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twisted-whatifs · 6 months ago

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Cultural exchange, Malleus x reader.

Sumary: you’re hanging out with malleus, and end up getting to see his more dragon side.

Notes: it can be read as both romantic and platonic, but there is already an established close friendship, as well as I did put a minor sex joke in there but it’s overall pretty innocent.

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His bed is criminally soft, the air smells of fire, pine, and comfort, and the dorm room you´re occupied in screams of wealth and status. So of course, this is exactly where you want to spend your afternoons!

Your head rests against the pillow, letting your hair spill out around your face, as you lay on your side in the middle of the queen-sized bed. The view before you is that of the soon-to-be king of Briar Valley’s room. The floors and walls are shrouded in black, making the fireplace at the foot of the bed seem much more powerful. Though his room isn't the most welcoming at first, you've grown used to it and all its quirks- like the tiny stone pieces on the floor, which he drags with him - by accident - while making gargoyles.

You let out a sigh of relief, not feeling burdened by the tall presence behind you. Rather, you find solace in knowing he's here with you, accompanying and protecting you. You roll over and onto your back, in response to him sitting on the edge of the bed.

“it's nice to finally have some alone time, without that weasel constantly complaining in my ear.” You say with a soft content smile, mirroring his own.

“I know how you feel. I'm beyond grateful for the time here at Night Raven Collage, although having Sebek and Silver tailing me at any given moment can be a burden at times.”

You let out a small kind of laugh, finding amusement in the fact that he, too, acknowledges those two and their overprotective nature. Releasing another sigh from your lungs, you close your eyes and bask in the peace of the moment; the bed beneath you lulling you to sleep, yet your mind still drifts.

“I could so live here - it's way better than ramshackle. That much is certain.”

“If it were up to me, you would have already had a room of your own in our dorm.”

“But it doesn't work like that, does it? Crowley wouldn't let me stay here in a million years”

“No, unfortunately not.”

He finishes off before laying down next to you, joining you in simply relaxing in the presence of each other. As tempting as it would be to open your eyes and turn your head to see him lying next to you, sleep is dragging you in.

“You know, all this dorm stuff… It's so weird to me. Where I'm from, we don't exactly have a magic mirror to tell us where we belong.”

"Well I have to admit, it is a bit of an oddity here as well- But how is your world, for it to be so different from ours?”

“I think a very big part of it is that in my world, we simply don't have magic and because of that, anything within the realm of magic is entirely foreign to me.”

“How intriguing… I think it's safe to assume you miss your home?”

“Yeah… the world I'm from is so different to yours… Like, for example, in my world dragons don't exist.” I finally open my eyes and turn to look at him. As I do, I see him quietly laughing.

“Believe it or not, the people of this world believe the same.”

“Really?!... But aren't you like a dragon?”

“To answer your question, no, I am not a full-blooded dragon. Rather, I'm a dragon/draconic fae, the two are different. According to the public, dragons are extinct, and even though I am in direct opposition to their claims, the general knowledge stays the same.”

“Woah… that's… wild?”

“You're right, it is, my Child of Man…”

“... Well, what does it entail to be a dragon fae?”

His gaze, which earlier had been focused on the ceiling, dipped down to meet yours. His breathtaking green eyes are locked on your own, as he gives you a quizzical look.

“What do you mean, Dear?”

You turn to your body to fully face him, as you sit up on the bed, looking down at him and taking in your position looming above him. He lays relaxed against the sheets, with his hands on his stomach. It is a rare sight for many, but not for you.

“Like, what's it like? What differences does it make?...” You shot a look up to his horns “... What does it look like?”

“... You wish to see my dragon form?”

“-YES”

He's taken aback for a second before his face softens into a smile and he laughs, like actually laughs with heart.

“You humans are such curious creatures… I should warn you, that you might not like what happens if you choose to go through with it.” A mischievous - almost playful - smile is spread across his face. It makes you smile too, to see him so genuinely enjoy something.

“And what does that mean? Is that a threat?”

“You'll find out~” There's no way you're backing down now. You wait patiently as he slowly sits up on the bed, his back just a few inches away from the headboard, his back is as straight as ever.

“Where do we start?”

“Well I've already seen your tail once, but I would love to get a chance to see it up close!”

And with that, a tail spins itself around the edge of the bed from where it connects to him. It's as if it was never hidden in the first place, by how you didn't even notice it appeared. It is longer than his legs and it is covered in beautiful black scales, that shine blues and purples in the light, along with a couple of spikes along its back, ending at the tip with a small appendage (look at the picture for reference). Your eyes are busy studying his tail, while his eyes are busy studying you.

“... Wow… Can I touch it?”

“Go ahead… But be careful, one wrong move and it could easily fling you across the room.”

“You wouldn't do that, would you?”

“Maybe,” He says with that same grin on his face. He clearly wouldn't do it. He's just saying it to tease you. Taking his advice, I carefully reached my hand towards his tail and he so graciously moved closer to me- to the point where the end was touching my thigh. The scales are smooth and cold, yet I can feel the warmth from underneath them, it's a similar feeling to holding a snake yet way bigger- and that it belongs to one of my close friends. My hands trail across its length, admiring the intricacies as I run my fingers up the sides of one of the spikes, gently tapping the tip when I reach it to see how sharp it is. When retracting my finger, it was wholly intact. The spikes aren't particularly sharp.

My eyes met his once again, he wore a face of satisfaction as he observed me.

