#and with the knowledge of shifting and/or manifesting THIS IS SO MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

[maeverse4444]

y'all i've always kept quiet about this, but as someone studying psychology this is literally true 😭😭😭 well mostly anyways but enough where the technicalities become semantics. anyways, i wanted to add another layer onto this stance.

trauma affects every person differently; i think we can all agree on this. it is true that trauma can alter the very chemisty of the brain, hence why trauma doesn't necessarily inherently follow you across realities. additionally, it doesn't affect everyone the same either, even within the reality you experience the trauma. think about it, you've met some people who have been through the absolute harrows of life, and yet, somehow they seem to have turned out completely fine? of course, often times there are some things beneath the surface, but to put it extremely simply: when faced with trauma, some brains swim and some brains sink. neither response makes someone better than the other, it is just how the mind seems to work for us and the strategy is working through with however your mind tried to cope with your experiences.

my point here though is that YOU can be one to swim, even if that's the opposite of what you've always known (i would like to preface this is a severe oversimplification). you don't have to confine yourself to every single experience traumatizing you in an unrepairable way. like, why do we think we can script out our mental illnesses when we shift, but it doesn't go the other way around or within that reality??? it makes no sense.

moral of the story: trauma following you across realities is, in my opinion, just another unnecesary limitation we set on ourselves. additionally, even WITHIN the realities you live in, it is possible for trauma to not "ruin you". you can SHIFT REALITIES, but you think the line is drawn at how your BRAIN copes with an EXPERIENCE?? my dears, you don't have to believe that. i'm 100% not saying people are stupid and invalid for wanting to avoid traumatic experiences, that is completely your choice, but with such limitlesness comes the ability to handle those circumstances with ease if you so choose.

I wanted to talk about something that I’ve seen @mywitchyblog made an essay (really recommend reading it) on sometime ago, and that is the common myth that “If you experience trauma in your DR, you will come back traumatized.”

This is simply not true.

Trauma isn’t just about experiencing something bad, it’s about how your brain and nervous system store and process that experience. Trauma literally rewires part of your brain, like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, through stress hormones and neural changes, within the physical body.

When you shift, you’re not taking your brain with you. You’re shifting your conscious awareness, not your neurons. When you return, you’re back in your own body, with your own brain, which hasn’t actually undergone that trauma processing.

It’s like remembering a very vivid dream where something bad happened. You might feel weird or uncomfortable remembering it for a while, but your brain knows the difference.

So, you don’t need to fear coming back traumatized from your DR. Your CR brain is safe.

[matchatarot]

Your highest self is the most divine and accomplished version of yourself, Bunny! Connecting with your higher self gives you access to your inner wisdom & your soul’s essence. To pick a pile don’t overthink it; choose the one that draws you in the most while thinking about the reading’s intent. Only take what resonates!

Love, Matcha ♡

☆ masterlist

✿ message from your higher self part one

1 ₊˚.༄

Your higher self is grateful for how in tune you are with them. They’re asking you to continue fostering this connection with them. They’re sending you synchronicities because they want you to realize how magic you are. You’re manifesting your highest path and they’re proud of you. Your higher self wants you to step into your sensuality, your divine feminine or divine masculine. You’re currently attracting a very important life partner, so they want you to feel ready and empowered when you meet them. They’re encouraging you to continue on your spiritual path and confirming to you that you’ve been receiving the right spiritual download from your spirit team. You’re very witty! You see even their most subtle signs. They want you to use more of your practical wit in your career. They’re also wanting you to be more competitive when moving towards your dream. Focus your action taking on your goals! You’ve given a lot of yourself emotionally to your peers, though that’s great they want you to focus on your career goals now. You might be nearing the end of a project right now and they’re telling you that now is the time to complete it. Trust your intuition, just start doing it and the action you need to take will come intuitively. If you’re not doing any particular project yet, they want you to go ahead and start one. Even if you don’t understand where you’re heading, the next step will become clear while you’re working on it.

Archangel Raphael, swan, 888

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2 ⊹˚˖ ☆

Your higher self is reminding you that even powerful leaders need to rest sometimes, Bunny! They’re thankful for the hard work you’ve been putting in, it is profoundly impacting your future. They’re proud of you for working so hard on your mental health. They know you’ve been through a very tough time but you’ve overcome it thanks to you getting educated on your mental health issues and researching how to help yourself. They’re also proud of any knowledge you’re currently mastering. They see how you’ve healed so much, especially your solar plexus chakra, you are motivated and self-confident! They’re encouraging you to go towards love, either romantic or platonic. Your highest self is telling you you’re ready to open your heart to others. They’re encouraging you to trust and give love a chance. You hold so much power, love and light that would be very good for the collective, so it’s time to share it! “Look at you, you’re beautiful! Thank you for being yourself! You work so hard but I want you to see how just being yourself is enough. Yes, you’re the best employee or the best student. But you’re also a wonderful lover and friend.”

