#there's also the element that I like to explore different relationships with Silver like who he’s closer to in the particular fic

[reploidbuddy]

Me: So I got this multi-chapter fic right

Brain: Uh-huh

Me: Focuses around Silver and Espio starting as complete strangers with flaws and issues they gotta work on.

Brain: yeye

Me: Like I’m trying to be casual in the writing so I don’t want big world-saving high stakes objectives or like big adventures.

Brain: .....mhm....

Me: So like the fic is gonna have a lot of focus on them talking and bonding and trying to help each other grow

Brain: .......MMMHMMMMMM

Me: But it also feels weird because of the lack of Big Adventure™ and other things I had in other fics, like even if the story grew clear enough to start writing, it feels I don’t even have a genre I can name?? Like even even "adventure" doesn't feel right.

Brain: .

Brain: Romance. Your genre is romance.

[critter-genfic-events]

Cuddling: A Genfic Rec List

This week we've got eleven fics that feature cuddling! Mostly platonic, including hugs between Yasha and Kingsley, some Bells Hells cuddle piles, and Vax and Percy sharing some warmth. Check them out underneath the cut, and if you like them, remember to kudos and comment!

with my last breath by ivelostmyspectacles (15684,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast

Caleb and Molly get separated from the party with little to no supplies, it's cold and wet and the caves may just be trying to kill them (plus feelings)

Reccer says: My favorite kind of cuddling is the trauma kind and this fic feels like it could have just been taken right out of canon. This is also a pre-relationship story so it's low on romance- just feelings and people suffering in dire circumstances together.

Whomever You Call Out to in the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) (6587,Teen) Warnings: Nightmares of people burning, Caleb-typical self-esteem issues, non-sexual rope bondage Pairings: Caduceus & Caleb

The time Caleb accidentally killed Caduceus with a fireball haunts his nightmares. Caduceus offers him comfort in the form of wise words, tea, and physical security.

Reccer says: The characterization in this fic is just so good; I can honestly imagine it being canon (and the author does, in fact, tie it back to a minor canon detail I'd forgotten about). Caduceus's actions are cathartic for Caleb, but the way it's all described is also cathartic for me as a reader.

Nasturtium by Clare_Hope (1641,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Fearne Calloway & Orym

One night on the Silver Sun while Laudna is still dead, Orym is fetched from the deck by a little elemental monkey who is worried about his Fearne.

Reccer says: I just love their friendship so much

A Quiet, Gentle Grief by piratesPencil (1972,Teen) Warnings: Pairings: Kingsley Tealeaf & Yasha

Yasha and Kingsley talk about Molly.

Reccer says: It allows Yasha to be friends with Kingsley, to mourn Molly, and allows for Kingsley and Molly to be different people.

Hot Rocks by MasterQwertster (1050,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: None

Ashton makes a surprisingly good bed-warmer. …If you can get them to agree to it. aka Bells Hells cuddle pile

Reccer says: Who doesn't like a good cuddle pile fic? And a little Ashton character exploration too.

lingers like smoke by romeoandjulietyouwish (1231,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Clarabelle Clay & Caduceus Clay

Clarabelle has a nightmare after the fire. She goes to her brother for comfort.

Reccer says: I love fics that feature the Clays as a family and take time to explore what it was like for the rest of the Clays to have their home destroyed

Filling the Spaces In Between by MeilinLuo13 (2551,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Fearne Calloway & Orym of the Air Ashari & Dorian Storm

On how the cuddle pile came to be

Reccer says: It's extremely sweet and cozy!

The Cut of His Jib by Nenia458 (6542,Teen) Warnings: hypothermia, ptsd flashbacks, past torture Pairings: Percy & Vax, mentions of Percy/Vex and Keyleth/Vax

Pre-Stream, Vox Machina take a job that requires half of their group (Vax, Vex, and Percy) to be on a ship. Vax learns a little more about Percy's past

Reccer says: Percy is very much in character - alternating between being arrogant, traumatized, and an utter nerd, and Vax's thought patterns also seem very true to the show.

Keep Your Friends Close (The Ones You Have Left) by Angel Ascending (angel_in_ink) (2779,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Ashton & Laudna & Orym

Post-Solstice, half of the hells try to make it through the night

Reccer says: It's heartbreaking and sweet and makes me ache for all of the characters

Absence and Adhesion by bluegreenamber (1234,Mature) Warnings: Hypothermia Pairings: Lucien Tavelle & Cree Deeproots

The Somnovem don't need some mortal priest to bring their Nonagon back to life once the vessel blessed with their nine eyes has been emptied once more. Unfortunately, the Nonagon still struggles with the limitations of his newly restored body.

Reccer says: I like how it treats Cree and Lucien's relationship - that Lucien is trying to leave everything behind, but Cree still follows him.

Soft As It Began by Belphegor (1794,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Scanlan Shorthalt/Pike Trickfoot, Scanlan Shorthalt & Vax'ildan, Pike Trickfoot & Vax'ildan

Post Campaign one. The problem with writing a sad ballad about lost friends is that someone is bound to request it every now and then.

Reccer says: I love seeing Pike and Scanlan as an actual couple, talking through their grief over Vax.

If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. Want to make your own recs? Check out the rules, and then use the form to submit!

Next week, we're featuring FCG! Whether it's therapy, or murder, or something in between, rec your favorite gen fics that feature them!

The weeks after that, it's going to be Forgiveness, Canon Divergent AU's, and then Grief.

If you're looking for some more, there's been some new entries in the critter genfic bingo tag! Or you can request your own card and join in on the fun!

[aspoonofsugar]

Ruby's Volume 4 Character Short

Ruby's Volume 4 character short is a great piece of foreshadowing of our Little Rose's arc as a whole. Let's see why.

Little Red Riding Hood Meets Wolves

First of all, the short clearly references the Red Trailer and it is LRRH in a nutshell.

Ruby wanders in the woods aloneand finds some Beowolves preying on people's homes. She immediately goes to fight the monsters, so that people can be saved.

This is the crux of Ruby's character: a LRRH who fights the wolves hidden within the shadows thanks to her ability to see the beauty of the world (Silver Eyes). It is her innocent and hopeful self, which makes her "the best Huntress of all".

The short pays homage to this idea while exploring other important elements. For example, the town destroyed by fire and Grimms clearly calls back to Beacon:

Which leads us to another recurring theme in Ruby's arc. Grief.

From Nevermore to Idol

Ruby sees a place resembling her lost school and rushes in to help. This shows how our girl deals with grief. She never stops to face her feelings, but rather she pushes forward and fights. So, the short starts with a metaphor of Ruby's own coping mechanism in the face of loss.

It is full of symbols linked to death:

Ruby looks like the Grimm Reaper. She wears a cape and has a scythe, both symbols linked to this mythological character.

She rides a Nevermore, which embodies grief, as its name references Edgar Allan Poe's Raven. This poem is about a man mourning a girl (the famous Lost Lenore) and crying he will see her nevermore.

Ruby lets go of the Grimm and lands on a statue. The statue is clearly a religious idol. So, Ruby crashing on it and symbolically taking its place hints to this:

Ruby: It's all… so… heavy… It's the only thing I can feel anymore… and it never, ever goes away. The feeling of not being… enough. Blacksmith: And how would you measure “enough”?

Ruby: Mom?

The whole sequence shows how Ruby is dealing with Summer's death. She is literally wrapped in death (the cape which resembles Summer's) and struggles with grief (the Nevermore). Finally she decides to deal with this complicated feelings by becoming an ideal, just like Summer:

Past Ruby: Mom was the best… but even she failed.

She steps in the fallen hero's shoes. This is why the statue really looks like Summer herself. After all, it is a white hooded figure:

Dorothy Meets One-Eyed Monkey

So, Ruby chooses to overcome Summer's death by becoming like her mom. Still, she meets 2 enemies in her path:

Beowolves and a Beringel. Both tie with 2 different fairy tale allusions.

The Beowolves are Little Red Riding Hood's enemies. This is why Ruby meets them in the Red Trailer, as well.

The Beringel is Dorothy's enemy, as it references Wizard of Oz's Winged Monkeys.

So, Ruby going from the Beowolves to the stronger and more intelligent Beringel shows that she is stepping into Dorothy's role. She is gonna fight the Evil Witch of the West:

Not only that, though, as this specific Grimm has some interesting similarities to another one of Ruby's greatest enemies:

Just like Cinder, the Beringel only has one eye:

It also shows itself to be smarter than the Beowulves, which launch stones to Ruby:

It instead makes use of other Grimms:

Just like Cinder manipulates even her own allies to defeat her enemies:

Finally, Cinder seems destined to turn into one of the Evil Witch of the West's minions:

So, to link her to a Winged Monkey seems just perfect.

In other words, Ruby metaphorically fights Cinder in a town filled with flames. How does their fight go?

Fall And Rebirth

Ruby fights the Beringel on the roof of a church. this setting is interesting because:

It ties into the religious symbolism Ruby herself has - she is an idol and a messianic archetype.

The tower of the church vaguely resembles Beacon Tower - this place is important for Ruby, Cinder and their relationship. There they have their first and second dances and there they will probably have their finale one.

In any case, the Beringel eventually has Ruby fall:

And roars victorious.

Just like Cinder succeeds in sending Ruby down into the Ever After:

And gloats about her victory after Atlas.

Still, this isn't the end.

Ruby symbolically breaks in many pieces:

But is eventually reborn:

Just like in the Ever After she goes through a process of Destruction:

And Re-Creation:

Ruby comes back and defeats the Grimm. Similarly, she is now back to fight Cinder again. I don't think their confrontation will go like Ruby and the Beringel, though. Rather, our Dorothy will turn into her LRRH's self and see the person inside the monster. She will save the Child swallowed by the Wolf, like the Huntress she is.

Light After Dark

The short ends with a reminder that Ruby isn't alone:

JRN are with her and her teammates are fighting their own separated battles, as well:

The final frames of Weiss, Blake and Yang tie the girls to some of their respective motifs. Weiss is associated with the moon and the night (like Ruby), Blake with the twilight (where light and shadow meet) and Yang with the sun and the day (Sunny Little Dragon). At the same time, their order of appearance is used to convey another key idea. The protagonists are moving from the darkness towards the light. From the night to the day. From the Fall to the Dawn.

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

what are some of your fave Sonic games? ✨

Well, I'm actually not much of a gamer, (and also don't own a console 🥲) though I've played like halfway through Sonic Unleashed and partway through Sonic CD. (I've been stuck at a daytime level in Holoska for over a year 🥲) I did play all the way through Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, though. BUT. If you're talking story-wise, I can answer a lot more easily! These answers will be based on the story, not the gameplay. 😁

Sonic Frontiers is definitely one of my top favorites. It legit made me CRY. 😭 I felt each and every one of the characters, and they felt so so ALIVE. Sonic's different dynamics with each of his friends stuck out to me, especially with Tails. 🥹 Not to mention Sage's introduction and her entire arc. 😭❤️ Frontiers came out shortly after I joined the fandom, so it's extra special to me. It was a lovely introduction to the core of the game versions of these characters. 🤩

I also love Sonic Unleashed! Sure, it may be hard for me to play lol, but the story is so dang good. I love how it explored who Sonic is, as a person, once stripped of his signature speed. And he didn't disappoint. 💙 He's still so caring, so selfless, as he decides to start looking after some random little guy who'd lost his memories. Right after getting electrocuted, infused with dark energy, and shot out through space to smash into the planet, no less. He always wants to help, and in this case it just so happened that his general kindness and selflessness got him a friendship with a deity. 😂💙

I love the classic story of Sonic Adventure 1 & 2! Shadow as a character is SOOOOO amazing, and I always love to see him. I love certain elements of Sonic 06, such as Team Dark's dynamic and portrayal, and Silver and Blaze's close relationship. 🤍💜 I love Sonic & the Secret Rings, with Sonic's kindness (and snarkiness, and silliness) on full display in his friendship with Shahra. I love Sonic & the Black Knight for its AU feel and spectacular medieval setting and beautiful writing. I love elements of Sonic Colors, especially Sonic and Tails's bond. I love the Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog for its slice of life feel, everyday life characterization, and dynamics. I love Sonic Dream Team for it's beautiful animation, fascinating and entertaining story, and the introduction of Ariem. 💙

I just love the vast majority of the content there is. 😅 I got a little carried away, didn't I? 🤣

Thank you for the ask! 💙

[ladystarksneedle]

God I don't understand how people ship Alysmond in this fandom. There must be something wrong with them (perverts, I tell you).

