#mystical-evergreen

[esotheria-sims]

I’m curious if you’ve ever uploaded Tom Wagese? I’d love to add him and his genes to my MCC :)

Yes, Tom is up for adoption! I'm sure he'll feel right at home in Criladith! 😄

[diwasims]

Curious about your bacc sims, I noticed they have two hobbies. How do you determine the 2nd hobby?

so sorry to keep you unanswered for a while and so sorry for the underwhelming answer you're about to receive but i don't really have a system for it 😅

right now, my sims' OTHs align with their LTW and main aspiration. the 2nd hobby is like a secondary aspiration – more for fleshing them out like a real person cuz personally, i don't have just one hobby, you know? and i just choose them based on what fits their personality!

(for example, one of my founders lucas ferreira has tinkering for their OTH and robotics as the tinkering sub-hobby but i'm giving him a secondary hobby of fitness with sub-hobby lifting. like, sure he's a nerd but he's a jock nerd, you know?)

[lilleputtu]

Do you think we could get an update on the Newson family tree? 👀

Ooooh yes! Well, if you are okay with a written one with tag links, because I do not have the brainpower to go and like, make a pretty.

Gavin has had 4 kids with Cassandra Goth:

Juliana, the twins Aydin and Amara, little Beatrice.

Ginger has had 2 kids:

Gillian, illegitimate daughter of Geoffrey Coterel and

Gilbert Lakenveld, son of Sten Lakenveld, her new husband

Gabriella has had 3 fae(alien) children:

Glimmer and the twins Rosemary and Jasmine

Gallagher has had no kids, yet

Garrett has had one son:

Wayndon Rhothin, son of Gwenya Rhothin, the merchant

And last but not least Georgia, who has 3 kids with her husband Tobin Carpenter

the twins Owayne and Tristian

and little Nanette

[zipzittyart]

Mystic Corruption Au

Twilight Sparkle

Mystic Corruption - MLP Infection Au

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Having gone looking for Fluttershy due to her sudden disappearance, Twilight decided to venture out to the evergreen forest to see if she could find any traces or tracks left behind by her beloved friend. Upon seeing the mutated and disease ridden pegasus Twilight was taken aback. She had to find out what happened to her beloved friend. She began to patrol and survey the area her friend resided in, wishing to find a way to remedy the disease before it got worse. By this time Fluttershy was at Stage 2 of the infection, able to move but beginning to release pollen and spores off the spotted divots on her dulling pelt. One night while investigating Twilight got a bit too close to Fluttershy, spores/pollen flying into her nose and eyes. She began to get an immediate reaction and fled the scene as soon as she realized she had been exposed. She fled to her castle.

As the disease began to take over Twilight decided to begin documenting her changes. She recorded tapes stating all her symptoms, showing examples of exposure. Due to her now sealed fate, she made an effort to gather up evidence and specimens of what led to her infection, gathering pollen, spores and flowers from the infected area and her own body. She would then lock herself in a private room to prevent herself from exposing anyone else to the disease. Before reaching Stage 2 Twilight sent out an emergency broadcast urging ponies to stay far away from the Everfree Forest. A mass hysteria would ensue.

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

"Pandora, Worrying About What She Is Doing, Finds a Way into the Valley through the Scrub Oak," from Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin

Look how messy this wilderness is. Look at this scrub oak, chaparro, the chaparral was named for it and consists of it mixed up with a lot of other things, but look at this shrub of it right here now. The tallest limb or stem is about four feet tall, but most of the stems are only a foot or two. One of them looks as if it had been cut off with a tool, a clean slice across, but who? what for? This shrub isn’t good for anything and this ridge isn’t on the way to anywhere. A lot of smaller branch-ends look broken or bitten off. Maybe deer browse the leafbuds. The little grey branches and twigs grow every which way, many dead and lichened, crossing each other, choking each other out. Digger-pine needles, spiders’ threads, dead bay leaves are stuck in the branches. It’s a mess. It’s littered. It has no overall shape. Most of the stems come up from one area, but not all; there’s no center and no symmetry. A lot of sticks sticking up out of the ground a little ways with leaves on some of them—that describes it fairly well. The leaves themselves show some order, they seem to obey some laws, poorly. They are all different sizes from about a quarter of an inch to an inch long, but each is enough like the others that one could generalise an ideal scrub-oak leaf: a dusty, medium dark-green color, with a slight convex curve to the leaf, which pillows up a bit between the veins that run slanting outward from the central vein; and the edge is irregularly serrated, with a little spine at each apex. These leaves grow irregularly spaced on alternate sides of their twig up to the top, where they crowd into a bunch, a sloppy rosette. Under the litter of dead leaves, its own and others’, and moss and rocks and mold and junk, the shrub must have a more or less shrub-shaped complex of roots, going fairly deep, probably deeper than it stands aboveground, because wet as it is here now in February, it will be bone dry on this ridge in summer.

There are no acorns left from last fall, if this shrub is old enough to have borne them. It probably is. It could be two years old or twenty or who knows? It is an oak, but a scrub oak, a low oak, a no-account oak, and there are at least a hundred very much like it in sight from this rock I am sitting on, and there are hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands more on this ridge and the next ridge, but numbers are wrong. They are in error. You don’t count scrub oaks. When you can count them, something has gone wrong. You can count how many in a hundred square yards and multiply, if you’re a botanist, and so make a good estimate, a fair guess, but you cannot count the scrub oaks on this ridge, let alone the ceanothus, buckbrush, or wild lilac, which I have not mentioned, and the other variously messy and humble components of the chaparral. The chaparral is like atoms and the components of atoms: it evades. It is innumerable. It is not accidentally but essentially messy. This shrub is not beautiful, nor even if I were ten feet high on hashish would it be mystical, nor is it nauseating; if a philosopher found it so, that would be his problem, but nothing to do with the scrub oak. This thing is nothing to do with us. This thing is wilderness. The civilized human mind’s relation to it is imprecise, fortuitous, and full of risk. There are no shortcuts. All the analogies run one direction, our direction. There is a hideous little tumor in one branch. The new leaves, this year’s growth, are so large and symmetrical compared with the older leaves that I took them at first for part of another plant, a toyon growing in with the dwarf oak, but a summer’s dry heat no doubt will shrink them down and warp them. Analogies are easy; the live oak, the humble evergreen, can certainly be made into a sermon, just as it can be made into firewood. Read or burnt. Sermo, I read; I read scrub oak. But I don’t, and it isn’t here to be read, or burnt. It is casting a shadow across the page of this notebook in the weak sunshine of three-thirty of a February afternoon in Northern California. When I close the book and go, the shadow will not be on the page, though I have drawn a line around it; only the pencil line will be on the page. The shadow will be then on the dead-leaf-thick messy ground or on the mossy rock my ass is on now, and the shadow will move lawfully and with great majesty as the earth turns.

The mind can imagine that shadow of a few leaves falling in the wilderness; the mind is a wonderful thing. But what about all the shadows of all the other leaves on all the other branches on all the other scrub oaks on all the other ridges of all the wilderness? If you could imagine those for even a moment, what good would it do? Infinite good.

-- Ursula K. Le Guin, Always Coming Home (273-5)

[blueikeproductions]

I’ve said before Transformers has struggled recently with its villains and recent material doesn’t change this.

Ever since this happened…

We’ve largely been stuck with poor man’s Vegeta Megatron.

And as such the series has lost its main villain, and become directionless.

The modern version of this trend started with Rescue Bots & RiD15, but it made sense in their respective series, and the replacement villains were treated like actual villains and are fondly remembered because of that.

It’s also not the first time Megatron was succeeded in leadership, as the Marvel Comics did this shockingly frequently.

With RatBat being the most unique case, in that he was the only one who largely succeeded in his efforts, and was a result of sincerely wanting to try something different.

I think that sincerity is long gone in favor of brand stagnation and “DEI” despite the later going out the door as of typing.

The usual replacement tends to be Galvatron, often depicted as an evolved Megatron through mystical means.