6, 77, panda, jade, santa baby by Ariana Grande

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3 ‧₊˚ ♡

Eyes are on you in the spiritual realm and in the physical as well! Your highest self is referring to this moment in your life as one of the most profound transformations you’ve ever been through. If it hasn’t started yet, your highest self is announcing to you that it will very soon. A powerful divinely orchestrated moment is taking place for you, Bunny. It’s an event that will eventually make you step into your higher self. They don’t want to reveal too much but soon pretty much everything in your life will shift. It’ll be because of a mindset shift triggered by a specific event that spirit doesn’t want to reveal. You’ll completely change the way you look at life and you’ll finally have the guts to admit to yourself that you don’t feel fulfilled with most of the aspects of your life. It’s not a realization tinted with despair, it’s about self-respect and self-growth. This realization will change every aspect of your social or romantic life. You’ll cut off people from your life or completely change the way you approach your relationship with them. You’ll have no remorse towards those decisions, making those decisions for yourself will feel empowering. Your higher self is recognizing that in the past you’ve felt like you were not good enough and you felt like you always needed to do more and better to be deserving of love. They’re telling you that after these events, you’ll be around people with secure attachment styles and you’ll feel fulfilled with your social life. Feeling like you’re spending time with people who actually bring love and value to your life. This next message is more specific so don’t force it to resonate if it doesn’t, but some of you are being isolated by a toxic masculine and your highest self wants you to realize that. It’s possible you’re either a victim of an abusive dad, a toxic boyfriend, or a mean boss… or it could also be that your life right now is suffering from patriarchy’s impact and it’s affecting your relationships.

Don’t take a shot every time I say life, aha!

pegasus, 9, 10, selenite

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decks used : animaux totems by Else Oreve & Pricilla Moore, modern witch tarot deck by Lisa Steele, mystical wisdom by Gaye Guthrie

☆ photo credits go to their rightful owner

[i-have-stolen-endless-names]

The Devil In Love - Chapter 1 "The First Step"

Possible Trigger Warnings

>>Alucard is a Warning on his own.<<

Overall Yandere Themes

Mentions of: Manipulation, Stalking, Alucard is thinking of biting you and drinking your blood, the beginning of obsessive and possessive behavior

Minors please do not interact!

Content

Reader is working at the Hellsing manor as a housekeeper

Story is set before the happenings of Hellsing - Still Spoilers ahead

Reader is gender neutral, no pronouns are used but "you"

Age, ethnicity, height, weight and any other physical attributes are never mentioned. You are free and encouraged to imagine yourself or an OC in this scenario.

Summary

Overall a rather harmless chapter

Alucard and Reader get to know each other better

Index

Previous Chapter: Prologue Next Chapter: In A Demons Embrace

Follow me for more!

Technology always interested him. The allure of modernity was something this old vampire was very curious about. Computer… the internet… Humanity evolved so quickly. This little invisible network they created was the closest they would ever have to magic. At least for those who have no access to such an ancient power. However, he must admit, those new courting rules were curious to him.

Alucard was by no means a foolish man. He had been very intelligent from the start. Had he been born in a time not torn apart by war, he could have had chances to become a great man. Not a man stained with blood. Not a man who was corrupted with power.

Nonetheless, the shift of old world courting and modern dating was… a curious thing. He had many lovers in his old life. Women, men, people who were neither or all at once. If he had any more knowledge about the "modern slang" he most likely would be labelled as pansexual. Nothing would stop this man from pursuing what he wanted. What he needed. His reason for desire was currently busy.

You were busy. Typing away on the keyboard in front of a massive computer. Hellsing had the most modern technology available and yet it all still looked so very chunky.

Not even Alucard could imagine that in a few years everything would change. As usual, he had been watching you for a while before he manifested behind you. Ittook so adorably long for you to notice him. The startled noise that left you amused him immensely. "Good evening."A sharp fanged grin welcomed you. His presence made you still a bit nervous. How delectable

"Good evening….I did not hear you come in." Your comment made him chuckle. He rarely used doors. Sliding through the walls was much more amusing. Especially when he could scare you in the process. "A library is supposed to be quiet, is it not?" His eyes narrowed with mirth. "May I join you?"

Always so polite, one could almost forget that he was a monster lusting after you. Once you have given him permission he sat next to you. Perhaps he had pulled the chair intentionally way too close to yours. Your knees were touching.

"What is the little help doing, mh?" One of the many nicknames he had given you. "Taking a break. I was checking this new website and…" You startled to babble about whatever currently interested you. His lips curled upward and he listened intently to you.

lt was curious, really, how suddenly he felt himself intrigued by your interests. Perhaps he should gain some more information about your little hobbies. He listened… and listened…

At one point he threaded his fingers together and leaned back in the chair. It almost appeared as if the vampire was content simply letting you talk for a very long time. Until you started to change the topic.

"On that note, there had not been many vampire attacks recently, have there?" Look at you, showing interest in his work as well. Or maybe you just had false hope that no more ghouls would threaten humanities existence. "How perceptive of you. I indeed have not been called to any mission for a while now."

Drinking from blood bags was simply not the same as devouring some hot blooded little thing, like you.

"What do you do when you are not out and about shooting ghouls?" Your question took him a bit off guard. What did he do? Aside from suffering nightmares and remembering the past…

Surely you would not appreciate being told that he was watching you so often. Even though he was a monster he still had his charm, in his own twisted way. Seemingly you took his silence as nothing positive, the little frown on your face was precious. "I enjoy going to the library."

Hellsings library was big. It offered books, computer and a silent space to do other things. Once he had seen a little maid painting in this room. The room simply offered many possibilities. "You should join me more often." What a horrible mistake to make. Perhaps you see him as this little thing that needed coddling.