A better ship for Aemond would be one with a dreamer, although younger (obviously). Let’s make her silver-haired and blue-eyed while we’re at it. Oh my, why not have her commit war crimes on dragonbacks alongside him like the perfect couple? 🥺👉👈 Let their romance be as darkly romantic as it can get and everyone will swoon! But wait; it gets even better! Just imagine if this woman bore his bastard children. Now THAT is truly a much better ship! Don’t you agree? Can I get a hallelujah?!

Helllooo Kalki! Congratulations on being my first discourse ask lol. I'm going to get right into it from a mixed pov. I watched the show before I read the book so you can maybe get a different perspective of my views on this ship. Again all these opinions are my own, I don't condone or promote any ship, merely like and comment on what I find interesting.

So when I first watched Hotd I thought Aemond and Helaena were cute. They were cute as siblings when they were younger and have an easy going, intriguing dynamic when they're older. Helaena seemed to be comfortable in his presence when one of the kings guard's brought Aemond to Alicent's chambers and Aemond was seemingly fond of his sister in episode 7 when he says he would do his duty by her. Now I personally interpreted it as something not romantic. Aemond from the get go has been shown to be heavily influenced by Alicent and his own traditions as a Targaryen. He's a stickler for duty and he sees Aegon shun every opportunity handed to him which he so desperately craves. He craves a dragon at that point, he craves a position which is worthy of him, respect and validation. Helaena along with being his sister, seems as a means or an added advantage being conferred to him were he in Aegon's position instead. She's his sister, he's close to her, he cares for her and he'll treat her much better than Aegon would along with the other duties Aegon's been bestowed with by order of his birth.

When they grow up we see Helaena and Aemond again comfortable in each other's presence. She looks up at him to seek comfort in moments of distress and he looks out for her when they are "at a threat" from the opposing faction. So for me, there was no obvious element of romance but again they're Targaryens so who knows? Siblings don't sibling like normal ones do🤷‍♀️

Now after I read the book and found out Helaena and Aemond had minimal to no interaction in it, my opinion changed drastically. All of her character exploration there revolves around Aegon, Alicent, her children and even Rhaenyra. Aemond is barely mentioned in relation to her.

Now if the show wanted to completely invent something new again they could, but to me personally, it would be a huge let down, not only because it takes away from the intresting and conflicted relationship Helaena and Aegon have in the books but also because I feel it goes completely against her combined, meshed book and show charcterisation.

Helaena is shown to be a dreamer on the show. That's something new they added which doesn't deviate so much from her book charcterisation. She's gentle, kind and has a strength which shines through her softness. She is feminine and strong. No pun intended. In the book she's depicted as a happy mother, a sensible advisor and a beloved queen which as far as season 1 is concerned I can sort of see happening in the future too.

Now coming back to the ask, I'd like to ask why someone would want to completely change this woman's charcterisation to make her a warrior queen in the first place. I'm all for her wanting revenge after b&c. If that were the case in the books or it was done and explored well on the show I would cheer for joy. Here is a mother who's been wronged in the worst possible way wanting revenge, hell yes! But alternatively there is nothing wrong with her mourning and succumbing to grief instead and in my opinion it makes her all the more human. She's been traumatised to no extent why shouldn't anyone in her position be allowed to fall into despair without being called weak. Grieving does not make you weak. To say "let her be a warrior to show how strong she is" doesn't sit completely right with me because she's strong to me either way. She shows strength in captivity, strength in letting her children and Aegon go, despite all the horror she faces. Strength need not be of one kind, it can be through perseverance and retaining your softness. Sadly she does kill her self which is again very understandable. It doesn't make her weak. To summarise giving her another arc for the reason of making her "a strong female charcter" seems fishy to me and I don't like it's implications.

Coming to her children being Aemond's. There are many posts detailing the opening sequence of Hotd which shows the entire family tree. Anyone who wishes can clearly see the twins are not Aemond's. As far as the show is concerned I'd be highly disappointed to find out they were his because first the timelines dont match and he'd have to be a kid, younger than her to do the deed and after that questionable incident at 13 I doubt duty bound Aemond would have gone ahead with it. Secondly both Aemond and Helaena have grown up listening to Alicent secretly chastise Rhaenyra and her brood. Do you think Hightower-seven worshipper-mother's traumatised children would think of doing the same thing she berates her rival about, begetting bastatds when it was a bastard who cut out Aemond's eye. Now I'm not saying he hates them because canon wise he may have either a bastard or a true born son with alys but at present the Aemond portrayed to us would likely not indulge in activities as such and neither would Helaena.

As for alysmond. Alys by herself is an intriguing character, as well as Aemond who is my favourite after season 1. I'm not hoping for a whirlwind mills and boon romance. I would rather see a codependent, forced proximity, reluctant allies type of relationship bloom due to the circumstances they've found themselves in, which gives them solace while also driving them to insanity. I want questionable romance and jaw dropping character arcs ok. Not a fairytale.

Tldr : I like helaemond as a fanon ship. Their dynamic could have been interesting in a different scenario and the actors are two pretty people so what's not to love. As far as canon and the show is concerned, it's a no for me.

[astererer]

🦄 👚 💞 🧠 for Aster, Vernon, and Kaz??

Ask meme here!!

Putting things under the cut because it got Long lmao

🦄 — something wonderfully unique! a headcanon about what my muse believes sets them apart from others in their life?

Aster

Her life experience is different enough from other people’s that it makes her feel one of a kind at best, like a bit of an outsider looking in at worst. She hasn’t really met anyone else that’s shared her experience of the Galar League, plus dropping out of school early due to constant travelling at a young age has also caused her to feel a bit isolated socially. Not that she’s insecure about it, she just acknowledges that her situation was a bit unusual compared to most.

Kaz

Genuinely believes he’s the most handsome man on the planet. He’ll acknowledge other people are hot, but Kaz sees himself as a cut above the rest. Even when his face is busted from getting into fights he still has the confidence to act like he’s the hottest person in the room.

Vernon

Doesn’t see himself as anything particularly unique or special, instead he views his pokemon as the exceptional ones. Doesn’t matter that they aren’t good at battling and are just companions (except Roddy, who’s a Working Bird), he has the best ones. His special little guys :))

👚 — pretty in pink! for a headcanon about my muse’s wardrobe looks like and what their favourite colour to wear is.

Aster

I have drawn some of Aster’s outfits before!! they can be found in her tag, but I’ll stick them all here too :)) Green and orange hair is from her old design/when she was living in Nacrene City, but she still wears the same clothes!! Outfit repeater and proud of it lmao

Generally prefers vintage clothes, her wardrobe has elements of the 60s, 70s, 90s and 2000s. Likes low rise pants and skirts, and her hemlines short. Wears boots almost exclusively as far as footwear goes. At work, she prefers wearing stuff that’s comfortable, easy to move in and doesn’t matter if it gets dirty. For favourite colours to wear, she goes for deep reds, oranges and browns.

Kaz

Still working on a proper wardrobe ref for Kaz, but for now here’s some examples lifted off pinterest for the sort of stuff he wears:

On a day to day basis he dresses in outfits that are kind of edgy, dark colours and details like chains, studded belts and silver jewellery. When playing shows with his band, he goes very flashy. Effeminate and revealing, he dresses to keep the audience’s eyes on him and look sexy. Favourite colour to wear is purple.

Vernon

Like with Aster, I’ve drawn some outfits for Vernon before!!

Used to lack a sense of style until he got sick of Aster roasting his outfits over facetime and gave into her demands to “fix”. his wardrobe. He currently wears a mix of a few things he already had and some stuff Aster found for him online. Unsurprisingly, her more retro influence has rubbed off on him. Not very confident in experimenting with accessories, but he can’t really go wrong with just jeans and a decent shirt. Likes shades of green in his outfits.

💞 — you stole my heart! for a romantic headcanon from my muse’s past, or even potentially from their present.

Aster

Been on dates here and there but never had a long term relationship before arriving in Unova, it just isn’t convenient when you’re travelling and the other party might not want to leave their home region when you’re ready to explore somewhere new. Tried long distance with someone she met in Sinnoh, who wanted to stay in Hearthome City, but once Aster left for Alola things fizzled out on her end within a month. She felt bad at first, but got over it quickly.

Kaz

Not a lot of romantic experience here, though when he was a teenager and the band was just starting out, Kaz dated someone who became infatuated with him after seeing him on stage a few times. He wasn’t really interested in this groupie, just wanted to soak up their attention (and maybe use the relationship as an opportunity to have sex for the first time). Things ended abruptly when he got bored and told them to fuck off.

Vernon

Had a boyfriend when he was in his last couple years of school. It was a pretty normal, if awkward, first relationship for both of them. Vernon was the one who got dumped, though it was mostly mutual. The boyfriend was about to go to university in another city and wanted a fresh start (read: get drunk and be promiscuous during freshers week without cheating on someone). Vernon had already started his training to become a cabbie pretty much the moment school ended for them, and had less and less free time to spend with his boyfriend anyway, so while disappointed he figured it would be for the best if they parted ways. Have not spoken to one another since.

🧠 — brain vs. brawn! a headcanon of two times in my muse’s life: one where they used their intellect, and one where they used their physical strength or skills.

Aster

Intellect: Aster would be put to the test by her mother in childhood, in that she’d frequently be taken to art museums and galleries, then the two of them would talk about the stuff on display and what Aster thought about them. This ‘mother daughter bonding time’ would cause Aster to think harder than usual about certain artworks, especially more abstract ones that don’t really look like anything specific. Caused her critical thinking skills to improve a whole bunch.

Strength: While living with Romy, Aster would occasionally help out with various things that involved heavy lifting. Packing and transporting Romy’s sculptures for exhibitions or helping set up sound equipment when Kaz’s band would play at the apartment for rehearsals or parties. This was on top of working at the Route 3 Daycare, which is a hands-on job in itself handling other people’s pokemon.

Kaz

Intellect: Usually not very smart, but very good with a guitar. Plays by ear, messes around with alternative tuning methods and varying time signatures etc. Can’t write lyrics for shit but could probably come up with very complex instrumentals or solos given the chance.

Strength: Uses his physical strength all the time. To beat people up. Also uses his strength to wrestle with his pokemon for fun. A regular human can’t really compete with an Electivire in a sparring match, but that’s not going to stop Kaz from trying.

Vernon

Intellect: Read the entirety of James Joyce’s Ulysses and managed to make sense of it. Or the pokemon world’s equivalent of that book. He didn’t have an annotated copy so spent a lot of time looking up the relevant historical context and doing his own research to help pull the text apart more easily. Took a long time but finishing the book felt like a major achievement.

Strength: Flying on the back of a Corviknight all night requires a lot of stamina and physical strength. Flying at high altitudes while in the open air for extended periods of time while also straddling a giant bird can be exhausting, and just being able to stay on the saddle at the same time requires above average strength lest the cabbie be sent flying off their Corviknight’s back during turbulence. It’s actually a pretty dangerous occupation to go into.

[oftarotandnoodledragons]

Seventy-One: Page of Swords (Reversed)

There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. -Oscar Wilde, The Portrait of Dorian Grey

Well, we've finally reached a couple of major ends. Here is the final Court Card, and also the final card of the Suit of Swords. And what a doozy. For some energies, I feel like there's an ongoing hum, while others is like a wave breaking on the shore, there in a moment. This one felt different, though, like it was the wave gathering energy and strength as it crests. And in this state, it's easy to see the wave, but not the effects. Since beginning this entry, I feel like the wave may have broken, but the energy lingers.

So, what is the Page of Swords about? Well, just like the other Pages, this card comes in three forms (says Thirteen): a message, an environment, or a person who is a child or child-like. Or maybe, in some ways, a combination of two or all three, even. I feel the accumulation of the three forms is present in the energies right now, and I'll get back to this later; but for now, let's look at each one in turn since they complement one another.