But Hasbro seems very reluctant to use Galvatron lately for whatever reason, instead usually having him as a (technically) separate character if he does show up.

Cyberverse kinda shows the current problem two fold. The bad writers convinced themselves they wrote a sympathetic Megatron when the writing shows him to still be certifiably insane and going through what is essentially an on the nose bad break up with Optimus. This extended to Megatron somehow being worthy of using the Matrix, and able to use it, despite Decepticons never typically being able to, and imply Optimus isn’t worthy of the Matrix, but never follow up on it.

To convince themselves and the audience that the regular CV Megatron was still a good person despite his atrocities, the writers pulled an Archie Sonic, and brought on their own Robo-Robotnik in Megatron X.

He too is apparently worthy of the Matrix and able to use it, despite completely destroying Cybertron and most, if not all, of its non Perfectcon inhabitants.

(To be fair, the idea of a Decepticon being able to use the Matrix goes back to Marvel G1 Thunderwing, but his actions helped corrupt the Matrix, creating the Dark Matrix Creature, but Cyberverse never states this is the case at all. This isn’t really a popular concept the series goes back to either, making Cyberverse the outlier.)

This ties back to Hasbro’s reluctance on Galvatron, as X was originally supposed to BE Galvatron in a Marvel G1 homage, but Hasbro said no.

So we’ve been left with a weird, but non committed, experimental phase of trying out different Villians to less than stellar results…

(Mandroid and Scourge are pretty good villains, but Mandroid quickly succumbed to bad writing, & Scourge was fairly quickly killed off, with no clear intent to go back to the Terrorcons and have a Movie Cyclonus based on the Armada version to take Scourge’s place.)

This feeds back into fan complaints about Hasbro’s unwillingness to try new things I’ve seen recently. In context the complaint was more wanting another Beast Wars like thing with new factions and new non G1 characters.

Like we HAVE been getting that with the Terrans and Terrorcons, but it’s clear kids aren’t that interested in them, and adult fans are as fickle as ever and not supporting it super well either. TFONE is pry the most damning, where it’s doing poorly across the planet theatrically, despite trying a new non-evergreen art style, and a much better version of Aligned/IDW caste system that simplifies it to Cogs & Cogless.

It’s not for lack of trying, but it’s also not grabbing kids well either.

This weird flip flopping recently came into play with Galactic Trials, the crappy looking racing game.

The game casts Nemesis Prime as the main villain, who tried to steal the relics of the Primes, but fail and cast the Chaos Emeralds, er, relics across the galaxy.

Here’s the weird part: this happens before the Great War began, with the Autobots and Decepticons now finding out in the present and scrambling to collect the relics for themselves. The story isn’t expanded and confuses things. Nemesis typically isn’t even a Prime, but a Decepticon clone of Optimus. Barring a few exceptions, the main deviation this MIGHT be referencing is IDW Nova Prime, who briefly became Nemesis Prime, powered by a Matrix like relic from the Dead Universe.

So does that mean in this universe the Matrix chose a guy literally named Nemesis to be Prime? Is this actually supposed to be Nova Prime via IDW? Is this Orion Pax’s black sheep of the product line? So many questions this game isn’t going to answer.

This is the frustrating part about all this. I like that they’re trying to branch out still, and I liked Nemesis Prime in IDW and back when he was Scourge in RiD01, but…

He’s kinda pointless here.

Why are we using a “new” character for a failing on launch, not-mobile game, when the plot would be much simpler in that Megatron or Starscream raided the vault of the Primes only for Optimus to intervene and launch the relics into space. Why is Nemesis the villain? For that matter, since it’s a racing game, shouldn’t the Stunticons be the villains?

This is where CyberWorld might be the make or break now.

I think slowly but surely, Hasbro is recognizing their past ideas on overusing antihero Megatron isn’t working, and that they need to properly commit to a successor if they don’t want Megatron to be a villain anymore.

Going by toy leaks, it appears they’ve decided to go BACK to Galvatron proper, but they also include Scorponok, who’s typically cast as a leader in some capacity (excluding Beast Wars).

(Until we learn more, I’m leaning towards their roles being similar to Superlink’s.)

So I think that’s a step in the right direction so far; going for Skybound’s aim of familiar but, they’re willing to pivot under better writing.

I think that’s where TFONE D-16 doesn’t work as a concept.

Like it if not, casual audiences and kids aren’t that invested in the idea of a wide eyed good boi Megatron who fell from grace or wants to redeem.

They want these kinds of power hungry megalomaniacal Megatrons, who are willing to go the extra mile just to upstage Optimus to stroke their own ego. Not high school bosom buddies with gay lover subtext that Stereotypical Tumblr-Twitter wants. And hopefully with what we’ve seen with Skybound, we’re going back to that Megatron soon. And if we don’t go back to Megatron strictly, then Galvatron might be the way to go cartoon wise.

[zapreportsblog]

Ok ok ok, do one where reader is a fairy, I mean like tinkerbell size, and they need somewhere warm during the winter because they’ve been living in a tree, so they seek refuge in the Cullen household and one of them finds them (I don’t really care who it is so you can pick, but in the end I want all of them to meet the fairy)

Also I love your writing so much omg ❤️

❝little fairy girl❞

✭ pairing : Cullen Family x reader

✭ fandom : twilight

✭ summary : (y/n) is a forest fairy that lives nearby the Cullens though she goes unnoticed but as winter rolls by she seeks shelter in their house, again unnoticed well that’s until she is noticed

✭ twilight masterlist

In the heart of Forks, Washington, nestled deep within the dense forest, there was a place unlike any other. It was a realm of magic, hidden from the eyes of ordinary humans, and only known to those who believed in the extraordinary. This mystical place was home to (Y/N), a fairy of unparalleled beauty and grace.

(Y/N) had lived in the enchanted woods of Forks for as long as she could remember. With her delicate wings shimmering like the morning dew and her emerald eyes sparkling like the ancient trees that surrounded her, she was a vision of ethereal beauty. Her hair, the color of moonlight, cascaded down her back, and her laughter echoed through the forest, filling it with a sense of wonder and enchantment.

The fairy's home was a cozy, ivy-covered cottage nestled beneath the towering cedar trees. Inside, her living room was adorned with delicate crystals that bathed the room in a soft, colorful glow. Books on magic and ancient spells lined the shelves, evidence of her insatiable curiosity about the hidden mysteries of the forest.

But (Y/N)'s life wasn't just about solitude and serenity. She had friends among the woodland creatures, from the mischievous squirrels who would playfully tease her, to the wise old owls who shared their ancient knowledge. She was also known to dance with fireflies on warm summer nights and sing songs that made the flowers bloom with every note.

Her closest companion, however, was a majestic wolf named Luna, who had silvery fur that shimmered like the moon. Luna was not an ordinary wolf; she possessed a deep connection to the fairy and served as her protector in the enchanted woods. Together, they were an inseparable pair, guardians of the mystical secrets that lay hidden in the heart of Forks.

But as peaceful as life seemed, there was an undercurrent of mystery and intrigue in the enchanted woods. Rumors of a long-forgotten prophecy whispered through the leaves, and (Y/N) couldn't shake the feeling that her destiny was entwined with the fate of the forest and the creatures who called it home.

As autumn's vibrant colors gave way to a crisp chill, (Y/N) sensed the approaching winter with a shiver of unease. Her woodland home, though enchanting, was not immune to the harshness of the season. The leaves had fallen from the trees, and a biting wind swept through the forest, making her delicate wings quiver.

Realizing she hadn't prepared herself adequately for the impending cold, (Y/N) knew she had to find shelter. Her small, palm-sized form wouldn't withstand the winter's icy grasp for long. She needed a safe haven, and there was one place that came to mind—the Cullen house.

With a mixture of determination and trepidation, (Y/N) embarked on her journey to the Cullen residence. She fluttered through the forest, her wings beating gracefully against the frigid air, until she reached the edge of the property. She hid among the evergreen branches, observing the house from a distance.