Maybe you were simply lonely and sought any company you could get. Whatever it was… he could not stop the grin from forming onto his lips. Your occasional "accidental" meetings now had turned into something much more frequent and willing.

It may not occur to you but you were blindly feeding into his obsession. Like a little lamb strutting over to the wolf, so naive…

"It would be my greatest pleasure." For the first time in centuries something else than bloodshed excited him.

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

Comments, likes, and reblogs are appreciated. Please engage with this post if you want me to continue writing. I hope you enjoyed it!

[aihoshiino]

i remember you mentioning your mahou au of ai.

please. tell us more. magical girl ai sounds magnificent. (any and all ai is magnificent ofc.)

HELLO ANON, SORRY FOR THE WAIT... i felt a bit nervous responding to something that would direct attention to my off-site stuff after some of the weirdo anons i got but. well i do really want to ramble about my mahous so here i am LOL

Anyway!!! My mahou AU for Ai is set in my magical girl setting that I created for an RP I run over on Dreamwidth called Beautiful Dreamer! The long and the short of it is that in BD's setting, the world is split into two halves - the Waking World and the Dream Sphere. The Dream Sphere is the world of dreams and was born of and shaped by the feelings and imagination of humankind. BD as a whole was inspired by Persona 4, Wonder Egg Priority and (most of all) Blue Reflection: Second Light, so if you sort of melt all those general vibes together, you get the idea.

Dreamers are the mahous of this setting and are the only people capable of traveling back and forth between these two worlds! While in the Dream Sphere, they take on their mahou forms and have access to all sorts of magic. Because of this, most Dreamers who awaken to their powers take on the responsibility of protecting the dreams of people when they manifest in the Dream Sphere. Negative human emotions create monsters known as Torments and Nightmares and if left to roam freely, they can cause damage to people's hearts and minds in the real world. So it's up to Dreamers to protect them!

There's no secrecy or masquerade in BD, so the existence of Dreamers and the Dream Sphere is common knowledge. There's a worldwide organization known as the Dreamer Union that's dedicated to assisting and managing the Dreamer community... and that's where Ai comes in!

Ai's AU backstory up to pretty much the start of the series is basically the exact same. The major divergence is that once she has her twins, the stress of the situation is enough to make her awaken as a Dreamer. Realizing how out of her depth she is, Ai ends up going to the DU in Tokyo hoping to find some help and ends up purely by chance being taken under the wing of one of the DU's founders and public face, Dreamer Swan who becomes a beloved senpai and surrogate mom to her. She and her husband help train Ai up as a Dreamer and eventually, Ai decides she's going to essentially dedicate herself full time to the DU - both out of respect and admiration for Swan and wanting to follow in her footsteps as her protoge but mostly to get a fresh start for her and the kids. To this end, she moves to the city of Yumemigaoka (the fictional city where the story is set) to start working at the main DU headquarters.

Things go really well for her in Yumemigaoka! She ends up building a small but close-knit support network of people who care for her, a lot of whom are close enough to her to know about the twins. Kamiki doesn't take her leaving very well at ALL so he ends up briefly stalking her to Yumemigaoka and getting scared off by her friends lol.

While in Yumemigaoka, Ai officially debuts as a solo idol, styling herself as 'Dreamer Ai-Doll' even in reality and basically making her whole schtick that she's 'the DU's idol'. As she grows up and gets more famous she shifts her image to be that of 'everyone's role model', someone who's warm, caring, reliable and good-natured. When Dreamer Swan retires, Ai fills her shoes as the DU's face and main PR woman and also starts taking Dreamers under her wing to mentor them too. So the image everyone has of her is that of not just everyone's role model, but the 'ideal' Dreamer that everyone looks up to and wants to emulate. Actually now I'm typing all that - it wasn't something I was aiming for while I was writing her in game but the best comparison for her public image is probably that she's inherited a lot of Tomoe Mami's swag when it comes to being a mahou senpai...

All this means that Ai's baggage is a bit different in BD than it is in canon OnK. Now she knows that the right people really will love and support her even though they know some of her worst secrets, a lot of her fears of being unlovable and unable to connect with people aren't as much of an issue. She's much healthier socially speaking and a lot of her issues with communication, she's been able to work on and improve - she's actually in her early 30s in BD now, so she's been able to grow into an older and wiser version of herself.

That said, she's still under crushing pressure to maintain her public image as the pure and perfect invincible idol of the DU. Since she's everyone's senpai and the one everyone looks up to, Ai places a ton of pressure on herself to be strong and not show any weakness so that she can support everyone else as much as they need her to. Even with the people she's closest to, she's still bad at opening up and being vulnerable with them - in the nearly two years she's been in the game, she's only actually told one single person about Aqua and Ruby's existence, a close friend who correctly identified that she wasn't telling him because she completely trusted him, but because he'd unintentionally cornered her into having no other choice. That's her biggest issue right now - for all she's learned, she still can't help but hold everyone at arm's length.

This is, uh, actually perfect timing because all this is coming to a head in game right now...! But that's in the process of resolving and require another big ramble so if folks are interested in it, I could recap Ai's mahou adventures a bit more closely and give everyone the full story.....................................