“I was right. You didn't send me flying”

Breaking the silence I spoke up, and in response, he chuckled- not so much because he found it funny, but rather, perhaps he was simply amused by my intrigue of his extensions. My hand was still on his tail, absentmindedly stroking the scales in an up-and-down motion.

“The last time I saw your tail, I didn't get to see it in such lights as the ones we currently have- Your scales are breathtaking”

“I'm glad you think so.” As he finished up his sentence, he lifted the end of his tail, until the tip was at perfect reach. Taking in the unspoken invitation, I make a final stroke from one of the points of the three-pointed tip, down before he retracts it, adjusting his position against the headboard.

He leans towards me, lifting his knee to support his elbow, so he can rest his cheek on the back of his hand. Meanwhile, his face is reflecting his highly aroused state of mind.

“Are you ready to move on to the next ones? To indulge your curiosities more; or do you wish to back out while you can?”

“You make it sound like I’m in some sort of imminent danger…”

He raised a brow and squinted his eyes, exaggeratedly scrutinizing me- for his standards- you, that is to say, most people as well, rarely ever see him so animated as he is now “Who says I'm not? I strike fear upon whoever may witness me.”

“Well, not me.”

“Perchance you're the peculiar one, then?”

I scoff and roll my eyes, not taking the jab to heart, before returning my gaze to his happy one. ”Well… you got wings right?”

“Indeed I do; you wish to indulge them next?”

“Sure, let's see them.”

Closing his eyes while nodding, he leaned back slightly, returning to a more neutral position, and relaxing his shoulders. “If I do, then it would make it a lot easier for me if I were to remove my shirt; are you comfortable with that, Child of Man?”

“Yeah, sure, I don't mind.”

“... And you can promise to not tell of this to anyone? If my grandmother were to catch wind of me undressing before a human, I would not hear the end of it.”

I chuckle at the thought.

“I promise- It won't end well for me either!”

He goes ahead without further conversation, beginning to undress. As the layers of fabric lifted off his body, it revealed more scales splayed across his features- even on the features visible earlier. The scales beautifully apply to, and exaggerate the contours and highlights of his body and face, making him look even more inhumanly beautiful.

He sits on his knees in front of me, threatening to make my neck ache if I had to look him in the eyes. Then, faster than I could compute, I’m surrounded by black. His large- large- wings encircle me. I whip my head from side to side, trying to look at them fully before my eyes lock with his. He wore the same stupid grin he did earlier, only bigger, I didn't even know he could be this expressive.

“So, child? Are you intimidated?”

“I-... well yes, kind of...”

His voice is roaring as he laughs at me, having his fun to the full before it softens into a more apologetic one.

“Sorry, the last thing I would want is for you to be scared of me.” He raised his hand and gently glided the back of his fingers against my cheek; he's been very bold recently.

He unflexed his wings, allowing the light to flow back to us. Between the very forward displays of affection, his high mood, and your eyes having to accommodate more light, you need a moment to adjust. And following you as you adjust, he does the same with his position, allowing you full access to his back. His wings go far lower than his back- the ends splay down far onto the bed.

You slowly reach out your hand, first coming into contact with the skin between the shoulder blades. His teal-tipped hair ends tickle your fingers before you finally come into contact with the wings. They spout out unusually from his back, with a joint prominent on the shoulder blade. As your hands glide upwards towards the tip of the top joint, you lightly graze over the talon placed on it, and moving your hand down further to the very end, you grasp the tip and watch it flex out and unfurl again, taking in and admiring the intricate ways it moves.

A few minutes go by of this- by curiously taking in his features, as he sits with his back turned to you in silence, to not interrupt your so focused observations; his wings being the biggest muse as it stands. Mesmerized by the way the thin tissue of his wings unfold when they open up, or the way that they can shield you away from almost any danger out there, within but a second.

The hair running down his back shifts, as he turns his head back to look at you, gazing at you with what could almost be described as sultry eyes.

“Did you have your fun?”

“Oh, if I did- your wings are enchanting, Malleus.”

He's turned over so he's facing you again, now getting yet another good look at the scales adorning his upper body. He smiles in contentment, the worn-out traces of his lipstick emphasising his lips as they curl upwards.

“So, Mal… is the next step full dragon form?”

“Oh no, my Child of Man, I think that will have to wait for another time; royal secrecy and indecency rules and whatnot.”

“Aw… Though when that does happen - which it will- can I ride you?”

“I can't promise anything, but it certainly wouldn't go against my reservations.”

Before you could answer, a notification rang through your phone, that Crowley gave you back at the Scarabia incident. As it turned out it was a text from Epel, in a group chat you’re in with your first-year friends. But as the screen lit up, the time caught your eye.

“There's only about an hour left, until I have to meet up with Grim again for dinner… how about we savour these last few moments?”

“Do you have anything particular in mind, prefect?”

He raised an eyebrow before answering, and when he was done speaking you took a bold move to lean forward, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him down to lay on the mattress along with you.

“Could we spend the time cuddling until I have to go again?”

His usual warm smile returns to his face, though differently this time, accompanied by the slightest redness dusting his cheeks.

“I would be delighted to.”

He gently grabs onto your waist, pulling you closer to his body. The scales on his neck feel cold to the touch, as you make yourself comfortable laying your head against his chest; letting the soft rhythmic thump of his heartbeat lull you to sleep before his tail wraps around one of your legs. Lastly, he opens his wings and wraps them around the two of you.

