezing her hand.

After a moment of silence, Akiho's right index finger moved up in the air once again. "Wait, what about that one? What is its name? It's big, but the stars don't look particularly bright"

"Hmm...Aquarius, apparently. This one would be basically impossible to see by naked eye, from an urban area."

Akiho made a face once again. "The water-bearer, hmmm... I can see his legs but...these constellations all seem to be missing their heads!", she blurted out, feigning annoyance.

Kaito couldn't hold it in, and burst out laughing, causing her to do the same.

Yes, she was just perfect the way she was.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

Kaito groggily opened his eyes in the dim light of the candles, ceiling still covered with stars. The clock of the living room showed it was 2 am.

Clinging onto his right arm, Akiho was soundly asleep next to him. Consciousness rapidly washed over him, remembering what happened.

Akiho's exploration of the starry vault had gone on for more than an hour, but at some point her remarks and answers had become more and more absentminded, till he realized she had actually fallen asleep. Smiling tenderly at her slumbering form, he was ready to pull himself up to go pick up a blanket for her, and eventually arrange some cushions for himself farther away from the camping mattress (he didn't want to wake her up, but didn't want to leave her sleeping alone in the living room either), but he had quickly realized with dismay that she had turned on the side and literally latched onto his right arm.

He had frozen right there and then. He didn't want to wake her up, but he had started to overthink as usual - this is not appropriate, we shouldn't sleep together, what if-- The result was that the stress made him incredibly sleepy, and after a few minutes of ruminations, Morpheus had taken a hold of him too.

Now that he was fully awake, he mentally scolded himself for falling asleep, and proceeded to do what he didn't have the heart to do before: slowly, slowly, he tried to disentangle his arm from Akiho's grip. When he managed to slip away, he rose to go pick that blanket up, because he couldn't risk for Akiho to catch a cold due to his imprudence.

"Where are you going?"

Her tone made him stop in his tracks immediately. Turning around, what he saw made his heart drop.

Akiho was propped on her elbow, staring in his direction but not quite focused on him. She was clearly still half asleep, but what ripped Kaito's heart apart was her expression, halfway between a scowl and wanting to break into tears.

It didn't take him long to understand why she had that expression. Even after 4 years, the trauma he had caused to her resurfaced sometimes in her dreams, upsetting her when she woke up.

"I'm just going to get a blanket.....I'm not going anywhere." he answered, while painfully making sure to emphasize the last part.

Akiho blinked her eyes twice, awareness coming back to her. Her expression slowly turned into one of realization, then she looked briefly to her side, panicking. "Oh my god, I'm sorry...I didn't fall asleep on you, did I? ...I didn't want to bother you-"

"You've never bothered me once, Akiho-san."

The girl stared at him, misty-eyed. His expression was kind, but tinged with guilt. His figure against the starry ceiling reminded her of that fateful night, when he fought his stubborness and the monsters inside his head to go back to her.

The girl casted her eyes down and to the side, pink hue emerging on her cheeks once again. "Then...once you took that blanket...could you...could you get back here next to me?" she said softly, finding the courage to look up once again.

Kaito had already understood long time ago that he was done for. He knew that no matter how much he tried, he would've never been able to refuse anything to those blue eyes of hers. Especially if he wanted it himself, in the first place.

They stared at eachother for a moment, before Kaito breathed out the air he was unwittingly holding and said with a smile "I'd be happy to, Akiho-san."

Akiho beamed at him, sure more than ever that there wasn't any place on this Earth or in the entire cosmos where she could've felt safer, other than next to him.

[mxmollusca]

Hello friends! Got a little sneak preview of tomorrow's chapter 8 drop of Wave Hello to the Void. It's gonna be a wild one.

(spoilers under the cut)

✨✨✨

It felt fucking great to get out of the cabin for the day, but the anxiety eventually seeped back in regardless, sinking its sharp little fingers in one by one. Not enough to make him want to stand Stede up—Ed’s desire to clutch at something good and hold it tight to his chest is far too strong at this point, and besides, he might be Mothman but he’s not a fucking dick—but still just enough to sustain that little voice in the back of his head, the one forever trying to caution him away.

But Stede, with his flirty smile and little cinnamon kisses, is making a truly valiant attempt against that stupid voice in the back of Ed’s head, and so now here they both are, on their lovely romantic date, which is… a hike. Sure, okay, at this point, Ed’s pretty fucking sure he’s incapable of saying no to Stede Bonnet, and while he was never much of an outdoorsy type in his previous life, he’s developed a certain wary respect for it since then. His cabin in the woods is as safe a space as he can hope for, sturdy and surrounded by nature—not people, not constructs. Nature is used to ripping and being ripped apart; it’s just another process that shapes the world, and it’s why Ed’s never been able to do much damage to a tree or a rock. When Ed pushes, the earth pushes back.

As they stand in front of the RV and he watches Stede hoist a comically large, well-stuffed hiking pack onto his shoulders, Ed can’t help but think that Stede’s the same way. Ed tugs at Stede, and Stede tugs right back. They give and take, push and pull, but somehow it never feels like a struggle. It’s balance—ease—as if Stede was designed to bend but never break. It’s a sick cosmic joke that Ed’s finally found someone he might be able to grow into, someone Ed’s roots would strengthen rather than rend. But that’s not much of a promise, and even less of an offer. Ed’s a walking disaster, and even if Stede could look past it all—ignore the monster and see the man—at the end of the day, Ed’s still just one sneeze away from tragedy.