[sheeezu]

hey hani <3 I hope you are well and I LOVE YOU! you're my biggest motivation. every time I doubt myself, I'd play my comfort music, scrolling and staring at my s/o's pictures and read your posts.

there's a lot going on in my life rn. emotionally and physically. im thinking 'bout permashifting because I don't have any reason to stay here. I had forced myself to study hard and repay my parents for taking care of me and stuff but ... what then? I just don't see my future here. not anymore. nothing EXCITES me anymore. drinking green tea and enjoying the scenery of the green mountains with my family excited me more than THE BILLIONAIRE life here.

like I know I can have my whatever 'dream life' here. I've been in the void state and manifested things but I don't want em anymore now. I just want my DR family and my s/o.

my dad keeps telling me how he works so hard for me to go to school and my future stuff and I feel guilty for trying to ‘abandon’ this CR family.

the thoughts are pulling me back from permashifting. and these days, my shifting journey seems like foggy and unpredictable. no symptoms, just blurry, weird vision of my DR family.

rn, I'm trying to put those PHYSICS formulas in my brain to just 'prepare' in case I don't shift. yes, I know it's bad and after tons of 'failed attempts', I just ... no longer believe I would ever make it out of here :(

*god forbid me* I even thought of k—1ling myself because I don't wanna be here anymore :(

ATM, I just DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. Every method confused me. Every ‘reprogramming’ makes me wanna vomit.

I just wanna be with him :( He's the only one who truly gets me and OH my mom. I can't wait to hug her and tell everything :((

I'm sorry if this distracts you or smt but I just don't know what to do anymore and reach you out :( 💗 Ily anyway

Hiiiii 💛

First addressing the guilt; its so awfully misplaced in shifting. What guilt means, is that you feel bad for mistreating someone (or yourself) or for a wrongdoing. When you're not doing any of that in shifting! I'm not even explaining the sentiment that you deserve happiness (which you do) I'm trying to say, you won't hurt anyone or disappoint anyone for shifting because- they won't notice anything! They will still have you, they'll still talk to you normally. Your variant here will still behave and perform like you, so you tell me, why are you guilty?

Shifting is an internal experience. Its looking within yourself and letting go of the external expectations and circumstances.

Doubts are just the dust covering old books. The knowledge of shifting is accessible, and always has been accessible to you. Despite the doubts. There is no reason to have a doubtless brain by reprogramming, since doubts exist solely in your human mind, it'll be ridiculous to spend so much time on a non issue. Shifting is through consciousness.

Shifting is moldable to your needs; the main issue is that you're projecting you don't know how to shift, or that how you shift is not in your control. Which is simply not true.

You know how to shift.

Shifting is paced and programmed according to your beliefs.

And once you let go of your identity, the one you choose to identify with, one where you're struggling or are in another reality other than your home, and instead connect with your dr self, what would be left to weep over?

Choose to be there in the present moment. Your past is not permanent, your future is not determined, the present moment is what you have to create.

[fenanera]

there are so many theories on the unreliability of s.olas' claim that he was first a wisdom spirit that was turned away from his original purpose - one of the more interesting ones being that in earlier d.ragon a.ge canon, spirits rarely want to take a physical form, but demons always seem to want to manifest, to influence the world somehow, to do as they will. embittered that they've been changed. the misconception that demons are somehow completely NEW beings instead of being enhanced aspects of that spirit (wisdom to pride, benevolence to retribution, etc) has been broached many times in the dragon age timeline, and usually the delineation for when that change happens is clear - but perhaps not for the evanuris, since it wasn't necessarily catalogued as to who/what they were. so subsequently the question is asked: were the e.vanuris + their natures completely unchanged before they achieved a kind of 'human' nature with their physical forms, corrupted at a later date by the unexpected qualities of life they now had to face, or did the shift happen before their physical manifestation which propelled them into wanting to enter the world ? spirits do not always realize when the shift has happened - the core of their being doesn't change. they simply become dangerous facets of themselves. maybe it isn't so much as a split second change but a very slow unveiling of what was always possible, & can be reverted as we've seen. it's difficult to say for the other e.vanuris, but for the context of S.OLAS, i think the moment Wisdom decided to become physical, he made himself subject to influence - and that's when pride began to show through.

now, bringing solas' 'unreliable narrator' issue back, i think it was a much easier decision to craft a physical form than he's fully letting on. m.ythal herself mentions that murals we interact with are constructions of his truth, & certainly aren't the full picture. in her frozen state of Retribution (the shard of her we see in the Crossroads), she's still holding onto a lot of anger towards him - but i don't think she's trying to shift blame. what reason would she truly have to think of his actions as betrayal if she knowingly misused his nature of wisdom ? wouldn't that be the most logical conclusion, 'ah, i see how my persuasion + 'forcing' you to join our world & suffer our egos has led to your corruption'. unless of course, s.olas was all to eager to join them from the jump. if spirits are portrayed as being motivated by purpose, why wouldn't s.olas want to be granted more agency in mentoring the e.vanuris (despite them obviously not listening)? why wouldn't he want to brave the physical world & gather more knowledge, more experience ? as we know him (in DAI and DATV), he jumps at any chance to play 3d chess with everyone around him, to either lead someone to his preferred conclusion or at least confound them enough to have them second-guessing their own reliability, in turn relying on him. that's textbook pride, believing yourself to be the end-all be-all answer to everything, fallible or not. i fully believe it was the same when he was still a true iteration of wisdom. he would want to be helpful, he would want people to seek knowledge & insight; he feels fulfilled when he offers guidance. wisdom doesn't have a moral scale - it's unbiased, but eager to be accessed. no, i don't think s.olas was persuaded at all. i just don't think he was expecting how it could all turn out.

