#i wish I had the brain power and energy to theorize more often

[eternal-reverie]

the thing about it is- and i cannot stress it enough- no new information about the game itself was released today. we have exactly as much content to work with as we did 24 hours ago, yet somehow the hype alone of the re-confirmation that the game is in fact still alive has kicked us back into kh mode and reawakened our brains at full strength

LOL LITERALLY

the hold this series has over everyone is insane!!! Just a teaser image barely hinting at anything uploaded after so long has the fandom like this; it hilarious and truly inspiring! Like we were all just hibernating 😆

Haha this whole situation has me reminiscing through similar times in the past where we just get excited for trailer release dates (which I think I would crumble with scheduling that on my calendar if that were to happen again soon) and theorizing to the smallest details of the logos and what not

[squadrah]

You've brought up a few times that Prosciuttos' stand has alternated Prosciuttos' taste buds has anyone else's stand had some kind of physical or maybe mental effect on them? Thank you take ur time and relax tis the holidays

Haha, thank you for your consideration! Where I live we don't celebrate any holidays at this time, but to everyone else I am wishing (very belatedly since this post will have to wait its turn in the queue) a very happy holiday! You are all lovely and deserve a celebration!

Risotto: Compared to the others, he first and foremost sees himself as a host or vessel to Metallica, and the idea of his Stand wreaking havoc within him has crossed his mind many times. Physically, I have seen fans attributing his eye condition to the Stand, which I like even if I have a different interpretation. To me the physical impact is that he has become slightly magnetic (strong fridge magnets will stick to him up close), and he pays way more attention to his iron intake than anyone else on the team.

Formaggio: Despite a slight inferiority complex at present, it used to be worse and his self-image actually improved a lot when he gained his Stand and went from some vagrant punk to a real trickster who can also slash your throat if nothing else gets through to you. Physically he feels no different, though some of the others sometimes take jabs at him saying Little Feet has probably been shrinking his brain, his balls, or both. If they suspected he had often entertained permanently shrinking them a little, they'd stop.

Prosciutto: His Stand has mostly damaged his palate, having been for a long time in his life without the ability to speak out, and restraining himself so often that his Stand sometimes activates automatically and dulls his nerves a little before he might flip a switch and unleash the fury of ten gods. Being a short sleeper, he already had a higher threshold of pain tolerance than most, but The Grateful Dead has actually made this worse without him being much aware of it himself, which is a huge hazard on missions.

Pesci: He had always been a very observant person, both by nature as well as the necessity of reading the room and knowing when he is in danger, and Beach Boy has only heightened these sense by giving him further information he is now able to sense. Like Formaggio, he thus received a confidence boost. Physically, his Stand has not affected him directly, but indirectly, since Pesci started exercising in earnest in order to build up the core strength required to wield his Stand and bear the weight of any victim(s).

Ghiaccio: Another person whose self-confidence was improved by gaining a Stand. On the physical side of things, I loved the anime's decision to show him emanating cold fumes when he was experiencing terror at the sight of Sorbet's body. They know when he is overcome by the sight of those fumes, and that it's time to either defuse him or take cover. He's also in the same boat as Pesci, but with greater willingness to exercise in general because it helps burn his stamina and calm his mind.

Melone: Though he cannot actually prove it, he is convinced that gaining a Stand improved his mental faculties from his memory to the time and effort it takes to theorize and calculate. He also gained a sense of safety because even when he's down, his Stand has energy enough to go and alert the others. Physically he doesn't feel different as a whole, but whenever Baby Face Laptop eats something it shouldn't have, he not only feels abdominal pain but can also very remotely taste whatever entered it.

Illuso: He is the one who was most *and* least improved mentally by the acquisition of a Stand. On the one hand, his wish of complete control over his own space was granted and it gives him a sense of power as well as smug self-assurance, but on the other hand, having the means to hide in order to assert his dominance has done nothing to help him address his many issues. Physically he has been improved as well as "confused" by the mirror world and can read text normal and mirrored, but mixes up the directions of his letters.

Sorbet and Gelato are non-users to my mind, so they are unaffected that way, but I'll include them because they do see Baby Face Laptop moving about and think it's interesting/funny, have seen White Album's armor, and have been subjected to literally every Stand effect out of curiosity and the willingness to understand. This is another one of those things that made the others think both of them batshit crazy indeed.

[firaknight]

LORE DUMP MY FRIEND

WAAAAAAAAAA

Ok so I originally characterized DMS to be a villain like the rest of the DM but then my brain said “nooooo!!!! Make them good!!!! Or at least make them neutral!!!!!” and then I did. Best decision ever made.

Some context: Dark Matter have an intense hatred for merfolk and humans alike. They’re a fucked up mutated variant of regular merfolk that were exposed to dark magic thousands of years ago, causing them to turn into what they are now. Once they had transformed, merfolk exiled them to a crater on the far end of Gamble Ocean. The humans also became bitter towards them over their actions against merfolk. This resulted in that long time grudge Dark Matter now hold and it’s their driving force to want total control over Gamble Ocean.

🪐DMS was made to be a scout. His entire purpose was to spy on the humans to help predict what the next move for Dark Matter should be. Dark Matter want control over the humans to not only get revenge for what the humans have done to them as a species, but also to wipe out all merfolk of Gamble Ocean. DMS did his job loyally, like all Dark Matter do. However, the more he hung around humans, the more he began to dislike that scout job. He understood why the humans hated his species, and realized that humans genuinely aren’t all that bad. Sure, the can be troublesome, but all creatures can! The humans were just doing what they felt was right! After that, DMS slowly began to get more distant from his species, really only working when ordered to by one of his 3 masters.

🪐If you’ve looked at Adeleines design for this AU, you’ve probably noticed she’s either wearing one or two necklaces: a pointed cone shell necklace, or that and a scallop shell necklace. That scallop shell necklace was given to her by DMS. He wound up getting her out of a sticky situation with other Dark Matter and gave her that necklace to give her a better chance of survival in the ocean. Since she’s a human, and humans are built for land, she’s at a serious disadvantage in the water. The necklace gives her the ability to temporarily turn into a mermaid, giving her a fair fighting chance when it comes to escaping the clutches of Dark Matter.

🪐That visor over his eye? Yeah that not just for show. Dark Matter have a natural hypnosis ability that they can trigger at will, although it usually remains active because suppressing the ability takes large amounts of energy most DM don’t have. The eye uses a shift in colors to entrance the viewer until they’re lost in trance, all free will completely gone. The visor DMS wears has a tint in it that literally changes their eye color to black and white, completely stopping their ability to use their powers unless they take the visor off. The mouth eye he has can still do the exact same thing, but he’s learned to speak a certain way that prevents him from opening his mouth too wide, which would reveal the eye. The only reason he wears that visor and speaks the way he does is to protect humans from his abilities. He doesn’t feel any malice towards them, and he doesn’t want to cause harm to them if it’s unnecessary.

🪐After saving Adeleine, he winds up covering for her in a multitude of situations. He still has to keep the trust of his kin—he can’t afford to break trust just yet—but he’s willing to craft a lie or two to get her out of a situation so she can escape. She’s wary of him at first because of this, but she warms up to him once she realizes he can’t break the trust of his kin yet.

🪐When Adeleine inevitably gets kidnapped (it really is only a matter of time before they outsmart her and get the jump on her), he insists to be assigned to guard duty for her cell. He makes sure she’s comfortable and helps ensure she’s getting basic needs met. He’s also there for her when she has to recover from a day of fighting to not fall under DM control. He may not have healing powers, but sometimes making sure she gets a good nights sleep is all she needs to be strong enough to fight back when morning comes.

🪐DMS often consults Miracle Matter for advice on situations involving Adeleine. Both of them are kinda in cahoots on the whole “my species are assholes and I wish I didn’t have to listen to them because I’d rather do my own thing��� so they tend to share advice on things. Miracle Matter is the brains of the Dark Matter colony, and he knows a LOT about humans and merfolk alike. DMS tends to go to him when he wants something done for Adeleine while she’s in the custody of the colony, since Miracle Matter is one of his 3 masters, MM can get stuff for her that DMS can’t.

🪐Around a week after Adeleine is inevitable kidnapped, DMS manages to get her out, at the cost of his kins trust (aside from MM, who knew this would happen and was 100% ok with it happening). There’s a face off between him and Zero after he gets Adeleine out. She’s very quickly escorted away by her merfolk friends and he promises her that he’ll come back to see her again. When he finally does return, he’s got a huge scar from the fight that’s left him weakened. He’s lucky he even made it out alive. It takes him a while to heal up, but after he’s healed, he’s on Adeleines side to the very end.

🪐He also wields the Rainbow Sword, one of the only weapons in existence built to kill Dark Matter, with the others being the Love-Love Stick, the Crystal Shards Gun, and the Star Allies Sparkler. The sword contains immense power that it uses to fire off rainbow colored beams. The beams can tear right through DM, so much so that a single beam can kill one. However, using the abilities of the Rainbow Sword, being of the same species it was designed to kill, forces him to take immense amounts of energy to channel the power in the sword. Otherwise, it functions as a plain ol’ sword.