The Cullen house, like its inhabitants, was a mysterious place. It had an aura of elegance and secrecy that intrigued (Y/N) from afar. She knew of the family who resided there, thanks to the whispers of the forest creatures. They were rumored to be different, special in a way that matched the enchantment of Forks' woods.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, (Y/N) darted closer to the house, searching for a hidden entry point. She found a crack in the foundation just wide enough for her to slip through. With a silent prayer to the woodland spirits for guidance, she entered the Cullen home unnoticed.

Inside, the warmth enveloped her like a comforting embrace. It was a stark contrast to the biting cold outside. (Y/N) remained hidden, her tiny form tucked away in the shadows, as she watched the Cullens move about their daily lives, unaware of her presence.

She listened to their conversations and marveled at their beauty and grace. There was something otherworldly about them, much like herself. In this moment, (Y/N) felt a strange kinship with the Cullens, as if fate had brought her here for a reason.

As the days grew shorter and the nights colder, (Y/N) continued to seek refuge in the Cullen house, all the while remaining hidden, her presence a secret known only to the creatures of the forest and the whispering winds. Little did she know that her decision to seek shelter with the Cullens would lead to unexpected encounters and a destiny she could never have imagined.

Days turned into weeks, and (Y/N) continued to find solace in the warmth of the Cullen house, hidden away from their view. She observed their interactions with a mixture of fascination and curiosity, still unsure if revealing herself was the right course of action.

One evening, as (Y/N) perched on a windowsill, peering outside at the falling snowflakes, she heard a soft, melodious voice. It was Esme, the matriarch of the Cullen family, known for her boundless compassion and nurturing spirit. Her voice carried through the house like a soothing lullaby.

Esme had been tending to the grand piano in the living room, her graceful fingers dancing over the keys. The hauntingly beautiful music filled the air, and (Y/N)'s heart swelled with the emotions it evoked.

Drawn by the enchanting melody, (Y/N) fluttered closer, her tiny form hovering just out of sight. Unbeknownst to her, her presence had not gone entirely unnoticed by Esme. The matriarch had a keen intuition that extended beyond the ordinary, a gift that had served her well throughout her long life.

Esme paused in her playing, her golden eyes scanning the room. Her gaze, gentle yet perceptive, landed on the small, hidden fairy.

"Is someone there?" Esme asked, her voice filled with warmth and concern. Her eyes seemed to penetrate the shadows, seeking out the hidden presence.

(Y/N) hesitated for a moment, her heart fluttering with uncertainty. But there was something in Esme's gaze, a kindness and understanding, that urged her to reveal herself. With a graceful descent, (Y/N) landed on the edge of the piano, her tiny figure illuminated by the soft glow of the room's lights.

Esme's eyes widened in gentle surprise as she beheld the tiny, radiant fairy before her. Her fingers, once poised over the piano keys, now reached out slowly, as if offering a delicate greeting.

"Hello there," Esme whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "What brings you to our home, dear one?"

(Y/N) hesitated no longer. With a voice as delicate as the rustling leaves, she replied, "I sought shelter from the cold, and your home offered warmth and solace."

A warm smile graced Esme's lips as she extended her hand, allowing (Y/N) to alight upon her palm. "You are most welcome here," Esme said, her golden eyes filled with kindness. "We are a family that embraces the extraordinary, and you, my dear, are indeed extraordinary."

In that moment, (Y/N) knew that her life had taken an unexpected turn. She had found not just refuge from the winter's chill but also a new family, one that saw the magic within her and accepted her as one of their own. And so, her journey with the Cullens began, forging bonds that would change her destiny forever.

With Esme's gentle hand supporting her, (Y/N) felt a sense of belonging she had never known before. The warmth of the Cullen house was not just physical; it emanated from the family's genuine acceptance and kindness. Still nestled in Esme's palm, she couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude.

As (Y/N) perched in Esme's hand, the matriarch made her way through the house, introducing the tiny fairy to each member of the Cullen family. First, they came across Carlisle, the family's patriarch, with his calming presence and golden eyes that mirrored Esme's. He extended a hand, and (Y/N) hopped onto his fingers, offering a delicate curtsy in greeting.

Next were Alice and Jasper, their unique gifts allowing them to sense emotions and foresee outcomes. Alice's infectious enthusiasm and Jasper's serene demeanor made (Y/N) feel at ease. She flitted around them, her presence met with smiles and welcoming gestures.

Edward, the introspective mind-reader of the family, regarded (Y/N) with curiosity and a hint of amusement. He didn't say much, but his presence was enigmatic and intriguing. (Y/N) couldn't help but be captivated by his enigmatic aura.

Rosalie and Emmett, the physically powerful siblings, greeted (Y/N) with hearty laughter and playful banter. They seemed larger than life, their vibrant personalities filling the room.

Lastly, they arrived at the youngest member of the family, Renesmee, a half-human, half-vampire hybrid who possessed an extraordinary ability to communicate with those around her through thought. Renesmee's eyes widened with wonder as she extended her hand, her gentle thoughts reaching out to (Y/N). The fairy fluttered toward her, sharing a moment of unspoken understanding.

Each introduction was met with curiosity, fascination, and an unwavering acceptance. The Cullens, a family of unique individuals with their own supernatural qualities, embraced (Y/N) as one of their own, a living embodiment of the enchantment that surrounded them.

Esme's voice filled the room as she spoke of (Y/N)'s arrival and the circumstances that had brought the tiny fairy into their lives. The family listened with rapt attention, their expressions a mixture of intrigue and empathy.

"You are no ordinary visitor, (Y/N)," Esme said with a smile, her hand cradling the fairy gently. "You are a part of this family now, and we are delighted to have you."

(Y/N) couldn't have asked for a more extraordinary welcome. In the presence of the Cullens, she had found not just shelter from the cold, but a place where her magic was celebrated and her heart had discovered a new home. Her life had taken a remarkable turn, and she knew that her journey with the Cullens was only beginning.

[witch-hazels-musings]

hi hazel!!!!!!!!! could i get a divination ritual for xiao with lavender, lepidolite, evergreen, and jasmine ? ty and belated congrats on your book!!!!!!!! i am sure it is an amazing read <333

Lavender (comfort, calm), Lepidolite (regulation), Evergreen (the unexpected), Jasmin (love, sensuality) Xiao x gn reader | Divination Ritual warning: fluff, the reader plays the guzheng (plucked string instrument)

The water felt cool against your legs. The gentle, lapping waves caressed your skin as the afternoon breeze ran across the crystal lake. This was one of your favorite places to be, and the perfect backdrop to the sounds of plucked strings.

The guzheng rested comfortably on your lap while you drew the picks over the strings in slow, steady movements. Each note was captured by the wind and floating petals as it drifted across the scene.

The song drifted from your memory as if it were a part of you. its rise and fall coming as easily as breathing and, with it, came a familiar spark in the air. You smiled and continued on even as strings of black and green smoke fluttered in and out of your vision.

"I wondered if you'd come," you hummed into the air, the mist of the Adeptus drifting around you and mixing with the warm waters. Your comment received no answer but you didn't mind. You knew who it was by the way their presence prickled the back of your neck, by the way, their aura lifted the corners of your lips.

You began to hum with the music until it all faded away leaving nothing but the natural cadence of Liyeu in its wake.

"It's been a few days, are you well?" You asked as you looked behind you to the figure standing guard at your back.

Xiao.

The lonely Adeptus who hated humans but found an exception with you.

He hardly seemed to register you but that wasn't abnormal. Xiao's stare was always miles away, lost and focused on something you could never see.

"Will you sit with me?" you asked and he finally looked your way. The gold of his eyes reflected in the sun. "I'll play you a song."

The strings awakened again, singing as they did every time you played them. It drew in the mystical - that's what your parents always said. Their odd child that knew how to call forth the spirits. So when you first saw Xiao you weren't surprised - what was surprising was how close he got to you. Though he said little, his actions were always kind, gentle, and patient, so you made sure to play songs that matched him.