Firstly, the traditional role of a Page is that of the messenger, thus the card itself signifies a message in the realm of Swords: itself is communication, and thus it is information. According to Bunning, this fits hand-in-hand with the other Pages' messages of opportunities for love, prosperity and passion; but unlike the others, this Page carries a message that challenges. This is, after all, the Swords, and that blade has sharp edges. But, the silver lining in the message, is that the challenge too is an opportunity, one that will make one stronger and more resilient provided one uses what the Swords "promises": honesty, reason, fortitude and integrity. Thirteen adds that the message should be checked for truth before it is passed on. Keep this in mind as we move on.

So if it's not a message involving challenges, it could be an environment of mental stimulation: novel ideas, lots of discussion, thoughts quickly manifesting into reality, new projects, new approaches, new intellectual pursuits... while Thirteen and Bunning list these out, Esselmont goes further to caution that because the energy is immature it's going to need something else to follow through. In a Celtic Cross spread, if this appeared at the 7th or 8th Position I'd probably lean more towards this take than a message or person.

So, that then leads us to the persona of the Page of Swords. Here Bunning and especially Thirteen take the fore in their description of the "Earth of Air". Just think of that phrase for a moment: it's contradictory. As a result, it shows an instability, a challenging aspect, and Bunning mentions that the relationship one has with this person may be troubled or difficult. Add in Thirteen's description of this person: tendencies to argue, to be a know-it-all when clearly they're not, and perhaps alarmingly, a tattletale who'll want to know everything and rattle it off to someone else. For the Upright aspect, I take this last part to not be necessarily malicious, but it is a warning to watch one's words and to not blurt out something that should remain unsaid. Still, this is the Upright aspect, so there is a positive side to this character: smart, enthusiastic and quick to learn about the world, tends to be good with technology and puzzles – they're exploring their ability to communicate, to share ideas and to gather information.

One theme I've seen come up repeatedly in my research is based off the RWS depiction, and that's of the seemingly defensive nature of the Page. His sword is raised while he looks the other way, as if he's trying to hold something off from coming. At the same time, I notice that his left hand isn't exactly holding the Sword securely - perhaps a moniker of his immaturity. It's definitely an element I should keep in mind. Paschkis, on the other hand, has a somewhat more aggressive, active Page, where they are slashing with the Sword while behind them is a lightning bolt: I take that to mean inspiration, like I described about the card's environment. The slashing Page goes with Fairchild's diagnosis: "Do you resent the intrusions of others in your life? Make a break. Assert yourself. Those who truly love you will continue to stand by you." I can definitely see the tie-in to the other described energies here, though it feels like a more active take of his Queen of Swords's advice.

Well, that was a lot said about the card Upright; perhaps there is a wordy energy active here. Despite this, I drew this card Reversed, and although these energies are active, they are definitely altered. This is the lesson I'm getting from all of these Reversals and I'm trying to steer away from the simple good/bad dichotomy. I feel like I've been somewhat misled, if not poisoned, by Thirteen's takes on Reversals because he tends to go to the negative extreme when I've now seen Esselmont's take to generally be the more altered approach. Still, there are times when the negative applies, and I think that Thirteen's lens is still apt for breaking apart the Reversed aspect into the Card's persona, message and environmental energies.

Rather, where Thirteen is descriptive, Esselmont is prescriptive. Thirteen's Reversed persona is a liar, gossiper, untrustworthy with secrets, a false braggart, while Esselmont suggests that maybe one ought to look at one's line of questioning and challenging of ideas that seems threatening, and to be more constructive in their approach. Thirteen's Reversed message is one of malicious gossip, untrue or inaccurate stories, illness or negative legal matters; Esselmont's message is that one may be holding back from expressing their truth publically, but may be expressing it privately, and suggests to let it be known. And then, Thirteen doesn't even talk about the environment, but Esselmont suggests that it could be a time of all talk and no action, to which she suggests holding people accountable, including oneself, or that it's hasty action without thinking, to which she suggests tackling one thing at a time. Additionally, Fairchild's prescription is similar here, with one changing their course of action as they go, which isn't bad so long as one keeps focused on their goals, and to decline friends' excessive demands kindly and firmly. I feel that I ought to go back through the cards and make addendums with Esselmont's takes, because many times I've limited myself to Thirteen's dour analysis and I feel like I've missed out on something deeper to understand Reversals.

But right here, right now, is the altered energy of the Page of Swords, and it needs to be addressed. To be fair, part of the lesson of this card applies, to watch my words, and writing this entry in my journey is part of it, for sure. Part of the reason for me breaking the card into the three energies is because I have felt a combination of all of the above, especially in regards to work. Interestingly, I've had an Upright Page of Swords personified in one of my workers: she has been very inquisitive, perhaps too inquisitive and upfront, but never really knowing when to keep her mouth shut; and then she suddenly tells us she has a new job and is quitting that day. Other than that, the Reversed Page of Swords has been at the fore: I've felt like I've been hasty without thinking, and I'm trying to tackle things one at a time. I've been changing my course of action but keeping focused on my goals. And then there's been the persona and message aspects. Gossip and drama has been rife amongst the team, and us management folks are trying to keep everyone focused on what they ought to be doing instead. The work environment has, to refer back to Bunning, been challenging, and it's not necessarily been a pleasant challenge at that; however, I feel like things will get resolved, and I'm going to come out of this stronger and more resilient, as promised. I just need to act with integrity, with fortitude, with reason, and with honesty.

Thank you, templates of Bunning and especially Thirteen, for breaking this and the other fifteen Court Cards apart, because I don't think I'd develop as deep an understanding as I have. While I feel my knowledge of some cards has retreated to a more superficial level, I know that there is a depth ready to be unlocked, and the templates are the key to doing so. I feel drawn to discuss the Court Cards from more agglomerated viewpoints once this journey through each card is over, so watch this space.

And with that, the Suit of Swords is done. I feel like, too, each suit will get a summary; or maybe just all of the pips with comparisons between the suits. The Swords has, and remains for me, a suit of challenges: much of what it has to say is not always pleasant, but what it offers is often a promise of building one's character. And I think that, throughout its various guises, should be what I take out of this, my least favourite of the four suits.

I think it's also apt that it was the Page who came last. It's one final message, a warning, from the Swords, and that is a message of challenge as I enter the home straight with the last seven cards. Of these seven, and of what little I already know of them, I see challenge ahead with each one, be it a lack of familiarity with the card, or the message that lies within each one. It's not going to be an easy run to the finish, and it starts with the Two of Cups Reversed.

[decamarks]

I know people have stated many times before that Tumblr's presence as a social media site is distinct from others due to its sense of community—and this brand identity is definitely being encouraged by the site's staff/marketing team—but it genuinely does make me happy, and it makes the site itself feel worthwhile and worth caring about. I'm always intrigued by the little changes being made, regardless of if they're good or bad; it's not like other sites where every update is nigh incomprehensible to its users, and generally followed with nothing more than a sigh and a "Oh god what is it this time". I'm genuinely interested in the mechanics of all these new updates: what they serve to improve, the purpose behind their implementation, etc. That or I'm saying "Oh god what is it this time" with a bewildered, morbid sort of glee, which is equally good.

This interest is encouraged by staff blogs like changes and wip, and that's just a fun kind of relationship to have to a website. Rather than silently accepting whatever new nonsense a corporation has decided to do to their site (presumably in the interest of exploiting their users in terms of time & money), Tumblr's sense of community tends to encourage exploration of what exactly it is being changed—critically, analytically; it doesn't go unnoticed. And 'critical' and 'analytical' are two adjectives you don't find most other social media platforms encouraging in their user populace, LMAO.

It helps to see the silver linings in these types of things. The frequency at which features are added, removed, altered, broken or bugged, speaks to the humanity of the site's coders and staff—and, more likely, the occasional complete incompetency of their higher-ups, but let's not get into that LOL. Aside from a few particularly awful or unintuitive elements, these uncertainties and imperfections tend to be enjoyable and even valuable, in my eyes. They're quirks, but not in the sense of a 'quirky' fast food brand with a 'silly social media guy'—who is, in reality, the result of highly calculated marketing efforts. What differentiates Tumblr in this case is that these imperfections aren't really artificial. They're simply being embraced. And that's… kinda nice?

In a site that serves to foster expression through the digital medium in so many different ways, there are bound to be certain boundaries broken, for better or worse. Think of all the strange, inexplicable glitches Tumblr has experienced through the years. The relative lack of limitations—on file size, on media type, on character counts—naturally leads to all sorts of strangeness. A few months ago I made a post that displays as an image when viewed on a blog page, thanks to some HTML style elements I was strangely able to include. I don't know why that's possible, but it is! Even excluding silly exploits like that, users are free to play around with comically long, obtrusive posts whenever they please. The fact that "Do you love the color of the sky" is a site-wide staple speaks volumes about the kind of platform Tumblr is.

You're allowed to reblog a post 100 times in a row, and that post can be an obnoxiously long sequence of the sky. Rather than fight against pitifully low character counts, you're free to type up sprawling, rambling blocks of text, and it's up to you whether or not that goes under a read more. Your images aren't cropped or downsized, or crammed into neat, tiny aspect ratios. In terms of a clean, intuitive user experience, this is... objectively awful. And that's what makes it great. You're allowed to be obtrusive. In the near infinite space allowed, you're free to exist in any format you see fit.

It's easy to be cynical about this stuff; trust me, I'm well aware that this sense of 'humanity' is propagated primarily to create a likeable brand identity, also in the interest of generating profit from its users—but come on, that's just kind of a given, and severs aren't free. I don't think it's bad to embrace the community formed as a result of this, and I'd argue that having an interest in the site surrounding the community you enjoy is just genuinely good. I still highly encourage everyone to learn how to make their own websites (due to the plentiful easy to use resources and platforms available), but I recognize that this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. There are many benefits a large social media platform has over an independent website, and you'd be ignorant to ignore them. And when so many websites are being sanitized, sterilized, and swallowed whole by an all-consuming interest in profit alone, it's nice to see Tumblr try to cultivate chaos instead. Basically, it's a cool social media website with a cool community, relative to the other options out there. And that's pretty cool!

Anyway all of this is to say that I still think the new 30 image limit is awesome. SERIOUSLY WHAT OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITE WOULD LET YOU DO THAT

[buckybarnesdiaries]

otchet o missii

© @wintersthighs

bucky barnes x reader. ⎢ masterlist.

part one ⸺ part two ⸺ bonus

request made by anon: Hi Maria you beautiful person you please be my friend 🥺 I kinda have a request but if it doesn't speak to you then you don't have to write it, could you write something where reader is an enhanced/ mutant (kinda like Wanda or Jean Grey so like crazy powerful and dangerous) and Bucky just will not let the government get near her because he knows they'll probably experiment on her to make her a weapon cause they're sus like that? It can be romantic or platonic no preference, if ya want, please and thanks sorry this was so long

word count: 1.165 words.

warnings/tags: none. dad!bucky being overprotective with his baby soldier.

author notes: re-posted because tumblr deleted it for no reason. none of my stories contain reader’s body descriptions to be inclusive.

Join the tag list here.

“Soldat, stoy”.

(Soldier, stop).

Your eyes widened. Your heart raced. The time froze. That command clicked something in your brain, producing the spheres of flames concentrated on your palms to dwindle till disappearing. You had just one second to look around you, before turning at the firm tone of voice behind your back. You found yourself in the middle of Times Square, surrounded by different security forces, aiming at you with large-caliber weapons. Above your head, two helicopters were setting up a perimeter. The chaos spread around the long avenue. You didn't have an idea of how you ended up there, but you were scared like never before.

Turning slowly, your eyes landed on a pair of pale blue orbs. You didn’t notice the other people as a backup. A feeling of safety invaded you when he tilted his head confused, narrowing his eyes, trying to understand how it was possible that you were there. But before you could take a step closer to him, a twinge followed by an electric cramp shook your body. The last thing you heard before blacking out was an I got you, and a cold arm wrapping your abdomen.

BUCKY'S POV

Avengers Compound

06:03 pm, New York

“How do you know it’s not a trap set by Hydra?” Steve asked, reclining himself on his seat at the meeting table next to the rest of the Avengers.