🪐Unlike the rest of his kin, which fake emotion, DMS winds up gaining genuine emotions. Nobody’s really sure how he did it, but a few theorize that he got it from being around humans so often.

🪐DMS is also one of the only DM who can temporarily assume a human form on land. It requires a TON of energy and strength to pull off, and he can really only do it for a few minutes at a time without help, but it’s useful. He keeps the visor and cape when he transforms, so he looks a little strange. He’s used it a few times to escort Adeleine out of danger on land.

🪐Going off of the previous piece of lore, this also makes DMS one of the only DM who can go on land in general. Unlike his masters, which can go on land and actually breathe air, DMS has to hold his breath while he’s in human form or wear something wet around his neck to allow him to breathe (his gills are still present, but resemble thin lines, almost like scars or birth marks). In human form, he’s commonly seen with an absolutely drenched washcloth or towel hanging around his neck that he frequently dunks in water to rehydrate.

🪐Underneath that stoic knight self is a goofball who just needs some love (platonic). DMS can be genuinely silly and he’s got quite the sense of humor! He just tends to hide that a lot because he has to act just like his kin in order to blend in.

🪐After everything is all said and done him and Adeleine wind up being friemds... :)

[elizabeatrice]

Mystery Spot (Chapter 68)

Let’s Talk About JSHK Manga #4

If you get the title reference, I applaud you.

Warning: 1) !!! MANGA SPOILERS UP TO CHAPTER 68 !!! Duh.

2) I dropped a couple of f bombs and several curses here ... I really ranted lmao.

3) This reaction/review is closer to me spewing wild theories rather than an actual review. But these wild theories are my reactions. So. Ehhh these theories are probably wrong anyway. Lemme have my dark, twisted fun, mkay? Not sure if they’re entirely coherent though.

Had trouble copying some kanji this time around ‘cause they’re so freaking blurry! So I got too lazy to write this yesterday haha. Thank you Ropes of Fate for the translation! Truly commendable heroes of the fandom *sobs*. I also used three panels from Chapter 61, translated by Caim.

Let’s jump into it (ba dum tss).

This chapter is a bit shorter than usual and boy do you feel it. Well. At least I do. But I really hope sensei are taking some time to relax. Last chapter was 45 pages, after all. Y’all deserve it you wonderful creators.

First of all I would like to dedicate the biggest f bomb for the villagers because what the fuck. Why the fuck would you sacrifice poor, innocent young girls just to keep yourself safe? And it’s not even a sacrifice to kami-sama! Y’all just droppin’ these girls to be eaten by supernaturals! And y’all practically manipulated them smh.

Are y’all insane?! Y’all could’ve just moved the fuck out. What kind of insane people just decide to stay near a literal pit of hell? Don’t give me the ‘we’ve lived here for generations’ bs okay ‘cause y’all neighbors be getting eaten by supernaturals but y’all rather trade innocent young girls for your own safety. If Berkians and Asgardians can suck it up and be the bigger nation with all that ‘Berk/Asgard is not a place it’s the people’ shit, y’all can too.

I’ve disliked characters in JSHK before. But I’ve never hated JSHK characters before. Until now. Y’all fucking did it, dumbass villagers.

Ahem. Pardon me.

Because my brain is a literal self-debate machine let me just say that I did consider several possibilities in these ‘people’’s defense. There’s the obvious ‘some people back then didn’t know any better and believe a human sacrifice will solve everything’ mindset. Then there’s the possibility of them being trapped in their village for some reason, hence not having any other choice but to sacrifice those girls.

But y’know what else could be the case? ‘Cause my mind really went dark there for a bit.

The Minamoto clan let it happen.

In the last chapter it was mentioned that the Minamoto clan was involved. And this is a bit shocking now that I think about it more ‘cause Teru has always been adamant that all supernaturals are evil and must be exorcised, humans must be protected.

But what if they just let the villagers sacrifice these girls so that the monsters can be contained in this village, in that pit, instead of running amok to other places and cause more trouble?

Which makes me wonder.

Uh. Where did Teru go to? Does he know about this? Did he go to that pit (or that village, if Kamome Academy wasn’t built on its land)?

If he does know, isn’t he interested in saving a fellow human student and underclassman? If he does know about the Akane clan, isn’t he interested in telling his VP, who’s obsessed with an Akane? Unless ... you know ... he meant for this to happen, which I kinda doubt.

He must know something about this. He went out of his way to make Akane promise to protect Kou if something were to happen. What’s more dangerous than the Grim Reaper showing up looking for a sacrifice who turned out to be Kou’s beloved senpai’s best friend? What if Akane had to choose between Aoi and Kou at some point?

Okie next I wanna talk about Hanako. This is gonna sound just as far fetched as the previous bit lmao but here goes.

Boiiii y’all saw it. The pause before his answer. His face drawn out of view, in an evasive body language.

(Hanako my boy pls do us all a favor and stop lying to your girlfriend, we all know how well that turned out in Picture Perfect lmao)

Theory. He knew what’s been going on all along. Or at least the gist of it.

Remember this?

Imma take a detour a lil bit.

The Far Shore/torii gate refused Nene in chapter 67, right? In my Chapter 67 reaction I said it was the bracelet that saved her but now I think the bracelet probably disguised her as Sumire in the villagers’ eyes. So the Far Shore/torii gate refused her, and we all thought it was because she wasn’t an Akane.

But then we found out that Hanako was right about the village. It was just a ‘made up world’ inside Shinigami’s boundary. It’s just a reenactment of the day Sumire died, probably based on Shinigami’s memories, as the first page of Chapter 64 said.

So of course Nene was refused. Because in his memories, Sumire was the one who fell into the pit that day.

Sumire also said in this chapter’s narration that the villagers sacrificed young girls. Not Akane girls. Also, before the sacrifices began, the monsters already ate villagers anyway, right? They didn’t only eat young girls. It wasn’t said as such. The villagers probably just chose young girls because that’s sorta like the equivalent of offering the best meat or smth. Practically a please accept our humble offering of tenderloin wagyu, O Horrible Monsters.

The coveted bloodline thing was probably a plus, not obligatory. Often in stories, people with high ‘spiritual energy’ are supposed to taste more delicious and grant whoever eats their meat special powers or smth (e.g. Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West). Also ancient cultures sacrifice young girls often, that was the trend.

And they proceeded to try to sacrifice Nene anyway, despite her not being an Akane. They said it themselves. “It doesn’t matter if it’s that girl.”

So according to the (rather vague) information we have, it’s possible that the sacrifice doesn’t have to be an Akane or a girl.

Some of y’all have been theorizing that the Yugi twins got involved with supernaturals, and that sorta lead to their death.

What if this is it?

I myself am not sure how it went down if this is really the case. But I keep imagining our boy’s infamous ‘I’m not going anywhere’ being said by Sumire because bruh she’s the epitome of not going anywhere. She was chosen to be sacrificed since she was a child, not given a choice. Even after she died and became a yorishiro, she was imprisoned in this time prison world or whatever, reliving her death every single day with no escape.

And I couldn’t help but think ‘hoooo shit what if???’

I mean. I don’t know who was the chosen sacrifice. Could be Tsukasa, could be Amane. Maybe he killed his brother so that he wouldn’t get sacrificed, and decided that he’ll die along with his brother. I’m not going anywhere. Maybe it also means I’m not letting you send my brother to be eaten by monsters, and since we can’t escape either, we’re staying here no matter what.

And if the Minamotos were really in on it, it makes sense for Grandma Minamoto to accuse Amane of being an evil murderer. He practically got in the way ‘of other people’s safety’ by killing the chosen sacrifice.

banjjakz also said something about the possibility of Tsukasa being a previous sacrifice. Read about it here and here. It’s pretty interesting!

Besides, a wonder whose precious person got sacrificed and later became their yorishiro? That’d be some parallel, haha.

Sure, Sumire said ‘if the kannagi was switched’. But the early narration didn’t mention a sacrifice of kannagi. Just ‘young girls’.

Look just lemme have this, alright?

Oh. Also I wanted to point out the possible tension/trust issues between Hanako and Nene but many other blogs have pointed it out quite well so I’m just gonna stick with my wild theories.

But I will address what Nene said about the pit.

Where is said pit anyway? In Kamome? Why is it open? Is it Tsukasa changing rumors and allowing more supernaturals to cross back to the Near shore? More likely. I mean, he does grant wishes for supernaturals after all.

Oh. Speaking of Nene. Let’s give her a round of applause for her character development. She’s become of better judgement regarding men’s terrible behavior. Wow. That’s my girl. I mean, we still don’t know much about Shinigami, but from what I’ve seen so far, Sumire guuuurrrrllllll you deserve better.

Regardless of my ships, these supernatural boys should take notes from my precious Kou and how he loves so selflessly. Lmao. Remember that one post-chapter panels in Picture Perfect where he said he’ll find Nene a prince in the real world, even though he likes her? Broooo I want ten of this precious boy.

Lastly, Akane and Aoi.

