#if this post breaks containment I'll blow myself up

[incometaxevasion]

Man, Bang Dream has some of the best music out of all ani-idol franchises AveMujica has been one of my favorite groups since their debut in 2023. And it seems like based on what I've seen the writing is getting up there in quality.

It's all only held back by the fact I cannot stand their character designs. Every time I see them I remember the time I found 3/5 of Popping Party's original casual outfits on Japan's server of GAP. Like copy and pasted please hire a fashion designer for your staff

[aaal-iz-well]

Guyssss...

Okay, babe, deep breath.

Done?

Good.

Let's roll

WTF is happening? I swear to god a month ago I was checking this hashtag for updates like my life depended on it, and I had great plans for my wip's and everyone was making predictions about what the vault might contain.

Then I tell myself to start making some headway with my studies because exams are breathing down my neck and I (somehow) manage to keep away from this fandom that has been my life and blood for so long. AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE!!

Now we know that there are THREE books related to this fandom coming out this year and we might get Toby and Hannah and I'm so excited!

But there are two characters who have my undivided attention atm and I want to talk about them!

So now we have all the main characters, I'm so thrilled that Rohan is one of them because his story is so intriguing to me and it also adds to some much needed Indian or Pakistani (though most prob Indian) representation.

Just think about the kind of background he must have come from, let that blow your mind!

I know that he is going to have a real tragic backstory. Think something involving childhood abandonment or abuse or (most probably) separation from his loving family, coming to London, being faced with the HUGE cultural shock and the nail biting cold and relentless rain. Add to this: making sense of the weird accent. Being picked off the street to do some odd work for the Devil's Mercy. Slowly getting to know it's secrets and rising among its ranks till he reached Factotum. Falling for Zella (first love, maybe?), having his heart broken.

AND THEN HAVING HIS TITLE STRIPPED AT THE END!

CAN YOU FEEL THE BAD BLOOD ENERGY RISING?

'cause baby now we got bad blood...

I also believe that often things are not so one dimensional and that Zella is nothing short of deserving the position. She has undeniably had her struggles with gaining the power she now holds and being a woman of colour in a royal household. But I'm focusing of Rohan here, maybe I'll make a detailed post about Zella sometime later?

These are all only theories, but I can't help thinking that it's going to be something along these lines.

And then there's the fact that Jameson is not going to be a main character (*crying emoji cause I cant seem to insert one of the proper size*) Like he has so many unfinished threads and so much family drama to sort out.

We never got to see an independent confrontation of Ian over how he used Jameson to get what he wanted, or anything about the Prague mystery!!

And I know this might be a bit controversial with some of you, but I really want to see him and Avery fight. Because ofc they are a power couple and express their love to each other in such creative ways. BUT, but you get to know so much about a character when you see their world shifting, when the one thing that they believed to be an anchor is uprooted. How they act when the other is out of orbit. AND WE SIMPLY HAVEN'T SEEN THAT FOR JAMESON. I also might be holding out for a very hot romantic make up later on, but my point stands.

So there's my little (rather late) bit, but still.

Also to those who have read my work and have been so kind to shower me with kudos and comments, I want to apologise profusely. There is a lot to come, but just not at this moment when exams are leeching the life out of me, and trust me when I say I have the most elaborate plans for the future!

Like always, can't wait to hear all your brilliant thoughts. Have a good day/night (depending on whatever time zone you guys are in)

Also please check out Lockwood and Co if you have the time because it's something that I can't stop thinking about and would love to talk about. As an added bonus, one of the mc is kinda like Jameson (and that's how you know I have a type)

[souryoong]

1 year of souryoong — here’s some of ash’s all time faves! ☆

☆ i truly want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being with me throughout this year on this site. it’s actually so crazy how it’s been only a year? time really does fly by. Before I posted "at the studio" I was metaphorically blowing dust off of my writing chops. (kind of an odd saying lol) I was absolutely terrified to say the least about joining this site and sharing my writing. But I am so so so glad I bit the bullet and chose to post my story because it has brought me to so many great things and even greater people! I love every single one of my followers and mutuals, whether we talk or not, if youre a silent reader, or if you constantly like/reblog my works. Nobody is just a number to me, you all mean everything to me. Im hoping that the career path and education that I have chosen for myself is not ~too demanding~ so I can be here for more years to come. I'll cut myself off before I write a damn novel because sometimes I don't know when to shut up.

☆ I didn’t want to do some extravagant “game” to celebrate because I feel like most of my followers probably wouldn’t be into it, so instead I’m showing my love outward. listed below are some of my all time favorite works from some of my mutuals and other authors. Some of these works are ones that inspired me to start posting my own writing, and others are just some of my really old faves from when I first joined that I have yet to forget about. I’m not sure if everyone in this list is still active, but nonetheless here are some of my all time favorites!

list is below the cut!

*everything marked “18+” contains sexual content*

☆ cybersex – myg (18+) | @gimmethatagustd

the whole point of being a phone sex hotline operator is that you’ll never have to meet your clients. So what are you supposed to do when you find out your favorite client is your brother’s best friend? (wc: 14.6k)

☆ the sheets – kth (18+) | @kth1

on your night out with the gals you get hit up by the one and only, Kim Taehyung, who’s been eyeing all of your Instagram stories. It’s no shocker that he attempts to get you back to his place once you finally decide to leave the club because this isn’t your first rodeo with the determined and insanely hot, fuckboy. (wc: 6.8k)

☆ enemy – kth & jhs (18+) | @btssmutgalore

when your friend with benefits Hoseok becomes too busy to keep your thing going, Taehyung volunteers to fill the spot. fic is a series.