Staying like that, the two of you lay comfortably in each other's presence, before you had to return to whatever duties and responsibilities await you outside his room.

A/N (Chrille): from what I've heard, in Briar Valley, there's a rumour/belief that dragons are extinct? I’m not too sure though. Also please exuse if my grammar or mommas are weird English isn’t my first language😭

#malleus x reader #malleus draconia x reader #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #disney twst #malleus x yuu

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rosemaryhoney27 · 1 month ago

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Danny's request for shelter Part 2

Title: "The Gift of Pandora"

Themyscira was a place of strength, of honor, of serenity.

It had become a haven for Jazz and Dani, a sanctuary where the scars of fear could begin to fade. But Danny Fenton was not a boy who believed in debts—especially not to people who had taken in his family like their own.

And so, he decided to repay the Amazons not with gold or favors, but with something far rarer.

He asked for a meeting—with Pandora.

The request wasn’t simple. Even with his ties to the Justice League, Danny had to call in every favor he’d earned—and lean on the parts of himself most people didn’t want to acknowledge.

The Phantom Lord of the Ghost Zone. Warden of the Veil. There were entities in the Realms who owed him. And after weeks of negotiating with spirits, ancient keepers, and one seriously grumpy Oracle, he got what he needed:

A message delivered through ethereal fire.

“She will come.”

Themyscira’s skies were painted with dusk when the veil between realms thinned. A ripple passed through the air like a breath held too long—and then released.

Pandora stepped through.

Not the mythical “box” bearer of mortal fear and temptation—though she had once been. This Pandora was regal, composed, and laced with the quiet sorrow of millennia. Her presence was like standing near the edge of something vast and unknowable.

She wore silver robes that shimmered with ancient script, her hair braided with starlight, and in her eyes glowed the light of a woman who had seen the rise and fall of empires, of gods and monsters, and still chose to walk forward.

The Amazons, wary but respectful, watched from the cliffside temple where the meeting was held.

Wonder Woman stood beside Danny, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

“You brought her here?” she said quietly.

Danny nodded. “She’s not a threat. Not anymore. She’s knowledge. Pain. Healing. She’s exactly what your people deserve access to.”

Diana glanced at him, then at Pandora, who was gazing out at the sea like she remembered when it was first poured into the world.

Then, Pandora spoke. Her voice was low and deep, resonant like chimes in a storm.

“I am Pandora. Once cursed to carry the suffering of mankind. Now, a witness to its resilience.”

She turned to the Amazon assembly.

“I was made to hold what was feared, what was unknown, what could corrupt. But from the bottom of the jar, one thing remained.”

She looked to Dani, then Jazz. Then Diana.

“Hope.”

The Amazons opened their gates to Pandora—not as a goddess or myth, but as a teacher.

For weeks, she stayed on the island. She told stories no scroll had ever held. She walked with the wounded and sat in silence with the angry. She helped Jazz construct a new theory of trauma and identity that blended Themysciran teachings with the lessons of ancient, forgotten civilizations.

She shared with Dani the knowledge of spiritual containment and how to channel destructive energy into rebirth. Dani took to it like wildfire to dry grass.

Diana herself had long felt the burden of myth—the expectations, the legacy, the symbols. But with Pandora, she found a peer. Someone who had also borne the weight of the world.

One night, they stood at the edge of a cliff, side by side.

“We were both created by the will of gods,” Diana murmured.

“And we both learned to choose for ourselves,” Pandora replied.

When Pandora finally left, it was not with farewells, but with promises.

The Amazons would always have access to her wisdom. She would return when called—not as a savior, but as a sister of spirit.

As she stepped through the veil, she turned to Danny one last time.

“You carry great weight, young one. But you’ve learned the truth of all burdens: they become lighter when shared.”

Danny nodded.

“They shared mine,” he said simply.

And when Diana approached Danny again, her eyes softer now, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You honored us with trust. And now, with truth. For this, Themyscira owes you a debt.”

Danny smiled.

“No debts between family.”

And so it was written in the scrolls of Themyscira: that a boy with ghostfire eyes brought them not a weapon, not an ally—but the one thing even the strongest warriors need.

Hope.

#dpxdc #danny fenton #danny phantom #dani phantom #wonder woman #jazz fenton #Pandora

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colorlessjay · 3 months ago

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if cas was a uni professor what do you think he would teach? theology seems too obvious.

what about philosophy and he uses his and tfw’s collective fuck-ups as examples

Now see, you're thinking about him as a professor thematically to him being an Angel

I think he would teach Quantum Mechanics

Hear me out:

Castiel is a biblical ancient being. He has knowledge beyond compare, but he doesn't know jack shit about the human condition. He just started learning about the relations of religion on a human level. He doesn't know enough to teach philosophy without it being synical in nature, or getting upset because Castiel is a creature of Objectivity

You know what he CAN teach that uses facts, logic, and concrete reasoning that can evolve in logical leaps? Math. Science. Atoms. Electrons. Space.

And he WILL be weird about it. I want him to get lost in the sauce of his own lectures to the point where he ends up 10x more disheveled and crazed than when he started.

His class WILL be difficult, not because Castiel can't explain it well, but because he drops so much knowledge onto you that one lecture will end with a 100-page Google doc of notes

Like he gets ANGRY about it. Angry because he is limited in how much he can share, and he has too much to share.