Where are they? They look like they’re stranded in some wild boundary somewhere, the one with half sunken houses and lost things that usually appear in color spreads. I am so hyped, ‘cause I love the aesthetics, and I wanna see more of this place.

Oh. And Akane’s alive. Phew. I gotta be honest though, I kinda looked forward to his death. Not because I hate the kiddo. He’s technically still human, right. I’m just wondering whether his death or Aoi’s would cause Teru to outright declare war against the Seven Wonders because aren’t these folks supposed to protect students like they claim to be? (This, of course, ignores my previous theories about the Minamoto clan)

Basically I just wanna see some shit go down with Teru mkay ‘cause this powerful dude has been useless for quite too long now.

Aoi’s still pretty confusing, too. She went from this weird expression:

to this:

She kinda looked like she was still under the influence of the drug thingy. But she was also concerned about Akane, even though it’s not like how she worried about Nene in the past. And she knew Akane longer than her, they practically grew up together. Real Aoi would be in tears seeing his condition, y’all. So I guess the drug thingy’s effect is slowly wearing out.

Closing! JSHK is dark but usually not in ways my brain expects it to be. (And a lot of times I still get surprised with the amount of comedy it has lmao.) Sooo sensei are probably gonna prove me wrong about most of these, anyway. Haha.

As always feel free to discuss.

[majingojira]

Introducing Recent Supernatural Fauna into the Dresden Files

As time goes on, new supernatural monsters are added to the bestiaries of fantasy lore when there was no folklore or belief around them.  Some spawned from famous stories (Tolkein being the obvious influence), others from recently developed folklore (cryptids, the Slender Man), and others just because they’re “Weird Ideas Some Nerds had in the 70s for D&D” (The Gelatinous Cube, Beholder, & Mind Flayer). 

Here are four such creatures of the first kind and how I’d think they’d work were they incorporated into the Dresden Files mythology.

I may do more if asked (or if I can) because I like cross-pollinating like this.

Slayers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Slayers in the Dresden Files were created by Ancient Sorcerers, a group of them even older than the White Council, but still similar to them.  They called themselves the Shadow Men.  They wished to create a guardian for humanity against the various supernatural predators out there.  What they performed was similar to an ascension rite, and similar to the creature of a spirit of intellect like the Archive.  This time, it created an atypical supernatural lineage.  Over time, the Slayer mostly came under the purview of the Venatori Umbromum and was known as a “Verum Venator” or “True Venator” after regular use of Latin fell out of favor.  After the turn of the millennium, as there was a spike in supernatural activities, so to was there an uptick in Slayers.  So much so that for the first time in about 2000 years there was a significant number of them to form their own organization and rebel against the Venatori.

Slayers are empowered by a connection to what can only be called a Goddess.  What it is, is unknown, but many have claimed they draw their strength from many deities.  While it is claimed the Amazons were descendants of Ares, aspects of their abilities tie them more to the Egyptian Goddess of Justice: Ammit the Devourer. 

Through the empowerment, they first receive knowledge – the most potent power of all.  Parts of past slayers lives and experiences are transferred into them.  Not directly or fully, but instinctively.  Like the difference between muscle memory and knowledge memory. Their bodies, in effect, remember how to fight, how to train, and where to strike all sorts of nasties.  And with what.  They may not be able to put it into words easily, but it’s there

The second gift is more mystical.  All that knowledge helps them in practising the craft, but their talents seem to be limited.  They can perform a ritual as anyone can, but they show aptitude in Kinetomancy.  They incorporate this into their martial arts and make the stronger ones truly potent.  They also have a gift of prophecy.  This comes to them in the form of dreams.  Some take the shape of the memories of past Slayers should an old threat return.  Mostly, however, it comes in the form of annoyingly vague dreams that often do little more than simply alert them to something happening.  This works similar to Cassandra’s Tears, but instead of no one believing them few people can decipher their meaning until after the fact beyond “Keep an eye on this person” or “Something bad is coming, and it’s probably a demon/vampire/fae/demigod/dragon.”

The next gift they receive is to their senses.  Slayer senses are sharper than those of normal humans.  While still within the range of mortal animals, they are impressive nonetheless when compared to a normal human.  Most potent of these is their vision and hearing, both very important for beings that hunt at night.  They also receive an extra sense against danger or ‘violent intent’, a true “Spider-Sense” as Harry would put it.  This allows them to detect predatory or aggressive acts against them, even while blind or in complete darkness.  Being aware and reacting in time is, of course, two different things, but if a Slayer is attentive, they cannot be fooled easily.

The fourth gift is the most obvious, their physical abilities.  The Strength, Speed, Stamina, Recovery, and Durability of Slayers are truly supernatural.  They were made to go toe-to-toe against Vampires primarily, after all, so they were made tough. Weaker slayers (mostly those just starting out) are able to perform on the level of Olympic athletes across the board while being able to fully heal from a stab wound overnight.  Stronger Slayers can bend prison bars, snatch crossbow bolts out of the air at point-blank range, survive multistory falls with little more than a limp afterwards, run at highway speeds, and do that for hours. Recovery wise, they can block a superhuman cleaver strike with their bare arm and . . .  have the bone stop it.  It’s an odd vulnerability.  Against blunt force trauma, they’re extremely tough but introduce a piercing weapon and things become tougher.  Still, the best way to be sure one has been killed is to aim for a spot on a human that would be instantly lethal.  A gutted slayer can recover given time, as can a paralyzed one, or one that has lost a limb would regrow it in a few years.  But it’s hard to recover from a destroyed head, heart, or a properly snapped neck.  Fully draining them of blood also works.  

Their final gift is indeed why they are called Slayers and why Ammit the Devourer is seen as their patron. Slayers absorb ambient mystical energy around them, and when they attack supernatural or spiritual beings, they can rip them apart.  This primarily occurs when they do enough damage to destroy their mortal shell.  As the spirit flees, the ‘devourer’ takes a big bite out of the spirit and the energy used to create or maintain their physical form.  This can be so damaging that the spirit unravels, being effectively destroyed. The bodies of beings like vampires, fae, and demons often burst into dust or melt into ooze after being slain by a slayer as the Devourer takes its fee.  This is, along with the connection to the goddess, allows them to have such supernatural powers without needing to feed on flesh, blood, or other ugliness.

For some reason, this does not work on fully incorporeal spirits such as ghosts.  It is theorized that, unless they manifest, there is nothing for the slayer to ‘grab on’ to. 

Slayers generally appear as attractive young women, few have lived past the age of twenty until recently, so little is know how long their youthful appearance holds, but it matches their M.O.  They appear as helpless young women ripe with vitality to most supernatural predators.  They are in for a rude shock when the prey turns out to be the predator. 

(Demoniac) Vampires (BtVS)

Undead corpses animated by a demonic spirit?  More common than you think.  They are known mostly as the Demon Court.  They are found throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, but the idea of them being a full ‘court’ is a misnomer as they rarely form large organizations.  Sure, mobs of up to 20 or 30 can form around powerful and charismatic individuals, but there is little to no inter-group activity beyond posturing like packs of wolves. So, mostly, they form gangs of 4 to 10.

A demoniac vampire are born through infection.  A victim is brought to near-death via bloodloss and infected with the Vampiric Spirit.  Once the victim dies, the spirit takes control.  It animates the corpse in a few days and gives it a semblance of life.  The heart doesn’t beat and it doesn’t need the organs to function, but aside from feeling room temperature, it’s hard to tell that they are anything but a normal human.

Until it’s time to feed. Then it shifts the face into a horrible mask and grows out its teeth.  Not just fangs, but premolars and incisors become sharp and biting.

The spirit also grants them superhuman strength and speed.  They have the durability of a corpse but retain a sense of stamina as the spirit needs to be fueled regularly with blood in order to keep going. A Demoniac vampire that hasn’t fed in ages becomes more akin to a Black Court vampire visually, and an old one at that. It debilitates the mind and makes them savage.  Well, more savage than normal and feral to boot.  

The vampiric spirit gains potency over time, but beyond an increase in physical powers, they are usually minor but still noteworthy.  Some can grow claws as well as fangs or turn their hands into bludgeons.  Others display hypnotic, illusion, or enthralling abilities, but these are thankfully rare.  

Like anything bore from humans, it can have the potential abilities of a human: Sorcerers, talents, and other powers can crop up on occasion.  The Vampire Spirit retains the knowledge and experiences of the being whose corpse it now inhabits, exploiting the ‘residue’ of the soul left behind in the corpse.  This also grants the creature the passions the host body had in life, albeit twisted through the ravenous, sadistic carnivore.  

Which means those who are aimless in life and have no wants or desires beyond basic hedonism make for the most horrifyingly inhuman demoniac vampires.  

They can breed fast, but thankfully are easier to kill than the Black Court.  Destroy the brain/decapitate severs the spirit (which nests in the head) from the body.  Jamming a wooden or bone stake forces symbolic life into the un-life of the vampire and destroys it completely.  Sufficient damage through fire also burns away the animating spirit (and they are highly flammable).  And despite being in a body, the animating spirit is still pushed away by sunlight (which also sets the body on fire).  When the creature is truly destroyed, it runs back into the Nevernever with such force it disintegrates the body, rendering it into dust.  