Something pushed against your back. Cool mist and the smell of river reeds. You turned your head and breathed in Xiao's hair as he rested on your shoulder.

You smiled and bumped your forehead against him. "I missed you too, Xiao," you said, music in your voice as you spoke. "Do you have any requests?"

"No," he replied in his familiar gravel. There was a pause. "I like Gao Shan Liu Shui."

A song of friendship and love.

You poised your fingers over the strings and the melody danced on the breeze, shades of rich viridian and the setting sun melting into the sound of your voice as you sang to the spirits of the mountain and they listened.

The Lost Adeptus and the soul who kept him.

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024)

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action.

[allimocha]

Okay! So a couple of friend and I in a discord server were speculating what Yui from Go! Princess Precure would look like if she was 6th Ranger.

Now this is not to say her not becoming 6th ranger is a bad thing, the opposite really! She’s one of Precure’s best supporting characters, hell I’d even say she IS the best supporting character in Pretty Cure.

This is just a fun fan creation of what one of my fave characters would look like if she was given a key and perfume.

So…Here she is! Cure Fable, Princess of the Forest!

Now I won’t lie, her design was easier than figuring out her theme. A lot of renditions of Yui show her as the Princess of wind/air. But…ehhhh… it just didn’t fit to me. Since she wants to be a storybook author I started thinking how that will play with her theme.

Then it hit me! Lots of stories, specifically fairy tales, happen in the forest no? And add in the mystical vibe of forests it just made sense. Alsoitgavemeanexcusetomakeheragreencure- AHEM.

Anyway, I also tried to think of her other Key Transformations/Mode Elegants as well. The names were hard to figure out at first but I think these are pretty good.

I also made attack names as well!

Fable Evergreen

Vine Evergreen

Lotus Evergreen

Garden Cultivation

I didn’t make her royal form, but maybe one day.

Hope you like it, Byyyyieeee~!

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Read More

Was also talking about how much I disliked Mermaid’s bubble form:

So I edited it, cause when you can do art you can bend reality itself-

[arkus-rhapsode]

Gachi-Bachi: A Tale of Two Roads to Success (A Discussion)

Back again with another think piece on this blog. And while the last two came from an inspiration of topics that I had floating around in my head for awhile, this one came about from me scrolling on twitter (I'm not calling it X) recently and noticing the in real time evolution of two of the arguably biggest battle shonen releases of the 2020s. That would be Gachiakuta and Kagurabachi.

However, this isn't gonna be a simple compare and contrast of the series as works of fiction as I personally feel each one has different qualities that really distinguish them from each other in a way that doing a comparison wouldn't be too interesting. Rather what intrigues me is how they are a fascinating study in how series become big so to speak and despite the overlap in fans, there's actually some pretty key differences in their success stories that highlight greater things in the manga industry in particular. So let's ask ourselves: how did we get here, what role has fanbases played in it, what role has their respective magazines played in this, and just how truly successful are these series?

Background and Rise

Now for those who are just not initiated, I'll briefly explain the premise of these two series.

Gachiakuta by Kei Urana is a series set in a dark fantasy world where an orphan named Rudo is banished to the trash filled abyss after being framed for the murder of his adoptive father. In the Abyss Rudo discovers he has the power to use his magic gloves to turn objects into weapons, which he uses as a member of the Cleaners. He fights trash monsters and criminals in a journey to get back home and take revenge on the one who framed him.

Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono is an urban fantasy series set in contemporary Japan that deal with Chihiro, the son of a mystical blacksmith who had forged six magic swords. Chihiro's father is killed by a group of magical mobsters and his swords taken from him. Chihiro, armed with a secret seventh magic sword, will cut a blood path through Japan's criminal underbelly and take revenge on those responsible for his father's death.

I know Im grossly summarizing both works because I'm focusing not on the series themselves but rather the things surrounding each of them. So if you wish to know more, please check them out yourselves and see if you enjoy them. And just for transparency's sake, I have made multiple posts on this blog about Gachiakuta so I think its safe to say I enjoy it quite a bit. While my relationship with Kagurabachi is not that intimate as I actually don't read much Weekly Shonen Jump anymore, I did at least read the first volume just so I can say, I totally see why this got a following. Also just for clarity as I know the internet can flatten time in many instances, I want to point out that while I'd call these series contemporary, its worth noting that they're not exactly same time rising stars. Kagurabachi came out this year, in 2024, while Gachiakuta came out in 2022. A whooping two year lead. Hot did Kagurabachi get so hot? How?

Well if you're familiar with Kagurabachi in even a tertiary form you probably remember this meme.

This was a piece of promo art used by Jump along with a brief summary of the series before it was publishized. Now for a little context, at this time, two of Shonen Jump's biggest action staple series, My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, were in their twilight stages. And at the time the shonen jump magazine had an interesting assortment of genres probably more than the last two decades. However, while One Piece would still be evergreen and their were action series such as Sakamoto Days and Undead Unluck, there was a hunger for a new battle series. And not just a new battle series, a long term investment battle series.

So when the news came down that WSJ would be releasing a "urban fantasy revenge sword battle series" with an accompanying art that definitely would fit alongside the heroes of the 2000s like Ichigo Kurosaki or Death the Kid, there was a reasonable excitement. Course there was also a bit of an over enthusiasm. Now like I said in my 2000s anime nostalgia post, I don't think this definitively means anything deep that there are just people who got into anime around the 2000s who just enjoy that types of series they were introduced to and were excited for more of that. However, over enthusiasm on the internet, is always prime material for ribbing.

So a lot of people on Ani/manga twitter saw slews of people posting this, and I mean this with no disrespect, kinda bored looking guy drawing his sword and being excited for a series that hadn't come out. This lead to of course memes. Lots of memes.

That this was the best jump manga of all time before a single chapter came out. It even lead to a bunch of people redrawing this promo image several times with different characters each with the same kind of expression. Now of course, this did ignore the fact that there was at least a translated one-shot released by Hokazono that people could at least check out to see if they enjoy his work. As well as the fact this kinda happens everytime there's a new jump rotation. Its just kinda in fan nature to get hyped for something even if all they have is a simple description. But lots of memes tend to flatten out context.

And so it seemed like that was that, the set up for the ultimate punchline. People had some genuine excitement, a bunch of guys on twitter made a mountain of ironic excitement, and now all the series had to come out and not live up to that hype. But then Kagurabachi did come out and the chapter was good. Sure it wasn't change your life spectacular or anything, but for a first chapter of a brand new series, it did exactly what it needed to do: Clearly introduce the stakes of the world, who the main character is, what their motivation is, mixing in some action set pieces, and leaving a little room for intrigue to watch the series grow. It hit the emotional points it wanted and hit the action beats it wanted. The end. That wasn't bad at all. Quite the opposite.

So here we are, left with what was essentially a free marketing campaign for people who probably expected it to get the shonen jump axe like a lot of new action series tended to get and instead they got something pretty okay. If there was ever a group of people vindicated it was those guys excited for Kagurabachi for the start.

Yes I know, meme popularity can be dumb or annoying. And some super fans and hype beasts who want to be there on the ground floor can be kinda cringe, but there is no doubt this was one of the most successful social media campaigns ever for a series that actually was managing to justify it. And for the next few weeks it would keep going and irony was almost completely replaced with sincerity.

The fact this was actually getting Shueisha's social media to acknowledge twitter hashtags and release a promotional trailer for it in English was such a first. Even if you don't like Kagurabachi or are indifferent to it, there is no denying this was unique.

But I've spent all this time reminiscing about Kagurabachi's social media rise. What about Gachiakuta hmm?

Well Gachiakuta was a series made by Kei Urana who had served as an assistant to Atsushi Okubo on the Weekly Shonen Magazine series, Fire Force. Fire Force itself is an odd beast we don't have the time to fully get into, but it was pretty popular for a non jump series and featured Okubo, a creator who has possibly one of the most devout fanbases ever, striking it big with many people's formative anime, Soul Eater. Urana herself was a massive fan of the series and if you've read Gachiakuta you can see the inspiration. However, when it was time for Fire Force to come to a close, WSM had announced that a new series by Okubo's assistant would be starting just before its end. And people were excited right? Well not exactly. Cause you had to be looking in the right places to even notice this announcement.