“Because I trust her”. Bucky didn’t doubt replying, although he couldn’t understand why, hearing Stark clicking his tongue as he rolled his eyes.

“James, you don’t know her”. Natasha sighed, referring to the fact that being assassins together years ago meant nothing.

“I trained her. She owes me loyalty”.

“What’s that? Some kind of Stockholm Syndrome patented by Hydra?” Clint scoffed incredulously.

“Tell us what you know about her, Bucky. What you remember”. The captain asked his long-life friend, leaning on the table with both forearms rested against the edge of it.

The soldier gulped, deeply breathing, nodding his chin with his eyes lost somewhere on the dark oak. He explained how Vasily Karpov knew about you. An orphan with no family, no history, and a power of telepathy that allowed you to control the four elements as you pleased. Water, fire, earth, and air. From nowhere, your body could produce flames and throw them anywhere. Exactly the same you could do with water and air. Earth was different. Only by using your hands you could wild it as you want; creating earthquakes or holes, move it. The heroes around Bucky were stupefied. You were a potential danger.

Then, he told them about your skills. Karpov made him stay awake after killing Tony’s parents to train her. You were just a kid. And soon, you were a soldier with an angelic face who could kill anyone just by blinking your eyes. To tell the truth, the Winter Soldier was everything you had in this life. You two worked together, hand-to-hand, for more than ten years until he disappeared. With him out of the game, Hydra continued experimenting with you to replace him. But they reached a point where you couldn't bear the pain, losing control completely.

“Let me talk with her, please”. Bucky begged, touring his eyes around the people there.

“It’s too dangerous”. Vision affirmed, taking a position close to Tony.

“She. Owes. Me. Loyalty”. He repeated almost hissing, pointing out every word with his silver forefinger poking the table.

“You have five minutes before the Government brings her to the Raft”. Rhodes sentenced, crossing his arms on his chest. “Five minutes”.

Escorted by Steve and Wanda, who was the only one there that could control you, Bucky went down to the third sublevel. When the soporific made its effect and knocked you out in the middle of Manhattan, the Avengers managed to take you to their compound.

You were still stoned, but conscious enough to know what was happening around you. Everything spun inside the bunker. Your head hurt like hell and you felt a knot within the pit of your stomach that made you want to puke your guts. As the heavy door proffered a loud noise being opened you retreated to the farthest corner, placing your knees to your chest and wrapping your legs with both arms. Again, you were shaking. Terrified. About to beg for your life.

“Soldat, otchet o missii”.

(Soldier, mission report).

Your breathing became erratic as if the air wasn't enough to fill your lungs. You were at the edge of your crying, raising your hidden face from the gap of your knees. The Winter Soldier was standing some feet away from you. No expression on his face, as always, but with the small difference of a slight inkling of concern. He also looked skinnier, shorter hair, a grown beard. He looked healthier, free.

“Net zadaniya”. You whispered with a broken tone.

(No assignment).

“Soldat, otchet o missii”. He repeated taking a step ahead, hardening his voice.

(Soldier, mission report).

The command made you gulp a sob. Wasn’t he believing you? How could you lie to him?

“Net zadaniya”. You replied with no hesitation, standing on your bare feet and sticking your back to the wall. “Missiya ne naznachena”.

(No assignment. No mission assigned).

You noticed he wanted to turn to his partners, but he didn't. The soldier kept eye contact, coming a little more closer, invading your personal space without caring. He tilted his head forward, trying to find the answers to his questions in your orbs. But they both were emptied with the sole exception of the horror invading your chest and reflected on them. You didn't want to come back. You wanted to be released from Hydra's chain. You weren't an assassin, nor a monster.

“I wa… I was looking for… you”. Babbling, you confessed, being the explanation for why your mind took you to that place in concrete.

“Why?”

“Because you are the only person I have”.

His eyelids narrowed for a second, scanning your intentions, feeling frustrated by not finding anything hidden beneath your words. “Otchet o missii, soldat”.

(Mission report, soldier).

“Net zadaniya, Sergeant Barnes”.

(No assignment).

It was the first time you pronounced part of his real name since you met him many years ago and you could listen to his heartbeat increasing. Before you blinked, his metallic hand grabbed your throat and pinned you against the wall, watching the fury and the rage taking control over his grimace. Glancing above his shoulder, a redhead woman stopped the blonde man known as Captain America. Your gaze focused again on the soldier, loosening slowly the grip on your skin.

“Why don't you remember me?”

The last thing you knew about him was that the man behind him brought back the memories of his past life. His real life. But he was still looking at you with hate and revulsion. Of course, the Winter Soldier was conscious of who you were. What he had forgotten was how he felt about you. He didn't reply to your question, walking backward to the exit, leaving you there. Alone. Again.

feedback is appreciated, please, leave a comment to let me know if you liked it and/or reblog it.

author notes: what do you think about, after the two parts explaining the story, continuing it to explore the evolution of their relationship? do you like the idea? lemme know in a comment or send me an ask!

TAG LIST: @mystic-232 @homesicam @theresnoplatypus @i-love-scott-mccall @slutfornat @xx-marvelfanatic-xx @goldielocks2004 @whatrambles @the-mystery-spot @multiyfandomgirl40 @purrrrfect @spidergirla5 @wanniiieeee @fanofalltheficsx @spideysimpossiblegirl @nocturnalherb16 @jointhehunt67 @the-witty-pen-name @valenquei @golden-hoax @hunter-of-baker-street @missusstark @vhscherry @warm-sensations @edenxecho @addictedtofictionalcharacters @sarahsmcu @tinylumpiaa @amelia-song-pond @heartislubbingdubbing @stolenxkissess @clean-and-claire @winchestersgirl222 @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @diaryofkali @starrynite7114 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @skits90s @greeneyedblondie44 @phoenixhalliwell

[niuttuc]

The Spirit Kindred

This is an exploration of the Spirit Kindred and some of its members, an important part of Ocaelum’s World Family. If you aren’t familiar with Ocaelum, I invite you to read the planeswalker’s guide. I will once again add the disclaimer that I didn’t create Ocaelum, merely love it very much and spinned off a version of it of my own, with its creator’s permission, @gentlesmolgruulgal​. With that out of the way...

The Spirit Kindred is a single name for a very eclectic ensemble of beings, unified by little other than their stories and names being told in all or part of the Family. Gods, heroes, monsters, elemental, concepts and creatures of all kinds fit under this umbrella, as varied as the Family they’re also a part of. They number in the hundreds at the least, possibly in the thousands, but each member of the Family will typically only know a few dozens to a hundred, some only by name. Elders learn about many in their studies, and oftentimes recount their stories to their family for both entertainment and teaching.

Many members of the Spirit Kindred see each other as belonging to a common family unit, just like a singular group or caravan would in the World Family. Some also see themselves as part of a specific caravan family. The majority of them see themselves as member of the World Family at large like any other member, seeing people who aren’t part of the Spirit Kindred as cousins or nephews or even children. Like any family, particularly one as large as this, the Spirit Kindred is full of complex relationships. Some closer familial relationships for beings of common origin, some grudges, some rivalries, and more.

But all of this is pretty confusing, so let’s look at some examples!

Luck is exactly what they sound like, the embodiment of Luck. They don’t stem from a particular culture, or rather, they exist in some form in most of them. In some they’re a god, in some just a common figure in stories, but in the Spirit Kindred, all of these are Luck. They say they're as old as the first person that left a decision to chance, though they aren't consistant as to who that was or what the decision was... Or the result of it. They are a physical being, though they aren’t necessarily always manifested. They appear as a wide range of different species, including some that wouldn’t make sense in the current context, like a human in deep waters or a merfolk in the core. According to them, they can’t manipulate chance or the odds of anything happening, as subject to the whims of fate as anyone else... But things tend to work out well for people in their favor, regardless of outcome. They accept the chaos of the world and believe that there’s a silver lining to anything that happens, even outside one’s control.

Va’ver is a selkie, and her story was told by them before they became a small part of the Family. According to her legend, she was only born in the dreams of her parents, her physical body dead in the womb, yet there she thrived. It is said that for years after that, her people made sure there would always be one asleep, to provide shelter and take care of the child. That was centuries ago, and Va’ver is now a valued member of the Spirit Kindred, keeping herself occupied and entertained by watching the dreams and nightmares of her current hosts, and sometimes helping them in their sleep. It is unknown how she moves from dream to dream, physical distance seems to be a factor, but so does familiarity and others. Despite living in dreams, she never sleeps herself.

The Grey Devourer is a widely-known figure in the World Family, but also is a mystery and recurring figures in stories. There are conflicting stories to both his origins and what he is. Some say he’s a physical monster, digging somewhere in the core or swimming somewhere in the depths. Some sources say he’s from the Old World, and he came to Winrovah along the humans and the elves. For some, he’s just a deity, or even hunger personified. There’s legends that he’s a very old Ghavalek who never stopped eating and growing. Attracting the attention of the Grey Devourer is something to be avoided. To avoid it, it is customary to leave parts of any creature killed for food behind for him to find and feast upon. He’s not picky, and generally the parts left for him are ones that aren’t considered edible by most species.

Galili was an Anuran witch, and the one that led the effort into her people joining the World Family, and the World Family being created as it is today. She weaved the pact, oral and magical, that bound together Lutrives, Anurans and Axoltians, and then others beyond. More than that, it is said she’s the one who convinced most of the Spirit Kindred, of the various pantheons and myths from the various cultures, to accept each other and not oppose their people coming together. Galili is long dead... But that doesn’t stop her from taking a look when something interesting happens, or sometimes finish stories about her when she doesn’t like how it is told.

The Flock Dancer is a goddess of lutrive origin, associated with herd animals, mostly fishes that form schools, but also keeps an eye on most animal life for some of her siblings in charge of other forms of life. Her followers address a short warning and prayer of sorts to her before they hunt or kill any animal with premeditation. She very rarely manifests in a physical shape, if ever. Generally benevolent, but there are stories of her cursing those who anger her to swim alone in the infinite expanse of water, the ground out of sight and never finding any other sign of life until they starve, never to be found again.

This is what I have for now, but it is but a sample of the infinite variety that exists within the World Family and its Spirit Kindred. Safe travels, cousins!

[brattyfics]

I want to give writing some seasonal pieces a try this year, so I'm opening up requests! I'd also love to read some so feel free to join me! Please read the guidelines below.

CHALLENGE MASTERLIST.

Personally, I'd like to stick to writing for the Mayans M.C. and Black Panther fandoms during this time, but you can write for any character from any fandom that you want.

There is no word count. Your response can be 100 or 100,000 words. I'll be writing until I feel the story is complete rather than trying to achieve a word count. I encourage you to do the same.

This is a Fall Fluff Challenge, but feel free to write smut and yes, even angst, if it fits the prompt. I'd just ask that you make sure there is some element of fluff.

Even though it's a seasonal challenge, there is no deadline. Post when you feel good about what you've written.

The premise of this 'challenge' is to pair a touch prompt (listed on the original post by @creativepromptsforwriting) with a fall-inspired word. For your convenience, here are some September and October words, plus another set of words created by me underneath the cut. Don’t see anything on these lists you like? That’s fine, use your own fall-inspired word. Fall means different things/traditions/activities/etc. to each person, so just do your thing. Don't spend too much time worrying about the word.

Just for clarity, here's a few examples: "grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something" + 'rosebushes'. You can write about Muse A tripping/falling into a prickly rose bush while chasing an excited child they are babysitting. Have Muse B offer a hand to help them up. OR "only realizing it when they have to let go" + 'cave explorations'. Have your Muses meet while on a cave tour. They grab at each other when one starts to slip on the slimy cave floor or bats start swarming, and don’t realize they’re still connected until the end of the tour. Your muses don't have to be in an established relationship for there to be fluff. Just have fun, be creative, and think outside the box.

If you do participate, please tag me and tag it #BFFF Challenge, so I can find, read and reblog it. It would also be helpful if you bolded the prompt and fall word you choose within the text, or highlighted it in the summary so that I can tag it properly when adding it to the challenge masterlist. Thanks!

If you wish to send me a prompt to write for this challenge, please keep these guidelines in mind.