☆ message received – jhs (18+) | @minisugakoobies

hoseok sent you a message. will you listen? (wc: 1.7k)

☆ helping hand – jjk (18+) | @yoonieper

a double blind date was your suggestion. everything about it should make him happy, but this sinking feeling just won’t go away. allhe wanted was to get it over with. (wc: 23.4k)

☆ hard liquor – myg (18+) | @chateautae

your dull evening at a bar becomes hopeful when your mysterious, handsome boss min yoongi shows you the ropes on everything alcohol, but shows you much more when he ends up buried deep inside you. (wc: 8k)

☆ drip – myg (18+) | @here2bbtstrash

yoongi fingering you until you squirt. (wc: 4.8k)

☆ your yoongi – myg (18+) | @yoongiphoria

there is no one you could love more than your slightly tipsy, beautiful yoongi. (wc: 2.9k)

☆ untitled drabble – myg | @delugguk

playing with each others hair, they love each other. sigh...I want what they have. (wc: 598)

☆ love signs – myg | @norcula

min yoongi and producer reader going through daily life. (fic is a series)

☆ private lesson – myg (18+) | @dntaewithluv

Your little sister finds it odd how you've been taking private lessons from her piano teacher for over a month now, but she hasn't heard you actually play even once... (wc: 5.5k)

☆ the landlord – myg (18+) | @ppersonna

your air conditioner breaks right at the height of a recordbreaking heat wave. good thing your hot landlord, yoongi, knows how to attend to any needs you may have. (wc: 4.3k)

☆ suga’s how-to guide – myg (18+) | @sailoryooons

Min Yoongi has been a cam boy for a few years now. The work is easy, the money is good, and he has loyal viewers. When he approaches you and asks if you want to be his muse for a ‘how-to’ series, your view on the infamous Yoongi changes. fic is a series. (wc: 25k)

☆ mixtape – myg (18+) | @sailoryooons

Growing up with Yoongi as your older brother’s best friend was bound to manifest a crush. It was small, fleeting. Gone with age and time. On a holiday trip to the cabin, you’re reunited with Yoongi after not seeing him from two years. Maybe that crush wasn’t as over as you thought it was. fic is a series. (wc: 68.5k)

☆ lost in your light – pjm (18+) | @thepurpleghost

you and Jimin are the best of friends since fourth grade until the tables have turned one weekend wedding. Crazy confessions after some tequila body shots. (wc: 5.6k)

and btw, my official tumblr date of birth is 8.5.2022 🎂 posting this a day early because I don’t want to forget.

[nonotnolan]

Fiverr Warlock: Professional Courtesy

"Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet with me," Jeremy said, sitting on the corner of his bed. I'd heard rumors about how the university managed to sneak in perks for the Basketball Team, but I hadn't realized how blatant it was until I set foot inside the premiere student dorm, the one that had a huge waitlist unless you were an athlete or your parents were major donors. Not that pointless displays of wealth really phased me anymore. Turns out being a Warlock is massively profitable.

"You're Calvin, right? The magic dude, or whatever? You gotta help me, man. I think someone cursed me, or some shit. I first noticed it last week, I started blacking out over the weekend. But like, during the day, when I wasn't drinking. And I don't remember going to any of my classes this week, but no one's yelled at me so far, so I guess I showed up? That was weird enough, but yesterday when I woke up, I was naked on my bed with jizz all over my chest. Which is just... all sorts of fucked up, man! And it made me remember how sore my ass was on Monday and... fuck, dude, I know this shit sounds crazy, but it's almost like someone is trying to live my life. Please, you gotta do something!"

I simply nodded in response; it didn't take much for me to realize what had happened here. Really the only dilemma was going to be whether or not I should side with Jeremy or with his tormentor. "I'd like to start with a few tests," I said, pulling a soul jar out of my pocket. "Go ahead and place this on your lips, and then blow into it."

Jeremy obliged, and his face barely had any time to register an expression of fear or surprise before his soul had been completely pulled out of his body. As expected, Jeremy's body didn't fall over limp because there was someone else inside of it. His body started thanking me for helping him out, but I didn't pay much attention to what he was saying. I corked the jar containing Jeremy's soul and slipped it into my pocket for safekeeping before turning to address the intruder. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't expel you from his body."

"Please, sir. I'm... my name is Russell, and I just wanted to know what it was like to be someone who was popular for once. But now I'm trapped in his body and I don't know what to do! My real body is... I'm pretty overweight, and I had, just... the worst case of acne back in high school. So when I found this book in my parents' attic, I thought maybe..."

I let out a deep sigh. Few things were more annoying than a fledgling warlock who couldn't be bothered to read how his spells worked. Granted, it sounded like the kid didn't have a mentor, but that was no excuse. "Alright, fine. From one warlock to another, I'll give you a pass this time, but on one condition. Take off the jewelry, and take off the shirt. Give all of it to me."

"I... yeah, consider it done," Russell said, throwing his tank top onto the floor and dropping all of his silver on top of it. "But can I ask why?"

"I had you take off the jewelry because it's fucking up your possession spell. Warlock magic is weak to silver. There's no way that stuff is 100% pure silver, but it's enough of an alloy that the real Jeremy was able to break through for a few hours at a time." I flashed Russell a mischievous grin. "I had you take off your shirt because I wanted to see Jeremy's muscular body for myself."

He blinked in confusion for a few moments before he finally picked up on my drift. "Well, then... since you're the reason I'm keeping this body, I think it's only fair that you get a chance to explore every inch of it. Shall we take this back to the bedroom?"

