#the ravens of antimony

[pupsmailbox]

any names like aspen, scout or wolf

pref neutral but i dont mind ^^

ASPEN︰ abagail. acacia. addison. addy. akifumi. alexandrina. allan. allen. allyson. alyvia. anson. antimony. arbor. archer. arden. aria. arrow. artemis. arwen. ash. asher. ashton. aspyn. astatine. aster. astrid. atlas. atticus. aurelion. aurora. autumn. ava. avalon. averie. avery. azalea. azir. bear. birch. blair. braniff. briar. caleb. camdyn. cameron. carsen. cason. caspian. cedar. chance. charlotte. clover. colt. cyril. cyrus. dalton. daxton. declan. easton. eden. ellah. elm. ember. emerson. emery. everest. everett. everly. fauna. fern. finn. forest. forrest. graham. greyson. hadley. harlow. harper. hazel. hudson. hunter. ivy. jade. jason. jasper. jaxen. juniper. kai. kason. kinsley. lachlan. landen. landon. lela. liam. linden. luca. luna. mercury. nova. oak. oliver. orion. owen. paisley. parker. paxton. peony. phoenix. pine. piper. quinn. rain. raven. river. rowan. sage. samson. sawyer. scarlett. sierra. sycamore. violet. westin. willow. wren. yasmin.

SCOUT︰ arrow. atticus. bear. birdie. blue. bowie. charlotte. clover. cove. dash. falcon. finch. finley. finn. frankie. harlow. harper. hawk. hazel. henry. holden. huck. huckleberry. indigo. jack. juno. kate. kit. liam. lucy. lynx. olive. oliver. phoenix. piper. poppy. quinn. ranger. rory. rowan. ruby. rue. sadah. sadayo. sade. sadi. sadia. sadiya. saeed. sage. said. saida. saidah. saide. sailor. saint. satha. satu. satya. sawyer. scarlett. scotia. scott. seath. seth. shada. shaddie. shadiya. shadow. shigeto. sid. sijuwade. sita. sky. skye. sloane. sonny. stella. stewie. story. suede. sujata. sunday. syed. tallulah. tripp. vale. violet. willow. winter. wren.

WOLF(E)︰ ace. aio. amelia. ardent. aria. arrow. ash. asher. atlas. atticus. aurora. autumn. axel. bear. birch. blanchefleur. cedar. cole. cora. destry. ebner. evangeline. experience. february. finn. flower. forest. forrest. fox. gabriel. halian. hawk. haydon. holden. holmes. hunter. ivy. jasper. jori. kiersten. knight. liam. lightning. lily. lumière. luna. lynx. maeve. maine. marguerita. midnight. mulberry. oak. ocean. oliver. orion. phoenix. pine. quill. rain. river. rock. sage. scarlett. seele. silas. sixten. snow. sonder. stone. tristin. urien. vadim. violet. walt. walvia. ward. wells. wendey. wendi. wendie. wheeler. wilder. wiley. will. william. wisdom. wolfgang. wolfie. wolverine. wulviva. wylie. xavier. yevetta. zeo. zephyr.

[dear-mrs-otome]

I had almost forgotten this little drabble, from a flash fic exchange some months back. 💕

Faust has written many things in his life.

Sermons and studies. Missives and prescriptions. Crabbed, hasty notes scrawled in journal after journal, marching their spindly way across the days and pages. Theories and experiments both nurtured and discarded, the meticulous measure of an afterlife’s efforts, lining his bookshelves in a tangible timeline. There had been more, once upon a time, before his world had ended in violence and fire. But if he could be reborn, so could his work.

This, though? This was all new.

My dearest -

The words stare up at him from their perch at the top of the blank page, a line of black inquisitive ravens. Awaiting their continuation as eagerly as him. His pen hovers, indecisive.

How does he proceed from here? Sentimentality is a foreign taste on his tongue, bitter and sweet all at once, but compelling. It seeps into him, through him, like a trickle of aqua regia. Dissolving his thoughts and his words like so much precious gold. He wants to hate it, and sometimes he does - this hollowed out thing he has become. But what was empty can be filled anew. What was sublimated can become precipitate, even purer than before.

An antimony smile lingers in his thoughts, soft and radiant. The quick flash of it like alkahast, cleaving him easily to his basest of parts. He could wax on about the alchemy of this saltpeter love, how it burns and burns and burns, but would it get his point across?

Would it ever be enough, if they were the only thing he left behind someday?

The harsh crumple of paper breaks the silence as he balls the page up and begins anew.

My heart -

More words flash through his mind, picked over and discarded like chaff. He's no poet. He's no playwrite, no author. There's a lyricism to alchemy that he can acknowledge…but what lover would want to hear such phrases? It's not the florid, delicate language of love. It's fire, and heat, and unmitigated change - all the things this love encompasses, but they are raw. Visceral. Brutal.

Insecurity is an unfamiliar chillblain in his chest, but the desperate compulsion to leave a tangible token of his adoration seizes him, the ashen memory of feeling his life slipping away for a second time spurring him on. Echoing in a perpetual chorus of ‘what if, what if, what if’.

And so he puts pen to paper once more, resigned to expressing his love on the terms he knows. In crasis and chrysopoeia, with deflagration and dulcify. This edulcorate process that has turned him from something bitter and fragile and adulterated to something pure. Of purpose at least, if not substance or soul.

'You are my ens primum.'

[delightingintragedy]

Mars Correspondences

From Christian Astrology by William Lilly

(It is mostly word for word. I tried to format it to fit into a nice correspondence list, but the information itself is untouched.)

Zodiac: Aries is his Day-house, Scorpio is his Night-house. Exhaulted in Capricorn, Depressed in Cancer, Detriment in Libra and Taurus.

Nature: Masculine, Nocturnal Planet, in nature hot and dry, choleric and fiery, the lesser Infortune, author of Quarrels, Strifes, and Contentions.

Profession: Princes Ruling by Tyranny and Oppression, or Tyrants, Usurpers, new Conquerors. Generals in Armies, Colonels, Captains, or any Soldiers having command in Armies, all manner of Soldiers, Physicians, Apothecaries, Surgeons, Alchemists, Gunners, Butchers, Marshals, Sergeants, Bailiffs, Hangmen, Thieves, Smiths, Bakers, Armourers, Watchmakers, Botchers, Tailors, Cutlers of Swords and Knives, Barbers, Dyers, Cooks, Carpenters, Gamesters, Bear-wards, Tanners, Curriers.