[numerousbees1106]

Hello! I have loved your "I'm waiting on a miracle" story since it was just a snippet. So, I've been thinking about the Room and it's importance to the Jedi . I think the Room is their safe space in the Force, the mysterious force of nature that binds all the Galaxy together, so they naturally need to construct a safe place from which they'll be able to observe and commune with the Force without exposing themselves to it's full might. But, I find the idea of a room simply unimaginative on behalf of the Jedi ( not yours of course). Why a set of rooms? Several Jedi are from species that live underwater, in swamps, can't breathe oxygen. Why not a forest whith a lake in the middle playing the role of the window? Why not underwater reefs? Why not a desert? Why a room that has the same colours and lightning?

The answer to me ( tell me if I'm wrong) is rather simple. Because they are Jedi. Anakin was expected to have constructed his safe space suitable for meditation at age of nine and while that may be the Jedi's ignorance on how to treat a child like him, it implies that Jedi find their Room at a very young age. The only place they have knowledge of at that time is the Jedi Temple. They know of nothing else and they are trained to want to be nowhere else, no dreaming of moving to Venice for baby Jedi. So naturally their safe space will be a place that would fit in the Jedi Temple. No room is ever the same because no two people are ever the same, but it has unmistakable similarities , because all Jedi are taught similar ways of thinking.

Anakin however is different. He doesn't have as of yet any emotional attachment to the Temple itself and is wary of the Jedi. He had a home, even if he experienced terrible abuse there, that he misses. His safe space would not resemble a Jedi Temple Room. But, instead of opening his mind and constructing his safe space on instinct, he is trapped by the Jedi expectations . So, he spends a lot of time trying to open a door, but he can't, because it isn't a door at all. The Room behind it doesn't exist. He needs to tear everything down and try again, but for the Jedi that would be heresy.

What do you think? Am I close?

When I was originally writing this story, I thought of the rooms as a metaphor for the Force itself. The Jedi have a specific way of opening themselves to the Force, hence why the window (a barrier of sorts between their mortal minds and the immortal Force) is always in the same place, and why it is always a room - every Jedi across all species utilize the same method of accessing the Force, and so that connection manifests the same way for every Jedi. The Room isn’t the Force itself, it’s kinda a half-way conduit, a bridge of sorts to balance the mortal and immortal. The reason for the same lighting and color scheme persisting is, once again, tied to the method of meditation, AKA how they open the door to the Room. Same method, same manifestation, same lighting and coloration.

You are correct that the reason for no Room ever being the same is because no two people are ever the same - however, I thought of it more of no two people having the same connection to the Force and no two people having the same mental state. Sith also have a Room, but the Window is stained, and the lighting and color scheme is different - a different method of connection to the Force correlates with different styles, but Sith have the same meditation methods as each other, and so their Rooms have shared characteristics, much like how the Jedi Rooms have shared characteristics.

The reason why the more powerful Jedi/Sith had multiple Rooms was, I figured, because they were able to withstand a deeper connection to the Force, and as such could dedicate more space in their minds to it. I believe, like you said, that the Rooms are crafted in the minds of Jedi/Sith very young, likely as young as when they are able to first start understanding the world around them. The Rooms shift and change as they grow and experience the world in different ways, the foundations moving around in response to changes in one’s mental state and noteworthy experiences, while never truly changing the basic layout of it because, again, they manifest the way they do because Jedi/Sith have a common method of connecting to the Force.

I quite like the idea of the Rooms being safe-spaces that Jedi can fit within the Temple of their minds, though it’s not what I originally had in mind. There’s truth in that Anakin cannot enter the Room due to the expectations placed on him by the Jedi - the Rooms are purely a construct of perception, after all, a shared philosophy that appears the way it does because it is expected to appear that way. But Anakin, being half-Force, does not need a conduit to access it safely. He has no need for a Room, but him being told that he has a Room, and that he needs to access it, has led to him perceiving a door that doesn’t exist. Maybe it opens to a blank wall. Maybe it opens to an endless void. Maybe it doesn’t open at all. Maybe he himself is the Room.

Overall, while there were some details of your theory that I didn’t originally have in mind, I quite like this interpretation and will likely incorporate some aspects into the story. Mostly, you were pretty damn close.

Thank you so much for reading and putting the time into theorizing about my story, it really does mean a lot to me. If you have any further questions or theories, please feel free to discuss them with me - I love talking about my ideas and collaborating with the people who read them to improve them.

[lost-in-the-pink-mist]

Lets dip a little into the lore of yokai, magic, and the Hamato family in this world, shall we?

So we've got yokai, who inherently have magic, and witches, half yokai half human shapeshifters with incredibly powerful magic, and humans, who have.....no magic.

Magical humans used to be much more common, but when magic-less humans became the majority things like "witch" hunts and the like became an issue (during those times, actual witches tended to stick to integrating into yokai society instead of human society, it was too risky otherwise. Magical humans didn't have that option). Eventually all but one family line died off.

This last line of magical humans is the Hamatos.