Thanks in advance to anyone who chooses to participate in any way. I'll create a master list of responses to the challenge as needed. If all goes well, I'd like to try this again for Winter.

Additional ‘Fall’ Words:

Bat(s)

Glove

Silk

Velvet

Corduroy

Lace

Mesh

Moon

Crescent

Wool

Boot(s)

Leather

Smoke

Fog

Garden

Pumpkin/Cinnamon/Nutmeg

Tree Stump

Core

Cat(s)

Black Ice

Headlights

Laterns

Fireplace

Trinkets/Vases/Knick-knacks

Football (American)

Soccer

Basketball

Volleyball

Softball

Candles/Candlelight

Pattern/Print

Snake

Gust of Wind

String Instruments

Abandoned Bird’s Nests

Glitter/Shimmer/Sparkle

Berries

Stitches

Tea

Mugs

Sleeves

Book Case/Library

Centerpiece

Fuzzy Socks

Braids/Buns/Ponytails

Headbands/Beanies

Lighter

Stained Glass

Shopping/Mall

Orange

Blood

Green

Black

Grey

Silver

Mermaid/Vampire/Werewolf/Whatever Mystical Creature Flats Your Boat

Tagging: @tchallasbabymama

[samwisethewitch]

Pagan Paths: Wicca

Wicca is the big granddaddy of neopagan religions. Most people who are familiar with modern paganism are specifically familiar with Wicca, and will probably assume that you are Wiccan if you tell them you identify as pagan. Thanks to pop culture and a handful of influential authors, Wicca has become the public face of modern paganism, for better or for worse.

Wicca is also one of the most accessible pagan religions, which is why I chose to begin our exploration of individual paths here. Known for its flexibility and openness, Wicca is about as beginner-friendly as it gets. While it definitely isn’t for everyone, it can be an excellent place to begin your pagan journey if you resonate with core Wiccan beliefs.

This post is not meant to be a complete introduction to Wicca. Instead, my goal here is to give you a taste of what Wiccans believe and do, so you can decide for yourself if further research would be worth your time. In that spirit, I provide book recommendations at the end of this post.

History and Background

Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant who developed an interest in the esoteric while living and working in Asia. Gardner claimed that, after returning to England, he was initiated into a coven of witches who taught him their craft. Eventually, he would leave this coven and start his own, at which point he began the work of bringing Wicca to the general public. In 1954, Garner published his book Witchcraft Today, which would have a great impact on the formation of Wicca, as would his 1959 book The Meaning of Witchcraft.

Gardner claimed that the rituals and teachings he received from his coven were incomplete — he attempted to fill in the gaps, which resulted in the creation of Wicca. Author Thea Sabin calls Wicca “a New Old Religion,” which is a good way to think about it. When Gardner wrote the first Wiccan Book of Shadows, he combined ancient and medieval folk practices from the British Isles with ceremonial magic dating back to the Renaissance and with Victorian occultism. These influences combined to create a thoroughly modern religion.

Wicca spread to the United States in the 1960s, at which time several new and completely American traditions were born. Some of these traditions are simply variations on Wicca, while others (like Feri and Reclaiming, which we’ll discuss in future posts) became unique, full-fledged spiritual systems in their own right. In America, Wicca collided with the counter-culture movement, and several activist groups began to combine the two. Wicca has continued to evolve through the decades, and is still changing and growing today.

There are two main “types” of Wicca which take very different approaches to the same deities and core concepts.

Traditional Wicca is Wicca that looks more or less like the practices of Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, Alex Sanders, and other early Wiccan pioneers. Traditional Wiccans practice in ritual groups called covens. Rituals are typically highly formal and borrow heavily from ceremonial magic. Traditional Wicca is an initiatory tradition, which means that new members must be trained and formally inducted into the coven by existing members. This means that if you are interested in Traditional Wicca, you must find a coven or a mentor to train and initiate you. However, most covens do not place any limitations on who can join and be initiated, aside from being willing to learn.

Most Traditional Wiccan covens require initiates to swear an oath of secrecy, which keeps the coven’s central practices from being revealed to outsiders. However, there are traditional Wiccans who have gone public with their practice, such as the authors Janet and Stewart Farrar.

Eclectic Wicca is a solitary, non-initiatory form of Wicca, as made popular by author Scott Cunningham in his book Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Eclectic Wiccans are self-initiated and may practice alone or with a coven, though coven work will likely be less central in their practice. There are very few rules in Eclectic Wicca, and Wiccans who follow this path often incorporate elements from other spiritual traditions, such as historical pagan religions or modern energy healing. Because of this, there are a wide range of practices that fall under the “Eclectic Wicca” umbrella. Really, this label refers to anyone who considers themselves Wiccan, follows the Wiccan Rede (see below), and does not belong to a Traditional Wiccan coven. The majority of people who self-identify as Wiccan fall into this group.

Core Beliefs and Values

Thea Sabin says in her book Wicca For Beginners that Wicca is a religion with a lot of theology (study and discussion of the nature of the divine) and no dogma (rules imposed by religious structures). As a religion, it offers a lot of room for independence and exploration. This can be incredibly empowering to Wiccans, but it does mean that it’s kind of hard to make a list of things all Wiccans believe or do. However, we can look at some basic concepts that show up in some form in most Wiccan practices.

Virtually all Wiccans live by the Wiccan Rede. This moral statement, originally coined by Doreen Valiente, is often summarized with the phrase, “An’ it harm none, do what ye will.”

Different Wiccans interpret the Rede in slightly different ways. Most can agree on the “harm none” part. Wiccans strive not to cause unnecessary harm or discomfort to any living thing, including themselves. Some Wiccans also interpet the word “will” to be connected to our spiritual drive, the part of us that is constantly reaching for our higher purpose. When interpreted this way, the Rede not only encourages us not to cause harm, but also to live in alignment with our own divine Will.

Wiccans experience the divine as polarity. Wiccans believe that the all-encompassing divinity splits itself (or humans split it into) smaller aspects that we can relate to. The first division of deity is into complimentary opposites: positive and negative, light and dark, life and death, etc. These forces are not antagonistic, but are two halves of a harmonious whole. In Wicca, this polarity is usually embodied by the pairing of the God and Goddess (see below).

Wiccans experience the divine as immanent in daily life. In the words of author Deborah Lipp, “the sacredness of the human being is essential to Wicca.” Wiccans see the divine present in all people and all things. The idea that sacred energy infuses everything in existence is a fundamental part of the Wiccan worldview.

Wiccans believe nature is sacred. In the Wiccan worldview, the earth is a physical manifestation of the divine, particularly the Goddess. By attuning with nature and living in harmony with its cycles, Wiccans attune themselves with the divine. This means that taking care of nature is an important spiritual task for many Wiccans.

Wiccans accept that magic is real and can be used as a ritual tool. Not all Wiccans do magic, but all Wiccans accept that magic exists. For many covens and solitary practitioners, magic is an essential part of religious ritual. For others, magic is a practice that can be used not only to connect with the gods, but also to improve our lives and achieve our goals.

Many Wiccans believe in reincarnation, and some may incorporate past life recall into their spiritual practice. Some Wiccans believe that our souls are made of cosmic energy, which is recycled into a new soul after our deaths. Others believe that our soul survives intact from one lifetime to the next. Many famous Wiccan authors have written about their past lives and how reconnecting with those lives informed their practice.

Important Deities and Spirits

The central deities of Wicca are the Goddess and the God. They are two halves of a greater whole, and are only two of countless possible manifestations of the all-encompassing divine. The God and Goddess are lovers, and all things are born from their union.

Though some Wiccan traditions place a greater emphasis on the Goddess than on the God, the balance between these two expressions of the divine plays an important role in all Wiccan practices (remember, polarity is one of the core values of this religion).

The Goddess is the Divine Mother. She is the source of all life and fertility. She gives birth to all things, yet she is also the one who receives us when we die. Although she forms a duality in her relationship with the God, she also contains the duality of life and death within herself. While the God’s nature is ever-changing, the Goddess is constant and eternal.

The Goddess is strongly associated with both the moon and the earth. As the Earth Mother, she is especially associated with fertility, abundance, and nurturing. As the Moon Goddess, she is associated with wisdom, secret knowledge, and the cycle of life and death.

Some Wiccans see the goddess as having three main aspects: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. The Maiden is associated with youth, innocence, and new beginnings; she is the embodiment of both the springtime and the waxing moon. The Mother is associated with parenthood and birth (duh), abundance, and fertility; she is the embodiment of the summer (and sometimes fall) and of the full moon. The Crone is associated with death, endings, and wisdom; she is the embodiment of winter and of the waning moon. Some Wiccans believe this Triple Goddess model is an oversimplification, or complain that it is based on outdated views on womanhood, but for others it is the backbone of their practice.

Symbols that are traditionally used to represent the Goddess include a crescent moon or an image of the triple moon (a full moon situated between a waxing and a waning crescent), a cup or chalice, a cauldron, the color silver, and fresh flowers.

The God is the Goddess’s son, lover, and consort. He is equal parts wise and feral, gentle and fierce. He is associated with sex and by extension with potential (it could be said that while the Goddess rules birth, the God rules conception), as well as with the abundance of the harvest. He is the spark of life, which is shaped by the Goddess into all that is.

The God is strongly associated with animals, and he is often depicted with horns to show his association with all things wild. As the Horned God he is especially wild and fierce.

The God is also strongly associated with the sun. As a solar god he is associated with the agricultural year, from the planting and germination to the harvest. While the Goddess is constant, the God’s nature changes with the seasons.

In some Wiccan traditions, the God is associated with plant growth. He may be honored as the Green Man, a being which represents the growth of spring and summer. This vegetation deity walks the forests and fields, with vines and leaves sprouting from his body.

Symbols that are traditionally used to represent the God include phalluses and phallic objects, knives and swords, the color gold, horns and antlers, and ripened grain.

Many covens, both Traditional and Eclectic, have their own unique lore around the God and the Goddess. Usually, this lore is oathbound, meaning it cannot be shared with those outside the group.

Many Wiccans worship other deities besides the God and Goddess. These deities may come from historical pantheons, such as the Greek or Irish pantheon. A Wiccan may work with the God and Goddess with their coven or on special holy days (see below), but work with other deities that are more closely connected to their life and experiences on a daily basis. Wiccans view all deities from all religions and cultures as extensions of the same all-encompassing divine force.

Wiccan Practice

Most Wiccans use the circle as the basis for their rituals. This ritual structure forms a liminal space between the physical and spiritual worlds, and the Wiccan who created the circle can choose what beings or energies are allowed to enter it. The circle also serves the purpose of keeping the energy raised in ritual contained until the Wiccan is ready to release it. Casting a circle is fairly easy and can be done by anyone — simply walk in a clockwise circle around your ritual space, laying down an energetic barrier. Some Wiccans use the circle in every magical or spiritual working, while others only use it when honoring the gods or performing sacred rites.

While it is on one level a practical ritual tool, the circle is also a representation of the Wiccan worldview. Circles are typically cast by calling the four quarters (the four compass points of the cardinal directions), which are associated with the four classical elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Some (but not all) Wiccans also work with a fifth element, called spirit or aether. The combined presence of the elements makes the circle a microcosm of the universe.

Casting a circle requires the Wiccan to attune themselves to these elements and to honor them in a ritual setting. This is referred to as calling the quarters. When a Wiccan calls the quarters, they will move from one cardinal point to the next (usually starting with east or north), greet the spirits associated with that direction/element, and invite them to participate in the ritual. (If spirit/aether is being called, the direction it is associated with is directly up, towards the heavens.) This is done after casting the circle, but before beginning the ritual.

What happens within a Wiccan ritual varies a lot — it depends on the Wiccan, their preferences, and their goals for that ritual. However, nearly all Wiccan religious rites begin with the casting of the circle and calling of the quarters. (Some would argue that a ritual that doesn’t include these elements cannot be called Wiccan.)

When the ritual is completed, the quarters must be dismissed and the circle taken down. Wiccans typically dismiss the quarters by moving from one cardinal point to the next (often in the reverse of the order used to call the quarters), thanking the spirits of that quarter, and politely letting them know that the ritual is over. The circle is taken down (or “taken up,” as it is called in some traditions) in a similar way, with the person who cast the circle moving around it counterclockwise and removing the energetic barrier they created. This effectively ends the ritual.