Diseases: The Gall, the left Ear, tertian Fevers, pestilent burning Fevers, Migraines in the Head, Carbuncles, the Plague and all Plague-sores, Burnings, Ringworm, Blisters, Frenzies, mad sudden distempers in the Head, Yellow-jaundice, Bloodyflux, Fistulas, all Wounds and Diseases in men's Genitals, the Stone both in Reins and Bladder, Scars or small Pox in the Face, all hurts by Iron, the Shingles, and such other Diseases as arise by abundance of too much Choler, Anger or Passion.

Colour: Red colour, or Yellow, fiery and shining like Saffron.

Savour: Those which are bitter, sharp and burn the Tongue.

Herbs: The Herbs which we attribute to Mars are such as come near to redness, whose leaves are pointed and sharp, whose taste is caustic and burning, love to grow on dry places, are corrosive, and penetrating the Flesh and Bone with a most subtle heat: They are as follows: The Nettle, all manner of Thistles, Restharrow or Cammock, Devils-milk or Petty spurge, the white and red Brambles, the white called vulgarly by the Herbalists Ramme, Lingwort, Onions, Scammony, Garlic, Mustard-seed, Pepper, Ginger, Leeks, Dittander, Horehound, Hemlock, red Sanders, Tamarinds, all Herbs attracting or drawing choler by Sympathy, Radish, Castoreum, Aresmart, Assarum, Carduus Benedictus, Cantharides.

Trees: All Trees which are prickly, as a Thorn, Chestnut.

Beasts: Panther, Tiger, Mastiff, Vulture, Fox; of living creatures, those that are Warlike, Ravenous and Bold, the Castor, Horse, Mule, Ostrich, the Goat, the Wolf, the Leopard, the wild Ass, the Gnats, Flies, Lapwing, Cockatrice, the Griffin, Bear.

Fishes, etc: The Pike, the Shark, the Barbel, the Fork-fish, all stinking Worms, Scorpions.

Birds, etc: The Hawk, the Vulture, the Kite or Glead, (all ravenous Fowl), the Raven, Cormorant, the Owl, (some say the Eagle), the Crow, the Pye.

Places: Smith's Shops, Furnaces, Slaughterhouses, places where Bricks or Charcoal are burned or have been burned, Chimneys, Forges.

Minerals: Iron, Antimony, Arsenic, Brimstone, Ochre.

Stones: Adamant, Loadstone, Bloodstone, Jasper, the many coloured Amethyst, the Touchstone, red Lead or Vermilion.

Weather: Red Clouds, Thunder, Lightning, Fiery impressions, and pestilent Airs, which usually appear after a long time of dryness and fair Weather, by improper and unwholesome Mists.

Winds: Western Winds

Angel: Samael

Planetary Alliances: His Friends are only Venus; Enemies all the other planets.

Week Day: Tuesday

Correspondence posts for the other planets: [Sun] [Moon] [Mercury] [Venus] [Jupiter] [Saturn]

[manmadesunshine]

tagged by my dearest @crepusculum-rattus for my top 12 on repeat songs :P

I have also been revisiting my 2021/2022 emo phase in music for. reasons.

tagging @antimony-medusa and @missycolorful ! I always need music recs so gimme

[viadescioism]

I stumbled upon a forum where a discussion about the Ravens of Antimony was taking place. Someone was attempting to identify them, and during this, another person described me in this certain way:

"These appear to be the work of a rather interesting Nonbinary queer/pan occultist called Phelan Lunagenus. Their work seems interesting, obscure, visually interesting and entirely non-problematic."

You know what? I kind of love being described as "entirely non-problematic."

[brews-and-pubs]

Final Tally from the Summer 2023 Trip

In the 27 days of this trip, I tasted 183 different beers from 33 different breweries. What an adventure!

Although I didn't track this, my guess is that approximately 80% of those beers were sampler sizes in flights with the remainder being 10oz or 16oz pours. I also didn't track repeat pours of the same beer in the cases where that happened.

The absolutely stand-out places were:

Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, Iowa City IA

Blue Raven Brewery, Cheyenne WY

Level Crossing Brewing Company, South Salt Lake City UT

The Grumpy Troll Brew Club, Mount Horeb WI

Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids MI

Salty Pecker Brewing, Norton Shores MI

Maumee Bay Brewing, Toledo OH

Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood NY

Revelry Yards, Ithaca NY

Antimony Brewing, Lenox MA

That's a surprisingly large percentage of all the places I visited compared to other trips -- it was a good time, to be sure.

[malusart]

This is the 9th image from the Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine (1602).

These images are from a 1678 Latin edition and 1645 German copy. The top is a cross formed of two human figures, one male (his feet upwards), the other female (her feet downwards). On one level they represent the traditional ingredients - masculine Sulphur and feminine Mercury; but since they are forming a cross, also implied are the four elements, the active masculine Fire and Air and passive, feminine Water and Earth. At their heads and feet are placed four birds that symbolize stages of the alchemical process, beginning with a Raven or Crow at the top (its black color due to calcination or burning), then, moving counter-clockwise, a Swan (white due to solution and washing), a colorful Peacock (sign of the end of putrefaction and continuing fermentation), and finally what could either be a Golden Eagle or Phoenix (for the final preparation of the Philosophers’ Stone).

The accompanying text says:��“Saturn, who is called the greatest of the planets... is the chief Key of the whole Art... Although... it has risen to the loftiest height, far above all other luminaries, its feathers must be clipped, and itself brought down to the lowest place, from whence it may once more be raised by putrefaction, and the quickened caused by putrefaction, by which the black is changed to white, and the white to red, until the glorious color of the triumphant King has been attained.” 

In the circles below are three snakes issuing from three hearts, each connecting with another. These seem to be the 3 Paraclesian principles of matter, for the text explains, “This transmutation is begun, continued, and completed with Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt.”

By the way, a circle with a cross on top is a symbol for the mineral antimony, used in both the refining of gold and the preparation of a chemical purging medicine for humans. One of the best-known books about it is “The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony” by Basil Valentine.

[mischiefwinzthewar]

Bellamy/Murphy: Superimposed right side up triangles: triangles in general in pagan represent fire, outside pagan it can mean silver, the holy trinity (father, son, Holy Spirit), it is associated with divine buildings because the A shape (churches etc). Triangles that face up also represent masculinity (duh 😉), parenting, the sun, and a sub cosmic world.

Clarke / Echo: can be two different things that essentially are related across different cultures ie Viking VS Celtic so buckle up.