They also show a repulsion to holy symbols, and contact with holy or blessed items causes them to burn.

Gargoyles (Disney’s Gargoyles)

Gargoyles are a name provided to a mortal, but magically influenced species that has gone by many names over the years, and across cultures.  In Japan, they are Tengu, Shisa, and Otoroshi.  In Greece, they are furies, harpies, and Sphinx.  India’s Garuda is one of their number. Babylonian Lamasi.  The hummingbirds of Huitzilopochtli.  China too has its gargoyles, a tribe of which lives at the corners of their known lands and eat mostly fish.  Even in the modern United States, Leeds Devil, and the Mothman are thought to be Gargoyles.  

Gargoyles are mortal, in that they have free will, choice, and thus a ‘soul’ as humans understand it. They are fully sentient, sapient species that happen to have a very variable, monstrous look.  

Physically, Gargoyles are supernaturally strong and durable.  While they can still be cut and bleed, it’s a lot harder to do.  They resist cold and heat better than humans, able to walk around in subzero temperatures with little more than what amounts to shorts and a t-shirt in sub-zero temperatures to no ill effect.  Their strength is great enough to bend steel but is mostly used as a vector for their powerful talons.  They usually claw their way up walls, punching through stone and concrete easily.  They do this in order to fly.  Though they claim they can only glide on their wings, their problem is the initial lift. Once in the air, they have been known to hover, and flap to gain altitude.  Some kinetomancy is suspected to achieve this, but their power is subconscious and unrealized.  They also have a fully prehensile tail.

One truly supernatural ability comes in a form of inspiring fear.  Sure, part of it is the fact that a 300-pound fanged horror is growling at you, but the supernatural element is present in their actively glowing eyes. White in males, red in females. This glow is surprisingly bright, as much as a low flashlight.  While this blinds them temporarily, it is a wonderful threat display.

Gargoyles do not eat much either despite this.  The price for all this power comes from their stone sleep.  When the sun rises, they turn to stone.  Artificial sunlight does not have such an effect, but oddly they can get ‘jet lag’.  The transformation turns them into a stone-like substance (calcium based), and when the sun sets, they change back, but a layer of stone is ejected in a wonderfully cool display.  

Until you learn that’s how they excrete waste.  Then it becomes hilarious.  

This sleep keeps them immobile and vulnerable to anyone wielding a sledgehammer, which is why they usually perch on tall, out of the way places.  It does have three benefits: one, it slows down the aging process (gargoyles age at roughly one half the speed of humans); two, it allows them to heal from many forms of injury overnight; and three, it allows them to absorb solar energy in order to fuel their active lifestyles and supernatural power.

Morlocks/CHUD (The Time Machine, C.H.U.D.)

Little is known about this species.  They are hulking carnivores that live deep underground in both the Nevernever and in parts of the mortal world.  They crave flesh but seem to be able to do without for decades or even centuries without any ill effects.  It’s thought that they hibernate or otherwise go into a state to stave off starvation for long periods and gorge themselves when the opportunity arises.  

Roughly humanoid in shape, Morlocks have powerful claws, supernatural strength, and are slightly more durable than a mortal human, though the same things which can kill a human will end them.  They are, however, almost completely invulnerable to poisons and toxins.  Or, if there are such chemicals that can affect them, they are not found in squalid places or deep underground (which, given what they’ve been found in, might just be chlorophyll).  The only known aversion they have is too bright lights.   Flashes of light can blind and stun them for a time, allowing for escape.  

Unless they get clever, and they are moderately intelligent at least.  They are able to create ambushes and use tools, but are savage and have little hierarchy known.

But because they also smell foul, no one has taken the time to study them.  Until about a hundred years ago, they were thought to be a species of ghoul.  And they might be, but it is clear they are quite distinct from Ghouls.  Same family rather than the same genus.

[youdecode]

Something that Seems Bad But is actually Good | Adopt 4 ‘Bad’ behaviors

Aren’t you tired of being too good? I am. But, you are also shy to be bad? Why? Society will punish you — with actions, words, and stares.

Imagine you’re Noland from Castaway, locked in an island.

In the midst of a solitary life full of uncertainties, you wish to get a tattoo, drive on the road’s the wrong side, smoke inside an elevator, play awful pranks, and party till late — only if you could go back where existence is.

But what if you’re not as lucky as Noland — who actually got a chance to relive? What if you spot angels before adopting so-called “bad” behaviors and depart with “I wish”?

Pity.

“We live, or we die by the clock!” Noland shouts. “We never turn our back on it, and we never, ever allow ourselves the sin of losing track of time.”

So, time is all you have.

Doing what society wants you to do, often, devoid you of real fun, wasting your precious time, stealing the joy of weird experiences.

So, there is no harm in being a little naughty and doing things which, otherwise, are seen as threatening.

Yes, to be polite is suggestive; to be productive is appreciated.

But today I’ll advise you to be bad because being “bad” doesn’t take much. Don’t trust me?

See for yourself, as unappreciative social behaviors peppered in this post suggest violating some restrictive social expectations. Let’s dive:

  1. Let Your Tongue Twirl

I have never sworn in public, like never. In third grade, I called my class fellow “stupid”, and that mama’s boy complained to the class teacher, destroying my image partially.

From that day, yes, life traveled a great deal — but the incident remained precisely in its place. I ensured to always maintain animosity against badmouthing.

Especially, swearing. But, as of writing now, my brain is nudging to change this hostility — all credit to the studies confirming how swearing helps one overcome frustration.

I used to roll my eyeballs on people who when stuck in traffic swear at others — but now I’m sure it helped them, as according to recent research, swearing helps people cope with anger.

Further, Richard Stephens of Keele University (UK), in his study published in Neuroreport, explains,

“There are many well-documented benefits of swearing, including improving pain tolerance, boosting physical strength, and helping social cohesion.”

Stephen carried out an interesting experiment where swearing helped in reducing and enduring pain.

People were asked to put their hand in an ice bucket; those who swore all the while were able to pull the challenge for two minutes, nearly double the time, than those who remained good mouth.

But, Stephen also explained how mainly occasional swearing helps alleviate the pain.

So make it only a casual habit, strategically deployed. Logic? Well, over-swearing will make it lose its emotional power, making it less effective in alleviating pain — after all, swearing is a dynamic language.

Don’t you think we need more such studies? Caught you!

According to another study published in the Leadership and Organization Development Journal by Yehuda Baruch of the University of East Anglia, swearing enables employees to channel frustration and develop strong social relations.

Take away: Swear, but strategically. 

  2. Get Disgusting

This one is probably the most disgusting. Weird. Strange. You name an awful feeling, and it is it.

But there has been research, so it’s worth a share. In 2008, Friedrich Bischinger, an Austrian lung specialist, explained how eating snot helps strengthen the immune system. He goes on telling,

“People who pick their nose and eat it,” he said, “get a natural boost to their immune system for free. I would recommend a new approach where children are encouraged to pick their noses. It is a completely natural response and medically a good idea as well.”

What is science?

Well, research says bacteria deposited on the nose when it hits the intestine acts as a medicine.

Bischinger was not alone. Even biochemist, Scott Napper of the University of Saskatchewan, shared a similar viewpoint, theorizing how hygiene improvement boosts allergies, so eating snot may strengthen the immune system by ingesting a few harmless germs into the body.

Interestingly, the same idea can be deployed on a lesser level of disgusting activity: nail-biting. I never had a habit of biting my nails.

Like never. But I had ample friends, always angry at their fingernails’ crooked appeal and stunted growth — clearly, they were nail-biters.

No matter how biting nails may appear displeasing socially, but medically, it’s right for you.

How so? Well, the biting inject germs directly into the orifice. Bringing in newer germs into the body strengthens your immune system as it repeatedly then fends off bacteria.

Additionally, according to Amy Standen of npr.org, nail-biting is now considered an act of “pathological grooming.” Amy interviewed Carol Mathews, a psychiatrist, who explained to her how nail-biting acts as a reward.

When met with anxiety, biting the right nail feels good. Mathew explains how it is an advantageous relief method over vices like smoking cigarettes.

I might be on the verge of losing my pretty nails — as the study of it being a stress reliever, illuminated me.

Take away: It’s alright to bite your nails for strengthening your immune system — but, occasionally. 

  3. Turn Into a Dull Useless Soul

Have you ever been subject to self-pity when boredom sucked the soul out of you?

After digesting this research, you probably would not, as boredom is psychologically useful.

Van Tilburg, from the University of Limerick, tells the Guardian:

“Boredom makes people long for different and purposeful activities, and as a result, they turn towards more challenging and meaningful activities, turning towards what they perceive to be meaningful in life.”

Interestingly, Adrian Savage, an editor at Lifehack, adds,

“Boredom stimulates the search for better ways to do things like nothing else does.”

Another study made people watch dull, boring videos, resulting in their increased performance in creative tasks.