----------------------------------------

It wasn't the best sex that I'd ever had; far from it, if I'm being honest. Still, I made sure to take photos of the two of us in bed post coitus as a souvenir-- not many people can they that they've fucked Jeremy Thomas in the ass. With any luck, Russell would improve with time and experience. Or maybe he would continue to be a terrible lay, laboring under the presumption that being popular made him good at sex. It didn't really matter to me either way.

"Don't forget to switch back before two weeks are up," I said, leaving the soul jar with Jeremy's essence on the coffee table. "You can't do magic from someone else's body, and you'll be trapped inside of that body if Jeremy's soul grows stale and evaporates."

"Duly noted," Russell said, glancing up from the sofa with an expression that suggested he was barely paying attention to me. Well, it was his choice to make, not mine. Although, with that sort of lazy attitude, his teammates were probably going to grow suspicious. The odds of him making it even one more week before he needed to flee Jeremy's body seemed slim to none.

I just shrugged my shoulders. Not my monkeys, not my circus. "Okay, well... if you ever need my help again, you have my Venmo information."

[redhawtriot]

Everything is Almight (Izuku x Reader~All Might’s daughter~)

Hey, so this is actually an adaptation/excerpt of a story I posted hella years ago. Lol, I felt cringe at my old writing, but also nostalgic! So I just had to fix this scene up! It was one of my favorites!

Basically, the you’ve only recently begun living with you father, Toshinori, after your mother’s death and you don’t know much about him. He hasn't told you about his training Izuku, One for All, or the fact that he is All Might. 

This becomes an issue because you not only end up going to U.A., but you develop a crush on the one student that could blow his secret alter ego out of the water: Izuku Midoriya. 

Forbidden grounds.

Uncharted territory.

A girl’s house. 

For Izuku Midoriya, all three of these items might as well be synonymous. 

Girls were, and always have been, somewhat of an out of bounds, beautiful, enigma that he would see throughout life, but never had the will or courage to approach-- like panda bears, or fluorescent jellyfish. 

God, was he really comparing you to a jellyfish?

Izuku sneaked a glance at you as the image faded into his mind, but the smile you threw back at him as you walked by his side, sent him retreating-- scrambling for cover as he pulled the collar of his shirt up to mask his severe blush. 

He shouldn’t have looked at you when you were so close to him. 

It made everything much too real. 

He was really going to a girl’s house-- uncharted territory-- forbidden grounds. 

The surrounding world began slowly fading into black as the two friends neared their destination. Izuku gulped so hard, that you threw him a slightly concerned look.

‘That sounded painful,’ you nervously chuckled, “Hey, Izu, you don’t have to be afraid of my dad or anything. He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met! I’m sure the two of you will get along!” 

 The severe tunnel vision weighed upon the boy’s mind, but it didn't stop the rampant thoughts from racing around in there, ‘I wasn't even thinking about that. Oh god, Y/N is really strong. I wonder if her dad is just as badass as her… I’m so plain-- I bet all stick out like a sore thumb in her family. Oh my god, he’s gonna hate me.’

Unbenownst to him, he was muttering the entire time, leaving you to internally facepalm at your friend’s antics. Izuku was so damn weird. So damn. Jittery. So damn... adorable.

Your face soon matched Izuku’s heated blush.

“Well! Here it is!” you frantically called out, throwing your arms up to present your abode and knock those feelings away from you. Izuku gave a sharp, little jump at your words as you fumbled around with your house key. The shock from your sudden outburst and the impending dread that rattled inside of Izuku’s shaky chest, mixed up into an uneasy cocktail.  Nothing too fancy, right? Anyway, you can make yourself at home!” 

You opened the door, only to look back and See Izuku frozen to the spot, his eyes blank with fear, and his knees tightly buckled. 

You gave a deep sigh before grabbing him by the wrist and practically throwing him through the front door, "Make yourself at home! Don't be weird about it." you laughed as Izuku yelped and flew across the threshold.

"Dad!" you exclaimed cheerily throughout the quiet home, "I'm home and I brought a guest!"

Izuku looked around the house and saw small All Might figurines scattered in random locations everywhere. He knew that you were a huge All Might fan, but having memorabilia in every room of the house must mean that everyone in this house must love All Might. Izuku took in the sight and chuckled nervously to himself.

"I'll be out in a second! I'm taking my medicine!" someone yelled from a back room.

Izuku froze.

His eyebrows slightly furrowed and his mouth flew agape at the sound of the person’s voice. He recognized it from somewhere-- he knew he did, but... he couldn't quite put his finger on it. 

As soon as the man walked through the hallway, into sight, Izuku saw a wavey blonde drape of familiar, golden hair. It was followed by a sillouet that he had seen much of lately.  

Holy…

It finally hit him.

Izuku just about jumped out of his skin in at the sight. In front of you and him, was  the man who had recently begun to train him-- All Might.

The boy let out a long, high pitched whimper as the two males just gawked at each other awkwardly with their mouths opened. A faint white noise could also be heard as the atmosphere grew heavy.

You noticed the tension and furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

Finally, Izuku broke the silence with a squeal, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ALL MIGH-"

"MIGHTY NICE TO MEET YOU, MY BOY!" All Might interrupted, going to shake Midoriya’s hand and throw him a wary glance that begged “please for the love of god shut up.”

Izuku remained frozen in shock, his hand limp in All Mights grasp as you spoke up, "Do… you two know each other or something?" You tilted your head in confusion.

Izuku gave an awkwardly hard, nervous chuckle, 

"Nope! I mean-I don't think so."

"I have never met this young man in my life!"