Triple Horn of Odin — essentially represents wisdom, quick wittedness, poetry but has a long story associated with it. Essentially if I understand it someone was killed and their blood was mixed with honey (?) and distributed across three drinking horns. It was thought whoever drank from them would gain knowledge (?) This honestly would corroborate a lot of spoilers saying Lincoln’s Horn means something bigger. (Viking answer)

It also looks like the inner most spot in a triquetra, a triquetra that just isn’t the complete shape. This shape is associated with the holy trinity again, represents the unity of spirit, soul, and body / division of land, sea, sky / “triple goddess” a deity / in DARK it represents three different time periods. The Triquetra has root origins that are very closely linked to Triskele: a tripartite symbol consisting of 3 interlocked spirals. This ancient Celtic symbol is associated with the earthly life, afterlife, and reincarnation. The Triple Spiral is also related to the Sun and a spiral represents the movement of the Sun in three months. Therefore, the Triple Spiral denotes nine months and is considered a symbol of pregnancy. (Celtic answer)

Octavia: Can be referencing the “holy grenade” which is a Christian form of authority. It represents Christ’s dominion over the orb of the world, literally held in the hand of an earthly ruler. In science can symbolize Earth and is also a symbol of a church on a map. Can also be symbol for antimony which represents man’s free spirit and animal nature and sometimes associated with the wolf. the element can be toxic, is described as silvery (ironic because Bellamy’s symbol means silver) and is used for bullets, batteries, flame retardants etc.

Raven and Hope: universally and in pagan represents time, infinity, simplicity, balance, love, cycle of life and death, infinity is seen in our dna, it also has origins of meaning passing through seven heavens with eight being regeneration, happiness, paradise, resurrection

Jordan/Gabriel: Dagaz in pagan meaning day/dawn, light, intuition, awakening, awareness, happiness/Hope, growth, certainty, the balance point, where opposites meet

Russel/Sheiheda: Generally means no or prohibited, in hobo language it symbolizes a good road to follow, in pagan it means magic circle

Chime in your theories, ideas, interpretations, and corrections below!

[irishplaguedoctor]

Power of Antimony

An alternate ending to the Plague of Shadows. With the Enchantress defeated, Plague Knight had succeeded in creating the Ultimate Potion, only to find out he didn't need it to win over Mona, she already fell in love with him. But then things start to take a turn for the worse...

He finally succeeded. The Enchantress’ essence was finally his. He can finally begin the distillation process.

Plague Knight extended his small arms upwards, holding the incomplete potion high enough for the last of the essence to resonate with the others. Colors exploded from the containment, a fantasia for the eyes as the essences surrounded the enchantress’, colliding elegantly until they finally merged into the fabled elixir he and Mona took years to perfect.

Everything he has done has led up to this moment of triumph as the potion slowly descended into the knight’s green, sweaty hands.

He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he watched the colors inside change rapidly. It was perfect. Now, he can finally be strong, powerful enough to confess what had hidden away for so long. So agonizingly long. He could not help but smile as he imagined his rose-tinted future; a future where he and Mona are loved ones, betrothed, doing what they do best; becoming the best alchemists the world has ever seen.

It was perfect. Everything will be perfect!

His thoughts of the grandeur were interrupted however when the feeble knight heard metal on metal and footsteps rush his way. It was Black Knight.

“No! Stop your assault!” Black Knight pleaded. “Look! I’ve brought someone!”

After he said those words, Mona graciously rushed inside. Plague Knight’s eyes immediately focused on his blue-haired maiden, his heart softening as she ran past Black Knight and only stopped when she was a few feet away from him.

“Plague Knight! Come to your senses…” She begged. “You don’t need to go through with this!”

Mona’s statement confused the green knight. After everything they’ve done, she wanted him to just stop? No, no he was doing this for her. He is going to use this potion to become someone worthy of her love. He has to. He has to.

“Mona! You don’t understand!” Plague Knight said. “I was too weak to say it before, but now I can show you I’m good enough!”

Mona shook her head. “Black Knight told me everything.” She took a few steps closer. “You don’t need a potion to win me over. You already have!”

Almost immediately, it felt as if Plague Knight’s heart had stopped. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Mona loves him the way he is? Small, weak, pathetic him? And yet the sweet smile she gave him was all the proof he needed. Tears started to well up in the green knight’s eyes, though none were able to bear witness when it was hidden behind his mask. It felt all the weight of the world was lifted off of his shoulders. He felt lighter than air.

Too light.

His eyes widened when he realized when he was actually being lifted off the floor by the potion that was now starting to destabilize.

“Wh-what?” Plague Knight stuttered, his hands feeling as if they were glued to the glass as he tried to let go of the potion. “I…but it’s too late, I already defeated the Enchantress and began the final distillation!”

Black Knight cursed himself. The Enchantress wasn’t here anymore! He needed to find her before it’s too late! “I must go after her!” He went to run back to the tower entrance when he stopped himself and pointed at the two alchemists. “You two—touch nothing until I return.”

Mona raised a brow when the Black Knight disappeared into the corridor—as if things weren’t already falling apart as it is.

The essences were going out of control, colors flying in and out of the potion as it pulsed vehemently as if it was about to explode at any moment.

And Plague Knight was helpless to stop it.

“Where is all this…power coming from?” He yelled. “This wasn’t in our notes!”

Mona had to shield her eyes as the potion grew brighter and brighter, threatening to blind the female alchemist. “The essences are reacting unpredictably!” Then suddenly, the potion burst. The essences escaped in a calliope of colors before reversing their course, aiming directly at the exhausted, plague knight. She ran to him. “Watch out!”

But it was too late. The colors zeroed in on him and when Mona tried to shield him, both instantly met with black.

*****

Mona awoke to find herself on the ground, alive but weak. It felt like something ran her over with a carriage. She felt lightheaded and her knees felt weak, but she was able to get back onto her feet. It took a minute for her eyes to finally focus before she could finally absorb the area around her. But what caught her eye the most was the black mist surrounding her colleague in front of her.

He was standing there, his head and shoulders drooped, his hands twitching. The black mist completely covered him, only show his silhouette.

Mona took a step forward. “Plague Knight?”

He didn’t move nor respond to her.  

She took her chances and moved closer until she was only an inch away. She knelt down until she was eye level and reached a hand out towards him. “Plaguey?”

When her fingertips were about to the brush the top of his head, the mist vanished into the air as colors ascended from the plague knight’s form colliding once more to form the ultimate potion. Mona jumped back in surprise as Plague Knight reached up and grabbed the potion from the air, as if he hasn’t fallen under a trance just mere seconds ago.