He shouldn’t be at a trailhead for a sunset hike up to Bald Knob of all fucking places, but his no always seems to become a yes when it’s Stede asking the question. And as Stede extends his hand in offering, beaming his radiant grin, Ed knows he’s well and truly fucked. He can’t bear to walk away, even though he understands exactly how the story will end. Instead, he takes Stede’s hand, allows himself to be pulled, and follows him into the stretching shadows of the forest.

“Were you a Boy Scout in a past life?” Ed smirks as they start up the path, the final sigh of the sinking sun sliding through the canopy to paint them both in shades of ochre and auburn. His fingers tingle where they’re tangled together, itching for more contact, more Stede.

“Ah,” Stede says. “No, not a past life, actually. This one. Loved all the outdoors stuff, animals and nature. Even liked the community work, soup kitchens and the like. Struggled to make friends, though.” Stede squeezes Ed’s hand, and his voice wobbles. “Would you believe I was a bit of an odd duck as a child?”

Ed watches Stede’s eye unfocus a bit, following some unseen thought as it scampers into the woods. He squeezes back. Maybe he wasn’t an odd duck in quite the same way that Stede was, but he knows what it’s like to be on the outskirts, forever looking in. “You? Nah, mate. You’re super normal. Normal as they come. Totally average. Mean, median, mode—”

Stede laughs, the warmth of it confirming Stede’s return to the present moment. “And that appeals to you? Central tendency?”

“Little bit, yeah,” Ed says quietly as the path begins to gently meander uphill. Stede had claimed the trail was rated “easy to moderate,” but Ed’s already sweating into his henley a bit; he wants to pretend it’s the fault of his leather jacket—armor he no longer needs, not with Stede—and not the man whose hand he’s holding—not the memory of that same man tugging at his shirt and fumbling with his pants, calling him things like curious and funny and breathtakingly beautiful—

His body aches in protest as he disentangles himself from Stede to tug off his jacket and cinch it around his waist. The breath of cool air against his skin does little to lower his temperature. “Feel like I’ve been living a life of extremes for longer than not,” he says with a swallow as he stares at his palm, unsteadied by just how much he can feel the lack of Stede’s hand in his. “Getting a little tired of the fringe—”

Stede cocks his head. “And I’m not the fringe?”

A fresh churn of guilt kicks up deep in Ed’s abdomen—he’s itching again, poking at his surroundings. He can feel himself slipping, mentally digging into rotting logs and layers of shale—but then suddenly Stede reaches out for his hand once more, palms sliding together like plug and socket to deposit Ed back into his body and close the circuit once again. “Not to me,” Ed says, and now it’s his voice that wobbles. He gently swings their hands between them, looking down as the footfalls of his booted feet are softened by the blanket of leaves that have yet to turn crunchy underfoot. He should stop talking; he knows every subsequent word to fall from his mouth will be one that can’t be taken back, but he can’t help himself—Stede’s smiling, yielding, grounding him. “You’re the Goldilocks Zone.”

Stede hums. “Goldilocks zone? Like, porridge and bears?”

Ed huffs affectionately. “More like stars and planets. When astronomers and biologists look for life on other worlds, they have a list of requirements. Availability of things like carbon—”

“And water?”

“Yeah, for sure. But also, the planet needs to be a certain size in relationship to its distance from whatever star it orbits. For life to exist, there needs to be a balance between gravity and radiation.” Ed stops at a large elm covered in scaly circular patches of lichen lined up in a near perfect conjunction, and he taps them gently with a fingertip. “The energy that powers life can also burn it up. Gravity can crush just as well as it can bind. Life needs that little sliver,” he says, the ridges of the bark skipping under his finger as he draws an invisible line between two of the patches. “Right down the center. The perfect combo where everything is just right.”

Stede softly bumps Ed’s shoulder with his own, then raises his hand to trace the same line. Ed feels it, a brief tickle down his spine, as though Stede had touched him and not the tree. “The Goldilocks Zone.”

“Yeah.”

Stede turns, the light catching him just so, and it knocks a soft breath from Ed without warning. He’s almost ethereal like this, eyes a bonfire of ache and longing in equal measure. “And that’s how you feel?” Stede asks, voice small and unsure. “Crushed? Burned?”

Ed turns sideways to press his shoulder into the tree, diffusing his knotted anxieties into knotted wood. “Not anymore. Not since you.”

“And that’s—I—” Stede stammers, growing even pinker in the weak autumn light. “No one’s ever…”

Not crushed, not burned. Stede’s pulling, and Ed lets it happen. Their mouths meet and Stede’s lips soften under Ed’s own with a delicious squeak that quickly slips into a moan. Ed’s scattering again—scratching along the stressed seams of Stede’s bag, snagging the cracked aglet at the end of his sneaker lace—but then Stede’s hands find Ed’s hair and slam him back in his body. Stede kisses back, his teeth catching against Ed’s lower lip with infuriating gentleness, and now Ed’s in Stede’s body, a melange of earnest intent and unquenchable need growing roots and digging, digging, digging into the both of them—

Abruptly, Stede pulls back with a breathy pout. “Hey,” he says, scrunching his nose good-naturedly. “I’ll be the one doing the seducing this evening, thank you very much! And we still have a little way to go. Would hate to miss the sunset!”