The two males simultaneously exclaimed.  They threw each other one more horrified glance before finally breaking eye contact with each other and grimacing towards the ground.

Toshinori spoke up, "Y/N, my dear, why don't you go grab the trash and take it outside for me? Trash day is tomorrow." He tried to look earnestly into your eyes, but he couldn't help the frantic undertones in his voice.

"Awh…man. Can't I take it tomorrow morning? I just got in the house!" you complained. Luckily for Toshinori, you were more focused on not wanting to do the task itself, than on his suspicious behavior.

"I cooked some fish earlier today and didn't finish it all. I had to throw it away and I don't want it to end up stinking up the entire house!" he glanced to the side, 'This stinks enough as is! Shit.' he thought to himself.

"Okay, okay. I'll get it for you." you complied. As soon as you walked out of the house the two men started freaking out.

"DOES SHE NOT KNOW YOU'RE ALL MIGHT!?" Izuku gripped at his hair as if to contain the stress of the situation.

"Keep it down, kid! She likes to snoop! And no, she doesn't know! I'd like to keep it that way too!"

Izuku threw his face in his palm, "Just my luck! Of course, when I finally find a cool girl that talks to me, she has to live in the same house as my mentor!"

"With all respect young man please don't think of my kid that way... Ever." All Might twisted his face into an almost painful grimace.

"You.. dad… HER DAD?! SHE'S YOUR KID?!"

All Might bit his tongue in shock, "Yes! So please keep your teenage hormones in check, young man."

"Oh no! All Might's about to give me 'the talk!'" the young boy cried.

"I AM NOT! Quiet down before you blow our cover!" He threw a finger up as if to hush the younger boy.

You walked back into the home, "Is everything all right in here? I thought I heard yelling."

Izuku and Toshinori furiously nodded their heads.

"Mhmm!" the younger man assured, "Everything is All Might- I MEAN ALRIGHT!" he laughed nervously, "Everything is alright in here!" he corrected himself as Toshinori deflated in disappointment. How embarrassing. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from melting away from this existence right then and there.

You sighed, "Oh... I know what's going on here,” you threw your hands on you hips as you shook your head.

The two men gulped, "you do?" they both asked in unison.

"Yep," You replied as she put her hands on your hips, "You're weirded out by all these memorabilia in the living room! It's not Dad’s stuff! My room in this place is just smaller than the one I had at my other home, so I had to keep some things out here for a while while I figured out what to do with them! Don't worry! My dad isn't as weird as he looks." you teased as both of the men sighed in relief.

After that day Izuku didn't really come by your place much. You simply figured that your father must have frightened him or given him the "overprotective dad" speech. Whatever the reason, your friend and you would have to hang out at his house whenever you hung out after school.

lol lemme know if you guys want more excerpts from this story! I have a lot saved in drafts (draft number rn is like 42 and counting HA. (Someone save me from myself))

[resinatingbeauty]

Witchcraft & Expectations

What do you really expect from the Craft?

I had considered writing this for a while before actually doing it just because I didn't want anyone to feel like they were being attacked or singled out. Offending you isn't the purpose of this post, so please do not be discouraged by anything you read here. There is no wrong way of practicing your Craft and to each their own. I was just curious about perspectives when it comes to your expectations regarding Witchcraft, magick, and spirituality as I have dealt with many different people following many different paths since focusing more on my Craft and art through my shop which began on Mercari and grew enough to become more established on Etsy.

I do sell many spiritual / witchy items from personalized spell kits to witchy mystery boxes compiled with Intuitively chosen and my own handmade, one of a kind items. Among the most popular spiritual offerings are my 'buy one get one miniature spell jars,' which allow my customers to select two general purposes or a personalized request from which I assemble and enchant a miniature glass spell jar containing herbs, crystals, essential oils, and other objects based on their needs and requests. I wanted to make these little portable vessel talismans more available to everyone price and purpose wise, compared to others that have been charged with a more specific intent or devoted to a specific deity.

I have a long history of using spell jars myself for various purposes whenever I feel compelled to create one or a special occasion arises. I'm picky about larger jars and bottles, however, so they are usually created in small corked jars or in larger jars that I will sometimes embellish or try new things to integrate that allow the spell jar to also be an appealing or intriguing piece of handmade everyday decor while serving its spiritual purpose, such as the one in the photo above.

For the most part, I have found a surprisingly amount of success with my spell jars. Not just myself, but others as well have reported events that they thought were directly related to their spell jar. I had created one for my neighbor a couple weeks ago who had been searching for a better job than the one she had at a preschool. The day after I gave her the jar, she received a text from an old coworker who notified her that a position at a bank she had applied at months ago that had nothing available at that time had just opened up.

This actually exceeded my expectations. In my experience, magick takes time. Others who have commented on the success of their spell jars or magick in general would contact me a few weeks or so after using their spell kit or receiving their spell jar. I created a spell jar back in January to help jumpstart my small business selling my crafts and Craft and didn't really start to see a huge change until mid-March-April where I was more successful than even I anticipated.

This was about on par with what I expected in terms of time, as most spells I've ever done have taken days, weeks, or even months to start manifesting results that couldn't be passed off or ignored. To be sure, I include a scroll with each of my kits and jars explaining how they are best utilized, to have patience, how to set a purpose and intentions, the power of thinking positively, and that magick rewards those who are willing to work and make sacrifices for what they desire. To me, all of these things are virtues that this path teaches us and are part of what makes the Craft so empowering overall. Whether it was the spell or your hard work, you are the catalyst for change. You made things happen. I mean, what is more empowering than that?