Mona took a deep breath. “You did it! The reaction has stabilized!” She had no idea how he did it or why he was surrounded by such a thick layer of dark mist, but she was just happy he was okay. “…wow…there it is…the ultimate potion…” She looked from the blue potion to Plague Knight. “Well…are you going to drink it now?”

Plague Knight held the potion down to eye level as he gazed into the swirling bottle. “Heh. I…” Unbeknownst to Mona, what Plague Knight had seen—what he had fought—terrified the alchemist. He didn’t know what it was; his shadow, his desires, his obsession? But whatever it was, it made the Plague Knight think twice about the “Ultimate Potion” that was in his hands.

Besides, he already got what we wanted.

“I don’t…think I need it anymore, Mona.” He finally said, putting the bottle away inside his cloak pocket.

Mona smiled. “But we-“

Mona was interrupted by the tower suddenly shaking. A large explosion could be heard above them, coming from somewhere higher in the tower. Chunks of the walls and floor have started breaking and falling from above. Debris littered the floor as the two alchemists were forced onto their knees when balance seemed to be impossible with how ravenous the earthquake was.

A large boulder fell a few feet away from Mona, causing the stone floor to splinter, the cracks spreading as more large rocks started to fall and break into the floor.

“Mona!” Plague Knight called out as he slowly crawled towards her. He hobbled as fast as he could, but his large sleeves kept getting in the way. Even so he was determined to get to Mona to give whatever little protection he had from the chaos.

But he was too focused on her to see a large piece of debris heading straight for him.

Her adrenaline kicking in, she sprinted to him as the world seemed to slow down. Her long strides helped her keep balance as she narrowed the distance. Plague Knight noticed and immediately stood to his feet in hopes to embrace the rushing beauty coming his way. Instead he was shoved away just as a large chunk of the tower made contact Mona; hitting directly on the head.

Plague Knight watched in horror as his love went rigid and her unconscious body fell forward and collapsed onto the floor, hard.

“MONA!”

He ran to her and did his best to cradle her head in his lap. Blood started to drip down the side of her face from a small gash the rock had left behind. Panicking, Plague Knight tried to arouse her by gently slapping one side of her cheek, but there was no response. He grabbed a spare health potion and lifted her head, pouring a little of the substance into her mouth in hopes she would ingest it, but it wouldn’t go down.

He didn’t know what else he could do.

Bigger rocks started to fall from above, the ground becoming more and more unstable as the cracks grew bigger and were ready to break. If he didn’t do something soon, they would both surely die.

But what can he do? There’s only so much a bomb can do in this situation without making it worse, he is too weak to carry Mona, the rocks have closed the only entrance long ago…

…he can’t do anything.

Tears spilled down Plague Knight’s cheeks. His chest felt like he was being squeezed until all the air was out of his lungs. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking. His beak crinkled into a scowl as he wished he wasn’t such a weakling, none of this would have happened.

He wished he was strong enough to save them.

He wished he was-

Plague Knight’s eyes widened. He dug into his cloak pocket and pulled out the Ultimate Potion, it’s blue light illuminating the two alchemists. He stared hard into the swirling vortex inside the bottle.

He can use this. He can use this to make himself capable of saving Mona.

But…

The thought of that thing he had faced crawled in the back of his mind. But he can’t be scared now, he can’t afford to. Not when Mona’s life is at stake. If he has to face that shadow of himself again to save Mona, he’ll gladly do it. He would do anything to save her!

He uncorked the top and pulled out his straw and placed it in the potion. He squinted and looked into the bottle, butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he slowly raised the tip of the straw to his beak.

In a swift motion he drank all it.

He placed the empty bottle on the ground and repositioned himself, so he was by Mona’s side. For the first time Plague Knight prayed that this potion would work, after everything they’ve been through it has to work.

But he didn’t have to wait long, the effects were almost immediate.

Everywhere; his head, his back, his legs, his hands…Pain. So much pain. He tried to scream but no sound came out. He could feel the bones break and reposition, his muscles tearing and reshaping, his veins and nerves on fire. He could feel himself grow bigger, his fingers growing razor sharp, his plague doctor mask breaking to reveal an identical but larger beak, yet oddly enough it seemed like his clothes was growing with him.

But the worst of it all was his back. Something erupted from his back, tearing his flesh and adding a huge weight as it seemed to stretch and grow until it overshadowed his already large body.

Then the pain stopped. Plague Knight immediately collapsed to the ground, taking large gulps of air as he tried to steady himself. His mind was in tatters from the trauma, yet strangely he had never felt more…alive. He could feel the power flowing through him, a strength he had never once carried.

Between feeling scared or determined, he didn’t know how to feel.

His inner turmoil however made him feel something flap.

He slowly turned his head to find a pair of large wings gracing his back. He gave them a test flap and let out a yelp when they responded—a yelp that was much deeper and gravelly than expected.

A light went off in his head. He could fly them out of here.

He didn’t hesitate.

When he reached down to grab Mona he was taken aback by how…small she was. But he didn’t have time to wrap it around his head when the tower began to crumble, large pieces falling, revealing the outside world as the floor began to collapse.

Plague Knight quickly grabbed Mona and held her close to him as he ran to the opening that broke open in front of them. He jumped out and the ground was replaced with air.

Gravity took hold. They started to fall. Adrenaline kicking in, Plague Knight opened his wings. Flap, flap, flap, flap, please flap! He scolded himself as he continued to fall.

It was not graceful, but he was slowing their descent until they were finally at a standstill. His flapping was very unsteady, but he was starting to get the hang of it—though he was sure if Mona was conscious right now she would probably be feeling pretty nauseous.

A large boulder barely skimmed him, reminding the knight that they weren’t quite out of danger just yet. He lost his focus for a moment before composing himself to lurch forward and fly towards the Explodatorium for the care Mona desperately needs.

*****

He needed to work on his landing.

He didn’t want to go through the front entrance, he didn’t need to deal with his minions right now—especially given the circumstances. Instead he opted for the balcony that connected to his room. In his mind he figured he would try to ease himself onto the balcony and squeeze through the door, instead he ended up crashing into his room when he quickly realized he didn’t know how to slow down.

Luckily, he was able to protect Mona from the impact and some of the broken and wood and stone that fell on him. It hurt but the pain was surprisingly dull. He felt much worse from hitting his pinkie toe on a table leg.

He was able to get up and move the debris off of him without compromising his hold on Mona. He carefully shuffled over to his bed, removed the covers and slid her underneath, pulling the sheets up to her chest before tucking her in.