At the time, WSM series were mostly readable on Azuki. However, there seemed to be a weirdly non commutable relationship with Azuki and WSM's publisher Kodansha. As such it was kinda a gamble if a new WSM series would even show up on Azuki let alone simelpubbed. So it seemed like whatever Gachiakuta was would be Japan exclusive. But as if by miracle, the translation group, Pair of 2+ came in and dropped an English version of the chapter on release. The first chapter of Gachiakuta was pretty strong though mostly for Urana's incredibly striking artstyle. Made even better by the fact that the world of Gachiakuta was a fantasy world. And not fantasy in the way a stereotypical isekai is borrowing from romanticized European fantasy. But rather this sorta grudge world that was capable of having what looked like modern convinces, but there was things like a mysterious trash pit, a bunch of soldiers who dressed in ostentatious uniforms and a ginormous and intimidating trash creature.

I know it might seem kinda like a broken record now, but a big thing in the 2010s era of action manga and anime was a move towards more grounded and contemporary setting with stories. Juxtaposing supernatural or spectacular elements with the modern day Japan structure and order. Plenty of series were popular with this such as My Hero, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, hell even Demon Slayer does the same though set in a turn of the century version of Japan. These certainly have an appeal and obviously they're not going anywhere, but there was a growing perception that fantasy worlds in manga were kinda fading. We weren't really getting a bunch of One Pieces. Were were getting stuff closer to Bleach. So of course, deny someone something long enough and they become enthusiastic for the tiniest taste of it.

So with all this, how was Gachiakuta's first few weeks. Well outside of some territory nods and the obvious "This manga is trash" jokes. It kinda stayed low key. With people relying on scan groups to handle it, there was really no guarantee of consistent momentum. Sometimes it'd take two weeks to get a chapter out in English while the Spanish versions were available. sometimes another scan group may come in a drop a chapter, making it harder to find the series in one place. However, all of this really did end up benefitting Gachiakuta. Because when you remove convenience you end up creating your strongest soldiers. If you were actively looking for Gachiakuta and not just waiting for an app update, that meant you were committed. And committed people had to use word of mouth to get this out there. If there was a moment of big promotion it would be when AniTuber Gigguk's Trash Taste podcast had well know Vtuber (Full disclaimer I know almost nothing about Vtubers or Hololive. I'm sorry in advance if I'm not going into greater detail on their significance) Mori Calliope discuss the Next Manga award winners and give Gachiakuta a shout out.

So, we had Bachibros and the twitter take over, while we had Gachibros and their slowly growing cult classic. Both methods ended up creating some real die hard fans, but the visibility and promotion of both series is very different. And ties into...

How Each Series Respective Company Has Handled Them

So before I start this section, I know I've made social media a big reference point for the success of these series. I want to make it clear that social media popularity isn't a full story. Something may be popular on twitter or YouTube but not necessarily be successful. I think social media can be a good barometer of the actual interest of a series, but not its end all be all for its results. And I think no series really knew this better than Hunters Guild: Red Hood.

For those unaware, Hunters Guild: Red Hood was a series that released in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2021 and was a big darling with Animanga twitter. Its art style, its premise on western fairytales, going for a more traditional dark fable vibe, and of course attractive characters. It was easily the series a bunch of people were calling the next big thing. And then it flopped. It was regularly last place in the popularity polls and its Japanese volume sales were really unimpressive. So it got axed by Jump.

To say this caused an outrage with people would be an understatement. This caused a trend of people really trying to find "the answer." Try and make this seemingly senseless action make sense. Well tragically if you are a manga industry watcher like me you know that this isn't actually all that unique.

For a lot of non Japanese fans, particularly Americans, we never had the accessibility of the Shonen Jump app or the Manga+ app in the 2000s-2010s. If you wanted manga, you were using MangaStream and MangaPanda which had focused on basically the biggest series in the industry. While countless series that have run in jump and other magazines have just been ended after 20 chapters. But that information wasn't available to us in real time the way it is now.

If you're around my age range and know about the shonen jump ranking system, you were probably introduced to the concept through the series Bakuman, manga about manga that was really the first popularized look at how the sausage was made in the Shuiesha offices. A big thing that was a point of tension was the rankings. If a series fell low consistently in the ranks of readership surveys filled up by the ones who purchased a copy of shonen jump and submitted it, then it would be cancelled by jump. Now its important to remember, Bakuman was a dramatized recreation of how Shueisha operated. Things were exaggerated in the name of making an entertaining and tension filled series. In reality, the ranking system is important, however the editorial department of Jump weights multiple factors when making this judgement: what is in the magazine at the time? Is something ending so we can risk having this run longer? Is there a new batch we want to role out soon so we need to free up space? How are the volume sales doing? And has this carved out a viable niche for itself?

While yes its a good rule of thumb to say something in last place is generally in danger for not maintaining interest to keep it around, its not a simple yes no.

Thanks to Shueisha's Shonen Jump App we now get everything as it comes out. We get the future best and the future failures and there really isn't a way to control it. So to see Red Hood a series with some very vocal fans, it was always at the whims of Japanese customers who seemed neither interested in voting for it over other series in the magazine or purchasing its volumes as they came out. It is a hard pill for people to swallow, to have something that they like, that they want to be invested in and tell its story to be cut short.

But I would say that in this day and age while it is hard to witness this, the benefits of the SJ app are phenomenal. The SJ app is a convent subscription service at a reasonable price that offers the first chapter of a series free as well as the latest three chapters free. So even if you want to not subscribe you can still keep up on an official platform. And Manga+ being similar and not region locked. Thanks to this any new series debuting in Shonen will have the eyes of the world audience on it. When there is a new batch of manga that enter the series, it feels like an event. It really is a high risk high reward situation-you run in WSJ and you have the opportunity for everyone even beyond Japan see your work simultaneously, however you will still have to fight and maintain interest and hype for your series on a weekly basis.

As previously stated, Kagurabachi absolutely benefitted from this. And while yes some it was ironic, the fact that the promise of a new battle series was going to be on everyone's screens and have the biggest reach to find an audience is good. Now of course, we have to remember that WSJ still doesn't let non Japanese voters participate in polls, so while you can find a foreign audience it might not be what gets people excited in Japan (Although there have been instances of foreign fans purchasing Japanese volumes). Well jump may have gone an extra mile with this one. Kagurabachi would actually really early into its run cycle be given a recommendation by Gege Akutani author of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Now for those who actually don't know, in Japan, some manga are printed and packaged with a recommendation band that acts as an extra form of promotion. Siting a famous or well liked author giving a series a recommendation and a little image of the series they worked and sometimes a quote.

Obviously getting an on the cover cosign is a bit more prestigious than say, going to your Barnes and Noble and an employee has written why you may enjoy this series. And not just any mangaka, Kagurabachi was getting props from one the biggest mangaka in the magazine with a pretty ravenous fanbase. But for me a big thing that got my attention that showed how much jump was investing was the previously mention Kagurabachi PV trailer. A simple YouTube animation to get people to check out the work, plenty of series get this. But Kagurabachi's was the first to have it in English. A Japanese company acknowledging the server of the global audience is huge and I'd say this already seemed like it was hyped up enough, but then you have an editor of Jump+ openly acknowledging the "#BachiFlex" in an official statement. There's no doubt there is a fanbase and Jump is absolutely aware of that fact. And of course you can't forget those color pages.

So that's how Kagurabachi was doing, how was Gachiakuta doing? Well first we need to talk about Weekly Shonen Magazine and get something out of the way, they do not have a ranking system like shonen jump. Weekly Shonen Magazine actually seems to operate more along the lines of volume sales. waiting for a manga to hit print and see that actual tangible interest of the people who buy it. Because of this, you can see that WSM has actually a much lower turn over rate than WSJ. And that when there is a new series its usually only one or two at a time in a year. So if the series hinges on sales, it should love having a massive reach?