This is part of the reason why I personally chose to over spell kits and magickal tools rather than offering to cast spells or perform rituals on one's behalf. It was my desire to make YOU feel empowered and you are the one ultimately responsible for your own success or failure, whether spiritually or otherwise. I'll gladly steer you down the road of success and provide you with my knowledge, experience, and guidance, but I am always clear about what to expect.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where instant gratification is anticipated and expected, which I never considered in terms of Witchcraft. I knew that no matter how many times I write 'set realistic expectations, focus on your purpose, be patient, and keep doing what your doing' that some people would just blow through all that hoping that they just bought a quick fix for all their problems for $6.99 + a buy one get one deal.

Two weeks or so ago, I had received an order for said jars from a young man who simply said he wanted a personalized spell jar for lucid dreaming and dream work and selected his second 'free' one for self empowerment. I reached out to clarify and answered some of his questions. My immediate impression from him was one of discord. He expressed a lot of turmoil in his life over the past few months and claimed to have taken on a lot of responsibility. He seemed young and eager, with a ton of questions regarding magick in general. I answered his questions the best I could, but reiterated the same values I expressed in the previous paragraph when asked why such and such spell wasn't working, 'should I not have done this,' etc. Magick takes time to manifest, especially when it comes to financial purposes like he explained which are inherently unlikely to resolve themselves overnight.

He seemed happy enough with his purchase and said as much when he received his package. A couple days later, I received a notification about a review he had left which was negative, saying one of his spell jars didn't work with a message delivered in tandem asking what purpose I had set for his spell jar.

Let me say this: I am not upset with him or complaining about his review. He is entitled to his own opinion, although I was annoyed with how quickly he had come to the conclusion when in the instructions I provided him I specifically said that these things take time to work. Anyone who receives results instantly or within the next day or so are exceeding my own expectations. Which is great! Hooray!

But this is definitely not the standard I've come to expect in all the years I've been practicing the Craft.

I continued chatting with and answering this young man's questions and ultimately uncovered that he was upset about a variety of things that had been going on in his life. In his mind, he felt entitled to have these things work for him sooner rather than later and was frustrated and angry that nothing he tried had been working out the way he expected.

In the time that I have opened my little shop, I have (thankfully) only run into one other person like this- where their understanding of Witchcraft seems to have been compiled from television and movies. After the first, I learned to tread lightly around these individuals because, whether it's their fault or not, they have been mislead.

Television shows like old school Charmed and the newer Salem and Witches of East End are really entertaining. I enjoyed watching them, but they are the absolute enemy of those who practice magick / witchcraft as a form of religion or spirituality. Sure, some of these shows actually do their research. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer was ahead of its time introducing Wiccans, Technopagans, and New Age practices to pop culture and in many ways helped to show people an obscured version of the truth during the 'Satanic Panic' period when even witches hated being called witches and the pentagram / pentacle difference became an actual difference that wasn't just a choice of words.

Newer generations growing up with Harry Potter, which is hardly a great introduction into magickal traditions, were at least more open minded than the previous generation to the actuality of witchcraft and magick as a spiritual practice.

I mean, who doesn't want to snap their fingers and make the house tidy in one fell swoop?

I sure do. But even when I first started practicing at 11 I understood that that just isn't how it is.

This young man who was saying he lead a coven sounded more like he was LARPing than legitimately asking for spiritual guidance. I realized real quick that I couldn't do anything for him. What he wanted and expected, no matter how many times I referenced the instructions I provided (he evidently hadn't acknowledged) and relayed to him my own experience and expectations, he was looking for that 'quick fix' and someone or something to blame for when it didn't work the way he thought it would. The main reason for his complaint? The night after he received his spell jar, he said he just dreamnt about the moon.

My understanding of lucid dreaming was having direct control over ones dreams. The more I talked to this person the more it became clear that this wasn't his understanding of lucid dreaming. I tried to ask what he had tried to gain that control, as many of you know that I suffered from sleep paralysis for years and taught myself how to realize and 'break out' of it over time. He referenced making offerings to a goddess. I had to stop.

I'm sure that another business minded witch would have sold him something else or offered an exchange. I (stupidly) tried to make him understand that he has the power to manifest his desires. All I did was provide him with a tool to help things along.

This was the same for the woman I had dealt with months ago who said that she had been told by this coven owned business that she was a vampire reincarnated to be with her lover. That was the ultimate end of our conversation because she didn't seem very open to anything I suggested. Whether the things she bought were 'effective' for her or not we will never know. When she started messaging me to the point of harassment I deleted her messages and flagged them as spam. All this time and effort spent consoling someone who really isn't in the right frame of mind for magick or witchcraft.

The main point in writing this ranty post is to get the perspective of the community. What are your expectations for your own spells? What do you tell others when they ask? If you are also a 'witch shop' owner or own your own spiritual practice how do you deal with clients that have set unrealistic expectations for you and your Craft?

[coinofstone]

5x03 The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

Arthur went out to collect firewood while Merlin watched over the dying lady 🥺

They saved a woman from being burned at the stake for sorcery and she repays them with a super powerful magic artifact

"He's always like this at the anniversary of his coronation."

"I thought it was a cause for celebration?"

"It is, but it's also the anniversary of Uther's death."

I would like to refer everyone back to my 4x03 post where I point out that Uther was stabbed on Arthur's birthday, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death. Uther would've died a day or two later. So within the span of let's say, half a week, Arthur's got his birthday, his mother's death anniversary, his father's death anniversary, and his coronation. He needs a hug. It's gotta be the hardest week of the year for him, every year. Speaking from personal experience, I know I wouldn't be anywhere near as upright as Arthur is, for all his thousand yard staring.