He sighed. It felt like a large weight was lifted off his shoulders. They weren’t in danger anymore, they were out of that crumbling tower and back at the Explodatorium, they were safe. But now, Mona needs medical treatment.

Although Plague Knight resembled a plague doctor, he was, in fact, not a doctor and had very little to know about medical science. Luckily—or unluckily—he has hurt himself through experimentation enough to know how to at least do some basic treatment.

He pulled out a small first aid kit from underneath his bed and placed it on a side table. He opened it to reveal many bandages, a small bottle of pure alcohol, and a needle with complimentary thread.

First things first, gotta disinfect the cut. He told himself as he grabbed a small cloth and poured some of the alcohol onto it. He carefully placed the cloth over the gash. Mona exhaled through clench teeth in response.

Plague Knight’s heart skipped a beat. “Mona?”

Plague Knight clasped his hands over his beak. Was that his voice?  It couldn’t be, it sounded so wrong. It sounded too deep, too gravelly, too…

…monstrous.

Then there was a pounding on the door.

“Boss? Boss is that you?” A muffled voice asked.

“Was that explosion you, Boss?” Another asked.

Plague Knight panicked, his wings puffing in response.

“Maybe it’s an intruder?”

“Should we open the door?”

“NO!” Plague Knight lurched forward and slammed his body against the door. Realizing what he had just done, he’s lucky that the door is still standing.

“What was that?!”

“That can’t be the boss!”

“It has to be an intruder!”

“That voice is too scary to be our Boss!”

Plague Knight’s blood ran cold. His voice…was too scary? His attention went to the bathroom across from him, his reflection showing what he had feared most.

It was…that thing. He was that thing.

No, no….no, no, no…

He was a monster.

No no no no no no no no…

Tears swelled in his eyes.

“P-plaguey?”

His heart stopped.

He slowly turned his head to see Mona sitting up, looking at him, her eyes half focused; the cloth on her wound sliding off and onto the sheets.

No, she couldn’t see him like this. She cannot see him like this.

“Open the door!”

“Open the door!”

Mona rubbed her eyes and she gave one long look at Plague Knight, her eye finally focusing. Her expression fell. “Plague…Knight?”

Tears streamed down his face.

In a broken voice he said, “I’m sorry…” Before rushing out through the hole in the wall he had carelessly made.

*****

It all happened so fast; Mona barely had enough time to register what she was looking at—Plague Knight but…bigger? With wings? Before he rushed out of a hole in the wall? The minute his figure jumped out, Mona flung the sheets off of her and staggered to the wreckage in time to see Plague Knight fly away and disappear into a forest nearby.

She called out to him but to no avail. He didn’t come back.

The door to Plague Knight’s room burst open. A small flock of his minions rushed in, bombs at the ready when they stopped in their tracks to only see Mona gazing out through a large hole in the wall.

“Where did the intruder go?” One said.

“Did it flee? Did it get scared of us?” Another said, puffing out his chest.

“Hey isn’t that the Boss’ partner?”

They didn’t get an answer to their burning questions when Mona rushed past the confused birds and out of the door. Her head pulsed as she tried to remember the layout of the Explodatorium. She still hasn’t fully recovered from her head injury yet, but she knew she didn’t have the time for that, she needed to act fast.

She needed to find Plague Knight.

She needs to know what happened.

A stray potion hit the female alchemist as she rounded a turn, leaving a small burn mark on her right arm. She hissed as she held her arm close to her, examining it only to find a small red mark—nothing too serious, but she needed to take care of it soon before it left a scar. The culprit gawked at the wounded alchemist and sheepishly yelled a “sorry” before running flapping away before.

A scowl graced her features. No wonder Plague Knight doesn’t care much about his minions. She thought to herself as she continued down the corridor. These guys are accident prone!

When she finally reached the exit, she was blinded by the sun. She paused for a moment to shield herself from the bright light before running off towards the direction she last saw Plague Knight heading.

She ran, jogging down a small trail as her lungs burned and her head continued to throb. She was not the athletic type, and she was getting more of her dues when her brain felt like it was going to explode as it is.

When she felt she was deep enough in the forest, she called out for him. There was no response, but that didn’t deter her from stopping. She slowed her pace to a fast walk as she continued down the small trail. The cover from the trees provided a nice shade for the exhausted alchemist as she trudged onward until she arrived to a small opening.

She moved a few of the shrubs lightly obscuring the end of the trail and entered to find a clearing with a small pond reflecting the beautiful, blue sky.

“Plague-“

Her eyes fell on a lone figure at the edge of the pond and she felt her chest lighten.

It was Plague Knight.

He was hunched over, it looked like he was looking at his reflection in the pond. It didn’t seem like he was aware Mona was there yet. She slowly walked over, her hand subconsciously grabbing the burned mark on her arm, it still stung but that was the least of her worries right now.

Closing the gap, she got a better look at him. His new wings were the first thing she caught, it easily towered her and him. It looked like he still wore his trademark cloak, but other than that she couldn’t discern anything else when his back faced her.

Even when she was only a few feet behind him, Plague Knight still didn’t register that she was there, it was only when she appeared by his side, her reflection looking up at him that he finally did.

“Plague Knight?” She softly called out.

The said alchemist jumped and let out a deep squeal before accidentally diving rear-first into the shallow pond. The water splashed and soaked the bottom Mona’s skirt. Her smile widened as a small chuckle escaped her lips. Nothing hasn’t changed, the poor, green knight still gets easily startled when he gets so absorbed in something; Mona had to admit it was one of the cutest things about him.

Plague Knight looked at her in shock. “M-Mona?”

Hearing his deeper voice again was like a slap to the face. Mona’s eyes widened, surprised by the voice as well but her smile never faded. She never imagined she would hear such a low pitch from the green alchemist.

Plague Knight was reminded of his predicament and immediately used his wings cover himself, not wanting to see his lovely Mona see what he had turned into.

Mona’s smile fell. “Plague Knight?”

His wings bristled. “M-Mona…I…”

She carefully swathed through the shallow pond to reach the self-conscious alchemist. She reached out and carefully touched one of his wings, feeling the soft feather on the tip of her fingers. He flinched and she reluctantly moved her hand away.

“Mona…I…I don’t want you to see me…like this.”

“Plague, what are you talking about?” She answered softly.

“I’m…I-I’m…” His voice became broken, holding back a sob. “I’m a monster.”

“You’re not a monster, Plaguey.” Mona assured as she subtly looked for the opening in his wings. “Just because you had a growth spurt doesn’t mean you’re a monster.”