Well sadly, WSM and Kodansha have been pretty poor when dealing with the global market. I mentioned earlier its relationship with Azuki getting official scans out but there was also the deals it had made with Crunchyroll to have a reader for their work. Both services were not the best received, so wouldn't it be nice if Kodansha had a web service like Jump? A simeulpub on the international market. Well enter K Manga and possibly one of the biggest fumbles ever.

I mentioned before that the SJ app was made with the mind as a subscription service, this was done with awareness of what western audience were willing to financially invest in. Well, Kodansha instead responded with a resigned version of their Magazine Pocket app that included a frankly confusing points and ticket system with just straight up micro-transactions. If you're keyed into the Webtoon scene you probably know this type of weird gamification of a service is done in Asia.

Im sure you've heard the famous quote about how piracy is a service problem and not a pricing problem. People would be perfectly happy to spend money on an official release if the way to access it was ultra convenient. And making Americans learn things like 24 hour tickets, and daily prizes, and just having you pay for each individual chapter. Its just really cumbersome and I'd rather get back to reading scans instead. Also to add some insult to injury it is region locked so even if you wanted to purchase this in countries like Europe, you can't.

I will at least say some positives, I think K manga has a much wider range of series available than the SJ or Manga+ apps. As it takes from Kodansha's many different manga magazines like Weekly Shonen Magazine, Weekly Young Magazine, Monthly Afternoon, Monthly Morning, Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and Magazine Pocket originals. And Gachiakuta was part of the first few titles at launch and it was some good promotion as later that Fall, Kodansha USA would release the English print copies. But promotion through an app a lot of people weren't really happy with.

Speaking of the print side wasn't doing so hot either. As this may be a surprise to some, WSJ is rare in the fact that it makes manga a real center focus of why you should purchase the magazine, meanwhile many other mags use covergirls.

Look Im not gonna say Shueisha doesn't do this, their Weekly Young Jump covers are really raunchier than this with their cover girls. But yeah not exactly the most bright thing for a series when its being paired against glamor girls and quite literally pushed into a corner.

But it wasn't all bad as Urana would actually end up promoting the series through other means. As mentioned before, a pretty popular Vtuber had already devoted time to promote it of her own free will, Urana herself would even be commissioned to draw cover art for them. Urana would do the same for Jpop band cvlte. We'd even have Kodansha ambassador and professional skateboarder Yuto Horigome have Urana in for a session to talk about art and just recently, British rock band Bring Me The Horizon was promoting the series.

Now its my opinion that no series deserves success or deserves failure. It needs to stand on it own merits and the ones interested will come to it. However, I do find it interesting how Kodansha as a company has chosen to promote their work. Even when its going harder (especially post anime announcement) it feels weirdly word of mouth. Getting all these guys from different subgeneres to talk about it while internationally having such a mixed roll out. But maybe that close inter-personality is what makes the Gachiakuta rise story more unique. Sure it doesn't have the same all eyes on me as Kagurabachi has gotten, but in a way its kinda made this more intimate whether once again cultivating fans who are really really faithful to Gachiakuta's success. This comes to a head in the 101st chapter of Gachiakuta with a color page, Urana thanks her friends in it fitting several graffiti names of people who have supported her and the studio that will be making this a reality.

And hey, while I've definitely been critical of Kodansha, there's no denying that, but hey they agreed to give this series an anime so that must mean its a success. Right?

Success?

So I've been mostly talking about aspects of Gachiakuta and Kagurabachi's more social and industrial significance. How they became popular and how they're been treated by their respective companies. But what about results? Why bore you all with all this hot air when I can just give you cold hard facts? Well by sales-yeah Kagurabachi is a hit. Like there's no other interpretation. It is a hit. It debuted at number 4 on the manga sales chart, by two volume on the market it had hit 100K copies in circulation, and is receiving reprint after reprint.

Also this is a bit tacked on because this happened while I was editing, Kagurabachi just overwhelming won the Next Manga Awards print category. By a huge margin and being the second highest number of votes submitted for a series after Oshi no Ko. Like I don't really have much to say but like... Congrats to Takeru Hokazono. Like there's not denying this is a hit. Like I read the acceptance tweet, he knows. He knows people have been gasing him up as "the next big thing" like. I have nothing else to say this is a success.

The Kagurabachi train is a rolling and knowing how hotly people are anticipating it to fill the shoes of success like MHA or JJK, its showing the results to back up those expectations. In fact, this has actually been one of the few times I've seen a lot of anticipation for a series that doesn't have and anime and that anime is probably off for quite a bit. As of the time I'm writing this Kagurabachi sits at 46 chapters.

As for Gachiakuta this was actually the most surprising for me to actually see the Japanese sales figures.

So for all the anticipation its final result is... okay. Like yeah these sales are fine. There's no way it be in danger of being cancelled and like any business would look at this and say its steady. But that's kinda all it it, steady. I always kinda hate talking about sales that are kinda just doing okay. Cause no one ever wants to be told that its not exceeding expectations, but there's no like rubbernecker cratering that can be entertaining. Its doing just fine. And that's really all there is for a series that's manga only for now.

Obviously the anime is announced. Its coming and it will likely get a boost in audiences interested in it (Know if it doesn't get stuck on like Disney+ or Amazon), but that's kinda why I wanted to get this blog post out before hand. Cause I wanted to compare these series as manga. Now of course you have to remember these sales charts are accounting for Japanese sales on debut. So its likely that there is longer tails than we know of for each series. However, its kinda funny seeing Gachiakuta's figures and remember how it won a Next Manga Award in the category of "Global Special Prize." So its not too much of a stretch to say in Japan Gachiakuta is still pretty punk and underground and the value is definitely in that global market. Though I have to have a bit of laugh now a how much that's been a pretty hit or miss effort.

So Gachiakuta is a success story, but its that sort of "A first party Nintendo switch game sold over a million units" type of success. That's good, but its not like making those Mario numbers.

Conclusion

So I'm sure you're asking what was the point of all of this? Why did you spend so much time of comparing the rises of two shonen action series that outside of probably their hardcore cheering section don't really think about their success stories?

Well to me, I'm of the belief that the ultimate goal for a mangaka (And really any creative professional) at the end of the day is to be able to tell their story, entertain people, and make a comfortable living while doing so. The end goal may be the same for many, but the paths to how we get there can vary greatly. If you made it there by blockbuster success or by underground hit. And the fact that those paths can be so varied by factors ranging from independent social media movements and the actions of making a piece of media even available for an audience you want to reach.

When writing this piece, I really got the sense of just how much bigger manga in particular is effecting the more broader ani/manga subgenre. Its not just that thing where only the best of the best we're getting English translation posted on scan sites, we've reached a point where now a global audience can have a series in their reach. Yet their reach varies.

We still don't have the chance to submit surveys in jump and we still don't have physical volumes of manga printed around the same time so we can take into account global sales, but we can hashtag. We can share these on live streams. We can have our own grassroots efforts that are actually having something resembling an effects on the choices of Japan. All of this change in practically a decade.

Will Gachiakuta and Kagurabachi go onto to be pillers of the anime and manga community? Mmm maybe. Their fans are super passionate and the great thing about fans is even though they can be loud, they are the ones helping make new fans. They're the ones making the fan art and fan fictions and reddit posts. For all we know when they get anime they'll pop off harder than before. Or maybe they'll get a bunch of normies who don't get or like them and will tell you how its secretly never good.

Still its interesting to see how despite these two series having so much of the same ground, both of their roads were so different. And that maybe you can't control how things will turn out in the world of social media and corporate management. Sometimes all you can do is your best and stand on your own merits and the people will find you.

Whether they run for 200 chapters each or 700 chapters each or anything down the middle. Gachiakuta and Kagurabachi, here's to you're accomplishments now and here's to many more successful years down your respective roads.