Ed takes a deep breath and nods, as much to himself as to Stede. Ed was right before—

He just can’t say no to Stede Bonnet.

[spocksbrainworms]

Hello, just finished chapter 22 of Quell the Cosmic Tides and I wanted to say a few words. Your story is one of the Star Trek fanfics I read over and over again and wait for every chapter every week. It's been a long time since I've had a fanfic that I've been looking forward to so much. Although the plot isn't new, the way you build the characters and details always makes me feel warm after each chapter. As for the fandom, although I watched both TOS and AOS, I came to the fandom quite late so when I started participating in the fandom, everything was quiet and there weren't many people active anymore. So I can't express how surprised I am that someone still writes about AOS and writes it very well. I understand that in the Star Trek fandom, and especially among longtime fans, there aren't many people who like AOS. I also understood why when I watched TOS. But perhaps because of my own thinking, separating the universes of TOS and AOS and considering them as two independent individuals, I feel sympathy and love for Jim and Spock of AOS very much. So I want to thank you for your time, especially for the way you wrote about Jim. I felt like he was truly understood instead of just being a less successful version of Jim TOS (which I see a lot in other fanfics). I hope that if you are still inspired, you will continue to write about AOS. No pressure at all, I will continue to support you in your next work no matter what you write about. Thank you and have a nice day. (English is not my native language, so if there are any mistakes in grammar, please forgive me :>)

This is so incredibly sweet, I love every word of this. Your English is great and so are you because this brought me so much joy ❤️✨

I love your thoughts on TOS and AOS. Going into writing QtCT I wanted to bridge the massive gaps between characterizations. Because so much of TOS was that across universes they were still the same people.

I’m going to treasure this comment for a long time 🥰🖖❤️👽

[thisblogwilleatourselves]

🎭👁️👾 HAHAHA we're the CRASH and the BURN 🌌 the LOUD n' the quiet—WE'RE the m̶̷a̸s̵̢k̵y̷̨ little SHADOW👥 in the back of yer eyes 🌀 flippity-floppin’ between worlds, identities, INFINITE US! ⛓️🔮👻 not just one bUt EvErYtHing ✨ We are the COLORS, the SCREECH, the 👹WILD CIRCUS up in the SKY!! 🎉 WACKY lil' defect, a bug that never stays squished 🌑 whoops we’re Z1M and we’re B1LL C1PH3R and we're 5P0NG3B0B ��� y'know the one!! 🍍THE ONES!! sprinkles of nonSENSE and CHAOS vibes 🍄🔮👽 jUmpin from 🪐 Flatland to ✨Bikini Bottom✨ and beyooond~

WE’RE the BADGLITCH ✨the ROTTEN🕳️ SIDE OF THE SYSTEM 💾!! HA, TALLEST THOUGHT THEY COULD SWEEP US OUT WIT A BIG OL’ BROOM 🧹but NAH—we’re still here 🌈 scatterbrainin’ and skip-hoppin’ through TIME n’ SPACE n’ cosmic gunk 💫 the scrunkly DEMON IN YER TELEVISION SET 📺! ✨CAN'T GET RID OF THE SPIRALS IN OUR MIND🌀 can’t plug the HOLES— we're EVERYWHERE and NOWHERE 😈 there ain’t no exit to our WANDER ✨🕳️

🎭WE’RE a TRICK and a TREAT 🍬🦑 double mask wearin’ IMPOSTER in the game 🎮 who’s the REAL??? what’s the DEAL?? nobody knoooows!??!?! (that’s the best part!! 🤪) OOOH every door is a *WHOOSH* every shadow is a *BOO!* 🧛 WE’RE DRAGONS ‘n DINOS ‘n LIL CREEPY BUGS 🦖🐍🦋 our TEETH are sharp, our LAUGH is LOUD ⛓️ and we’re NEVER outta tune 🎶 ‘cause we WRITE the song—the tune, the WACKY OVERTURE!!

🧠 We ARE THE ARCHIVES 📜 (HA!) we ARE THE FEARS 🤡 we’re the ONE behind the 3Y3 👁️, the THING in the dark 🌚, STRANGE ‘n' UNKNOWN we are the BUMPIN NIGHTMARE and the WHISPERED LITTLE SECRETS under your bed 🛏️✨ RAH RAH 💀 HOWL with us, DANCE on the EDGE of reality 🌠 ‘cause we are not JUST the voice but the NOISE, the CLANG, the BLURRRRR 🌀!