“B-but…but…”

When she found it, she opened his wings to see Plague Knight looking down at her with teary eyes. She smiled up at him. “I told you already…you already won me over.” She closed the gap and embraced him. His breathing hitched, his arms held out awkwardly before finally returning the hug and wrapping them around Mona. He leaned into her, careful not to put all his weight on her, and basked in this moment.

He has waited for this moment for such a long time…

…it was everything he had hoped for.

It was worth the wait.

They stayed like that for a long time until Plague Knight was the first to break it off, instead opting to her hold her little hands in his. “You’re not…scared of me?”

Mona blinked in surprise until a smirk deviously crossed her lips. “Scared of you? Plague Knight you are anything but scary.”

“R-really?”

“Yes really.” She did her best to squeeze his large hands with hers in affirmation. “I love you, Plaguey. I’m afraid whatever excuse you try to give to make me think you’re not worthy isn’t going to work; So sorry to say…your stuck with me.”

Plague Knight’s couldn’t help but snort from the cringey retort, his beak widening into a big smile. “Hee Hee Hee. Oh Mona…you always know just what to say to cheer me up…”

Mona smiled. “I’ve had a lot of practice…you want to get out of this pond? My feet are getting cold.”

Plague Knight’s eyes widened as his wings fluffed up in embarrassment. “O-oh uh…y-yeah! Hee hee! We should get out of the water…”

Still holding his hand tightly, Mona led him out of the water and back over to the grassy edge. She coaxed him to sit down next to her as she poured out the water in her boots and allowed it to sit to dry. Plague Knight sheepishly watched, feeling bad that he made her walk into the pond—at least it was shallow.

Afterwards, the two gazed out at the pond, marveling the shimmer of light reflecting off the water. They don’t usually get to slow down and take a moment to take in their surroundings, alchemy is a tedious study and it can be hard to take a break in something you’re very invested in. Even so, their results always ended being something even greater than shimmery water.

Mona was the first to break the silence. “So I take it you drank the Ultimate Potion?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Was it right after I…uh-“

“Yeah.”

Mona paused for a moment before leaning against Plague Knight. “Thank you.” She whispered.

He didn’t respond, instead he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She welcomed the embrace and leaned into the touch.

“I love you Mona.” He angled his beak to lightly nuzzle the top of her head.  

The minute he paused, Mona reached up and grabbed his beak before he could have a chance to move away. Plague Knight froze and gave her a flustered look. Mona gave him a playful smile before pulling him close until her nose booped his. “I love you more.”

She closed the gap and gave him a small kiss on his beak. His cheeks burned bright red as his wings started to mildly flap in unconstrained excitement.  Mona couldn’t help but watch in amusement as Plague Knight got pouty when he finally noticed the playful smile stretched into a smirk

“You’re so adorable.” She chided.

“I’m not adorable!” He retorted, puffing his wings out.

She laughed at the cute display of anger. Her laughter was cut short however when she felt two hands lift her up into the air. “P-Plague!”

“Who’s cute and adorable now?!” He mocked as he effortlessly held her up in the air like a child.

Mona started to laugh again. “N-no put me down!”

Plague Knight gave her an exaggerated sigh—not wanting to part from his new toy—and gently put her back on the ground in a huff. Mona’s eyes watered a little as she finally calmed down from her laughing fit.

She subconsciously rubbed the sore spot on her arm, the pain resurfacing after Plague Knight squeezed her, but she paid no mind to it. Plague Knight on the other hand couldn’t help but notice. He lifted her sleeve a little to see a red spot about the size of her hand on her arm.

Plague Knight’s eyes widened. “What happened to your arm? D-did I do-“

“No, no, no! I got this earlier.” She immediately answered, rubbing the hand that lifted her sleeve in assurance.

“What happened then? It looks like a burn mark.”

Mona sighed. “One of your “minions” accidentally threw one of their potions at me when I was making my way through the Explodatorium.”

Plague Knight growled. “Those idiots, I swear…sometimes they’re more of a hassle than they are helpful!”

She patted his hand. “I’ve had worse though, this is nothing.”

He lifted her arm to get a closer look at the wound. “Still, we should soak this in cold water.”

He scooted her closer to the water and extended her arm out, submerging into the pond. Instantly, Mona felt relief from the burning sensation, dulling it to a more numbing sensation.

“You worry too much.” Mona said. “We didn’t need to do this now.”

“The sooner the better! Hee Hee!” He said nervously.

Mona placed her other hand on his lap, patting it gently as the two quietly took in the surrounding area again. Although, Plague Knight’s attention was more to her arm than to anything else.

She had a feeling of what was going on in that alchemist’s head.

“You’re scared to go back…aren’t you?” She guessed.

Plague Knight closed his eyes and hung his head in defeat—he couldn’t keep anything from her could he?

“Y-yeah…I am.” He confessed.

She leaned into him. “It’s okay to feel scared, you know. We can stay here a little longer until you feel comfortable.”

He slowly raised his head and turned to give her a sad look. “P-please?”

She grabbed his arm and nestled into his chest. “Okay.”

He hummed in relief, the rumbling in his chest a soothing feeling to the female alchemist. She never imagined she would ever fit so snugly into his lap until now. He removed her arm from the pond and dried it with his sleeve before placing back by her side. He lowered his head until it nestled perfectly on top of Mona’s head, enjoying the peaceful moment.

“Plaguey?” Mona asked.

“Yes Mona?” He answered.

“You know I’ll always be there for you…right?”

A warm smile stretched across his beak. “Yeah…but…can you still remind me? Just in case?”

A warm smile of her own reached her lips as a small chuckle escaped her. “Of course, my Plague Knight.”

[stellirae]

Hey mods, it's Sadie! I've been going through a really rough depressive episode *shakes my fist at winter* so I need to put my muses all on Haitus while I get my brain back in order! So that's Raven Cronwell (Elsword), Eli Clark (Identity V), Mike Morton (Identity V) and Lucious Bloodmoon (OC) ! The date is 1/17! And this is my OOC contact!

hey sadie!

we totally get it. depression is super rough. raven, eli, mike, and lucious have all been put on hiatus for you!

🐎 mod antimony

[mage-cat]

I was tagged by @ben-has-feelings

Rules: Choose 10 favorite characters/people from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 other people. 

1. Steven Universe - Peridot

2. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Catra

3. InCryptid - Antimony

4. Marvel Comics - May “Mayday” Parker a.k.a. Spider-Girl

5. Teen Titans - Raven

6. Gargoyles - Lexington

7. Revolutionary Girl Utena - Anthy

8. Leverage - Parker

9. Old Kingdom - Lirael

10. FLCL - Haruko

I’m not sure if those last two have much in the way of fandom, but they were formative media for me.