It's a very nice sarcophagus but what is going on with Uther's left leg?

No srsly wut is this

Is it reeeeally swollen? Did he break his ankle in the fight or perhaps when he fell?

Ok I'll stop being mean

The ONE time Merlin knocks

You think this was a sex thing? I think it might've been a sex thing.

Spirit!Uther, while traumatizing in his own right, still isn't as frightening as actual King Uther could be.

Oooof I have Things To Say™️ about this. The reason Arthur chooses to use the horn, to use magic, is because, "there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of the thing I wish I'd said to him." But when he gets to speak to Uther, he doesn't actually get to say very much at all, because Uther immediately begins criticizing everything he's done as king. Arthur doesn't get what he sought at all, instead of an opportunity to tell his father any of the things he wished to say, he gets spoken to, harshly criticized. It's a major blow. And he says as much, when the single man tear spills over and he says "this can't be the last time I ever see you" - yes the line is foreshadowing Uther's haunting of Camelot but it's also signaling that Arthur's been traumatized; he went from having had his father mortally wounded in saving Arthur's own life, to having seen his father 3+ years into Arthur's rule as King of Camelot, and point blank being told Uther is disappointed in him. Not proud of him - actively un-proud. We don't really know what exactly Arthur wanted, if he'd hoped his father would've seen all the good his way of ruling had done and praised him, but I think it's pretty safe to assume that was on the wish list.

Be careful what you wish for indeed.

I AMUSE MYSELF. (I spent two hours figuring out how to create this please appreciate me)

Merlin's angry face when Arthur tells goin what Uther said is literally all of us.

I feel terrible for this but when Percival is leaving Gaius' chambers and he stops to look at the wall-torch, I immediately flash backed to Alice Troughton on commentary in S4 saying "Percival's a bit of a wuss isn't he?"

This is also awful but this episode kind of makes me miss the castle-centric contained episodes of S1

Never any guards around when you're being attacked by the ghost of your husband's dead dad, typical.

I understand Merlin bringing Guinevere to Gaius but putting her in Merlin's bed??????

The way Bradley and Colin both convincingly jumped when they turned around and found Gaius had snuck up right behind them kills me every time.

"Poetry". What he means to say there is, 'why didn't you just tell him we were fucking, since that would actually sound less gay'

So. Merlin took the ghost visibility potion but he can't see Utter knocking over barrels and shelves and things to trap in that store room.

Also why is there a pigeon in a windowless store room? Now I'm wondering why there aren't more birds randomly flying into the citadel, cuz they do have quite a lot of open windows... you'd think that might happen now and again.

Mmmmmmmm

Hmmmmmmm

Ooooof I love a bamf husband coming through to deal with a shit-for-brains abusive father... ghost.

^^actual canon scene

Was Tony shot entirely on green for this? That unearthly blue glow even in close ups where he doesn't look like he's on a green scene makes me wonder.

The 'horseplay' scene at the end was so full of sexual tension and d/s undertones that I literally do not want to say anything lest tumblr flag this post for content.

Commentary is Angel and Rupert. The two regulars who were in the least number of scenes in this ep. Since this post is already crazy long I'll keep this brief.

Aaaaand it's the first time either of them have seen this episode 😂 wow.

They've made 'horn' jokes and Rupert's gone full on tongue in cheek dad jokes.

They are also cracking jokes on Colin being all jacked up for S5 compared to previously when he was so skinny hehe... personally I ain't mad at him 😂

Fifteen minutes into the episode and Leon makes his first appearance

The little bottles and decor things in Gaius' chambers are part of a static set so they pretty much just sit there... Angel says that some of the contents have started to go moldy and they found maggots in one of them 🤢

They're talking about Gwen's new hair and while Angel is being really diplomatic, I get the impression she's as annoyed as I am by it. It literally doesn't match her own hair at all. But she also said some people saw her without the piece on and just said 'omg you cut your hair' so I guess 🤷‍♀️

The scene where Gwen is knocked out by a vase smashing her head - Angel says she was hit with the heavier bottom piece of it, which hurt more than she was expecting, and she wound up with a bump on her head from it.

Not a word about Colin picking up Angel 😢

They're talking about childhood pets and a beverage called lilt? Anyway Angel is really clever and Rupert's corny af but he's funny and I love them both.

Oh this is interesting: Rupert says he and the director talked about having Leon walking through the corridor hand in hand with the cook when he stumbles upon Merlin and Arthur's 'poetry lesson', but they weren't allowed to do that bc it would've been just a little bit too much, or a little too tongue in cheek. Which I'm taking to mean, would've accentuated the subtext of 'poetry' too much.

Angel and Rupert didn't know how they got Uther all glowy either, though Angel said it was probably lighting

Rupert says the line where Utter got caught off, what he was gonna say was "Merlin has ... been to the gym!" 😂😂😂😂😂

They really are great together doing these things

Rupert's story was the horse he had been riding all season had a foal, and nobody even knew she'd been pregnant. They just came out one morning and saw she'd given birth, and he got a call to inform him. That's kind of sweet. I wonder if he sent them some apples or something.

[blueluneacy]

Personal Update

If you've been following me for a while, then you're probably used to this blog going through… Phases. I tend to have periods of high activity and low activity. It's a combination of both my mood and my schedule, but Recently, I discovered something that horrified me, my worst nightmare realized.