At one point in class, he slams his fists onto the table and yells, "Your feeble minds cannot quantify the amount of knowledge I am burdened with. I am cursed to only discuss not even a FRACTION of what I know. And if I were given the opportunity to share my mind, your eyes would burn out of your skulls, and I will once again be alone in a cage of my own creation."

Then someone raises their hand and asks, "Is this gonna be part of the finals?"

and Castiel immediately unruffles his feathers and answers as if he didn't just give these people psychological damage. "No, we'll only be covering up to chapter 3 for now. Have a good weekend."

#castiel #supernatural #spn

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witch-of-snow-and-stars · 1 month ago

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Some Advice for Beginner Witches/Advice I Wish I Got

I'm by no means an expert in anything magical or an expert witch, this is mostly just advice/tips that I wish I had had when I was first starting my practice OR advice that I think a lot of beginners could benefit from. Resources will also be linked at the end.

This is a rather long post so everything else is under the cut, but I've divided everything into general advice, spiritual practice advice, and community-oriented advice. Links to applicable sources are under Miscellanea.

General Advice/Things to Keep in Mind

Consider the mundane stuff first! Use naturally-sourced/biodegradable and ecologically safe offerings/magic components when working outside or if you're going to return something to the earth (ex. salt will kill plants/damage soil so don't do a salt circle- use crushed eggshells instead and don't bury anything non-biodegradable/naturally sourced), practice good fire safety (ffs every witchy person I've run across has at least 1 'fire incident'), make sure not to expose crystals to things they'll react negatively to (ex. pyrite in water will form sulfuric acid), etcetera etcetera.

You don't need to get all new specialty equipment or a ton of things to start your spiritual practice. You may want to but you by no means do you have to. A lot of everyday items that you may already have can perform magical uses, so just use the things you have until you run into specific items you may want to add to your practice (ie you might make an alter out of things you already have and then switch out elements with new preferred items as you get them). Honestly things might work better if you use older/mundane items you have a close connection to.

Similarly, you don't need to go and get the most expensive things for your craft either. If you're wanting to splurge on anything, splurge on safety supplies (fire safety supplies or anything that will make your practice more safe practically are good places to start) and workhorse items that you will be able to use frequently long-term. This doesn't have to be a major strain on your budget and shouldn't be a financial burden to you.

Magical/Spiritual practitioners DO NOT all believe the same things. Spiritual practices/Spirituality is more of an umbrella category that encompasses many different practices (or practitioner communities) rather than a specific belief system/community and most practitioners ascribe to schools of practice or systems of belief and combine those systems with their own unverified personal gnosis (typically called UPG). Overlaps in beliefs or practices happen fairly regularly, but will be different for different practices.

You can learn something from most practitioners, even if they come from a different belief system or practice (disclaimer: do not take from/try to practice closed practices/religions, I am not telling you to do that). By this I mean that other practitioners will probably have different bases of knowledge and perspectives that may be of help to you even if they come from a different type of practice. Personally, if I'm struggling with understanding a specific concept or I'm having issues linking something up within the rest of my practice, hearing someone else's viewpoint or seeing how they link/incorporate different aspects of their practice can be a catalyst for working through those issues

Take care of yourself. Look into spiritual psychosis and what to look out for, and and try to not fall down the rabbit hole of convert fervor. Most people are not expecting you to have your entire practice nailed down within the first week (tbh your practice will probably change and evolve throughout your life), so take your time and go at a pace that's sustainable for you. You'll probably even have rest/break periods of low/zero engagement in your practice, and if that happens that's fine too!

Magic Advice & Spiritual Practice Tips

I would recommend starting where you are most interested or start working with what you're most inclined towards. For example, don't start with candle magic if you're more interested in plant magic just because it's more recommended for beginners. You're more likely to be able to genuinely engage with and enjoy your practice if you have a connection with what you're doing. Personally I started with astrology and crystals, and then got into divination work with pendulums and tarot before expanding into everything else I do because that was the path my interests aligned with. Your path is probably going to be different, and that's great!

However, if you're looking for easy places to start, I do have recommendations based on how easy they are to access and incorporate into your everyday life. Kitchen witchcraft is pretty easy to start with assuming you already cook (or would like to learn how) and can become very intuitive once you have a good grasp on cooking and magic. Small bits of glamour magic or sigil work can also be easy to do since you're already bathing/clothing yourself (charming clothing and toiletries is fairly easy and beginner friendly). Cartomancy can also be a solid way to go, since a cheap or DIY'd tarot deck or a playing card deck can be fairly accessible for most people. Pendulums, runes, and bone throwing kits/magpie oracles can also be DIY'd easily or bought depending on your preferences.

Incorporate the knowledge and skills you already have! A lot of practical skills you may already have can be of practical application to your practice. I've also found that my magical understanding of concepts is deepened when I understand how things work on a mundane level.

Going along with that last point, I think skill building/skill use can have devotional applications (if devotional actions are part of your practice). Ex. if you worship a deity that is associated with craft or a particular skill, you can absolutely dedicate your pursuit of knowledge in that skill or dedicate a project to a deity/spirit of your choice. Alternatively, dedicate that skill building to yourself or your practice (for example, dedicate the creation of a homemade alter cloth to an alter or towards the growth of your craft/practice)

I have found that there's a lot of advice regarding cursing and doing magic when your experiencing heightened emotions. Personally, I'm curse neutral I don't really do them (I've just never felt the drive to) but I have no issue with them. Do as you will, but be prepared to deal with whatever consequences may arise (tbh this is good general advice for your practice). Regarding doing a working when you're in a heightened emotional state, I would just say in my experience that doing magic in that state can lead to impulsive actions or not thinking something through. Do whatever you're going to do, but maybe calm down or proceed with caution for best results is all I'm saying.