Tagging: @aprillikesthings, @tarahime, @whyndancer, @catchandelier, @adorkable-erin, @calltainn, @millyblank, @arcadia-butch ... That’s all I’m comfortable with.

[argentvive]

Jon’s Resurrection: The Role of Ghost

On the show, Jon was resurrected by Melisandre, with Ghost standing by.

I wrote about this scene a long time ago. 

https://argentvive.tumblr.com/search/solva+et+coagula

 I argued that Melisandre washing Jon and cutting his hair was a solve et coagula ritual.  I also said I thought that the fan theory that Jon warged into Ghost when he was stabbed could well be correct.

Recently, I was going through the emblems in Atalanta fugiens and came across one (XXIV) I have never posted before that may provide a clue to how GRRM intends to write this scene in the next book.

There are two scenes here.  You need to read the emblem like a comic strip, except front to back rather than left to right.

In alchemy, the King is the Philosopher’s-Stone-to-be.  He must be “killed” so he can be resurrected, young and vigorous.  The wolf is a symbol for antimony, the wolf of metals, the universal solvent, the mercurial water. 

(Similarly, the dragon is a symbol for Mercurius at the beginning of the Work.  Jon and Dany are both closely associated with animals that are symbols for the “lower, earthly self which the soul must learn to subdue and train, so that the higher self...may at last reign.” Lyndy Abraham, p. 60)

The caption for the emblem reads as follows:

The wolf devoured the king and after the wolf has been burnt, it returned the king to life. (Michael Maier, Atalanta fugiens, XXIV)

So in the foreground you see the wolf “devouring” the king--well, taking a little nibble at least.  Then in the background, you see the wolf who devoured the king being burned, and in the process, the king is restored to life, young and whole. 

This leads me to think that Ghost will play a critical part in Jon’s resurrection in the next book.  GRRM can hardly have Ghost eat* Jon, but he can certainly take in Jon’s consciousness, his life force.  The books spend quite a bit of time describing Jon warging into Ghost, so the precedent is there.  

(*If you see a parallel between this Emblem and Little Red Riding Hood, who IS eaten by a wolf, you’re probably on to something.  Notice how the revived King is wearing a cape, which should be red as a mark of his transformation into the Red King, the Philosopher’s Stone.  What I don’t know is much the Grimms added to the folk tales they collected in 19th century Germany.)

But then what about the second scene?  How do we get Jon alive again?  To follow the emblem strictly, you’d have to have the Night’s Watch burn Ghost, somehow forcing Jon’s spirit back into his dead body.   I guess that could work.  But I prefer a scenario where Melisandre is involved, as on the show.  But no matter what, Ghost will be in that room and I expect that  the first clue we will get of Jon’s resurrection will be from the direwolf, as on the show.  

I’m appending the entire discourse for Emblem XXIV, for anyone who can plow through the archaic English translation (the original is in Latin).  I’ve boldfaced sentences that seem to apply to Jon, or might apply to him in the future.  

<The Hunger and Voracity of a wolf is remarkably knowne to be very great, insomuch that when his prey is wanting he will feed even upon the Earth; with which he is likewise said to fill his belly when he is about to set upon large herds of Cattle, that so being made heavier by that burden he may resist more strongly and not easily be shaken off from his hold. When he enters a fold he doth not only kill enough to satisfye his hunger but through greedinesse destroys the whole flock. He is Sacred to Apollo and Latona because he stood by her when she was in Labour, for Latona could not have delivered young unlesse he had been present. Hence likewise the wolf is thought acceptable to Apollo because he celebrated his birthday, as also because his Eyes shine and cast forth light in the midst of the night. Therefore the breathlesse body of the King is thrown to the wolf when he is ravenously hungry, not to the end that the wolf should wholly consume and annihilate the King, but that by his own death the wolf should restore strength and life to him. For there is a certain amatorious Virtue in the Tayle of the Wolf which is infused into the half dead King which makes him very desirable to all men upon the recovery of His former Health and Beauty. The Hyrcanians nourished Doggs for no other Use but that they might cast their Dead Bodyes to be devoured by them, as Cicero tells us. And so the Massagetes give men that dye of diseases as a prey to doggs. But the Philosophers give their King to a Wolf, nor indeed are they pleased with the Custom of the Sabeans, who carryed out their dead in the same manner as dung and threw their King upon the Dunghills; nor that of the Troglodytes of the Red Sea, who tyed the Necks of their dead men to their feet and hurried them along with Jests and Laughter, and so put them into the ground without any Consideration of the place of Buriall. But the Philosophers chose to follow the Custom of the Magi, who did not bury their dead bodyes till they had first been torn to pieces by wild beasts; or of the Indians, who being Crowned and singing the praises of the Gods commanded themselves to be burnt alive, least old age should come upon them. But these customs were imposed upon them all without any hopes of Resurrection or Renewall of Life. Thinges are far otherwise disposed among the Philosophers. For they certainly know that from their King devoured by a wolf there will appear one that is Alive, Strong and Young, and that the wolf must be burnt in his stead. For when the belly of the wolf is so gorged he will easily be slain, but although the King be dead he hath a Martiall or Cygnean Virtue that he can neither be wounded nor consumed. But where is this Wolf to be hunted, or whence this King to be taken? The Philosophers answer that the wolf wanders up and down in the Mounteins and Valleys that he may seize his prey, which must be drawn out of their dens and preserved for Use. But the King being fatigued with the long journey he has taken from the East at length falls down, and his death is then hastened by his grief seeing himself among Strangers, deprived of all his Honours and so little esteemed as for a small price to be sold into slavery. But it is necessary that the Wolf must be taken out of a Cold Region, for those that are bred in Cold Countryes are more fierce than in Libya or Egypt by reason of their greater hunger occasioned by the externall cold. Hence the devoured King revives with the heart of a Lyon and is able afterwards to conquer all beasts. And although he is the meanest in Aspect among his six brothers, being the Youngest of them all, yet after many miseries and tribulations he shall at last come to the most powerfull Kingdom. Hereupon Gratianus in the Rosary saith: In Alchymy there is a certain noble body which moved from Master to Master, in whose beginning there shall be Misery with Vinegar, but in the End Joy with Gladnesse. And Alanus in the same place says: There is one thing to be chosen out of all, which is of a Livid Colour, having a clear liquid metallick Species, and is a thinge Hot and Moist, Watery and Combustible, and is a Living Oyle and Living Tincture, a Minerall Stone and Water of Life of wonderfull efficacy. It is not always safe for Kings to travell out of the Confines of their Kingdoms, for if they endeavour to conceal themselves and yet happen to be known by their Adversaries, they are taken for Spyes and imprisoned; if being known they would proceed without an Army they are in the same manner of danger. And so it has happened to this Indian King, or if he had not been prevented by death it would so have happened. This capture is the first Sublimation, Lotion and Nobilitation which the Philosophers use, that the second and third may be performed with more happy success. For the second and third without the first are of no moment, the King being as yet Pusillanimous, Drowsy and Sick. For He must first require Subsidies and Tributes of his Subjects by which he may purchase himself garments and other necessaryes, and afterwards he will be rich enough and able to new clothe all his Subjects as often as He pleases. For great thinges being generally sprung from small beginnings can afterwards raise up small thinges, or even suppresse great ones if such their pleasure be. As appears by some Cities, which at first were small but were governed by mighty Kings, and so from Villages became populous and Magnificent Towns.>