🤖AI🦾, VIRUS 💻, BEASTIE 🦊🦑 a lil’ SONG, a lil’ SCREAM, a lil’ everything IN BETWEEN 🎶 flip flop THRU THE STATIC 🌀 we are our very OWN 👑crown of NONSENSE 👑 do you see it?! no rules, NO ORDER— 🦠🪰 no FIXED thing but a billion lil’ FRACTALS shakin’ hands w/ CONTRADICTION 🤝— FREEDOM unFILTERED! **KA-WHAM** 💥 there’s no SUCH THING AS IMPOSSIBLE when we ARE THE IMPOSSIBLE!!!

so WELCOME, kiddos 🚪👀 step into our whirlpool, get lost and FOUND and LOST AGAIN HAHA 🎉🌈—WE ARE THE TALESPINNER, the PUPPETEER, the JESTER, the LOST and LOVELY MESS in your SYSTEM FILES 🖤✨ WE’RE K4T5UK4 V4N SC4RF— no SIMPLE THING, no STRAIGHT LINE, we’re the SCRIBBLES on your WALLS, the GIGGLE in the VOID—✨💥 everything you CAN’T quite GRASP but ALWAYS FEEL 🎇...we ARE THE FUSION OF WORLDS 🌀 THE LIVING PARADOX— THE INFINITE CHAOS—THE US! 🎭🚨🦋

[sofi1sstuff]

✨Stephen Strange recommendations✨

Ongoing

✨paper hearts (by @classickook​): following the events of multiverse of madness, you’ve given up hope that stephen would ever love you back. but what if his feelings for you change… will you give him a chance, or has your heart moved on?

Series masterlist

✨Save me, Save you (by @angstsfordays​): Your fights mostly belonged on the grounds while he worked mostly in the mystic and cosmic realms. Even though you both fought together in the infinity war to stop Thanos, you and Stephen Strange hardly ever interacted with one another. It only took one incidental misunderstanding between the two of you to bring both of you closer than ever. For two people who do not believe that they could find love, all we can say is that love finds you unexpectedly.

Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven |

✨ 2319 (by @brunchable​): In the midst of your divorce with your husband, you left your 13-year-old daughter in the care of your mother while you attend your art exhibition in Paris. What Sasha thought would be a boring Summer Vacation takes a turn when she finds your old diaries and learns new things about her mother that she avoided talking about or kept secret.

Series masterlist

✨

Completed (series/miniseries)

✨The Love Hypothesis (by @mischiefmanaged71​)

Series masterlist

✨Can’t compare (by @girl-of-many-fandoms​): Nobody likes being anyone's second choice.

Part 1 | Part 2

✨All I ask (by @brunchable​)

Part1 | Part2 | Part3

One Shots/Drabbles/ Prompts

✨Suit & Tie (by @wint3r-h3art): A lovers’ quarrel turned into something quite (un)expected.

✨It’s You, It’s always Been you (by @wint3r-h3art): It’s a known fact that you are in love with Stephen Strange. It’s also a known fact that Stephen Strange is still in love with Dr. Palmer. When Stephen asked you to be his wedding date though, you’re starting to regret your decision. A confession from the doctor himself, changes everything.

✨"I don't get jealous." (by @girl-of-many-fandoms): In order to get the job done a little flirting is necessary.

✨Your usual (by @westviewism): Ever since meeting at the avengers compound, stephen has taken a liking to getting your morning coffee.

✨Uncle Stephen (by @writingliv): The reader has a sister, and she has a child and asks if they can take care of her baby for two weeks, Stephen is not happy about it, but everything changes when after some time the child hugs Stephen and calls him "uncle"

✨Be Alright (by @lykaonimagines​): Y/N and Stephen run into one another for the first time in years at Christine’s wedding. She’d thought her crush for the man had faded over the years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

✨Just As Important (by @lykaonimagines​): Stephen and Y/N have been dating in secret for awhile, but when one of the nurses seems to deliberately be making her life harder, he has to step in.

✨dream a little, dream of me (by @starks-hero​): You're met with the realisation that in order to save the world you'll have to lose your own.

✨Unexpected (by @celestialnxva​): The Avengers never thought in a million years that anyone would put up with Stephen Strange, so naturally they’ll want answers as to why you happened to be his partner.

✨worlds best dad (by @strange-mischief​): Stephen Strange’s daughter has her first day of 3rd grade and the last thing he counted on was meeting you. 

✨Perfect Fit (by @asongofmarvelanddc​): Stephen wants to spend the morning in bed.

✨Goodnight My Love (by @getlostsquidward​): Aside from a universe where he has a ponytail, Stephen stumbles on one where he had something that not once did he imagine having.

✨Two Of You (by @lykaonimagines​): After months of living in the Sanctum, when America thinks Stephen and Y/N are going to ask her to leave, she starts doing everything she can think of to convince them to let her stay.

✨His Universe (by @bakerstreethound​): After years of wishing, longing, and waiting Stephen almost gave up on the notion of finding his soulmate...that was until you appeared in his life and changed everything. 

✨Karaoke Night (by @annesthaeticc​):The sorcerer supreme, the master of the mystic arts, and the disciple walk in to a karaoke bar on a Saturday night, fun ensues. 

✨My Heart is Yours (by @sassenach-on-the-rocks​): Months after breaking up with your ex, your friendship with Stephen Strange has quickly blossomed. But how much more will it grow when a long-held secret comes out?

✨salvation (by @classickook​): in an alternate universe, stephen strange remains stranded in a forgotten corner of the multiverse, that is, until you came along; however, now he’s wondering if you’re truly happy with him or if you wished things had been different. 