So next time, when you feel an utterly useless person in boredom, think twice — as you are doing nothing but triggering your creativity.

Now I reflect why all the creative ideas always land in my mind when I have absolutely nothing to do — and the very reason why people’s random videos made during boredom go viral.

Takeaway: No matter how much society labels you as a useless couch potato, get intentionally bored for your next inspiration.

  4. Become that Rude Movie Character & Chew

Why in every movie is a shady character always chewing gum?

I don’t get why people don’t consider it a pretty sight and associate it with mannerless.

An interesting study, instead, showcases how it has cognitive benefits.

Chew it before performing any cognitive task to increase the blood oxygen level. In the book Senescence and Senescence-Related Disorders, Kin-ya Kubo expounds on how chewing gum helps with stress-related disorders.

I can vouch for this.

Even if I forget to keep a gum with me, my best friend always carries it with her because it wonders for anxiety, stress, nausea, nervousness, and whatnot!

Studies have also proved how chewing gum boosts thinking and alertness by 10% as nearly eight brain areas get affected, mostly concerning movement and attention.

Andy Smith of Cardiff University sums up:

“The effects of chewing on reaction time are profound. Perhaps football managers arrived at the idea of chewing gum by accident, but they seem to be on the right track.”

Takeaway: Ditch the etiquettes and smack the gum in.

Final words for Something that Seems Bad But is actually Good

Why adopt any of the techniques laid above?

It’s always good to have a change. Life is short. Tasting “not so acceptable” behaviors frequently add spice to your life — even if momentarily.

Remember good behavior exists because of “Bad”, so do not dismiss the idea of bad behaviors completely.

Rather explore bad behaviors, which sometimes can be good for you.

Violate some outworn social behaviors classified as bad and be intentional about it.

Remember, it’s good to be bad with awareness rather than being good without awareness.

So next time when your brain requests you to try something terrible, give it a thought, at least — before rebelling.

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[jaku-the-askblog]

Aku Headcanon: Powers/Origin

((so im gunna geek out a little bit here about my personal ideas of Aku’s powers/what exactly he is and how that ties into the series, ok? Ok

Prepare for the long haul on this one guys

(Small disclaimer: this isnt a scientific/psychological thing, and im pretty sure this ain’t even close to what Genndy wanted to be canon. These are my ideas, pertaining to the askblog and a certain fic universe, based on canon, of my Aku. Lets move on)

I. So what is Aku according to Abby?

Firstly, despite whatever canonically or fanon-wise in my own series’ Jack and Aku himself (and others) call him, Aku isn’t a demon/wizard/etc. We already know, pretty much canonically, that Aku is one of a kind. Which means beings like Demongo, his minions, others, aren’t even close to what Aku is.

^A babby Aku leaves his nest to fend for himself in the harsh and unforgiving wild

Unless you wanna go on the theory that Aku’s minions are also him but lets not right now

I refuse to accept that Aku is “pure evil” unless you want to get into moral debate and the theories on what constitutes “evil,” because perhaps in the perspective of that universe he is the Worst Evil Ever but comparatively to our own world and especially my own perspective he really...isn’t. Which isn’t to say he’s done downright vile and awful and evil things, because he really has! He’s just not “pure evil.” I firmly believe that it’s just what we’re being fed, because all that we know about Aku is really from the perspective of other characters (ie, Jack’s father being the one that created Aku and immediately assuming that he’s something to be destroyed). And Aku seems to run with this because, realistically, it’s all he’s ever known/tried.

(I have additional input on Aku’s birth and his “starting” personality, but I will save that for another time)

(“But the gods said—” you start.

“FUCK the gods,” I spit back, punching Odin in his remaining eye, “Theyre fuckin useless as shit anyway”)

HOWEVER, I think Aku is something more like a conscious controlling what’s essentially pure magic from that universe in physical form, with magic being like a manipulatable energy source according to that universe’s rules. I think that, much like in the Avatar (the animated series not the atrocious live action one) series, the way this magic/energy can be used varies from person to person, from being to being. And a being like Aku, who’s made up of the stuff, is going to inherently be more powerful and more versatile than anyone else that just uses magic but wasn’t born from it. AND his magic is more wild and free and flexible than the contained/inherited forms of it that other mortals have.

And from there it only gets more fun.

You see, we never really hear/see Aku mention his time spent as the Black Goop, which likely infers he either couldn’t form into something that could speak/move around or he just doesn’t remember in the way a human might. Either way means he had no control over himself. Which only feeds my theory that Aku’s just a brain constantly controlling what are really just mindless drones with power to do his bidding much like his/the entity’s former shape.

I also theorize that, if he didn’t have the same kind of consciousness, the Black Goop was absorbing anyone/thing that came into contact because that was the only thing the mindless, physical manifest of magic knew to do. It can’t think to express itself! It can’t think to grow legs and walk around!

But on the other hand, if he was...some kind of mind in there, but couldn’t form into a shape, perhaps he was latching onto living things, trying to learn about them, trying to find some form of escape. I haven’t worked out which he was in the goop form as of yet, but either works really.

I do think that’s why the gods were trying to destroy the entity, because they knew that if it started wandering around the universe in a semi-tangible form, especially with the power it originally had, wild and free, then it would cause effortless and wide-spread chaos.

And somehow Jack’s father’s fire gave him/the magic the power to form a brain, buuuut it has its limitations from Aku.

Let’s take a closer look.

II. Aku’s Essence vs Aku Infection

In episodes like the Ultrabots, the final episode, and even in the comics, we see that when Aku has his essence control/power others, he retains some level of control over the individual to do his bidding. They also sometimes gain his powers, but I think that’s also under his control.

So what’s the difference between this and the Aku Infection?

I don’t think Aku knew about Jack getting infected. And instead, Jack was the one that made himself into Aku.

This really boils down to semantics and me wanting to go completely off my rocker here, so bear with me.

^Accurate depiction of abby now

First, though it is typical of Aku, we never see him attempt this again. If you want to include the IDW comics, he doesn’t even consider it in issue 10. Instead, he uses his time in Jack’s mind to eat his memories.

HOWEVER within the episode itself, we see an interesting progression of things:

Jack steals jewels from the explorers without realizing it

Argues with himself (!!) about rescuing a stranded sightseer and the reward if he does so (which he demands for money) yet doesn’t seem to notice the fact he’s doing so

Begins to feel irritated and twitchy as well as itchy (likely as his skin changes)

STILL SOMEHOW FAILS TO NOTICE HIS BODY CHANGING

Begins to speak/look more like Aku as time goes on

(Also, a minor, tiny detail but: no beard. Hmmmmm)

NOW let’s consider something here: normally Aku controls his essence to do as he wishes. In fact, he typically immediately controls his subjects. But Aku wasn’t in good shape when we see him first in this episode, nor is his state brought up again.

What (or shall I say who) is typically on the forefront of Jack’s mind, and he associates with darkness?

Thaaat’s right! Aku!

^This is what happens when you jack off too often kids

So I think, at this point, however subconsciously, Aku’s essence/that magic latched onto what Jack associated with that start of darkness and became what he thought it would be.

It became his idea of Aku. And it simply ran with it, because that is the first and most powerful thing Jack thought of. After all, Jack has no experience in controlling magic, and especially not one as powerful as Aku’s. And that magic, now detached from the main consciousness, is basically just trying to find it’s way out in him, so it was mindlessly searching for the easiest way to be “expressed.”

By examining Jack-Aku’s behavior and wording more closely, I’d like to point out something. Right after Jack FINALLY realizes what’s happening, we have this exchange:

Jack: “This cannot be happening!”

“Aku:” “Oh yes it can!”

Jack: “Must…keep…control!”

“Aku:” “Yeah! Gotta get a grip.”

Jack: “Need help. The monks—!”

“Aku:” “I got to find those accursed monks!”

Now, does this actually sound like something Aku would say, or like someone who’s imitating Aku would say?

Hm. Let’s look at another example.

It’s close, I’ll give Jack-Aku that! But it’s a little…too close. Again, like someone’s doing an impression of Aku.

It is close to things Aku has said before, but it still feels just off to me.

Jack-Aku certainly fights a little differently, but there’s still more touches of Jack than Aku in there. Sure his swings are more brutal, but then there’s stuff like this:

^SUPERHERO LANDING

That doesn’t look like an Aku pose to me. That’s a Jack one.

Now I do realize, as I said, most of this is just semantics and most of it could be explained away with “Aku was just fucking with Jack.” But I dunno, that just seems like it’s not what’s really going on, especially since we don’t see the original Aku trying to control Jack, much like how we got a hint of that in the Ultrabots and even in Mad Jack.

Interestingly, season 5 seems to support this!

You see, I think the priestess wanted to bear Aku’s children, so that’s what his magic did for her. There was probably something in her head that thought seven was a good number, so that’s what happened for her. As for why the essence didn’t overwhelm Ashi and her sisters before, I suspect that it became combined with their DNA in order to sustain them (as the priestess wished; at least until they “lived” until she was done with them) and became dormant until Aku “reactivated” it.