Anyway folks that's my time. I hope you enjoyed this think piece. If you do please drop a like or reblog. It'll really tell me if you're interested in seeing more content like this. And maybe I can share more and more about this industry that I'm passionate about.

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

Embracing the Magick of Yule: A Guide to Winter Solstice Rituals

As the winter solstice approaches, practitioners of magick find themselves drawn to the mystical energies surrounding Yule. This sacred time, marking the longest night and the return of the sun, offers a powerful backdrop for connecting with the unseen forces that shape our existence. Here's a guide to practicing magick during Yule to enhance your spiritual journey.

Honoring the Winter Solstice:

Yule, occurring around December 21st, marks the winter solstice—a time of deep reflection and rebirth. Begin your magickal practice by acknowledging the significance of this celestial event. Consider creating an altar adorned with symbols of the season, such as evergreen branches, candles, and images of the sun.

Casting a Yule Circle:

Embrace the power of sacred space by casting a Yule circle. Use candles in colors associated with the season—deep green, red, and gold—to define your magickal area. As you cast your circle, visualize the energy of the winter solstice flowing through you, connecting you with the universe.

Rituals for Renewal:

Yule is a time for personal renewal and transformation. Craft rituals that align with the themes of rebirth and the returning light. Meditate on areas of your life where you seek growth and positive change, channeling the solstice energy to fuel your intentions.

Invocation of Deities:

Connect with deities associated with the winter solstice, such as the Sun God or the Winter Queen. Invoke their presence through prayer or meditation, seeking guidance and blessings for the coming year. Offerings of herbs, spices, or seasonal foods can enhance your connection.

Candle Magick for Light:

Light candles to symbolize the returning light of the sun. Focus on the flame's energy, using it to banish darkness from your life and bring clarity to your path. Perform candle magick spells aligned with your Yule intentions, infusing the wax with your desires.

Divination for Guidance:

Yule is an opportune time for divination to gain insights into the future. Use tarot cards, runes, or scrying methods to seek guidance from the spiritual realm. Pose questions about the coming year and trust the wisdom revealed through your chosen divination tool.

Feasting and Communion:

Celebrate Yule with a festive feast, honoring the Earth's abundance and the return of light. Incorporate seasonal foods and beverages, sharing the meal with loved ones or, if practicing solo, offering gratitude for the sustenance provided.

Closing the Circle

Conclude your Yule magick by thanking the energies and deities invoked. Close the circle with intention, expressing gratitude for the blessings received and carrying the solstice's transformative energy forward into the new year.

By embracing the magick of Yule, practitioners can deepen their spiritual connection, foster personal growth, and align themselves with the natural cycles of the universe. As the wheel of the year turns, let the energy of the winter solstice guide you on a journey of renewal and enlightenment.

[maryhale1]

Witchy winter decor 🥰

Beneath the silver veil of winter's night,

Where whispers weave in the pale moonlight.

Frost-kissed branches, a bewitched sight,

Nature's spell, a symphony of white.

A witch's cloak, the snow descends,

Softly casting spells that never end.

Crystals sparkle, secrets to defend,

In this icy realm where dreams transcend.

Glistening crystals, stars on the ground,

A frozen tapestry, spellbound.

Footprints linger, but make no sound,

As the witching hour wraps around.

Cauldrons of frost, a potion brews,

In the hearth of winter's cosmic hues.

Eldritch echoes, ancient cues,

As the season weaves its mystical clues.

Evergreens stand sentinel, steadfast,

Guardians of memories from the past.

Snowflakes fall, each a spell cast,

A wintry waltz, enchanting and vast.

Witching winter, a whispered rhyme,

Spellbound moments frozen in time.

In the hush of snow, a sacred chime,

Nature's magic in this frosty clime.

[kale-of-the-forbidden-cities]

KotLC OC tournament info post - 7/24

Daphne Evergreen

Name: Daphne Evergreen

Species: Elf

Gender/Pronouns: she/her

Creator: Mystic @mysticarts (she/her)

Short desc: A 5'5 fourteen year old girl with an adrenaline addiction, planning to make the whole world smile!

Backstory: Growing up as the youngest of her family, Daphne has always struggled to try and fit in with her family who is famous for their abilities as Frosters. Especially since she was a flasher, so she was even more of a outcast. However, this doesn't stop Daphne's long living dream to bring smile and joy to others faces by singing music to dancing to it. And maybe one day, she can make a whole concert of people smile with her performances.

If you would like me to edit anything on this post, let me know!

[catawampuscorner]

Compassionate, empathetic, and mystical ✨♓

✨Patreon✨| Commissions | Bluesky

@ahsoka1 @all-hallows-evie @onwardsandsideways @pentowrite-wingstofly @pyromanicdaydreamer @dangerousstrawberrypie @clonecyare @youngcheesecaketale @techissweet @ladykatakuri @freerunner4427 @weridgreenaurora @burning-quesadilla @constellation-savvy @chromia7567 @ahsokatano-thetogruta @my-flights-of-fantasy @darkangel4121 @zoeyserpentluck @theproblemwithstardust @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life  @ladysongmaster @yellowflicker09 @mmmdixie @needlefrost @queencousland101 @imrowanartist @bloom-domino-akrum @evergreen-lyricist ​​ @molly-mcgiftens @korribanarchive ​​  @victoryandlife​ @negative-ghostrider @screamingmadvoid @moobrvoobl-moobmoob-oobmpoobroom @zaya @darknight-brightstars @trickstermoose67 @arkred @theredshirtsarecoming @mis-mcgifstenn @elismor @coline7373 @nekotaetae @dangraccoon @mandogab @jediava @thatgreyjedi @ladykatakuri @droids-you-are-looking-for @saphirlefanz @u-got-lokid @zaya-mo @yellowflicker09 @jonathananubian @AhsokaTanoFan25 @razor0-0 @thatgreyjedi @the-bad-batch-baroness @nerd-ika @quinchronicles @trixie2023 @sunshinesdaydream

.

Chuck your name in here if you want to be tagged!

[doubledeadstudio]

What kind of food does or does not exist in evergreen? I’m wondering what was at that buffet crux took us to and if it was like chinese food, mystical fantasy food, or both given evergreen’s inhabitants lmao

It's both! There won't be fairy food, though. If you eat fairy food, you'll become a servant of the fae.

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

🎄 Wrapped Up In Christmas Memories 🎄

a Stephen Strange Christmas fic

Chapter Two

genre: angst, catharsis, healing...and above all, love❤️💚

characters: Stephen Strange, Hope Collins (OFC); established relationship

word count: 1.9k

Reposting from last year as edits have been made on the way to finally completing this fic.⛄️🩵🎄

moodboard by @strangedreamings 💙🩵💜

The weeks ticked down towards Christmas, and Stephen remained as occupied with his work as in any other month of the year. And still Hope held steadfast to her promise to ask nothing but his tolerance as she rang the season in. Every few days, when he emerged from attending to his Sanctum duties or his ongoing studies, or returned from a far-flung mission or from Kamar-Taj itself, he would find she had added some new decoration or holiday detail, making not only his quarters, but the main floor as well, ever more festive. Her Artist's eye insured that she kept everything tasteful and in accord with the surroundings. Hope's latest addition had been an evergreen garland for the fireplace on the main floor, lit with colorful fairy lights and frosted candle holders of varying heights bearing ivory or red candles, nested along the greenery.

Whenever he complimented her newest handiwork, Hope would give a modest little shrug as she thanked him, moving onto the next subject of conversation without so much as a pause--though Stephen could absolutely feel how pleased she was. Thus, their equilibrium continued, and despite his ambivalence about the holiday season, he found himself quietly looking forward to each new surprise.

One such surprise was Hope's newfound dedication to attending the weekly vigil service each Saturday evening of Advent at a small Roman Catholic parish in Brooklyn. In their occasional discussions of philosophy and faith, she had given Stephen the impression that although she was lapsed from organized religion, Hope still held a true belief in a higher power. Indeed, he always saw her as a living example of the biblical maxim 'do unto others...'. And of course, she had understood and respected the beliefs he had come to hold about soul & spirit, and good & evil, based on his experiences and encounters with mystic realities.