The thing about human magic, or Hamato magic as its referred to now, is that its different from yokai and witch magic. Yokai and witches use spells, and witches on top of that can put their magic into things, like potions and talismans (and shift between their yokai and human forms, of course). Hamatos can use spells, but they also have access to gifts that are unique to the user and very powerful.

Hamato Yoshi, Splinter, never unlocked his powers. He struggled with it, and by the time he was at an age where the powers were likely to manifest the most easily he'd lost his parents. His gift is permanently locked away, we'll never see it manifest.

Similarly, Hamato Miwa never got the chance to fully manifest her powers, though since she had access to magical training there is still a chance for her Hamato magic to be unlocked.

Lee's gift is incredibly powerful, maybe in part because she's the eldest living Hamato who has full access to their powers. The ability to touch people's souls, to grab them, cut them, poison them, sever them, is nothing to take lightly. Its very difficult to make her power anything but deadly, the ability often corrupting her victim's souls and dissolving them into nothing. Her training options are limited, and in the few avenues she does have for training, managing her power's lethality is so incredibly draining that it can do serious damage to her. She'll grow into controlling it eventually, maybe even bring less dangerous aspects of it to light in time, but until she has enough motivation to go through with the training she barely uses her power.

Angie's power is incredibly suited to zem. Curiosity and a need to figure out what makes people tick giving them a natural affinity for telepathy. A little too natural. Angie never bothered to turn the power off, and part of zeir hyperactivity turned inwards to filter through all the information. They can sense people, hear their thoughts, and dig deep into people's minds so easily that oftentimes its accidental. It leads to zem often being far ahead of everyone else in terms of, well, literally everything. They know everything, and don't bother to update people on where zey're at, making zem an incredibly knowledgeable wildcard. Of course, this power is a massive violation of privacy, and zey won't be free of the consequences of that forever.

Donnie's gift is the most physical, and very similar to Angie's in a way. While Angie has open access to people's minds, Donnie can openly feel the world. Xey can feel the shape of a building inside and out from several blocks away, and every gear ticking in a clock inside it. The power requires some focus, and they aren't the best at utilising it under pressure, but its incredible all the same. Later on this power will manifest into manipulating the world xey can feel as well, though only close range.

Raph's power, while certainly nothing compared to the raw energy of Lee's, is the one that is used to its fullest degree with masterful precision and control. Astral projection doesn't seem like it can do much, but Raph was patient and creative with it, and she gains quite a few skills. Astral travel obviously, as well as some dream walking (not that they use that one often, they deal with enough privacy violations from Angie to know better), and there's an instinctual understanding of how reality is built that comes with astral travel that is very helpful for things like teleportation magic, which Raph obviously made use of. This power will eventually grow to be visible in the material world as well, meaning Raph could choose to become visible on the material plane from the astral one. And, though they can't do anything like Donnie, he can eventually choose to warp reality in relation to himself, aka flight. It won't be an easy skill to develop, but they can already fly when astral projecting so it only a matter of figuring out how to translate what they instinctually know of reality in the astral plane into the material plane's equivalent.

[nursingwriter]