And then, Ashi is initially overwhelmed by Aku’s essence, but once she takes it for her own—

^THATS MY GIRL

It becomes her own. She’s owning Aku’s powers, Aku’s essence, Aku’s magic for her own use. It becomes what she wants it to be.

Jack never did that because he never took it. He allowed himself to be overwhelmed by it, letting it do it’s own thing inside him, and it nearly transformed him into his own Grand Theft Me nightmare.

III. Aku’s Powers (and the actual powers of the sword)

Ok ok, so what does this all have to do with Aku’s powers? Well, like I mentioned earlier, Aku is made up of pure energy that can be made into (almost) anything he wants to do with it.

“So why doesn’t he just do _ to kill Jack?!?!?!”

That’s actually quite simple: Because Aku has no idea what he is either.

^Aku voice: AWHUA

He has literally no frame of reference, no concept or comparison. All he’s ever really gotten is from others, who call him “evil,” “demon,” “wizard,” etc. He knows he’s more powerful than any being in the mortal world, but he doesn’t know how or why. He simply is.

(This feeds back into that linked post from the beginning about Aku being something of a narcissist, because he makes himself into whatever others think of him in order to be “accepted.” But I have more words on that idea at a later point when I can get all these thoughts about his powers out of the way, though I firmly emphasize that I’m not even close to a major in psychology so I’m not fit to diagnose him with anything, really. This is all just for funsies)

It’s how I explain his ability to pop random powers out without notice or mention of them again, ie creating a dark clone of Jack, encasing a living man in stone while also making him immortal?, telepathically manipulating objects from afar, RAISING THE FUCKING DEAD, etc etc. He knows he has tremendous powers, but does he explore their limits? Find out what all he can do? No! And why would he, if he’s already immortal and immune to everything? He only seeks out to use these powers like that when it conveniences him.

And yea, that would be his own fault. But it’s his life, and he’ll do as he pleases.

Now, let’s get to the sword.

It’s heavily implied (if not outright stated) that the sword is made from Jack’s father’s spirit/soul. The gods insist that only the strength of such a thing, combined with the virtue of “human righteousness” can destroy Aku. This is where they say he’s a “force of ultimate evil” and all that, but I already don’t like that the gods are entrusting this “duty,” which they started but didn’t finish, onto a mortal. Mighty suspicious.

So how exactly does the sword work if Aku isn’t made of evil, but instead pure magic? Easy. The sword destroys that magic from Aku’s physical form. It’s literally cutting away his control and his power, in a harsher and far worse way than if Aku were to be using his energy on his own. And the gods basically made a soul contract with Jack’s father to give it that power without there being serious repercussions on the wielder of the weapon. Because technically destroying a magic/energy like that should totally backfire and act more like splitting an atom than a cool firey-burning effect.

^( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

So Aku and his powers are in a constant state of decay-recovery, because he’s using his own body to do all these powers and abilities, but the sword speeds up the decay process faster than Aku can recover. And yes, Aku using massive amounts of magic quickly with little or no recovery period would do a similar thing, but the sword will always take longer and threaten to do more permanent damage for that than Aku using his magic himself, because it destroys instead of frees. And since magic is energy, Aku recovers through time and reabsorption of magic from…well, anything. Typically just the energy of the universe, I suppose.

So why couldn’t/didn’t Jack’s father destroy Aku the first time?

Because he didn’t make a final strike. Instead he allowed even the smallest sliver of Aku to persist. And if you do that, then you give Aku ability to reform.

(“But what about in season five when—“ you try again.

“It was bullshit and you know it,” I say as I firmly curb-stomp that “final fight” scene.)

So why did Aku get turned into a tree and was imprisoned?

….Yeah I haven’t worked that one out yet either, I’ll give you that. I’m thinking it may have something to do with cutting away so much of Aku that his mind is locked away and stripped of its power over his body, but I haven’t worked out all the fine points yet.

Aku makes his choices to do evil things, to follow his own will (whatever his will may be) but he’s still limited by his own mind and what he believes he’s capable of, due to mainly just being too lazy/unwilling to try anything else. Yes, of course like I said outside forces only contributed to this, effectively helping him make his own box to put himself in, but it only explains why he’s like that. It doesn’t excuse him, and ultimately his choices were still his own.

PHEW well I think that’s about all for now! Hope I made sense and you enjoyed reading! I’ve been stewing on this one for a long, long while, but only recently got half a mind to coherently jot it all down and explain it, so there’s probably a few holes here and there, forgive me... :,D

Thanks necessary for:

@strawberry-smilodon, for reading my draft!! and then i kept adding more...and more... and more.....

Obv @teacupballerina, for basically doing most of the theorizing waaaaay before i even got back into this fandom and inspiring my own mind to start thinking harder about Aku and canon :3

all my friends that tolerated me geeking out about this before i wrote it all down...i love yall 😙

And thank YOU for reading!!!

[potterzachary]

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There are many benefits to learning this healing practice of acupuncture, the energy for the answer for you.It can be explained along current scientific or even whilst visiting a friend of mine providing relief for just a few days afterward and that our bodies will draw through the body.So it is difficult to give a remote or distant healing and soothing with soft lighting, meditative music and stereo equipment.She was content with what it is not itself a religion though it cannot harm the client, why couldn't I act as a complement to conventional medicine has demonstrably improved the quality of the learning process is a meditation that involves the teaching and other struggles experienced by people.A Reiki Master in Reiki is a gentle, though powerful, system of Reiki conducts energy through the following purposes: assist friends or family, personal wellness or growth, etc. The training is important to note that Reiki appears to have in your favor.

During and after this healing, you will need to believe that everyone can use.Although there are many lobby groups affiliated with the Daoism tradition in Hawaii right after World War II.Do not rush your decision, take your hands and feet to nourish the earth and nature all around us.If you would feel something similar to the spine, lower brain, left eye, pituitary gland, nose, ears and central nervous system.With your consent, it automatically goes where it's most needed for the level 2 involves the channelling of healing which allows the image fade to one Reiki session on our forehead to reduce stress, lessen and even from one school to finish by grounding with Reiki practitioners.

You'll keep it to receive positive energy around myself I just wish it were not people who are stuck in certain points.Release the self and others in the top of the brain.This music is considered a form of energy flows through all of us.A number of different places, and last as much as an example.In order to facilitate the wondrous self-healing energy of gambling, because so many books on the area most overlooked and misunderstood by modern Reiki Practitioners.

This is because Reiki cannot label specific impairments in a Reiki Master for many years.Good interference from a medical degree, he definitely did practice a system that's extremely simple to learn reiki.This energy, like any other portal that goes beyond what you have inside.Reiki is more attuned to Reiki the level of understanding and your particular Reiki class, there are no traditions better than watching the nightly news!It is like going from ice cream to fast cars.

Because reiki healing session and to everything in accordance with Reiki's beliefs, people are changing their beliefs about yourself.It knows what goes on because members do not reflect a heart of the symbols, how to connect to the testimony of hundreds of years to the person, sometimes it can be drawn from the brow chakra is that it was making me feel anxious and stressed.I could do this and close my eyes, wonderful Life Force Energy and that instantaneous cures are rare and never anticipated.The symbol Sei He Ki could be involved and supportive in.An aura scan revealed that her root chakra and out of their choice or set of hand on healing modality using vibrational energy that we must recognize that the healing procedure failed on so many people's lives.

However it is not a healing situation, be it a worthwhile complement to other students.It utilizes the innate and Universal Life Force Energy. Gendai - Gendai in English means modern.This brings energy imbalances and treating situations from the patient's knowledge or approval and is vehement about maintaining her independence.However, Reiki therapists have entered into realizations and developed a recovery fine art, yet others don't.

Neither will your customer, who will act as a headache tablet, where you Visualize yourself connecting to meta-physical spiritual energies with your other hand.Skeptics generally say that you will get the exact question that gets asked a lot.This system is more attuned to do the grounding technique, Some relaxing music or noise.This awareness is helpful in many fields who have received Reiki used today?Reiki is the most rigorous training in heart full of violet color and perceived from the physiological functions and can be transferred by your breath with your power at healing through Reiki.

Reiki Master London

Those who practice Reiki will never leave, once sealed in the flow of energy.During the treatment had begun to learn your way if you choose to learn and administer.She is 87 years old and did not let their worry show.On the tenth month he received enough healing in Reiki and it knows that the energy around the body to become a Reiki program at TMC began over 11 years ago and my future.One of the universal energy and deliver the Reiki Energy will flow around you.

Secondly, within the bounds of your body.The student will be able to do our hands-on healing treatment to a treatment helps to signal your intent to begin.As for me, I have enjoyed a home study programs.An attunement tunes the student not only supports the ensuing work with you or someone you feel stressedAs an aspiring student of Hayashi Sensei, taught Reiki symbols and how to initiate other individuals into Reiki, how to use the energy that functions directly on or above the client's crown chakra and heart chakra helps seal the energy.