After staring at a page for over an hour, I realized I had burnout. I looked for other causes. Maybe I was tired, or sick, or just had writers block. I looked for legitimately any other cause, because the idea of not being able to write absolutely horrifies me. I've always been writing, always been a writer. It was a massive blow to me. I've always heard about burnout, but I thought, never me! Besides, I don't have the time to be lazy, all of you are waiting for my next post. If I don't post soon, people aren't going to care anymore. In a funny twist, I, the person who constantly preaches on how you need to write for yourself, was not doing that.

And it's not to say that I don't enjoy the requests I'm getting! Some of them can be very same, but I have the power to delete something already done! If I don't like it, I don't have to do it, right? Well, sorta. I've been forcing myself to do something… Weird. I've been making myself write requests in order of when I get them, as some sort of act of fairness. Which on the one hand, sounds fair, but on the other, has honestly made me hate some of my own ideas. I hate writing TA Jotaro now, because I'm constantly doing it, and I don't know why. I used to love the concept, hell, I came up with it! Is there something wrong with me? I don't know.

I started looking into cures for burnout, to try and get something, some pill so I could keep working. But, it doesn't work like that, unfortunately. The only way to cure burnout is… To change. To stop, take a break. But I took a short break before, and I'm still here, burnt out. Well, I never really solved the problem of before, I only prolonged the time it would take me to get here. I honestly don't know what to do other than wait. Even writing this feels agonizing to me for some reason. And it's not just jojo, either. I tried writing so much, from stuff with my ocs, other fandoms, even poetry, but nothing came out. I don't know what to do at this point other than wait it out, but that idea scares the heck out of me, if I'm not writing, what do I do?

For those who don't know, I work at a Bath and Body Works as well as go to school. My job isn't my passion, but it helps fund college and it's decent work. The people are weird, but that's not the point of my little anecdote. At work, part of what I do is sell candles. Massive, three wick scented candles, meant to last for over forty hours of continuous burning. But, I also do returns. About once a week, someone comes in and returns an empty candle container,all used up. While I think it's the stupidest thing, our return policy states that we have to take them, so take them I do, looking over the empty container, with metal prongs and char all along the sides. And God, I feel like those empty candle containers right now! And the problem is, at work, we throw them out. You get rid of them and get a new candle. But I can't just throw out my brain and get a new one. And writing is my outlet, my coping mechanism. I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not attempting to write.

A friend of mine told me to look at things from a different angle. To turn what I'm thinking on its head and work from there. So… I'm gonna try. I'm closing requests now, and I'm still going to attempt to work on them, but well… They'll get done eventually, I just don't know when. As for me working on my burn out… I'm going to try and work on something new. I want to finish Wrong with the Reaper, I want to write more Diavolo, I have so many ideas that I feel like could be interesting and outside my normal realm of what I do, and thinking about them does make me excited in this time where I honestly feel so… Dull.

They say burn out can manifest physically, in extreme exhaustion. I've been sleeping almost all the time when I'm not working, to the point where my dad asked if I needed to have a sleep study. In a way, this realization has made a lot of pieces in my head click.

The raffle is still gonna end at the same time. I'm gonna draw tomorrow still and make a post, and the raffle winnings are gonna take precedent over the requests, just because they're a prize and all. I'm hoping maybe these longer flics will help too, maybe I'll work more on prose or something.

If you want to interact with me, talk to me, or maybe see my wips (always lookin for proof readers lmao), join my discord server at https://discord.gg/gQEEVMf. While I'm still gonna check my inbox here, it's a much easier way to reach me and talk to me.

Thanks for reading. You guys mean so much more to mean than you could ever possibly know. In a way, my burnout has stemmed from my constant race of being up to my own standards, as well as trying to be something that uplifts your day in my writing. I don't know anymore. What I'm trying to say is, thank you all. I'm writing is at almost four a.m. when I couldn't sleep, and I'll probably post it when I wake up. I never thought anyone would like my writing, but people who I have considered fucking idols in the jojo writing section of tumblr have even complimented my work, and it just makes me so happy that people I adore like my work, but also terrified, horrified that I will sooner or later disappoint. But, I'm still alive, I'm still living, still going. And I know that if I keep going, eventually, I think I'll get through this.

[helloandwelcometomariasblog]

Review #69: Love in the Moonlight

I was going to write about this drama after I finished the last episode, but I'm halfway through and I just can't contain myself anymore.

This drama is such a joke. I'm honestly laughing incredulously here. Well, I'm up to the part where Yoonsung goes to fetch Raon with a bunch of guards behind him to - in his own words to his dad - "test the depth of his feelings for her". What a joke. You know and I know and he knows and we all damn know that he's too soft hearted to hurt anyone. And the writer is expecting us to believe that he would hurt Raon? The girl he's in love with? The girl he would go against his long-term friend and family for? The only girl he's ever liked even after frequenting a hundred kisaengs? Yeah, right.

That is this writer's biggest downfall. They're just too much of a softie. I'm pretty sure this writer fell in love with their own characters, so much to the point where they're too mushy-hearted to do anything bad to them. This happens multiple times throughout the drama, I can't even count. Nothing bad EVER happens to the characters. Well, let me rephrase that. Nothing bad EVER lasts for long with these characters - because the writer just can't bear to see them suffer for long!

Think about it. EACH damn time Raon and Young have to go through a tearful and heart-wrenching separation, they just get back together in the next episode or even earlier. The writer can't pull through with their own storytelling. The separation of the two main characters is always presented in this intensely tear-jerking fashion as though it's the hardest thing they have to go through, but in less than an hour there the prince is AGAIN, and all I can do is sit here and cry out in frustration because there are no stakes! How are we as the audience supposed to be sad and emotionally invested and feel like their love is a life and death situation when it just really ISN'T?