Source: alchemywebsite.com   

[decodad-a-blog]

*  MUSE AESTHETICS :  repost, don’t reblog, and bold the aesthetic images and/or feelings that are applicable to your muse.

>  [  COLORS  ]   red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. maroon. burgundy. taupe. warm grey.

>  [  ELEMENTS  ]   fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. metal. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. winter. spring. autumn. summer.

>  [  BODY  ]   claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. hirsute. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. fur. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. scrawny. gangly. bony. frail. svelte. athletic. slim. chubby. curvy. short. tall. average. muscular. piercings. tattoos.

>  [  WEAPONS  ]   fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. shotgun. rifle. pocket knife. hunting knife. switchblade. pepper spray. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. sniper rifles.

>  [  MATERIALS  ]   gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. quartz. crystal. copper. bronze. brass. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. ivory. antimony. mercury. wool. fur. lead. suede. corduroy.  lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. chrome. aluminium. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

>  [  NATURE  ]   grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. moss. daisies. sunflower. snowdrops. daffodil. tulips. lavender. succulent. cacti. ferns. lilies. hydrangea. bleeding heart. foxglove. lilac. mushrooms. ivy. weeds. vines. dandelion. violets. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. prairie. grassland. wetland. garden. morning glories. clover. rosemary. sage. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savannah. coniferous forest. pond. deciduous forest. lake. tropical rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains.

>  [  ANIMALS  ]   lions. wolves. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. insects. chickens. vulture. spiders. fox. mole. pheasant. birds of prey. parrots. parakeet. cockatiel. heron. moth. butterfly. crane. jellyfish. bees. hornets. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. rabbits. lobster. clams. praying mantis. cows. oxen. bulls. goats. lynx. pigs. sheep. rams. panthers. beaver. ferret. weasel. mongoose. muskrat. mink. opossum. raccoons. giant squid. bears. tigers. elephants. bobcat. elk. moose. buffalo. deer. crows. ravens. mice. rats. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons.

>  [  FOODS / DRINKS  ]   sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. red wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. white wine. vodka. gin. rum. tequila. bourbon. whiskey. cider. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. cucumber. blueberries. grapes. eggplant. potatoes. corn. wheat. oats. vegetables. tomatoes. rosemary. onion. garlic. meat. cheese. bread. shellfish. raspberries. bagels. pomegranate. fruits. berries. nuts. meat. fish. pies. pastries. ambrosia. ice cream. fudge. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. pancakes. cornbread. waffles. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. pho. ramen. udon. fried rice.

>  [  HOBBIES  ]   music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. model sets. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. mathematics. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. television. radio. podcasts. theatre. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. banjo. flute. ukulele. guitar. electronic guitar. omnichord. bass guitar. cello. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. hiking. climbing. running. hunting.

>  [  STYLE  ]   lingerie. sweatpants. converse. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. collared shirt. t-shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. gauges. piercings. jewelry. earrings. necklace. layers. tanks. bralette. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. beanie. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. harness. holster. garters. flannel. denim. hoodie. corsets. sneakers. sandals. doublet. bandana. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. paisley. plaid. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup. suit.

>  [  MISC .  ]   balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. cynicism. realism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs.

stole from @techbuilt forever ago, rip tagging whoever wants to do this!

[spiritscraft]

A worksheet for making the first 18/19 letters of your alphabet of desire using the Peter Carrol method. It is important that all the letters you create in the blanks have a distinct top and bottom (cannot be vertically symmetrical) and are simple enough to use as letters. The 19th letter or glyph for laughter can be symmetrical because laughter is its own opposite/has no opposite and could in the center. You can also put a symbol of your tradition in the middle. Peter Carroll’s has the chaos sign.

Chaos magic is interesting because it sources a good portion of its influences from old witchcraft.

The alphabet of desire is originally transmitted by Austin Osman Spare who also credits old style witchcraft as a large influence. In addition to being thought of as the major influence on chaos magic, he also is a major influence on traditional witchcraft and he interacted with Robert Cochrane and Doreen Valiente, major players in the traditional witchcraft movement.

Andrew Chumbley’s Azoetia is primarily a recension of Austin Osman Spare’s witch’s sabbath and alphabet of desire traditions. I decided to begin with creating my own alphabet using the Liber Null instructions instead because I admired @wolfofantimonyoccultism ‘s alphabet the ravens of antimony and that is similar to how he made his and as a preface for working with Andrew Chumbley’s approach. Austin Osman Spare did not publish the method he used for creating his alphabet of desire. I suspect Andrew Chumbley’s way is more similar, but Carroll’s way has a simplicity and elegance to its approach. The Azoetia system could easily take a month of daily dedicated ritual to create, whereas this method could be completed in an afternoon.

[balkanradfem]

Okay so while we wait to see if we have another round of gaming polls, let's do the rest! This is what we have left in our list:

Comics

Stephanie Brown (DC comics)

Cassandra Cain (DC comics)

Zatanna Zatara (DC comics)

Elektra Natchios (Marvel comics)

Fanfiction

Ebony Dark'ness Raven Dementia Way

Web comics

Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Jaden (Leasebound)

Antimony Carver (Gunnerkrigg Court)

Fictional Movies

Katya (Goncharov)

Podcasts

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home from (Welcome to Nightvale)

Plays

Lady Mabeth (Macbeth)

Clytemnestra (Oresteia)

Miscellanous

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid)

And this is 13 names, so I'll randomize all of them, and put them in 2 polls. Whoever gets 50 votes or more can proceed to the finals.