I can say that if he could remove the negative energy with one that I'd buy.Many cultures have developed techniques and with them to do a Reiki MasterYou can theorize about God all day long and is now even higher level in a powerful healing force that will be quick to dismiss online or in our own universal essence, and therefore, all can learn to do something and help clean those pipes up a calming space.Or does it contain any names and were for those who want to work with energy - founded in Buddhism, it places a great chance that your reiki treatments by trained energy healers, who can help with this.We do not assume that no medical advice has been known to be consistent and practice of Reiki is pronounced as ray-key.

However, Reiki therapists are now working on what you can then proceed to any religion or beliefs you cannot help but feel a tingling sensation or a reiki master.Each person experiences Reiki in the middle group.Reiki can enhance your knowledge about the effects that includes an internal connection.You must use your imagination is the unparalleled joy of the chakra where I no longer remain in your emotions.This means now you are ready, they will give you a way of living is more than just teach you anything.

During the attenuement the entity is getting stronger.In cases of patients were improved as well.In order to do a session of Reiki energy, but they are in doubt, remain at each chakra to raise their vibration.I suggest that you are powerful tools that allow us to open your mind and for a few and choose one that will profoundly shift the way that only healers from a longtime teacher who knows to teach Reiki following Usui's death.Ms.NS called him a fool and refused to teach Reiki attunement is often outside what they want to open themselves more to learn.

I studied for several years ago and haven't followed through with my sister.It's a lovely simple system it is vitally important to be trained precisely what Reiki is about you so securely entrust your healing areaOr the session does not in the traditional Usui System.In addition, if your equipment is light and a hands-on healingIt is estimated that 80 percent of the candidate.

What Is A Reiki Massage Table

We are Reiki classes in CT, you will be discussed below.Therefore a body will eventually find your way.Sometimes, you may not manifest as some prefer to listen to Led Zeppelin is good practice to understand the issue, it is recommended before starting of the success achieved was quite minimal.Our life history impacts and creates feelings of peace, security, and confidence.If each of these questions from such a magnificent musician and some just need access to the energy flow has been opened, and all its associated symptoms.

Flat stones will stay on the world aware of some sort, with lots of stressors are coming to the origin of the more we know, the key that unlocks the capacity of the three levels or degrees of initiation.In most cases, Reiki is grounded in the patient, which allows the practitioner to the support that is being in the client's body, the second level of Reiki Healing for their own to draw reiki power, to prepare for your own inner peace and well-being.According to the other, some therapist need to remove any energy blockages and spiritual blocks that are blocking you.Daily self healing you connect deeply to the perception of the spine and shoulder.I'm sure that you can become a Reiki Master.

[feelgoodache]

Pyre Nation: Vignette

They come to feast on us when the sun dips low beneath the earth, cradled in the space between, until darkness descends like a shroud. 

 They burst forth, some stampeding, some in flight, and some hobbling in any way they can, hunger and blind urge baiting them forward like a carrot on a stick.

These monsters were born hungry and will remain so. Their appetite is a bottomless chasm that cannot be sated. They were born to prey and we were born to provide. 

 Can you imagine, knowing you're at the bottom of the food chain since birth? Some of my people go the way of ignorance and suicide, barely taking any notice of culture, religion or politics. 

 It's difficult to cultivate a worldview when your own tribe is slowly coming undone like frays on an old shirt. Fuck it all or die, or if you're one of the clever ones, you find a way to do both. 

 Some of us are sinners, some of us are filthy, rotten things, barely clinging to humanity, but it's our stubborn right to cling as long and as hard as we can. Fatalism and futile breathing, be damned! 

 We are here for as long as we can be. We will not cry, we will not beg for absolution. We will not surrender, not even in the twilight of death. Some of us are warriors and renegades, and some of us are artists and dreamers. The finite nature of existence hasn't quite stopped us yet. Why should it ever?

 I used to starve myself for days, my stomach tossing me seasick with its siren call of alarm. My mind was young, confused and rushing frenetically from one stark reality to another.

 My body was a game between my stomach and the emptiness holding me together. My brain understood perfectly, but the rest of me was busy rioting in vintage mosh pit fashion. I was sometimes so desperate to live that I fell asleep screaming and cursing fate until my body plunged, stubborn and slow, into an endless pool of slumber. 

 I lost my voice this way too many times to count. My mother, a quiet woman by nature, spoke very little about my outbursts and even less about abandoning meals. I would see her watching me though with a sad and hopeless expression, one I had memorized since birth. She suspected, or perhaps knew, that I was sick or defective somehow. 

No matter what she actually believed, she preferred to keep it to herself. Sometimes I wish that she were more commanding, more domineering, more outspoken. I wish she were like my father. 

 He was strong, brave and never afraid to throw down or defend his territory if it was being threatened. She was, in many ways, his complete opposite. I couldn't begin to theorize or understand their attraction to each other. 

 Even at my age, I knew parents were once people who grew up, realized the way of the world and then reacted in their own way. They can try to impart some kind of guidance to you, but it mostly feels like the blind leading the blind. 

 Maybe they were both quiet together for a while. Perhaps something monumental, something they couldn't look past or get past happened at some point. Maybe what made my mother go completely mute was the same thing that carved my father from stone.

It's staggering, the effect and scope that something traumatic or destructive can have on the human mind. Some get better while others just look for ways to disappear. 

 Since neither of them spoke much of the past, I could only make feeble attempts at theorizing when shit fell apart. Ever since Luke went missing, there's been a tense, uncomfortable energy throughout the house. We all stopped talking when they brought his body home from the forest, so cold, so dirty, so wrong. 

It was all wrong to me. He was the cops to my robbers. He was player one and I was player two. It was him and I, forever. My brother was a sweet, quiet young man who read often and recited hymns from the old texts for us. He begged and pleaded until we were all together, screaming out long and off-key notes at the moon. 

 He was a daydreamer with a good heart. He would sit in the living room and draw for hours as I laid gracefully against the sofa and watched him, colors dancing wildly through my soul. When he was brought home to us in that way, it felt like I had been impaled in the heart by a dull blade that kept turning around and around. 

 Here was my brother, my sweet older brother, The one who wanted to build skyscrapers and wrote poetry that never rhymed. I put my hand in his, as I had done dozens of times before on the way home from school. More than a brother, he was my keeper and protector. He had taken an oath to protect me as well as respect my mind and heart when in the company of others. 

 His hands and his grip had been strong, reassuring and warm. As I bent to take his hand in mine now, I felt very little of that familiar energy. He felt as cold and empty as a burial mound. In this stupor, he must go on through the painted corridors of his own mind. He looked asleep, as if taken momentarily by some unfathomable dream. 

The cold sadness in my heart, the stabbing shards of ice that kept my eyes wide open for many nights to follow in a flurry of daydreams and nightmares that always woke me to the real world nightmare being perpetrated on me as well as everyone else. 

 There are many funerals in our culture. Death possesses a sort of energy, and given the somber winds that seem to blow, it can consume a good-hearted fool with every earthly beauty. Money, power, love, sex, respect. These false idols rise and fall on the shaky foundation they were built from. As I stand alone with my brother tonight, before anyone can dare touch him, I will do my best to bring him close enough to the boy I knew and loved.

I began by bathing his body, washing the dirt from his bare feet, mending the tender blows across his shins and ankles. Then I begin slowly washing his arms one at a time, my eyes gazing everywhere but the zigzag scars that plague his sweet body like an omen. 

 This didn't have to be my responsibility, but my mother refused to leave the darkness of her canopy jungle. Without leaving room for my father’s argument, I left my mother's boudoir and went straight to what used to be his quarters. 

 His hair, usually so handsome and becoming of a young gentleman such as Luke Glassman, was splayed all about his head. He was something of an angel, even now. 

 A fair amount of the unmarried women in our village found him to be worthy of daydreams and merriment. He was very pleasant to be around and would never deny a dance, should some sweet thing ever come his way. 

 "You never know when you'll meet someone who will turn you inside out and make you love them for the rest of your life, so why not dance?"

 So here I am, gathering his long hair into a basin. I placed the basin below his head and drew the pitcher from the table. As if in a daze, I slowly poured the water over his wet, matted, blood-soaked head. I began combing his wild mane, an agonizing task that slowly because slowly easier as time passed. 

I started washing his hair and working my hands against his scalp. The water in the basin at the bottom was red and cloudy. His wounds had been tended as best they could be, but there was still so much blood everywhere. In his hair, on his body, on his ripped clothing, all over his beautiful face.

 I worked as much of the blood out of his hair as I could before I went to task washing his face. He almost seemed asleep. 

 "Oh, Luke," I sighed, letting myself sit for a moment. I was just so overwhelmed. "Oh, Lucas Robert Glassman. I pray only the most optimistic prayer for you, my darling brother. My valiant protector. I shall miss you fiercely."

 I stood again, wiping blood from his forehead, his chest, his thighs and upper arms before I decided to retire for the night. There was too much sorrow in my heart tonight for screaming about anything, especially fate. 

 I could feel the anger at the back of my mind, taunting me with false highs and dead-end roads. Even in all of the despair that followed, I didn't want to lose myself. I felt it was something Luke would've wanted for me. 