In response to his curiosity on the first Saturday she shared her plans, Hope fell back on a familiar explanation. "It's a tradition that does my heart good to honor," she told him frankly. "It connects me to my family even when we're apart. With those who've passed on...and with past generations." He didn't miss the flicker of grief in her eyes and in the set of her mouth at her reference to those who had passed on, though soon enough, her honest smile replaced the sorrow. "Besides which, I love the music...the lights on the tree...the aroma of the incense they save for the most sacred moments. That sense of being one with a community of like-minded souls is vital to my experience of the Christmas season." Stephen found none of this surprising, for such was her nature, and part of the reason she had conquered his heart with no effort at all.

With a scant few weeks until Christmas Day, the Sanctum felt ripe with Hope's inimitable brand of holiday cheer. The sights, the scents, the flavors, and the very sounds that filled his rooms, became reminders of his own Christmases past, though Stephen refused to entertain those memories as he knew they'd only leave him morose.

Even the Sanctum kitchens had their own unique decorations, courtesy of some of Hope's grammar school-aged students; a couple dozen had given her handmade, crayon-colored Christmas cards and Tempera-painted winter scenes of snowmen and Santas, Angels and Christmas trees, or sledding and skating children, which found their way onto the walls and the refrigerators.

She'd even fashioned a miniature tree as a tabletop centerpiece, festooned with a popcorn & cranberry garland and a tiny paper chain of red & green construction paper loops. In a surprising moment of clarity, Stephen remembered the several years when he still believed in Santa Claus and had helped his mother create the same sort of decorations for their tree, and how excited he'd been counting down the days until Christmas morn. Memories of a simple happiness that he'd quite forgotten had been his. Gazing at Hope's little tree brought a warmth to his chest he would like to share with her - but he stopped himself each time, knowing full well that if he let that recollection bubble forth, it might open the gates to other memories not as pleasant.

Most evenings now found Hope settled on the sofa wrapping presents or penning personal greetings in Christmas cards, while her favorite Christmas movies played on television, setting what she considered the ideal mood. Stephen eventually ended up joining her some evenings, and once he took his place beside her, she very willingly set aside her project in favor of cuddling on the couch with him. He ended up adopting the habit of fixing them hot chocolate, and in Hope's homey company, he discovered that he didn't even mind the movies he'd once found trite and too sentimental since his undergraduate days. Besides, they made Hope happy--and her happiness had become key to his own.

On the 14th, Stephen was called to Kamar-Taj for an emergency meeting of all the Masters of the Sanctums and those in charge of the various disciplines. A rift in Earth's reality had opened inside the Kibo caldera of Mount Kilimanjaro, and whatever entities had worked that magic, it appeared they were trying to wake the dormant volcano into eruption. He only had time enough to fire off a cursory text to Hope, warning her he might be away for several days--and advising her not to worry. Then he was off to Tanzania, along with Wong and a dozen other Masters to beat back the incursion and seal the rift.

'Twas a grim Stephen that returned to the New York Sanctum just after midnight on December 17th. Hope was sound asleep, and he didn't have the heart to awaken her. He was sporting a split lip and multiple abrasions to his face, neck, and hands, and though he had been charm treated in the Kamar-Taj Infirmary, he still had a slight but nagging cough from smoke inhalation.

Yet he had gotten off more lightly than most of those who had to battle the dragonlike creatures that seemed to be ideally suited for a volcanic environment; that breathed fire and fought ferociously to maintain their foothold. Two Masters had fallen to their flames, and three more had suffered severe enough burns to be placed in magic induced comas while Healers worked around the clock to hasten the regeneration of new, healthy skin. Wong, who had suffered a broken wrist, bore the same sort of wounds as Strange and the other Masters did. Stephen was heartsick over the lost lives and the pain of his brothers & sisters, and his body ached all over.

Casting the Mirror Dimension on the master bath, he bundled up his rent robes and buried them deep in the hamper so Hope wouldn't see how badly they were damaged and bloodstained. Stephen had already repaired Cloak, and it had flitted off upon their return to the Sanctum to see to its own ablutions. He soaked in the tub of hot water and Epsom salt for nearly 90 minutes, trying to put the pictures frozen in his mind of the battle and the wounded behind him. Fearing that sleep would still elude him once he finally went to bed.

In the wee hours before sunrise, he slipped carefully and quietly between the sheets, and by some lovely instinct, Hope turned to him. She stirred a bit when he placed her hand above his heart--for he always found that soothing--and after a few moments she whispered, "Missed you, magic man. Is everything alright?"

Stephen sighed in the darkness, unwilling to disturb her peace with the truth, and murmured 'yes', and then, 'I missed you too'. What he wanted most was to forget everthing for a little while, and when she rested her head on his shoulder, he nuzzled the tender haven of her hair, focusing on Hope's softness until he was able to drift off the sleep.

Stephen rarely indulged in the luxury of sleeping in, but this day it had been a necessity. Though he felt physically refreshed when he finally left his bedroom, his spirit was all too weary, and he remained disconsolate in his very bones. No matter the season, he would've felt this way following the outcome on Kilimanjaro--but somehow looking at Hope's cheery holiday trimmings made it even worse. When he found her in the kitchen baking cookies, the sweet sight of her, so incongruous with the miasma he was lost in, prompted him to issue her a fair but regretful warning.

She had just moved a batch of cookies onto a wire rack to cool, then turned to greet him--but her smile faltered the moment she saw the misery on his face. "It went badly, then." Stephen nodded, and then she was sliding her arms beneath his, holding him tight, murmuring against his neck. "I'm so sorry, Stephen. Do you...do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head and simply held her close, grateful that she was his true and loving sanctuary. When they parted just a little, Stephen cleared his throat before speaking. "Hope...honey..." he began, cupping one hand against her cheek, "I really appreciate how patient you've been with me this past month. And I appreciate everything you've done to bring Christmas to our..." He paused when his voice cracked, taking a moment before continuing, "...to our home."

Empathetic as usual, Hope simply reached to cup his cheek in her hand, and he wished he could just let himself melt into the moment. "But I dunno if the miracle you're hoping for is gonna happen this year. The past few days were pretty rough and given that...and the ghosts of my Christmases past...well, I think it's best if you lower your expectations about the holiday. I don't want to disappoint you but...well...I'm not gonna be catching the Christmas spirit this year."

Hope sighed and turned her face enough to place a soft kiss on the base of his thumb. "It's alright, darling. I...I understand." She sighed and stood tall enough to kiss his mouth, then whispered against his lips, "Whatever you need, Stephen. However things go." She embraced him warmly, then moved enough so she could look him in the eyes. "I spent five Christmases wondering how things might have been if you had survived Thanos. I know what's most important to me now--so in the end, all I really want for Christmas is you."

Stephen managed a small but genuine smile. He had expected no less. Undaunted, Hope briskly changed the subject. "How about I fix you some lunch and you go unwind with some mindless television? I'll bring it right to you."

"Actually, there's a little something I want to take a look at in my study...if you don't mind too much..."

"Of course, of course," she answered gamely, then swatted him softly on his way, "Gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup are the special today, and the only tip I require is a couple dozen kisses."

"You can add those to my tab, honey," Stephen chuckled, then headed down the hall to his study, grateful for the distraction which he knew awaited him on his desk. Getting lost for a little while in a recently discovered manuscript might be exactly what he needed to get through the day.

If you enjoyed this little fic so far, you can read more about how Stephen & Hope met and fell in love in my stories 'Friday in the Park with Stephen' (meet-cute, flirtation & fluff), and 14,000,604 (hurt/comfort, angst, passion/smut, lovers reunited against impossible odds).

In addition, I've written a couple of one-shots/prompt fills as part of their ongoing series, The Wizard and the Artist. These works can be found both on tumblr and on AO3.