Sometimes the best thing to happen with a working is for it to fail. Maybe you were working with something you shouldn't (like a closed practice that wouldn't pertain to you), or it's something you wouldn't be able to handle, or maybe it's something that would end up being regrettable if it actually worked. There are a lot of reasons why something not working can be for the best, but that is sometimes the best outcome for a working (even if you don't realize it in the moment).

Look for ways to evolve your practice and think outside of the box! Experiment with new applications of different working (like glamour magic to be forgettable/unnoticeable instead of noteworthy), involve new components if they make sense (ex: enchant some ink if the working has a written component), or make your own correspondences based on how things work for you

I have found that location can effect a working quite a bit (and effect you if it backfires). One of the more helpful pieces of advice I've gotten is if you're planning on doing a bainful working/cursework/negative working, don't do that where you live/exist regularly (like your job). Like, if you're wishing bad luck towards someone you don't want to have it backside on you where you sleep and live (working off property at least or at a crossroads world be ideal in this case). Similarly if one was to do a beneficial spell regarding sleep, do that at your home in your bedroom.

This also applies to community advice but: if you come across someone else's working, I would advise that you not tamper with it unless you have to. Beyond not knowing what it's for/affecting, the working may have hazardous components you aren't aware of (sharp bits, mold, toxic/allergic reaction causing substances, etc)

Community Advice & Relationship Building

Like any group of people, magic/spiritual communities can have bad/malicious actors within them, typically in the form of grifters, different types of alt-righters, and cults. I would recommend learning to spot and avoid alt-righters and nazis quickly as the alt-right loves magic & occult spaces and they will try to recruit or radicalize you if they get the opportunity. Familiarizing yourself with ways to spot grifters, red flags for cults, and common symbols/red flags of by the alt-right in magic/ occult spaces is important (learn quick and early and then stay up-to-date on that information for the safety of yourself/others).

You can make your practice as private or collaborative as you'd like, but having friends or community connections is nice! Being friendly and polite will generally go a long way to meet people and see if you would want to try to form connections within different practitioner communities online and offline.

In person locations/events might be a good but unreliable venues for meeting local practitioners, getting supplies, and learning new skills for your practice. Your local shops (depending on availability in your area) will probably have a mix of customers, but there's a decent chance there are regulars that you can meet and maybe form relationships with as well. Metaphysical shops, independent groups, and even areas/towns will also sometimes put on events/meet-and-greets/workshops that can be a fun way to connect with practitioners in your area.

Being friendly and respectful will get you pretty far with creating relationships in different magical spaces/communities. Reaching out to other people (online or irl) can be a good way to network and learn new things

Miscellanea

The Witch of Wonderlust's offering cardigan video here. She also has a plethora of educational videos on her youtube channel

Frankie/ChaoticWitchAunt on youtube also has done good educational content. They primarily do Italian-American folk magic and tarot and I've learned quite a bit from them

@breelandwalker and her show Hex Positive are also wonderful resources.

@friend-crow and @windvexer are also two great witchcraft bloggers

thetarotguide.com has some great guides for the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot cards, the card guides are quite detailed and well written. There is also a small but not insubstantial community of tarot/oracle reviewers on YT that is a nice resource if you are wanting to get a new deck

I've also found the work of Jason Miller to be quite informative. Miller had published multiple books and what I've read of his work had been quite enlightening.

Not to plug my own stuff, but my #tarot musings tag, my witchy recipes, a workshopping correspondences post, charm necklace post, and star jar workings might be some fun and easy places to experiment. I also quite liked my

For more experienced people, please add any advice you'd want beginners to know! For beginners, I hope this helps a bit! Thanks for reading💜

#witchcraft #baby witch #beginner witch #witchy advice #witchblr

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maenefa · 6 months ago

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This kind of Denethor discourse is so frustrating to me that I am literally pacing back and forth like a panther in a zoo enclosure. Ugggggggghhhhh

A lot of people will tell you that the moral of The Lord of the Rings is “never lose hope,” and that Denethor is bad because he loses hope.

Please read THIS and THIS and especially THIS, which is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking meditations on LotR you’ll ever read. Tolkien’s ideas about hope are so much more radical than “hope good despair bad.”

Denethor—Tolkien’s Denethor, not Peter Jackson’s Denethor—is unsettling because he tries to hope, but his hope isn’t strong enough to save him. Here are his thoughts on hope, just a few days before his death:

The time will not be long. In what is left, let all who fight the Enemy in their fashion be at one, and keep hope while they may, and after hope still the hardihood to die free.

Denethor has a more “realist” worldview than Gandalf or Faramir, but he’s not a nihilist. He’s still hanging onto hope even though he’s grieving Boromir and he’s positive that Frodo is going to be captured by Sauron. He only breaks when Faramir is mortally wounded and he sees the black ships in the palantir. And I don’t mean he gives up, I mean his mind snaps:

And as [Pippin] watched, it seemed to him that Denethor grew old before his eyes, as if something had snapped in his proud will, and his stern mind was overthrown.