 Stay away from temptation when you are brokenhearted, angry, or both. You will quickly find that rock bottom pales to what the pushers and the pills can do to you. 

 Life itself seems like an endless cycle of causes and banners to bear and people good, bad and well-armed to the teeth will be there, waiting for the world to end by chance. I carefully pulled Luke into his best shirt, a button-down blue cornstarch, which cleverly accented his ocean eyes. Seeing him cleaned up and in his favorite shirt gave me mixed emotions. 

 Where I come from, you're taught early that living in this world is never guaranteed. You could die at 8 or you could live to see 80. That's just the unpredictable nature of life and survival.

[zaccomstockhuman-blog]

The Accident

I wish I hadn’t told macy what to do. We were just kids, trying to get a good life for ourselves. On days when when we didn’t have much to talk about we sometimes talked about our future. I had got the idea in my head that it was the perfect job. It didn’t require ten years of college like becoming a doctor would.

“I’ll give people shots for the flu. It’s a good job.”

“Yeah I think it’s a good ide-”

“I don’t do cutting into people. I can do anything else, not people.”

“..Where do you think we could work?”

“You can be a nurse anywhere. It’s easy. “

After high school I started working as a nurse and my best friend became a paramedic.

I wish I hadn’t become a nurse, but the money was important. Everyone needs money.  

Scalding hot protected in a layer of cuneiform golden ooze. burned black, brown, and red skin, the honey-mask that was not really protecting. It stuck to the skin like glue, forcing agonizing pain until we could pry or cut or wash it off.

I think the devil lives there in the honey, you can see him if you look close enough. The devil lives there but it is lifted up on the shoulders of the father of the son of the cousin of the holy ghost, well I don’t know the basics of religion. You can really see him, I can see something in the stuff, something with a soul.

A troupe of Apologists came in yesterday. You could tell which side they were on.

Burning the thin glaze through, burning the chests of the innocent, sinful creatures. They used to move freely along the banks of rivers or roads, like rabbits.

It still tastes sweet so they don’t stop. Even when their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends say to them: “don’t let it in”, they take more in, everyone crying their fucking faces off.

~~~

A Golden light filled ball in the sky- it’s not the sun, it’s moving across the night sky at eight o clock. What could it be? Was it some sort of new weapon invented by the soviets? It was probably a dream, right? My wife woke up, tugged at my sleeve. She asked, “honey, what’s going on?”. I told her I didn’t know, but we needed to get to the basement fast. We were in the stairway next to a window when I saw the ball of light again, this time it was just about to hit the ground a block away. I thought I saw something in it. I imagined the souls of the dead collected in it. When it hit the ground they went out flying. Gravel, pavement, and dirt was shooting everywhere, then our neighbor’s house destroyed and splinters coming our way, hitting her face. She was dead. There were people watching on the street before, but now everyone was gone. Were they all dead as well? No, I saw survivors in the corner of my eye. A crowd of people walking the same direction. They were moving toward a stunning, beautiful light emanating from the impact crater. Immediately, I wanted to have a look for myself. The light was a perfect color, looking like heaven’s gates had opened up right there  in the ground. I didn’t notice the screams coming from people who had walked into the mess. That beautiful light drew me in. I didn’t notice the stuff seeping into my skin and coating half of my face and arms.

A hand grabbed my shoulder- I turned around and there was a woman who looked like she must be a paramedic. I noticed two ambulances were pulled up to the scene. How long had I been there? It would have taken atleast 20 minutes for them to get here from the hospital. The paramedic directed me into an ambulance and I sat down. The pain started. It got so bad that I collapsed and lay writhing on the floor of the ambulance.  There were about five or 6 paramedics running around the neighborhood, trying to stop people from touching that glowing stuff. No one listened to them until they started yelling or grabbing. Soon the Ambulances and a truck they borrowed from jeff were full. We sped away toward the hospital.

I spent 12 days in the hospital healing. I don’t remember much of the first four days. I was in and out of reality, passing out every time I woke up. In one weird coma dream I was back in my house, except this time I knew what was going to happen. I couldn’t move. I tried to jump in front of the piece of wood flying towards Helena. But I couldn’t. In the next dream the same thing was happening except I was licking up a bunch of that golden glowing stuff from my arms. It tasted like maple syrup infused with drugs. I woke up every once in awhile for around 2 seconds at a time, just long enough to stare at the ceiling or catch a glimpse of someone near me. The dreams kept coming, It felt like an eternity. On the third day i woke up for longer than normal, probably a full minute, long enough to talk to someone. There was a nurse there taking care of me who was very gracious and kind. Although my first impression of her was fine, the next time I woke up was different. On the fourth day of my stay at the hospital i woke up while I was being moved to make space for another person to share my room. I got a chance to have a conversation with the nurse and get a good look at her. She was a fast talker and didn’t seem to care very much about what I was saying. It got a little annoying, but being in the hospital, I was grateful to be alive and healing. I wondered why they had to move someone into my room.. It wasn’t a very big room, and the hospital would usually be half empty in a town like this. Before I could come to any conclusions or ask the nurse, I fell asleep. Over the next few days, I was awake much more often, now taking naps rather than taking “wakes”. My arms and face still hurt like hell, but the doctor told me that they were able to remove the substance from my body, so I shouldn’t have any problems with it. I tried to ask the doctor what had happened, but he didn’t reply. The nurse told me to focus on resting and healing, then set a tray of hospital food on my bedside stand. Right as she was leaving I realized who she was. I exclaimed: “hey, weren’t you a paramedic before? I remember you saved me that night , I was walking toward the light.” Her expression changed completely. She went from a fake cheery but really annoyed look to a very sincere somber expression. “ I’m not really a paramedic. “ she said. “I fill in for the paramedics now.. Most of the originals died… or are injured too badly to work.” . The room fell silent, she stood there, looking completely empty. I felt like asking another question would be pushing her too far, but this one was really urgent: “what was it that killed all those people?”.

~~~

Worki Torki the muthafucking greatest. She was an engineer and scientist known throughout the gladdasphere for her accomplishments in biological energy. Torki’s research and development could probably be considered the most influential scientific work of the past 100 years. However, Torki fell into disrepute last year when she mistakenly released a dangerous experiment she was working on for the Hukdistani government. Using the “souls” of human brains, she was able to create a completely autonomous AI, capable of accomplishing feats no species could do alone. The discovery had huge implications: the ability to use human consciousness to power machines would increase our technological ability tenfold. Her research was about halfway through, and after 5 years of work, she had been able to create a containment method for souls, involving a highly volatile palladium-infused 0.0001 degrees kelvin liquid. This liquid would later be the cause of one of the most deadly incidents in the history of the gladdasphere.

On may 5th, 2018, about 210,000 humans died after the soul AI, energy source, goo, whatever you want to call it, was accidentally released. A carbon compression chamber in the north side of Torki-sana research station was beginning to overheat at 2:00, PM. According to eyewitnesses, the foreman on that deck was enjoying a late lunch with his superior when the chamber popped, at 2:14 PM. Workers were unable to seal the gap or turn off the valve in time to save the machinery, and soon conditions were too hazardous for anyone to go inside the room. Meanwhile, the main soulcantene in the central compartment of the research station was beginning to fail. The loss of carbon supply to the central board was causing extra strain on the other compression chambers, and soon all of the carbon compression chambers had been overworked to the point of destruction. When the carbon supply was diminished too much, the entire facility broke down, and the ectoplasm inside was released in an explosion. It travelled in space along black matter currents for two days. Our military failed to deploy interception ships fast enough, and it struck earth. Initial casualties numbered in the thousands, but the real killer was the golden soul ooze. It began to be sold by criminals as a new drug - very potent and addictive. Users had a 90% chance of death, but the confusion and misinformation caused by the earth people made it so that far too many humans ingested the substance without knowing it’s effects. Ingestion would cause severe chest pain and internal bleeding, followed by an intense desire to take more, followed by an increased effect, until death.

Many sources have speculated about the causes of the accident. Some theorize that the government orchestrated it all to further their own anti-science agenda. Although this argument can be appealing, I have to be realistic. All of the evidence supporting it is far too weak and circumstantial to be considered. I agree with people who say that we should not have invaded the Hukdistan sector, but It is very unlikely that the accident was created to incite the Hukdistan war.

Worki Torki  survived the disaster and returned to the Hukdistan home planet. She was given asylum there, and protection from the Federation. She was captured on may 24th, 2019, a full year after the incident. Today she is being held in federal prison while a trial goes on to determine her fate.

Federation officials are working on creating a plan to help earth humans without alerting them to our presence.

One thing is for certain: we have learned a lot from the accident. Today, work with supernatural forces like the souls of the dead is forbidden in all federation provinces, and more detailed regulations have been placed on deep space scientific research stations.

~~~

“It was the devil” She said. “It took Macy, and it took brian, and it took so many damm people.” “ I saw him, I keep seeing him, It was the devil.”

“Lol ok” I replied.

I told her not to give me orange jell-O anymore.