There are eight main holy days in Wicca, called the sabbats. These celebrations, based on Germanic and Celtic pagan festivals, mark the turning points on the Wheel of the Year, i.e., the cycle of the seasons. By honoring the sabbats, Wiccans attune themselves with the natural rhythms of the earth and actively participate in the turning of the wheel.

The sabbats include:

Samhain (October 31): Considered by many to be the “witch’s new year,” this Celtic fire festival has historic ties to Halloween. Samhain is primarily dedicated to the dead. During this time of year, the otherworld is close at hand, and Wiccans can easily connect with their loved ones who have passed on. Wiccans might celebrate Samhain by building an ancestor altar or holding a feast with an extra plate for the dead. Samhain is the third of the three Wiccan harvest festivals, and it is a joyous occasion despite its association with death. (By the way, this sabbat’s name is pronounced “SOW-en,” not “Sam-HANE” as it appears in many movies and TV shows.)

Yule/Winter Solstice (December 21): Yule is a celebration of the return of light and life on the longest night of the year. Many Wiccans recognize Yule as the symbolic rebirth of the God, heralding the new plant and animal life soon to follow. Yule celebrations are based on Germanic traditions and have a lot in common with modern Christmas celebrations. Wiccans might celebrate Yule by decorating a Yule tree, lighting lots of candles or a Yule log, or exchanging gifts.

Imbolc (February 1): This sabbat, based on an Irish festival, is a celebration of the first stirrings of life beneath the blanket of winter. The spark of light that returned to the world at Yule is beginning to grow. Imcolc is a fire festival, and is often celebrated with the lighting of candles and lanterns. Wiccans may also perform ritual cleansings at this time of year, as purification is another theme of this festival.

Ostara/Spring Equinox (March 21): Ostara is a joyful celebration of the new life of spring, with ties to the Christian celebration of Easter. Plants are beginning to bloom, baby animals are being born, and the God is growing in power. Wiccans might celebrate Ostara by dying eggs or decorating their homes and altars with fresh flowers. In some covens, Ostara celebrations have a special focus on children, and so may be less solemn than other sabbats.

Beltane (May 1): Beltane is a fertility festival, pure and simple. Many Wiccans celebrate the sexual union of the God and Goddess, and the resulting abundance, at this sabbat. This is also one of the Celtic fire festivals, and is often celebrated with bonfires if the weather permits. The fae are said to be especially active at Beltane. Wiccans might celebrate Beltane by making and dancing around a Maypole, honoring the fae, or celebrating a night of R-rated fun with friends and lovers.

Litha/Midsummer/Summer Solstice (June 21): At the Summer Solstice, the God is at the height of his power and the Goddess is said to be pregnant with the harvest. Like Beltane, Midsummer is sometimes celebrated with bonfires and is said to be a time when the fae are especially active. Many Wiccans celebrate Litha as a solar festival, with a special focus on the God as the Sun.

Lughnasadh/Lammas (August 1): Lughnasadh (pronounced “loo-NAW-suh”) is an Irish harvest festival, named after the god Lugh. In Wicca, Lughnasadh/Lammas is a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth. Lammas comes from “loaf mass,” and hints at this festival’s association with grain and bread. Wiccans might celebrate Lughnasadh by baking bread or by playing games or competitive sports (activities associated with Lugh).

Mabon/Fall Equinox (September 21): Mabon is the second Wiccan harvest festival, sometimes called “Wiccan Thanksgiving,” which should give you a good idea of what Mabon celebrations look like. This is a celebration of the abundance of the harvest, but tinged with the knowledge that winter is coming. Some Wiccans honor the symbolic death of the God at Mabon (others believe this takes place at Samhain or Lughnasadh). Wiccan Mabon celebrations often include a lot of food, and have a focus on giving thanks for the previous year.

Aside from the sabbats, some Wiccans also celebrate esbats, rituals honoring the full moons. Wiccan authors Janet and Stewart Farrar wrote that, while sabbats are public festivals to be celebrated with the coven, esbats are more private and personal. Because of this, esbat celebrations are typically solitary and vary a lot from one Wiccan to the next.

Further Reading

If you want to investigate Wicca further, there are a few books I recommend depending on which approach to Wicca you feel most drawn to. No matter which approach you are most attracted to, I recommend starting with Wicca For Beginners by Thea Sabin. This is an excellent introduction to Wiccan theology and practice, whether you want to practice alone or with a coven.

If you are interested in Traditional Wicca, I recommend checking out A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar after you finish Sabin’s book. Full disclosure: I have a lot of issues with this book. Parts of it were written as far back as the 1970s, and it really hasn’t aged well in terms of politics or social issues. However, it is the most detailed guide to Traditional Wicca I have found, so I recommend it for that reason. Afterwards, I recommend reading Casting a Queer Circle by Thista Minai, which presents a system similar to Traditional Wicca with less emphasis on binary gender. After you learn the basics from the Farrars, Minai’s book can help you figure out how to adjust the Traditional Wiccan system to work for you.

If you are interested in Eclectic Wicca, I recommend Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham. Cunningham is the author who popularized Eclectic Wicca, and his work remains some of the best on the subject. Wicca is an introduction to solitary Eclectic Wicca, while Living Wicca is a guide for creating your own personalized Wiccan practice.

Resources:

Wicca For Beginners by Thea Sabin

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham

A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Study of Witchcraft by Deborah Lipp

[mardereads19]

A Comparrison between Az’s Chapter and Cassian’s Chapters in Acofas

Today I found myself inspired by @thereaderspeaks ‘s post and what I had to add about it, to write this long-ass post comparing Az’s chapter in Acosf to Cassian’s three chapters in Acofas.

@rhyssescups does an amazing job in this post (and @psychee92 in this one) of comparing Az’s chapter to Cassian’s POV in Wings and Embers. I’ll also attach @psychee92 ‘s comparison of both batboys’ attitudes after their respective solstices. But I’m going to concentrate on Az’s POV and Acofas rather than Wings and Embers.

There are a LOT of things in common, so when you add the posts linked above to this one, you’ll see how Azriel’s emotions and his interaction with Gwyn mirror those of Cassian. Everyday I find more peace of mind regarding Elriel.

Before I begin, I want to clarify that Emerie is not in Wings and Embers, but on Cassian’s perspective in Acofas. I had seen many people on Tumblr and on Twitter saying (by mistake) that she’s in W&E, so I wanted to point that out. It is Mor who is mentioned in W&E. How Cassian does not want to tell her about Nesta, etc. For more on that, check out the links I attached above.

There are many elements that Cassian and Azriel share in their chapters and I decided to divide them into categories. I’ll support them with quotes so that we have the receipts. With that said…

Let’s get started!

1. Distance

In both instances there was something that separated the couples and caused distance. 

In Cassian’s case it was post-war-Nesta and even Cassian himself (it was pride that kept him ignoring her all through the party until he couldn’t take it anymore and ran after her, simple as that): 

In Azriel’s case it was his understanding of what he feels for Elain and the fact that she has a mate. But also, let’s add Rhys’s order as a new element that will cause distance.

2. Emotions

Cassian did not allow himself to think about Nesta because of the feelings that stirred up in him.

Anger, passion, confusion.

And Azriel… 

Well, well, well... What do we have here? 

Anger, passion, confusion. 

He was ready to spar it out of his system, too, like Cassian.

3. Something the batboys associate with their mate Archeron sister

I noticed that in both cases, Cass and Az had given their girls something that they associated with them, be it material or other.

For example, Cassian’s was names for Nesta’s poses.

He saw Nesta stand in any particular way and if it was something she repeated he gave that pose a name. It is something he associates with her.

In Azriel’s case, we know he gives Elain a rose necklace. 

Roses signify Elain because of what she does: gardening; But also, it could simply represent them. Their way of spending time together (here’s a post of different refences of Elriel in the garden by @silver-flames​) and their relationship that has been slowly blooming in secret, like how that charm shines with colors when it’s in the light, but looks ordinary in the dark.

4. The batboys hurting the sisters

In both POVs the Illyrians hurt the Archerons. 

Cassian does it out of anger. Because Nesta kept rejecting him. Instead of holding his tongue, like any mature person should, he tells her something that destroys her (we know by her reaction).

See how her eyes go empty? 

Well, in his chapter, Azriel hurts Elain, too, though it pains him as much as it pains her because he did not do it intentionally. 

5. The sisters rejecting/returning the gifts

Nesta rejects Cassian’s gift, though I wouldn’t have taken it either after what he told her. This quote comes from before his insult, but my point is that she left without taking the gift.

Also, notice how Cassian hadn’t wanted to give Nesta her present in front of the others, something that Azriel does, too, though for different reasons. Cassian had feared rejection and had been waiting for her to approach him.

Azriel had not given Elain her present because Lucien, her mate, was there.

And of course, Elain returns her gift after Azriel left her standing in the hall with the words “this was a mistake.” I wouldn’t have stayed with that necklace either, not when it reminded me of that moment.

6. Regifting/Comparing

Something particular that happens in both characters’ PoV is the regifting of the objects the batboys used to relate to their girls. I do not think they are necessarily wrong, just that it happens.

Cassian uses the name of one of Nesta’s poses to describe Emerie.

He also compares her way of speaking and the look in her eyes to that of Nesta.

Azriel regifts the necklace that represents Elain to Gwyn (though he doesn’t give it to her personally, just hands it to Clotho for her to do it), and describes her with the same quote he used on the necklace (Elriel). 

I have my own theory on why the thought of her smile makes him smile. Soon I will explain.

7. Getting rid of the gifts (decisions made in haste)

Cassian being all impulsive and throwing the very expensive and extremely unique gift to the Sidra:

Gotta love our hotheaded overgrown bat. (My baby!! <3)

Then, we have Az making the dumb decision of regifting the present because somehow he couldn’t get rid of it (symbolism but not the post for it).

He was in a bad place when he made the decision, and even Clotho points out that his eyes are sad. 

The quote in purple is important to note. The theory about Clotho not giving Gwyn the necklace? That line is good for it. The fact that he told Clotho to give the necklace to anyone as long as he didn’t have it and the sadness she gleaned in his eyes is enough for her to know there is more to it than what he tells her.  

I also want to point out that we know for a fact that Cassian regretted getting rid of the present and that he knows he had been foolish that night. So, considering how parallel to each other these chapters are, I’m sure that Azriel will, too.

8. Distraction/Consolation (Aftermath)

I think it is important to highlight how Cassian got to the Townhouse late and was followed by a worried Mor, who most likely consoled him after his disastrous evening with Nesta...

...and compare it to how Azriel had needed to release unspent energy and was successfully distracted from his bad juju by the short lesson he gave to Gwyn:

He straight up says he’s thankful for the distraction. That was what the whole convo had been for him -in a good sense. 

It also aligns super well with @silverlinedeyes​ ‘s theory of Gwyn being a lightsinger in how they appear to people when they are lost. Gwyn was there when Azriel needed someone (even just to distract him), be it coincidence or not, and that cannot be ignored. 

If Gwyn does take on a role in Acotar 5, I think it will have a lot to do with being his friend and confidant (and trainee), someone who will help him figure out what to do about his situation, just like how she unknowingly helped him on solstice.

9. Empathy towards the Valkyries

Another parallel that I found in the chapter is how Cassian felt empathy for Emerie’s situation upon looking at her...

...and how Azriel’s interaction with Gwyn brought about the same reaction:

This is what I was talking about earlier. Notice how he sees her pain and grief and prefers when she’s happy to when she’s sad? Who wouldn’t want that? That is the same mentality I apply to his smile at the thought of her smiling. That he is glad that something would make her happy after what she has been through. Especially after remembering her past (within the last three pages). 

10. Emerie and Gwyn’s attitudes

This was super curious for me! Look at how both girls say goodbye to the batboys:

Emerie being a whole independent female, and Gwyn… 

All business. 

Literally got the same energy from them. 

Gwyn finished the convo and continued her practice like the badass warrior that she is. There was no demure glance or cloy blush anywhere. The interaction was not romantic, purely platonic. Just like Emerie’s with Cassian.