Tolkien repeatedly uses language like “madness,” “madman,” “he is not himself” and “his mind was overthrown.” It’s not subtle!

Denethor is having a psychotic episode. His culpability is reduced, either partially or totally; we can’t know for certain. But I don’t think that everything he says and does in his last moments is “the real Denethor.”

We can do our best and try to have hope, but sometimes life crushes us. How are we supposed to live with the knowledge that this can happen?

Tolkien was haunted by the idea of heroes who fail, heroes who are crushed by their burdens:

Frodo indeed 'failed' as a hero, as conceived by simple minds: he did not endure to the end; he gave in, ratted. (Letter 246)

….I think it can be observed in history and experience that some individuals seem to be placed in 'sacrificial' positions: situations or tasks that for perfection of solution demand powers beyond their utmost limits, even beyond all possible limits for an incarnate creature in a physical world – in which a body may be destroyed, or so maimed that it affects the mind and will. Judgement upon any such case should then depend on the motives and disposition with which he started out, and should weigh his actions against the utmost possibility of his powers, all along the road to whatever proved the breaking-point. (Letter 246)

Tolkien himself tended to judge Denethor harshly, but the character fits very well into the same template as Frodo: a “sacrificial” person who is pushed beyond his limits. The palantir aged him and weakened his mental health, but what truly pushed him over the edge was the wounding of Faramir: Tolkien says that Denethor “maintained the integrity of his personality until the final blow of the (apparently) mortal wound of his only surviving son.”

It’s easy to judge Denethor for using the palantir (although Tolkien said that he had the right to use it and Gandalf admitted that the palantir’s knowledge had often proved useful!) but what should Denethor have done differently regarding sending Faramir into battle? We know that the defense of Osgiliath was necessary because Tolkien had the Rohirrim arrive at the exact moment the Witch King is about to ride through the gate of Minas Tirith. If Faramir hadn’t delayed Mordor’s army, the Rohirrim would have showed up to a conquered city.

Denethor believed that it was necessary to send Faramir to Osgiliath… and he was right! But the pain of being responsible for Faramir’s death was too great for him to bear. You can say that his craving for information killed him, but it’s just as accurate to say that his love for Faramir killed him.

Gandalf tells Denethor’s servants that they were “caught in a net of warring duties,” and this is also true of Denethor. His duty as a father conflicts with his duty as the leader of Gondor, and the strain destroys him.

It may be true that Denethor’s need for control is a character flaw, but I wonder about his final use of the palantir. His son appears to be dying: why does he leave his side to go look in the palantir? I actually think this was a hopeful act: Denethor was hoping to see the Rohirrim, or some kind of good news about the war, some indication that Faramir’s death would not be in vain. But the palantir shows him that he sent his son to die for nothing.

It’s the tragedy of Denethor lamenting “I sent my son forth, unthanked, unblessed, out into needless peril” and dying before he can learn that the battle wasn’t needless… you can’t reduce this tragedy to a morality play!

Okay, I can’t deny that the palantir is a very topical analogy for the internet/smartphones/the tyranny of “data” in general.

But Denethor is so much more than a blackpilled internet doomer, and I will defend him forever.

#denethor #tolkien #lotr #Denethor defense #leave Denethor alone #look how they massacred my boy

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wishyoudwell · 4 months ago

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I often think about the meaning of the Palace of the Four Sword extra dungeon from A Link To The Past in the context of the LU canon…there’s a lot of different interpretations that can be dragged out of that alone. I like to see peoples interpretations, takes and thoughts on it. Like: Did Legend fight dark shadow replicas of Four, or was that Four himself? If it was Four, what happens to Four, and how does Legend live with the knowledge of that? Is there guilt? Does he feel burdened, knowing that something untimely happens to Four? Is there guilt in killing Four, or what looks like him?

But there’s something else I often think of too, timeline implications.

This might have been answered by others before or theorized, but, I just want to ramble and talk, so and so. I mean it’s interesting!

If something terrible befalls Four, it probably happens sometime during his lifetime, that means after Four Sword. This happens before Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time splits the timeline. So logically Fours fate is unchanged by the time the spit happens.

In the Downfall Timeline, Legend fights him and eventually, possibly frees him by killing him.

But what about the other ones? The other Timelines? What happens there?

Do we account FSA from the end of the child timeline into this, that Four somehow conquers that quest despite, well, that being who knows how far in the future? Or do we assume Four here is also still simply cursed like in ALTTPs dungeon and still trapped with no one to free him if FSA isnt counted into this specifically. (Wouldnt it make more sense to put FSA after FS…???)

And in the Adult Timeline, I guess he’d also just get flooded and buried by the sea huh…would that kill him, I wonder if he’s already far gone from being human?

I think about it a lot. I mean, if it happens before the Timeline Split, during when Four is alive if we go with the theory the boss is— or was Four, then a version of this terrible fate must play out in every timeline. It can’t just be the Downfall one. Riiight? Right? Or am I thinking too hard. Well.

#linked universe #talk #lu four #its also very very late and i am so very tired and havent slept. but i think of this a lot #i just… really like how much lore material such an extra boss can give #and the implications…

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cloudyynebulas · 5 months ago

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Hi there!

May I request a part 2 for "We'll meet again, Y/N Cookie!"?

Your writing style is so lovely and I'm very excited to see how this story could play out!!