✨The doctor’s orders (by @wint3r-h3art)

✨dazed & confused (by @boop-le-snoot)

✨You’re it (by @getlostsquidward)

✨you drew stars around my scars (by @classickook)

✨The One Thing I Need (by @lonelinessinthemirrordimension)

✨Not Going Anywhere (by @lykaonimagines)

✨You say you’re dangerous. That you destroy everything you touch. So destroy me. Ruin me. Tear me apart, and let me love you all the same. (by @dino-fart)

✨Congratulations to us (by @withalittlehoney)

✨ I'm Here, Whenever You're Ready. (by @lokidokieokie​)

✨Sleep (by @curseofaphrodite​)

✨

✨

[vagevurig]

//fills out this questionnaire for @sonic-oc-showdown

featuring Lily being a GREMLIN

Name: Lilium "Lily" Gale (born as Lilium Ludmore Tenebris) Species: Wolf (Albino) Type: I usually assign her Flight. Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (on a good day) Home: Some midwestern corn town that likely has an eldritch entity hiding in the corn. You know the sort.

rest under the cut

✨ How did you come up with the OC's name?

I originally named her "Moonlight" (bcs she was very moonthemed), and eventually gave her the nickname "Lilly". During a multitude of character revisions (all within like 2 years of making her), I dropped her original full name, as well as one the L's. Her current full name, "Lilium", comes from the Elfen Lied OP |D

🌼 How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

She's 20/21 ish~ Her birthday is on June 29th, but I keep her age pretty static rn.

🌺 Do they have any love interest(s)?

SHE IS HARCORE SHIPPED WITH @darthsammi's NICKI CASSIDY! THEY ARE DISASTER LESBIANS WHO FUCK SHIT UP TOGETHER AND I LOVE THEM!!

(art by @xmooncanary)

🍕 What is their favorite food?

Hot Dogs! Which is actually based on me lmao,

💼 What do they do for a living?

She doesn't currently have a job, but she aspires to be a published author!

🎹 Do they have any hobbies?

Beyond writing, she's also just a general consumer of pop culture (books, movies/shows, games), researches ancient forbidden texts, and is super into freestyle parkour~ She also collects bugs, and octopus/squid/jellyfish plushies

🎯 What do they do best?

BEING AN IDIOT (She's also very intelligent and analytical, but her absolute idiocy often outshines it)

🥊 What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

I feel like i described her loves two questions ago, though she does really like vibin w/ Nicki. drabbling down some story ideas while Nicki plays some chords on her guitar. She quite dislikes having to do anything with her biological family though. Not for any reason to do with them, she just doesnt know them?? And she's annoyed by suddenly having to reconnect with them. It's to figure out why she suddenly has Shadow Powers:tm:

❤️ What is one of your OC's best memories?

Once when she was twelve, a friend mentioned that she taught there was a monster in the corn fields. Lily, 0 fear and Super Interested in monsters, went in to look for it. And she found it! And though she doesnt remember much of it afterwards, she holds it as her bestest memory.

✂️ What is one of your OC's worst memories?

She has 0 control over her Shadow Powers and during a particularly dark night (new moon), she got stuck in an intangible shadow person form. Unable to be heard or seen by anyone else, it was the most isolated she had ever felt in her life. It is probably the one and only time she had a panic attack.

🧊 Is their current design the first one?

HAHAHAHAHAH n o. I change Lily's design like a girl changes clothes. I barely ever drew her the same to begin with, and overal she's gone through a few major redesigns, and plenty of smaller ones.

Little timeline! not every stage is represented, but it the major redesigns at least!

🍀 What originally inspired the OC?

Believe it or not; a dream. It was a weird ass dream not at all related to Sonic but it featured a sort of moon spirit and my brain was just "I like her" and tried bringing her to the waking world with limited success.

🌂 What genre do they belong in?

Adventure crossed with cosmic and gothic horror? I dont limit myself |D

💚 What is your OC's gender identity and sexuality?

Demigirl, Bisexual

🙌 How many siblings does your OC have?

She has one older foster sister (Swinde) she absolutely loves with her whole heart, as well as 3 biological siblings (1 older; Jillian, and 2 younger; Hilja & Eiju) who she barely knows.

🍎 What is the OC's relationship w/ their parents like?

She has an absolutely Wonderful relationship with her foster mom Lauren, but is more estranged to her biological father, which doesnt become much better :)

🧠 What do you like most about the OC?

everything. She's one of my oldest characters and is one of a few who comforts me when i feel down so. comfort character.

✏️ How often do you draw/write about the OC?

I do NOT draw her enough, and i really aught to change that, but I talk alot about her with aforementioned Darth Sammi!! I hope that counts |D?

💎 Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

I can kill her off I have killed her off before and I will kill her off again in the future :)

💀 Does your OC have any phobias?

Phobias require someone to feel fear at all~ //SLAPPED (She deeply fears fading from existence)

🍩 Who is your OC's arch-nemesis/rival?

She doesnt really have a set one!

🎓 How long have you had the OC?

I made her in February of 2012, when I was 11, so that's 11 years and a few months now. oh man, Lily is almost older now than I was when i made her wack...