11. This interesting parallel:

These two moments that are almost identical:

Cassian tells Emerie to give the Illyrians the clothes he just bought and to tell them it was the High Lord’s gift. He does it because he knows the Illyrians would not accept them if they knew they came from Cassian.

Azriel:

Another one (DJ khaled voice). 

“Just tell her it was a gift from Rhys.” 

Why does he do that? Because it wasn’t romantic and if Gwyn had known she’d have brought it up in conversation. He just wanted to be rid of it, so he gave it to her, perhaps as a way of thanking her for the distraction yesterday, but nothing more. 

“If there’s another priestess here who might appreciate it, give it to them.” He didn’t care who’d have it as long as it wasn’t him. 

Conclusion: 

(Wings and Embers + Acofas) Cassian = Acosf bonus chapter Azriel

That’s the real formula bestie SJM used and the receipts are here. 

Azriel mirrors Cassian in emotions, actions and interactions. 

Remember how Nesta Antis began shipping Cass with Emerie after their interaction in Acofas simply because they hated Nesta? Their scene had zero romantic energy, but Nesta Antis still did it. 

Well, history repeats itself with Elain.

Regarding Gwyn: So far, I see no build-up to something more than a friendship. Like we explored, Az’s scene with her was similar to Cassian’s with Emerie. The differences lie in that Gwyn is more energetic than Emerie and that Az’s shadows reacted to her power (she has powers, read about it in the lighsinger theory). 

There is literally nothing more I can add. 

Peace out.

[cafeacademia]

🔮 how an arranged marriage with draco would be like. (his reaction to finding out/the leading up to the wedding/the wedding/after lol)

Hello my darling Sierra! I’m so sorry it took me a while to answer this, I was so SO excited when this popped into my inbox, because I kinda have a little bit of a thing for this even though I’ve never written anything for an arranged marriage AU (even though I have something similar in the works at the moment ?). Also, I greatly apologise if this was a bit shitty, I’m suuuuper rubbish with angst and I’ve never written about this subject before! Anyway, life got in the way a little bit, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for sending this in and for celebrating with me!! I love you!

Draco was angry when he caught wind of the plan to marry him to someone he didn’t know

But what made him even more angry was that he had learned it from someone other than his parents

Narcissa had been quite insistent on keeping it quiet until it was all sorted and her sister, Bellatrix accidentally let it slip to Draco one evening

“I don’t want you to choose for me, I’m perfectly capable of finding a girl to marry myself!” Draco argued, he was seething with anger.

Of course he played it off as feeling as if his mother felt he was unable to find a good match for himself through love

But really, he was hurt because of the lack of trust between him and his parents

That and how on earth was he supposed to marry someone he’d never met?

“Come now Draco, we’ll be holding a ball and all of the suitable candidates will be there and we can see who is the best.” Narcissa tried her best to calm his rage, but despite her efforts, Draco was relentless with his angry silence

“See, you do get a choice.” His father would add.

But Draco didn’t see it like that. He’d have to choose out of people his parents had picked for him and he couldn’t shake the hurt in his chest that he’d never be able to marry for love

That was something he began to slowly realise was what was hurting him deeply, he’d never even get to fall in love with someone and marry the love of his life

As the ball drew closer, Draco tried his best to keep his mind off things

And he decided that whoever he ended up with, he’d do his best to make their lives together as bearable and as civil as possible, he’d let whoever he ended up with date to their hearts content and they could use marriage as a guise to keep their families happy

But when the ball arrived, Draco had not taken into account that many of the people at the ball were people he knew from his days at Hogwarts

And he felt even more nervous about facing the situation he was given

The evening was grand, the Malfoy manor decorated for the occasion and he felt like Narcissa was better dressed than he was

Draco was miserable

Being pulled around his own house to meet snooty parents of possible brides

It was exhausting

And the overly falsely positive small talk was beyond boring and extremely awkward, even for someone as charismatic as Draco

No stupid amounts of champagne flutes could get him through the evening smoothly and quickly enough

So when it all got far too much, Draco slipped out of the main room for a breather, though he hadn’t expected to find someone hiding in the drawing room

“What are you doing?” He asked, mildly pissed off and sounding absolutely done with the whole event

His sour tone startled you, having thought you were alone and you jumped and looked over your shoulder to see none other than Draco Malfoy standing across the room from you

“Fuck- I’m sorry, it’s just-.”

“The ball is a drag, isn’t it?” Draco asked

“What are you doing here?” Draco questioned

“I needed some space, it’s really crowded and-.”

“I meant here, in the manor.” Draco interrupted, though he had softened his voice a lot more than his hostile tone he’d worn earlier

“Oh,” you turned to face him properly and fiddled with your hands “The same reason as everyone else.” You said awkwardly

Of course you were, why had he expected anything different?

Draco remembered you from Hogwarts, he remembered liking you, despite not knowing you well

But what he did know was that you were much more interesting and more eye catching than the other girls currently occupying the manor

“Sweetheart,” Draco sighed, crossing the drawing room floor and approaching you, your attention caught immediately at the name he used for you

“I know you want this as much as you’d want thestral dung, but you are the best out of everyone here. I’ll cut you a deal, we get married, we play house and make it look like we’re the perfect couple but the rest of the time you do and see whoever you want.” Draco proposed

He knew if he didn’t offer, that he might actually have to make it work with someone who wasn’t as agreeable and he also knew you might not run into another good opportunity

He really didn’t want to see you in a miserable relationship

And as he stood there, watching you think about it for a moment, Draco thought it was strange that he was actually scared that you might say no

“I’ll do it.” You nodded, meeting his eyes

You barely knew Draco, bar from the odd moments at school, but he had always been nice to you in your later years there together and he was certainly handsome

There were also many benefits to becoming a Malfoy and it also meant you could be away from your family who had put you up to an arranged marriage without your consent

“You will?” He almost couldn’t believe it and Draco grinned at you, if only for a moment because that was an awful lot of weight off his shoulders.

“Yes, as long as you promise to get me away from my family.” You nodded

“I will, I promise, they won’t get a chance to even come near you again if that’s what you want, love.” Draco assured you.

“Now come, might I invite you for a dance?” Draco asked. Part of him couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reaction

It had been a huge surprise to Narcissa and Lucius that Draco had picked you out of everyone there

Mainly because they’d barely seen you since you entered the manor, but of course they had no idea you’d been hiding out and avoiding another horrendous attempt at matching you with a suitor

Thankfully though, everyone bought the rouse you two put on

It was easy to say you had been sweethearts at school and everyone believed you

It was also easy to act giddy and happy, because even if your happiness was not about marriage, you were both pleased to be heading out of the boring and dreadful process of being matched with someone

It wasn’t long before the wedding was planned and only weeks later was your wedding to take place

Of course, the night Draco had asked you and struck the deal with you in the drawing room, he hadn’t expected anything from you at all

But as the weeks passed and you spent some time together, seeing you in some of your most relaxed and casual states and seeing just how sweet and lovely you were, Draco was starting to wonder if the rouse was not turning into something else now

His feelings only seemed to blossom into something intense when your wedding day came and he caught a glimpse of you in your dress

What on earth was happening? This was supposed to be the easy way out and now he was developing feelings? That was not supposed to happen

But what he didn’t realise was that the same thing was happening to you too

He had no idea you’d had a crush on him nearly all the way through Hogwarts

And he had no clue that your heart had fluttered and soared at the idea of being his wife, even though the deal he pitched to you involved no romance

But as time went on, you slowly began to fall for him too

And as you entered the hall to walk down the aisle in your beautiful wedding gown, beautiful flowing fabrics that fitted and accentuated your figure beautifully, Draco found himself in love

And so did you, setting your eyes on the ashen haired boy, dressed in his all black suit with small elements of green and silver as the accent colours

And it was perfect, because you seemed so perfectly in love with each other than it fooled absolutely everyone

The way you both looked at Draco as if he had hung the moon and stars just for you

It wasn’t until after your vows, when Draco was told he could kiss you that both of you realised you were in love

Draco held you gently, he kissed you sweetly, tentatively at first and slowly to try and make it comfortable for you, but when he felt you lean into him, your fingers trailing over the lapels of his suit jacket until they met at the back of his neck

And Draco barely made it through the party after the wedding without touching you in some way

His hand was on yours the whole time and you were nearly glued to his side too

You both wanted to just get out of there and spend some time alone and talk about your feelings and what this all meant

And you finally got a chance towards the end of the evening to slip out of the party together

“I think I’m in love with you.” You admitted quietly as he walked out into the garden with you, walking you over to a beautiful fountain

“Well that’s lucky,” He smirked. “Because I’m in love with you too.”

And it really was lucky

Because despite the situation that neither of you had wanted to be in and a chance meeting in the drawing room during the party, you and Draco were both grateful that it had happened the way it had, even though you wish it had been in better circumstances

And Draco wished whole heartedly that he’d had the time to really love you before marriage and take you on dates and really know you

So he took it upon himself after your wedding to do all of that

And he moved slowly with you, marriage serving only as a front for now as you explored your love for each other

And no one was none the wiser while you slowly fell more and more in love as time went on

And it was finally a few months into your relationship that things got really serious and Draco dedicated himself to you

“I promise darling, that I will always protect you, no matter what comes our way.” He said, kneeling in front of you as you sat on your bed

And he even gave you a ring, one that was really special, because he’d been able to pick it instead of the wedding ring that his mother had chosen

He called it a soul ring because it represented his bond to you that the wedding ring you had been given could not

Draco counted you both lucky, because there was one thing to be pushed into an arranged marriage, and there was another to go into it thinking he was striking a deal to keep both of you safe, when in reality, it was the thing that brought you both closer

And to allow something Draco had never expected, to fall in love.

[bring-it-all-down]

Much has been said about the Black Sails finale and its statement of the show’s themes, so I’d like to focus instead on the penultimate episode, specifically the following speech Jack gives as he’s headed back to Nassau with the goal of killing Flint:

The result ahead of us promises to be a victory of a different sort. A true victory. Freedom...in every sense of the word. How many men in the history of the world have ever known it? How remarkable a moment is this? How fortunate are we to be standing on the threshold of it?

I think this speech really gets to the heart of the show: it’s ultimately about what it means to be truly free. While this notion of freedom is discussed in Flint’s unparalleled final speech about dragons, it’s perhaps in 4.09 that we get the fullest exploration of freedom.

There has obviously been a lot written on the subject of freedom throughout human history, and rather than foolishly attempt to summarize thousands of years of philosophy, I’m going to refer to one of my favorite understandings, written by W.E.B. DuBois:

I dream of a world of infinitive and valuable variety; not in the laws of gravity or atomic weights, but in human variety in height and weight, color and skin, hair and nose and lip. But more especially and far above and beyond this, is a realm of true freedom: in thought and dream, fantasy and imagination; in gift, aptitude, and genius—all possible manner of difference, topped with freedom of soul to do and be, and freedom of thought to give to a world and build into it, all wealth of inborn individuality. Each effort to stop this freedom of being is a blow at democracy—that real democracy which is reservoir and opportunity” (The World and Africa: An Inquiry into the Part Which Africa Has Played in World History, pg. 165.)

DuBois here notes three central elements of freedom: the physical (“to do and be”), the mental (“thought and dream, fantasy and imagination”), and the generational (“give to a world and build into it”). The first two components of freedom are understood by much of Western political philosophy through the terms “negative liberty” and “positive liberty” (coined by Isaiah Berlin), freedom from external threats and freedom to engage in philosophic activity. To these conceptions, DuBois adds a third that all the white dudes who conceived of the other two wouldn’t be concerned with: central to achieving them is the recognition that every individual owes prior and future generations their efforts to maintain liberty, that liberty is not just a theoretical principle but an action.

Turning now to episode 4.09, I think we can begin to understand how each of these three types of freedom overlap.

To start, the conflict of the episode deals with negative liberty. Silver and Flint to some degree know that if one catches the other with the chest, there is a chance they will be killed, and Silver wants the chest to ensure that Woodes Rogers does not kill Madi. In short, they are fighting for their survival, their physical freedom.