…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

❝ DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN - BUT I KNOW WE'LL MEET AGAIN SOME SUNNY DAY ! ❞

shadow milk cookie x reader.

reader is gender neutral.

cw: slight yandere themes (?) , implied mind control, manipulation, obsession, possessive behavior, generally unhealthy relationships

this is a part two! if you'd like to read the first part, you can find that here.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

"C'mon, there's no way you've read this book!" You laugh, holding up yet another one of the library's books. A soft gold color decorated with elegant drawings of blooming flowers decorating the book's cover, with the title script titled, 'Earthbread Gardens'.

Shadow Milk Cookie chuckles, a hand covering his mouth at your antics. "I've.. also read that book, Y/N Cookie."

"This is the tenth book I've shown you! You can't possibly have read alllll these books in this library!" You huffed, placing the book onto the table in front of you, next to your half-empty cup of tea, its comforting aroma of blueberries wisping out from the top.

Shadow Milk Cookie shrugs, hands moving towards his own teacup, softly grabbing at it's glass handle with delicate movements. "I'm only being completely honest with you - I've read practically every book in this library."

He took a small sip of his tea, raising the cup to his lips with satisfaction.

"I've been around on Earthbread for quite some time," he added on further, lowering the cup away from his lips. "Truthfully, I've read so many scripts and texts ... I fear there may not be many things left I've yet to actually put my eyes on."

You take note on how his voice seems to falter near the end - as if, hinted with a slight undertone of disappointment. Your once playful expression morphed into one of concern for your friend, as he placed his cup back on the table, looking .. almost forlorn.

Shadow Milk Cookie's eyes trailed towards the book on the table.

"I was baked to be a herald of Knowledge," he spoke, and you stayed quiet, allowing him to speak his conflicting thoughts that begged to be heard. For someone to listen. "I was never given the chance to .. be like other Cookies."

His hands, resting on his lap, began to clench tightly on his robes. Even with his head tilted downwards, eyes glued to anything but you, you could feel his expression shifting into one of almost.. frustration and shame.

He was too ashamed to look you in the eyes as he admitted his own inner turmoil.

"It's not something I should be complaining about though, right?" he chuckled. "Being gifted this power.. to carry such responsibility .. I should be thankful. Thankful to even be considered with such power for the good of all Cookies."

You frown.

"Everyone relies on me - and my friends." he sighs, hands beginning to release from his robes, letting the soft cloth relax. "Yet .. is it too much to ask that sometimes.. I wish I was just like everyone else?"

Nothing but silence filled the Library for a moment.

Shadow Milk Cookie's head quickly moved back up to face you - his expression full of shame as he so easily allowed himself to express such selfish desires -

"Shadow Milk Cookie," you speak, before he can even mutter out a word.

Slowly, you scoot yourself forward, carefully reaching your hands out. His eyes follow your movements as your hands gently reach over to his - and, with only a brief moment of hesitation, do your hands interlock with each other.

"I cannot possibly begin to understand the burden you carry, the responsibilities and challenges you face every single day." you speak softly, your hands gently rubbing against his as a way of silently comforting him. "Like you said - I am not like you."

You hum.

"Just imagining what you have to do for thousands of Cookies each and every day just makes me stress. How you've been able to manage that for years makes me look at you in awe."

Shadow Milk Cookie's gaze widens.

"You are strong - beyond any strength I've ever seen." you smile, your hands raising - the two of you holding your hands up together, your forms much closer than before. "You have no reason to be ashamed for wanting to imagine a life where you're like everyone else."

You pause for a moment.

"..but.. you don't have to flawless. You don't have to be perfect."

"Everything you've done for Earthbread, for Cookies, for me, has always been enough."

"You don't have to meet these high expectations you've set for yourself. What you do now is already enough."

You smile.

"You may not believe it yourself - but I believe it."

Slowly, your hands and his begin to separate, gently and carefully.

Your hands move towards the book you'd left on the table, a soft chuckle emitting from you.

"You mean everything to me, Shadow Milk Cookie. Virtue of Knowledge or not - you're just.. Shadow Milk Cookie to me."

"You're my friend. Nothing has ever made me think otherwise."

Shadow Milk Cookie stares at you; his expression soft - gaze speechless as he finds himself struggling on what to say.

In all of his time on Earthbread - he's continuously faced a constant battle of Cookies unable to truly see him for what he actually was - the Cookie he was underneath all his glorious titles and fame.

It created a wall that prevented anyone from truly understanding him. Leaving a gaping hole in his heart that could never be filled; and that's what he thought for countless years.

And then you showed up, breaking that endless cycle of inner torment. You saw him for who he was - outside of the Virtue of Knowledge.

You saw Shadow Milk Cookie, and Shadow Milk Cookie saw you.

"Y/N Cookie.."

You hum.

He chuckles, reaching back down for his tea once more.

"Thank you."

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

You felt yourself choking back on a sob as you listened to the guttural screams of Cookies below, begging for mercy as they'd be slaughtered and crumbled to bits through twisted games of cards and chess.

They'd look up at you - pleading for help, yet all you could do was watch idly by as their jam stained the floor.

You wanted to do something. The guilt filled your dough like the plague - kicking and screaming to help the countless Cookies that suffered through the fiery chaos that filled all of Earthbread.

But you could not. You were forced to play your part - to be a spectator, witnessing thousands crumble and wither away. That was your role in his twisted play.

You felt a tug on the near-transparent puppet strings that pulled you aside, and you were quickly wrapped in a warm embrace of poisonous venom.