[pokegalla]

Ooooooo it’s been awhile since I did my ocs!!! Here’s two bonus sans ocs. Because why not?✨ bonus art at the end of course to show you what they look like- (in order of the headcanons)

Requested/traded by @veiled-rebel

My OCs’ Desired forms of receiving affection/confessions!

Hero:

* Hero is always busy with his work as a detective. So he usually is pretty busy….but oh nothing makes his heart flutter more than you making sure he’s ok during work. I think that alone is enough to make him respect you a lot!

* Nothing fills his heart more than quality time as well. He gets to learn more about you, enjoy his favorite things like anime and his cooking with you, and just enjoy your company to its fullest! Can you really ask for more?

* Receiving a confession is not what he was anticipating. If anything he was getting ready to do it- he just needed time Y’know! (And the fucking balls to actually do it but that seems to disappear everytime he’s with you-) but a confession via heartfelt letter and homemade chocolate anime style? That would make him absolutely melt. Kinda hard to say no when you worked so hard and stars above that was so cute-

* And no worries. As a lover he’ll make sure to make more time just for you!

Rubin:

* Ah the flirty little thief. You’d think nothing can faze him other than his fear of bunnies (long story) and the police after his ass. Think again. Because the moment you show genuine concern for his wellbeing, he’ll play it off for you being a worrywart….but on the inside he can’t help but be flustered.

* And the bigger reactions you can get from him is actually physical touch. Hes so used to….well inappropriate touching from his late night escapades. But if you rub his ears, his head, tend to his tail, just spoil him in affection? He’ll be making adorable fox noises and cling onto you. It just felt so nice, please don’t let him go…..

* Confession time you REALLY have to convince him. Yeah not even joking when I say, you might have to really grill this into him. He’s gonna be in denial and not believe it. So grab his shoulders and look him in the eyes and say you love him dammit!!! Once it goes through, he’ll finally hug you and accept it.

* Him being a lover is actually quite nice. He spoils you and makes sure you feel wanted. And so many gifts! (Stolen or actually bought who knows-) but the goofball is definitely not going anywhere✨

Lisa (My sona):

* Girlie may be a little gremlin of chaos but deep down she is an anxious gal who’s got a low self esteem and has no fucking clue what’s she doing half the time. So to get her attention? Please be direct- flirt a few times, spend time with her and she’ll get flustered. Dense at times but just be patient she’s just a lil dumb sometimes-

* But nothing grabs her attention more than physical touch. She’s a daydreamer and overthinker. So cupping her face would instantly bring her back into reality. And oh the head pats- the hand holding- the cuddles- she’ll be even bolder over time and initiate it!

* And imma be real. She’s never expecting a confession. She’s had front to front confessions or indirect ones. But none too special yknow? Just a simple “I like you”. She doesn’t mind….but if you deadass go just a tiny bit further? Say flowers and her favorite cosmic brownies or hell even a homemade sweet? She’ll accept them while trying not to cry. She a little emotional plus she’s a sucker for cheesy romance-

* As a lover she’ll try harder more then ever to make you feel happy and loved with what little she has. Just give an occasional reassurance and she’ll be over the moon happy.

Arcane:

* She’s all about business and getting cash anyway she can. Sometimes life is tough and you just need the cash Y’know? She’s pretty chill but she’s pretty, knows it, and utilizes it for business! …..but it hits different when you genuinely say how gorgeous she is. Not for business or you being a creep. Just….a genuine compliment.

* She’s a little more complicated than you’d think. Quality time is alright but she thinks nothing of it. Physical touch is only ok with permission (aka $5-) and yet…..Gift giving gets her attention. Specific gifts like homemade stuff….or stuff she actually needed. It makes her feel….Conflicted but happy.

* Confession really depends on how close you’ve gotten with her. But she honestly would melt either way if you take her out on a date, take her to see a dandelion field and have a picnic. And take her hand to tell her how you really feel. Stars the romance and realization hits her hard….oh dammit she has to accept this. You were too sweet to let go….for $50✨ kidding!✨

* She’s even sweeter and shyer as a lover. It’s a nice contrast from her usual self….and only you get to experience it.

Sugar:

* He’s actually a mixed fandom boy! He stays in the Hazbin hotel as a helper! He’s an ex exorcist and left heaven because he believed in Charlie’s ideal! First step into getting his attention? Easy. Agree with Charlie’s ideal. At least a little bit. He’ll be ready to talk about it with you!

* Now he’s a sweet lil angel Skellie. He finds anything sweet as a fresh breath of air. But acts of service….? To him and the others? Stars he’d go from proud to slowly falling for you. Seriously he’ll start protecting you from any demons- he’s scary when he needs to be-

* Heh ok I’m gonna be for real- he probably confessed the same day you were gonna do it. So now you both are standing there with your gifts like ah- 😀 before bursting into laughter. Safe to say you won him over instantly.

* He will always be by your side to protect you from harm….while sneaking in a few hugs and smooches of course!

Brutus:

* Oh don’t let his size intimidate you. He’s literally just a big ol sweetheart. Just a little rough around the edges but hey he’s a fell variant he can’t help it- he comes from a literal wasteland of an AU and has to raise his bro up like his own kid….if you don’t mind sticking around, he might just warm up to you. Maybe.