generalists v. specialists Specialists have their place. Not all doctors can learn how to perform brain surgery as well as a heart transplant. Similarly, restaurants that specialize in one type of cuisine are often far better than those that try to please all palates. Each person develops tastes, talents, and tendencies that enable a depth of study in a specific area. However, we have become a society of specialists. Lawyers focus on one type of litigation; authors on one genre; scientists on one subgenus. Because of such intricate specialization, many people have lost sight of the bigger picture. For example, because doctors are so highly specialized, most view the human body in terms of isolated fragments. "The splintering of fields in graduate programs has promoted such specialization that it is becoming increasingly difficult for faculty members even in the same field to converse with one another," (Farley). In modern American culture, at least, specialization has gone too far with some detrimental effects. As Farley points out in his article "Why Seminaries Don't Change: A Reflection on Faculty Specialization," "Specialization in this case has gone so far that it entails alienation from the field itself." Too much specialization creates suspicion of other disciplines or other worldviews. In fact, the nature of specialization entails seeing the world or a particular subject through a narrow lens. As a result, too much specialization can lead to closed-mindedness, ignorance, and elitism. Therefore, modern education needs to shift its focus slightly toward creating more generalists, those who can see the big picture and formulate broad theories and paradigms. According to Michael Hawley, the digital age has enabled such a transformation from specialization to generalization to take place, because access to the Internet increases access to knowledge in a wide range of subject matters. By surfing the Web, individuals can expose themselves to a range of ideas they might have otherwise overlooked or that might have escaped their attention. The Internet is thus a Renaissance tool, a doorway into all manifestations of human consciousness. Surfing the web can help us broaden our perspectives, and can eliminate the by-products of too much specialization. Any introduction to information outside of our comfort zone or current boundaries is good and healthy and promotes tolerance. However, Hawley notes, "Such an intense global mix of cultures, ideas, and innovations, all apparently a mouse click away, would seem to demand broad educational perspectives. Yet most schools persist in turning out laser-focused young professionals." Specialization remains in vogue. For example, many people who come down with a cold head straight for the ear, nose, and throat specialist rather than to the general practitioner. As if we are drawn to compartmentalization, educators continue to encourage specificity and narrowness rather than broad-based knowledge. Students who desire a more generalized education are told that they will never succeed in the real world as a jack-of-all-trades. "The irony of our renaissance, though, is that renaissance men and women are in short supply," (Hawley). Even though people are exposed to more ideas than ever before in human history, specialization reigns as the primary means of learning. While specificity can be helpful in enabling students to delve deep into a certain topic, too much specificity can blur the bigger picture. A doctor who concentrates on neurology becomes intimately familiar with the human brain but in forgetting how the stomach operates, might not recognize how certain neurotoxins affect digestion. Therefore, specialists can become too narrow minded, too focused on the details of their area of expertise to notice where they and their ideas fit into human society as a whole. Appreciating the bigger picture is essential in all disciplines. For example, a student of Islam would improve the foundation of his or her understanding of that religion by becoming versed in the religious traditions of other cultures. Broadening one's perspective improves the quality and caliber of dialogue and debate because general knowledge becomes a common ground of discussion. Moreover, seeing the broader picture through generalization allows for more educated opinions. Without a general education, specialists tend to stick only to what they know or rely on the opinions of other people, likely other specialists. A generalist can help bridge gaps between disparate areas of expertise, and place differing concepts under a collective rubric. Continuing with the former example, a generalist in religious studies can help specialists in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to discover common ground in theology, scripture, ritual, and tradition. Because generalization encourages the discovery of a common ground, a generalist can help eliminate bias, prejudice, or elitism within any discipline. As Farley notes, specialization "has some of the trappings of a worldview. To be closely and cognitively focused on, for example, a text, a literature, a historical period or a social entity tends to make one see that object of study as a paradigm of reality." Because of this, specialists can become suspicious of other approaches or other paradigms. A generalist can help bridge the gaps between various areas of specialization and help them to overcome their mutual suspicion. By illuminating common threads, a jack-of-all-trades can help specialists place their theories into a practical context. Otherwise, areas of specialty can become so self-limiting as to become almost useless in the real world. For example, focusing too hard on an aspect of science can cause the researcher to lose focus of how their knowledge can promote human welfare. Specialization can also be personally limiting to the professional, as his or her friends will likely be in the same circles of specialty. Thus, specialists stick together. They may not challenge their worldviews through exposure to ideas other than their own or interact with people outside of their areas of expertise. In some instances, specialization can backfire on the specialist. For example, a lawyer specializing in personal injury might have to completely reconsider his or her approach if state laws shifted. Businesses with overly focused areas of specialization can lose considerable revenues if their product or service becomes outdated. Likewise, computer scientists need to be especially wary of developing areas of specialty become new technologies can make older ones completely irrelevant. Similarly, if a chef were to specialize in a certain cuisine, his or her skills would not be marketable if food trends change. Generalists can remain abreast of and open to new developments and new ideas and help the specialist to keep his or her area of interest up-to-date. One of the reasons why department stores, grocery stores, and online vendors like Amazon.com do so well is because they do not narrow their focus too much. Some specialization is necessary and natural, for human beings should use their natural inclinations and proclivities. Delving deep into a specific area of study enhances learning; without any specialization we would know too little about too much. However, generalists can balance out some of the negative tendencies in a society that over-emphasizes specialization. For instance, specialization can create a narrow-minded worldview and can cultivate elitism. Too much specialization can also cause an entire discipline to fall behind the times, to become too concerned with minutia to appreciate how individual theories can benefit the world at large. Depth of study is essential but breadth is equally as important. Works Cited Farley, Edward. "Why Seminaries Don't Change: A Reflection on Faculty Specialization." Online at http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=364. Hawley, Michael. "Whither the Renaissance Man?" Technology Review. Cambridge: May 2005.Vol.108, Iss. 5; pg. 40, 1 pages http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=822068201&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=12334&RQT=309&VName=PQD. Read the full article

[lnane]

OKAY BUT I HAVE THOUGHTS ON WHY SHAPESHIFTING IS LITERALLY OBJECTIVELY THE BEST SUPERPOWER BESIDES THE TRANS REASONS. GET READY FOR A MINOR ESSAY

So first of: Shapeshifting has many different variations. So does the rest of these. Flying can be just hovering to wings to basically telekinesis. Teleportation is a science on its own. You get it. But for the simplicity and sake of it we can assume this poll refers to them in their purest truest version of themselves. So whats that mean for shapeshifting and what are the alternatives?

First of we got the most popular variation of shapeshifting, and arguably the weakest, what I like to call the Chameleon Variation. Think the typical changelings. Mystique. Changelings in dnd. That sexy lizard from She-Ra. The ability to take on the appearance of other people, but nothing else. The furtherest in ability changing this does is that if you shift into someone with other physical abilities than you, like being more athletic or being able to sing, you might be able to mimic those (granted you have the knowledge to utilize those abilities) (Note: this is usually limited by your own biology, so even if you change into someone with super strenght you dont necessarily get super strenght, just more muscles. And that is IF you even get stronger at all). This variation is only looks. Camouflage. Outside of the benefits of looking differently, you do not get anything out of shifting (or only something minimal).

The second variation are Form Changers. These are the ones that have a determined set of forms they can change into, with very little flexibility in terms of mixing and such. These forms each typically have different utilities and powers on their own, but very rarely do you get access to both. The list of forms can increase or decrease, depending on what the plot wants. Popular examples of this is Werewolves from Everywhere, Ben 10, Beast Boy, Vampires (sometimes), Zoan Devil Fruit users in One Piece. Your shapeshifting is easily defined as "Youre either form A or form B. No inbetween". The rare occassions there are "inbetweens", those are typically treated as seperate forms.