Moving on to the flashbacks between Flint and Silver, we begin to see the connection between negative liberty and positive liberty. First, because Silver and Flint are equals without the same political obligations to each other as they have to the crew, the people who serve them and who they serve in turn, they can be honest with each other. Silver recognizes this in telling Flint: “The men...I have to manage how they see me...But for pride to be an issue between you and I, well, I think we’re playing past that by now.” Because they, at that point, have physical/negative liberty with each other, they are then allowed to pursue mental/positive liberty, that being the revelation of their true selves. 

However, Flint becomes aware that this physical liberty is an illusion because Silver is unwilling to meet him equally in their pursuit of positive liberty: 

You know my story. Thomas, Miranda, all of it. Know the role it played in motivating me to do the things that I've done, the things I will do. It has made me transparent to you. Not only that, but when I told you this story, you insinuated yourself into it. The latest in a line of ill-fated partners, situating yourself such that...were you and I ever to come to blows, I'd be forced to hesitate before doing you any harm.

Thus Silver actually has a physical advantage over Flint, negating any semblance of Flint’s physical liberty in their relationship. Through Silver’s attempts to kill Flint in this episode and in the finale, we see that without both physical/mental (or negative/positive) liberty present in any relationship, neither will exist; you cannot have one without the other.

This brings us to what I’ve decided to call generational freedom, though I suppose it could also be called communal freedom. In this episode, the concept of generational freedom is brought up in relation to both Jack and Madi. First, we see it in Jack’s conversation with the man he chose to navigate him to Skeleton Island:

Jack: You sailed with Avery.

Old man: Long time ago.

Jack: 20 years? More, even, maybe?

Old man: More, aye.

Jack: Mm-hmm. You do know where you're going, yes? No, seriously, I've got quite a lot riding on this.

Old man: One day, you'll leave the account. Take a wife, father children. See less and less of the sea until she becomes like a painting hanging on the wall, static and irrelevant to your daily existence. But she'll keep on calling you. And when she does, you'll step into that painting and feel the swell beneath your feet. It'll all come back as if it were like yesterday.

Jack: Is that so?

Old man: I've watched you and yours handle the account since I and mine left it. Accomplish things that no one I ever sailed with could dream of. From what I've overheard, if you reach Skeleton Island, might mean the end of the governor. Maybe keep the account alive a little while longer. Is that so?

Jack: That and more.

Old man: Then I'll take you to it. Hold on to this for as long as you can, for all of us who once had it...and walked away.

In this conversation, we see the generational connections within piracy. The old man sailed with Henry Avery, the person most responsible for establishing the current status of piracy in Nassau, and he is conversing with the person who will usher Nassau into a new era. He is careful to remind Jack of this link and of how unseverable it is; no matter how far away Jack gets from piracy, he will never be able to leave it fully behind. There is some sense of owing his existence in this world to Avery and all those who came before him, a debt he must repay with his actions (namely, removing Woodes Rogers and continuing the life of piracy in Nassau).

Immediately after this conversation, we get Woodes Rogers’ bargaining with Madi. He offers her an ultimatum: accept his treaty or he will kill Silver and all of Silver’s crew, which includes many of Madi’s people. Madi rejects his ultimatum with one of the most poignant speeches in the show:

The voice you hear in your head, I imagine I know who it sounds like, as I know Eleanor wanted those things. But I hear other voices. A chorus of voices. Multitudes. They reach back centuries. Men and women and children who'd lost their lives to men like you. Men and women and children forced to wear your chains. I must answer to them and this war, their war, Flint's war, my war, it will not be bargained away to avoid a fight, to save John Silver's life or his men's or mine. And you believe what you will, but it was neither I nor Flint, nor the Spanish raider who killed your wife. That, you did.

Because of her existence as a former slave who had lived in hiding for most of her life, Madi most fully understands generational freedom. She knows that the supposed freedom Rogers’ treaty offers her and her people is not actual freedom because it fails to address the unfreedom of her ancestors, of the rest of the enslaved people in the Caribbean, because she knows that freedom will never be achieved on the terms of the oppressor. She knows that she owes this war to every victim of England’s empire and that it is the only way to achieve what DuBois calls the opportunity to “give to a world and build into it.” 

This episode thus introduces the idea that “freedom every sense of the word” depends on one recognizing one’s duty to one’s community that consists of not just its current members, but its past and future members. Complete freedom is achieved when one begins to fight to protect the freedom of those who do not yet exist. Madi understands this about freedom, as does Flint, but despite Silver’s insistence that he and Flint are true friends and equals, he is incapable of grasping the generational component of freedom and he therefore ensures that physical and mental freedom, too, will fall outside of his grasp.

[fictionadventurer]

Fairy Tale Retellings

I know that @magpie-trove has been recommended enough books to fill several years, but since fairy tale retellings are my niche, I’m going to throw some more titles out there. (I’m limiting myself to 1) books/short stories 2) that I enjoyed 3) that I haven’t seen mentioned in connection to the original post. I’m also trying not to branch out into too many tales, so I’m going to be leaving out some slightly more obscure ones).

Before I go into the specifics, I’m just going to say, that if you only read three books out of this list, read Entwined by Heather Dixon (12 Dancing Princesses),  Brine and Bone by Kate Stradling (Little Mermaid) and Valiant by Sarah Macguire. (And if you only read one series, make it Regina Doman’s Fairy Tale Novels.)

Cinderella

Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey: Short, sweet, autumny retelling that I like for the atmosphere and the loving relationship between Cinderella and her stepfamily.

Silver Woven In My Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Extremely short, traditional retelling, starring a mistreated girl who collects Cinderella stories while being in one of her own. Has a sweet charm to it.

Soot and Slipper by Kate Stradling: A short retelling set in a traditional fairy tale kingdom, but with an excellent plot twist. I like it very much until the ending entangles it in a far-too-complicated magic system.

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo: A sassy retelling starring a grumpy fairy baker who tries to get out of his godfather duties by getting his two charges to fall in love with each other. Gets points for a unique, almost Wodehousish parody element that is an extreme breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by YA romances.

The Spinner and the Slipper by Camryn Lockhart: Mashes up the story with Rumpelstiltskin. Clearly the work of a very young author, but I’m putting it on here for the fun use of the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Beauty and the Beast

Unseen Beauty by Amity Thomsen: Traditional fantasy retelling from the POV of one of the invisible servants. Writing that’s a cut above most self-pubbed books, with extra points for featuring a female friendship that’s just as important as the main romance.

Snow White

Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams: Gender-flipped version involving the fae. Is the only Snow White retelling that had me uncertain for a while of where the plot was going to go.

Sleeping Beauty

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan: A sci-fi retelling involving a girl who was regularly kept in stasis for the convenience of her corporate mogul parents, then was left in stasis for more than 70 years while the apocalypse happened. She wakes up to a world that’s recovered to become a very different place and has to deal with the emotional fallout of everything that’s happened to her. And it’s intense. This book has the distinction of being one of only two books with scenes that made me put the book down so I could sob uncontrollably. (The other is Rapunzel Let Down). There’s a little bit of content (a couple of kissing scenes that veer toward steamy, and use of futuristic swear words that have clear connections to modern swear words) but easily skippable.

The Little Mermaid

Brine and Bone by Kate Stradling: On first read, I appreciated it as a faithful-to-Andersen retelling, but found it otherwise forgettable. I reread it earlier this year and cannot understand how I possibly came to that conclusion. This has beautiful character work in a unique world that, I cannot stress this enough, is loyal to the Andersen version while appreciating the true joy of that ending.

Silent Mermaid by Brittany Fichter: First half had some excellent world-building and interesting conflicts that fell apart in a more cliche second half, but I remember it being enjoyable overall.

The Princess and the Pea

The Bruised Princess by A.G. Marshall: Part of her Once Upon a Short Story collection. They’re all decent-to-great, but this one is my favorite, a sweet little romance that makes the story make a surprising amount of sense.

I need to give a shout-out to my favorite retelling of this tale. I can’t remember the title. It was on Fanfiction.net back in the day. (I tried looking it up, but it wasn’t part of the collection I assumed it was in). It was from the POV of the servant who had to stuff all twenty mattresses. She has allergies and is miserable by the time she’s done, and gets her revenge by stuffing the top mattress with gravel.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Entwined by Heather Dixon: One of my very top favorite retellings, a creative and whimsical and touching story focusing on the twelve close-knit sisters and their relationship with their buttoned-up father in the aftermath of their mother’s death.

The Brave Little Tailor

Valiant by Sarah McGuire: The only retelling I’ve ever seen of this tale, starring a girl who has to masquerade as a boy to get work as a tailor, and winds up entangled in a kingdom’s battle against giants. The first act is very boring, but it turns into a very well-done retelling with excellent characters and worldbuilding.

Bonus: Series

These are series that retell several fairy tales in the same universe, and I thought it’d be easier to present them all together than separating them out by fairy tale.

The Fairy Tale Novels by Regina Doman: Catholic retellings set in the modern day. They have their weak points, but they’re my gold standard for how to write a modern retelling and how to write a religious romance.

The Shadow of the Bear: Snow White and Rose Red. Fun and adventurous. Gets points for introducing me to Chesterton.

Black as Night: Snow White, focusing on the Snow White character from the first book. Darker and more intense, but with some deep themes.

Waking Rose: Sleeping Beauty, focusing on the Rose Red character’s adventures in college. By far the most popular book in the series, it’s overlong, but extremely good.

The Midnight Dancers: The Twelve Dancing Princesses, focusing on mostly new characters with a side character from Waking Rose in the soldier role. A slighter story with a pricklier main character, but it’s a strong contender for my favorite in the series, exploring the connections between beauty and truth and goodness.

Alex O’Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, starring Waking Rose side characters. This is a lighter adventure tale. All the stuff surrounding the hacking subplot is slightly ridiculous, but it’s one of the only YA novels I’ve ever seen that explores the realistic nuances of considering marriage with someone very different from you.

Rapunzel Let Down: Rapunzel. By far the darkest themes (it’s classified as an adult book). All new characters with some cameos. I thought it was decent on first read, but on reread, it blew me away with some of its themes (Except for a very melodramatic fifth act).

The Andari Chronicles by Kenley Davidson: Retellings set in a very mildly magical fantasy world, mostly focused on political intrigue.

Traitor’s Masque: Cinderella. 60% longer than it needs to be because of the extremely wordy writing style, and it makes me tear my hair out every time I try rereading, but the core conflict between the two brothers is compelling.

The Countess and the Frog: The Frog Prince. A short prequel novella focusing on a side character from the first book. I think it’s only available as a freebie on the author’s site but may be one of my favorite romances because the leads are so cute and sensible together.

Goldheart: Rumpelstiltskin. My favorite in the series, focused on a shy painter given an impossible task and the friends who help her get through it. The writing style’s much more concise here.

Pirouette: The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Political-intrigue focused. Also much wordier than it needs to be, though not as much as the first book. Twists the fairy tale in extremely interesting ways and has some great characters. (Prologue and epilogue are some of my favorite bits of writing in the series).

Shadow and Thorn: Beauty and the Beast. The most magical book in the series, and the most confusing because of that. There was one really cool moment with Beauty’s father, but otherwise I didn’t care for it all that much.

Daughter of Lies: Snow White with spies. Short, but fun. Reminds me of a Georgette Heyer farce.

Path of Secrets: Red Riding Hood with spies. I remember nothing about this story, which may tell you all you need to know.

Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairy Tales: What I think of as a kind of spin-off to the Rooglewood collections, this novella collection by six different authors retells six different fairy tales. My favorites are a dark but beautiful “Little Match Girl” retelling set in WWII, a steampunkish Rumpelstiltskin, and With Blossoms Gold, a Rapunzel retelling set in the Renaissance. (The only one I didn’t like at all was the Sleeping Beauty story).

Destined series by Kaylin Lee: Includes retellings of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty in one interconnected storyline. I’ve only read the first four; they’re okay-to-decent books whose main strength is the unique world they’re set in (think magical steampunky 1930s, which seems like a work of genius after you’ve been reading through a million retellings set in generically fairy tale kingdoms). My favorite is the fourth, Betrayed, which retells Little Red Riding Hood and mostly stands alone (until the last act veers it into a really complicated overarching plot).