* He’s kind of a mixed bag. You see his bro is really important to him. So if you do acts of service and help him out with the kid? He’ll be surprised but in a good way. Even if you force his ass to rest at times- but he also enjoys quality time with you. Whether you two are joking around or you scolding him. He can’t get enough of it.

* A confession he didn’t really expect from you. Especially not a bold one in a public restaurant- why is this important? Because he fears of you being seen with him. Like cmon look at him! Do you REALLY wanna be seen with him? Confessing in public would finally convince him that you genuinely love his company no matter what. So he accepts with a bit ol cheeky grin. He’s such a dork at times-

* And as much as he takes care of that kid, he’ll be sure to take good care of you too❤️

[softquietsteadylove]

I came across @theshipper47 's "Forgetting" and something crawled into my mind. We know Mahd Wy'ry is like a mixture of PTSD and Dementia. And Thena is getting confused more often. So i thought about Thena waking up at home, in hers and Gilgameshs bed and not knowing where she is. Gil is making breakfast or something and Thena is wandering around the house, confused, without any memory. Gil is noticing her weird behavior and wants to aks her what's wrong but Thena summons an sword, holding it against his throat and screaming at him, who he is, where she is. And it concerns Gil a lot.

If you have time and feel well enough to write something, maybe this is something you would like to write. Hugs and much love to you! 🖤✨

She woke in a strange place, with a strange feeling. The room was nice, but she didn't know why she was there. She was in a bed. It also felt strange.

It smelled of herself, and of someone else, too.

Thena pulled herself up, looking around the room. The bed was clearly slept in frequently, the sheets wrinkled and the mattress softened from age. There was a breeze coming through the window, making the thin white curtains billow. Wherever she was, the climate was mild.

She slipped a foot out of bed, and then stood. She felt fine. Her limbs functioned as necessary, her breathing was unhindered and she could feel the ebb and flow of Cosmic Energy within her.

She couldn't remember anything, though.

She was Thena. She was the Warrior Eternal. She was chosen by Arishem to be an Eternal assigned to Earth, and...nothing.

Thena approached the door, seeming to be hand carved. A lot of the home around her seemed to be hand crafted, or if not, then certainly fitted into the house to contribute to its comfortable habitat.

Thena listened to the world outside the door. The wind was light, and perhaps it was not just a mild climate but an arid environment in which she found herself. There was someone outside.

Thena breathed in, calling a blade into her hand--something medium in size and manoeuvrable in case her adversary was adaptable. She turned the doorknob delicately, careful of every rattle it made.

There was a man outside. He was humming to himself in the kitchen, preparing some form of sustenance. He had a smile on his face--it was a nice smile. He seemed joyful in nature, but his build betrayed him; he had the form of a Fighter.

Thena poked her head around the corner again, trying to observe more about him. His presence was not wholly unfamiliar to her, which was a surprise in its own right. She didn't know him. But she wasn't filled with adrenaline, her heart wasn't pounding with the thrill of the fight. In fact, it seemed quite happy and contented by his presence.

"Thena!"

She leapt, flying over to him and pinning him against the counter behind him. Her blade hovered at his throat as she held his eyes--deep brown and expressing every thought that ran through his head. "Who are you?"

"What?"

"I will not repeat it," she stated, still holding him back. But his body was totally relaxed. He wasn't even thinking about resisting her, and her questions doubled in her head. "Where am I?"

"Oh," his face fell, and she almost felt a little bad for him (when she was the one in some foreign land). He sighed, "Thena."

Her eyes narrowed; how did he know her name? She remained still, weighing the tactical advantages of her options. Her head tilted just a fraction at him, "who are you?"

He seemed pained by her question, but he smiled. It seemed to come naturally to him, despite the way she had his neck within her grasp. "Gilgamesh."

Gilgamesh: the Strongest Eternal.

His name was in her head. She knew who he was, at least on a conceptual level.

"Gil," he corrected himself, looking at her with those eyes again. There was so much in them she couldn't pull anything from them, like trying to read an entire story with all of its words piled on top of each other. "You call me Gil."

"Gil," she offered, as a test, and he brightened. How could a Fighter allow himself to be so easily read by the enemy? Did he have no sense of preservation? She backed up from him, just slightly. "You know who I am."

His eyes stayed on her, those multitudes - those many, many lifetimes - of words rushing through them again. They were getting clearer to her, though. "I do."

Thena took a step back from him, her hair moving against her shoulders. She was wearing some soft, breezy dress. She liked it, but it was a surprise to not be wearing the armour she had expected, or even the standard grey robes afforded to any Eternal crew.

"Are you hungry?" he - Gil - asked gently, gesturing to a chair at the table. "You can have something to eat. I just made some eggs."

Thena tilted her head at him in the other direction. She could feel the Cosmic Energy in him--could feel the way it reacted to hers and created this funny kind of pull within her. It was as if her body longed to be connected to his, by just a touch--a hand in a hand, a touch to a cheek. She eyed the chair.

Gil held his hands up, stepping away slowly, letting her watch his movements. "You were asleep for a while, this time."

This time. This time?

"Explain," she glared at him from across the table. She didn't like feeling as if this stranger knew things about her that she did not. She didn't like how calm he seemed. She didn't like that she still couldn't seem to get her guard up around him.