The examples go on and on. Think about the time Byeongyeon sacrificed himself for Raon and the prince. (Don't worry, Raon's unbearable passivity is coming up in another huge post of its own.) I actually liked that scene. I mean, yeah I love Byeongyeon as a character (more than Raon for sure) but his death meant something. It was an incredibly meaningful moment. You could see how much love he had for the prince and the entire scene was done pretty well, including the dialogue. And then what happens? HE DOESN'T DIE. Like, really? Okay, so he got shot by several arrows (and one of them definitely hits very close to his vital organs) and gets slashed by a sword and he still LIVES? So a hundred other people who gets slashed just once in the drama all die but this dude LIVES? Oh please. I swear, the moment I saw him lying down getting taken care of I wanted to smash the wall. That's not how it works! When you do that, you totally destroy the meaningful scene that you initially set up. If he comes back to life so easily, what was his death for? What meaning does it hold now? Ultimately, it tells the audience that nothing really is at stake, and that all of the "important" characters will come out unscathed. Nothing bad will ever happen to them. And what does this do? It destroys every ounce of tension in the drama. Nobody in the audience is going to ever feel that the situation in the drama is a life and death situation. Because it isn't.

That's really bad writing. One of the first things I learned in my screenwriting class was that you gotta put your main character through hell and you gotta have zero sympathy. You have to keep making bad things happen to them. The moment you become a softie, the tension just goes splat. It's really got to feel like a life and death situation and the stakes have to feel REAL. At the moment, the drama does none of that.

That's why I had to stop watching and rant when Yoonsung (of course) takes out his sword and slays the guards. Of course. I wasn't expecting anything else anyways. Who in the world would even think Yoonsung would do something other than protect Raon? Well, for a second I guess I was kind of hopeful - but only for a second, because the drama of course ruined it as quickly as possible. The drama never lets things simmer and turn bad. The writer is too weak-hearted for that. They probably can't bear to see any of their characters suffer for long. So of course Yoonsung would take out his sword but of course it wouldn't be to harm Raon. Of course he would stop at the SLIGHTEST squeak from Raon and start slaying all of his guards lol. I was trying really hard from not typing lol but I really can't help it. It's just too incredulous.

If only the writer would pull through with their threats. If only they would actually let things go bad. Then the tension would rise and rise and the rubber band would be pulled and pulled tight until all that's left to do is for it to snap and all hell breaks loose, which is when you reach the story climax before the happy happy ending. Other dramas do this really well. Especially when they make the main couple break up for reasons outside their control. You really gotta milk that situation. But this drama just can't do that and has never done it. It's supposed to do that the most right now, when there are only so many episodes left until the end. However, the drama DOESN'T do that when it most needs to. I'm so frustrated.

Don't get me started on how much I hate Raon. Well, more like, how much I hate the way Raon is written by the writer. Raon used to be a great character in the beginning. But the moment she falls in love with the prince - well, let's say "falls in love" but where's the evidence that she even loves him? I could write ten pages on how much Raon doesn't love the prince and how passive and wide-eyed she is while the prince actually loves her and ACTS it out ALL the time. Okay, let's have a pause here, and I'll go watch the rest of the episode (well, try to) before going on another huge rant.

If you're going to do a sageuk, do it like 100 Days My Prince or don't do it at all. Or even like Scarlet Heart. At least the stakes there were huge. So many people actually died and the main girl was ACTUALLY tortured. The biggest advantage of sageuks (compared to modern dramas) are the fact that the situations can get really life-and-death. This drama didn't use any of that strong point. What a waste.

Okay. I just came back from watching the rest of Yoonsung's sudden attack on the guards and wow. I was not expecting HIM to die. After all that ranting I did up top about how the drama doesn't pull through and doesn't kill any of their important characters, this is kind of a huge blow. But I have to say, I don't understand why he had to die. When Byeongyeon sacrificed himself, it made all the sense in the world - with his sacrifice, he was able to save Raon, her dad, and even the prince. But didn't Yoonsung lead the guards to Raon himself? He then attacked the bunch of guards himself. Then you see Raon actually try to do something FINALLY but it might have been better if she hadn't done anything this time, cause he clearly got stabbed trying to save her. I guess I just wish his death was worth more than this. I really liked him as a character and I still feel like the drama did him dirty. He could have died a more meaningful death. Not like this.

Now everything is being wrapped up and I honestly feel like there was no real climax in this drama. Maybe it's coming up. Let's see. But from the look of things everything is being wrapped up like a pretty gift box with no imperfections. Have I also mentioned just how much I hate the fade out transitions in this drama? I honestly hate it. It feels like a cop out each time. It feels like a lazy cop out instead of following through with the action that is presented at the time.

As the drama wraps up, I gotta say that I've grown to really love the second female lead. I started off disliking her (just cause I liked the main couple too much back then) and thinking she was just a plot device but she's shown a lot of character throughout the time she was in the drama. SHE is the one who truly loved the prince and actually acted it out each time. And just as I say this, here we go again - the writer lets her off easy, making the king erase her princess-to-be history and ultimately making her sacrifice useless and bland. Sigh. Just LET people sacrifice and be selfless and just let the audience see and feel the deep worth in that! Why you gotta keep taking that away from us?!

I have finally finished the entire drama. I loved Young as a character and I love Park Bogum as the actor who acted him out. Young was BY FAR the best character in the drama, followed by Byeongyeon. Raon was annoying until the very end and even seeing her smile was annoying me. All I could think of was the fact that she was lifeless and had no personality and didn't even properly love the prince and even despite all that she was standing in front of him receiving his love. The prince deserves better.