Shadow Milk Cookie ran a hand through your hair - his other hand moving back behind your head, pushing it into the crook of his neck.

"Just let it alllll out, love." you hear him speak, softly and soothingly, comforting you from the horrors as if it was not him who had caused it all.

Just like the typical routine.

The waterworks spilled and tears flew down, your cries muffled as Shadow Milk Cookie rubbed his hand through your hair, the other wrapped around your waist holding you closer.

"..why .. why.." you mumbled out between sobs, pathetically trying to push yourself away from his tight grip - your feeble attempts at escape not budging his embrace in the slightest.

"It's all just a game, dollface." you can't see his face - but you know he's smiling. "I thought you loved games!"

You only cried more. Shadow Milk Cookie whispers sweet nothings of blissful comfort. The hand on the back of your head seems to pulse for a moment, a brush of his magic sweeping into your mind - pushing your worries down and clouding your head.

"There, there.." he chuckles, moving himself backward - his embrace still tight, but now the two of you were able to properly look at one another. Shadow Milk Cookie brushes a strand of your hair out of your face, softly caressing your cheek, brushing away globs of tears.

"You're as beautiful as ever." he hums, analyzing every part of your face like a delicate painting, making sure not even a single scratch or microscopic bit of dust stained your perfect form. "I'm so, so terribly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long!"

A small glimmer of light in the farthest corners of your mind begged for you to run, to scream, to resist - but such attempts were beyond useless. Maybe it was the spell that clouded your thoughts, but even without the influence of magic - was there truly any point to escaping?

You'd tried countless times before. Back when the terror upon Earthbread had only just begun in it's infancy, you recall many days of running and hiding, thinking you were finally safe, only to instantly be dragged right back into his clutches.

You wanted to hate him. To tear apart his dough and scatter his remains across the desolate ruins of the old Academy, and yet - you couldn't. You could never dare test such dangerous waters, and even then, his face- dark and twisted with lies and deceit, still resembled the same face of the Cookie you once knew and cherished with every fiber of your dough.

You tried to speak - but your words came out as incoherent mumbles, muddled by the pressure weighing down on your mind.

Shadow Milk Cookie lets out a playful hum, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly. "What was that, Y/N? I couldn't quite catch thaaaaaaaat!"

His voice was playful, almost like it was mocking you. He knew damn well his own spell and his magic muddled your mind into exhaustion and compliance, and that small light within you that wanted to fight back so desperately pulled and fought against the bars of its enclosure, but its fight was snuffed out like a candlelight on its last breath.

You felt your eyelids droop - and Shadow Milk Cookie allowed your form to fall limp, his embrace supporting you and keeping you close.

With your consciousness fading as exhaustion had begun to finally take over - you could feel yourself being lifted into the air as the world around you grew dark - nothing but Shadow Milk Cookie's chuckles filling your mind as everything disappeared.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

You find yourself standing in front of that same Silver Tree.

How long had it been? You'd lost track of the years that had gone by since you saw the Witches themselves, looking down upon the ruins of Earthbread with nothing but disappointment.

The holy forks of punishment that rained down from the skies, imprisoning each Beast within mere moments - their reign of terror coming to a halt. Your eyes watched as each Beast Cookie tried to flee - to escape divine punishment that was long overdue, but the powers of the Witches themselves were not ones to be meddled with.

The Silver Tree was born - and Elder Faerie Cookie soon came along with it as the Guardian, swearing a sacred oath to protect the tree with his life, to keep the Beast Cookies imprisoned till the end of time, and with time, Earthbread began to recover.

You recall seeing Shadow Milk Cookie's last look toward you before he was imprisoned.

He was gone - but his clutches on you were still there. You could feel his presence still holding onto your soul, refusing to let go.

No punishment would ever free him from you.

Your mind was always filled with whispers - promises of his return. How one day, he'd return, embracing you with open arms, never to let go of you again.

You feel a soft tap on your shoulder. Your train of thought is shattered, and you turn your head to face the Cookie who was trying to get your attention.

"Doughbrain!" Apple Faerie Cookie huffs, playfully, hands on her hips. "I've been trying to get your attention for a while now!"

You hum. "Sorry, I was.. thinking."

"Thinking about him?" she smiles. You know exactly who she's talking about.

There's a mischievous glint in her eye. You stare back.

"..yeah."

"Don't worry so much!" Candy Apple Cookie reassures, hands moving behind her back. "He'll be free soon. I just know it!"

The light that once shined within you - your spark of fight, your resistance - it had long since been snuffed out. Contorted and twisted into Shadow Milk Cookie's desire, what he wanted you to become.

You were supposed to fear him. You should've been afraid. But that Cookie was long gone - and the Cookie you were now was the Cookie that Shadow Milk Cookie had so delicately crafted.

Whispers of deceit fill your mind again. His voice.

Candy Apple Cookie .. or, Apple Faerie Cookie, giggles. "C'mon, Y/N Cookie! We've got a job to do, remember?"

She's already begun leading the way, her energetic footsteps skipping along the path.

You nod, following after, toward the direction of the Faerie Kingdom's Library.

Behind you - the Silver Tree shakes - and deep inside it's pale bark, a jester laughs as his shackles begin to shake and tremble.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

#cookie run x reader #crk x reader #shadow milk cookie x reader #shadow milk cookie #cookie run kingdom x reader #cookie run kingdom

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