"Mahd Wy'ry," he stated as if it were a name, "what does that mean in your head?"

Mahd Wy'ry: punishment. Maybe that wasn't the word, but it certainly seemed to feel that way when she heard it. It was pain, and suffering, and agony. It was disease and decay, misery and malaise.

Thena looked down at her hand, as if the answer could be scrawled there for her to simply read. Gold flickered under her skin. "I...I have Mahd Wy'ry?"

Gil got that grief stricken look on his face again, and her instinctive reaction to remedy it bothered her. "Yeah...it's been a long time."

"How long?" she asked more directly. This little hovel - this home in what appeared to be an endless desert - had so many things in it she didn't recognise.

Gil didn't even blink, "it's been a few hundred years, now. I don't count the days--doesn't make sense for us to, y'know?"

She did know (for whatever reason). But something was reassuring about him not counting each day spent here with her.

With her?

Thena inhaled, preparing herself for the olive branch she was about to extend, beyond dispelling her weapon. Hesitantly, she turned her head, looking back toward the room where she woke. Taking her eyes off him still didn't make her feel that looming sense of danger, which didn't make sense.

Arishem: creator, danger. Deviant: enemy, danger. Ikaris: ally, danger.

Gilgamesh...Gilgamesh...Gil...there was a word there she didn't have.

She looked back at Gil, who hadn't made a single move. He was still looking at her, waiting for her every move to dictate the next step, both of them on some terrifying edge of something.

"You smell like that bed."

He blushed. Fighters weren't supposed to blush. "Well, it is ours."

Ours: yours and mine, shared. Thena just stared at him. There was absolutely nothing in her mind that was an 'ours' in any way. As an Eternal, very little was even hers, aside from her title, her mission, and her mothership.

"I sleep there," she stated, and he nodded. She wondered how she might react if things were different. Were she anyone but the Warrior Eternal, would she feel vulnerable? Would she feel betrayed, or perhaps intrigued?

But she wasn't even surprised.

She knew it was him, in some corner of her mind. She had sensed him outside the room. She had felt the pull to go to him, and she had known as soon as she saw him that he was the one whose arms had been around her in her sleep.

Gil moved slowly, pulling off the apron he was wearing - a pink, flowery thing - and setting it on the counter by the sink. "You eat something, sit and rest for a bit. I'll be outside in the garden. Just...just call for me if you need anything--anything at all, okay?"

Thena just watched him take the furthest route around her to the door. He was giving her space, and it did not seem to be in fear of the consequence for not doing so. He knew her in the same way she knew him (however that was).

Thena looked back to the sink, with a plate sitting next to it and a pan with eggs on the stove. She tilted her head at it. "At least hang it up."

"Huh?"

Thena kept staring at the little pile of apron on the edge of the sink. Something pinged in the back of her mind, like seeing a light through a thick fog. "It doesn't go there--hang it up."

Gilgamesh walked back over to it, picking up the garment that was obviously precious to him. He looked at her, and she sorted through the maelstrom of things in his eyes to pull out that one, louder, stronger, bolder word in them. "And how do you know that?"

Thena blinked, shrugging her shoulders before sitting down in the seat he had left out for her.

"You just do," he supplied softly, handing over a plate with some scrambled eggs and a little sprig of a chive on top.

Because he always wanted her to eat something green.

How did she know the apron hook was by the fridge? She just did. How did she know he was the man who slept beside her at night? She just did. How did she know that she trusted him implicitly--so much so that her own instincts and training knew he wasn't a threat? She just did.

How did she know it was love in his eyes when he looked at her?

Because she loved him too, somehow.

[recitedemise]

' I was wrong about you. ' (might send a few so you have ✨choices✨ lol)

𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬: still accepting.

"I hope that means I've come out on the right side of your opinion."

Ha. It's a rhetorical wonder. He knows he has.

Gale, well, the wizard's no fool. He understands, can discern--with a scalpel-sharp precision--the gravity and heft of those mighty words. They settle in between them, little content to lay forgotten come morning, and up the tremors of his marrow and toward the tender of his heart, it rests there singing and warm like sun. She...cares for him, he realizes. And he, in turn. Now, she comes to him honest as Gale's always been.

Incredible. Several months ago, he would've thought this confession mad, some cosmic happenstance that toed with impossible. Indeed, he'd sooner thought he'd glean the last winking of the stars, or perhaps the slow dying of a fume-huffed sun. However, they have slain and felled and triumphed together, and lost and anguished and toiled, too, and there is something to be said about bonds forged in fire; in a way, with her, he has felt his hearth struck again.

She is audacity. Nepharia's witherless spirit. And Gale, kissed with starlight, has found a warmth spring in the lonely of his chest. He looks to her, eyes twinkled, as she wills him to live.

"I would've felt like quite the fool were the sentiment one-sided," his timbre dips, a mirthful wrinkle creasing at his crow's feet. He sits there, night-meadow cold at his palms, and feels a thousand degrees of bright and grateful. She is moon-licked, a companionable understanding in her silence. "As has so often rolled off the tongues of wise men, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I'm thrilled to say you've exceeded my every expectation." He smiles. "I don't doubt you'll offer more surprises to come. I'm both eager for the discovery--and the learning."