Third variation are the Utilities, normally also the Partial Changers. These are the shifters that can shift parts of themselves to fit specific needs. They got limbs that can become tools, or they can just harden their skin, and so forth. This variation is kind of a gray zone, as there are a lot of powers that can fit into this category without being explicitly shapeshifting. Think Kevin Eleven from Ben 10, Kirashima from BNHA, Human Torch. Theyre technically doing a shapeshift to some extent, but normally their regular form is still distinguishable, and they just added something to make a particular situation easier. I also like to see this category as the half shifters. Theyre kind of it, but also not.

Basically every super power has some form of variation similar to this, different ways the power manifests and different rules to how it works. This is developed so that you can have a roster of characters with basically the same superpower without them being the exact same. But the rawest form of the power, the pure form that is the entirety of the power, can (most of the time) do all of the variations to some extent.

True shapeshifting, however, can do all these variations, and so much more.

True shapeshifting, in the definition that ive developed over the YEARS that ive had this thought, is simply true self control. You can control the shape of every aspect of your own body at any given time. Down to at least a molecular level, if not atomic or even subatomic. You determine the material of which each minuscule part of your body is made of, as well as its shape, at any given time, all the time. Now this might sound like a lot of effort, which it is, because no great power would be great without some work being required to it. So let me walk you through just how to make this power great.

So you discover you have the ability to fully control the molecules in your body. First of you need to figure out how to Stay In Shape, literally, and not just dissolve into slime all the time. This is easy part, but the most necessary as it will need to become second and first nature for you to function. The second step is figuring out how to do the basic other stuff. Id recommend learning about human anatomy and physics for this. As well as chemistry. Expect that to master this power you need to be an expert in the art of being a girl in STEM. Change the material of your skin to be sturdier. Figure out how to change your appearance. The simple stuff everyone wants to do with shapeshifting. Try to grow and shrink in size. Now this point is where its getting interesting. Because, true shapeshifting gives you the ability to control how the material of your body is built and how that looks, but it doesnt give you the instant ability to just. Create or destroy mass. So, even if you grow larger, or shrink, your mass is still the same. If you weigh 100kg reguarly, you still do even if youre now 5 meters tall. And the same goes for being 1 meter tall. Youre just more or less dense.

SO. How to fix this? Easy. Add more mass. Figure out how to fuck around with eating so you gain more molecules to work with. Doing this enough will grant you the ability to grow to incredible sizes. But this also creates a problem. The added mass doesn't go away, so eventually youll start cracking the concrete on the street by putting several tons of pressure on the point of Size 40 shoes. Thats not very good for your enviorment, especially not if you want to be sneaky about your powers. How do you solve that?

Easy answer: Gas. Just become gas. Your body is still your body no matter its material, and if you can control your own blood flow why can you not become a cloud. Just disperse a large part of yourself in the air around you. And guess what? The adding of mass and fucking around with how your body works mightve given you a lot of physical powers, like super strenght, endurance, size changing, some super speed, etc. But now? You basically have telekinesis as well. Think about it. If your body is the physical meat suit that everyone sees, as well as at least 50% of the air in a 100 meter radius, you can just. Shove things around. Without noticably touching them.

At this size you might also need to figure out more effective ways to add mass than eating. Like just absorbing large swats of material. And when you do, whats stopping you from just absorbing everything around you and just letting it be what it is. Congrats! You can now become a planet! And for everyone on that planet, you might as well just have reality warping. Not that it matters unless you want it to, because you are also those people! Try not to go insane from the potential hivemind you accidentally created.

Now you could easily stop there, or you could easily (but slowly) start sending pieces of you out into space and eventually absorbing the galaxy and beyond.

And with that level of mass under your control, you can simply do whatever you want. You are literally a god now. Any material is yours to control and you can do whatever you want. If there is any power that can sneak its way into higher planes of existence, its true shapeshifting.

If you remove the limiters commonly placed on shapeshifting as a power, someone is eventually just going to become everything. And to be fair, it makes sense that all shapeshifters are limited to not do that, because that would just make them too overpowered and that wouldnt be fun narratively. But it is funny that the argument that you could make as a child that shapeshifting can get you any power because "ill just turn into someone with [Insert power here]" is literally true. Oh universe ending level of threat has appeared? I either spawn a black hole on them or Become Them. Get assimilated idiot.

[andreweatonsa]

The Making of a Remarkable Leader- Forging Greatness Through Lifelong Learning

What distinguishes great leaders who inspire teams to achieve the extraordinary from the merely good ones? While success depends on many complex factors, at the core, research reveals great leaders are set apart by an insatiable commitment to lifelong learning and growth. Leadership excellence is not defined at a single moment but forged over a lifetime.

Andrew Eaton South Africa

The myth of innate leadership gifts must be dispelled. There is no leadership gene endowing capabilities. Prodigious effectiveness arises from prodigious effort in continuous self-development. Leadership skills are not fixed traits but the fruits of deliberate, patient cultivation.

Legendary leaders never rest on their laurels or lose their learning mindset. They contest complacency that corrodes achievement. Outstanding leadership remains tied to outstanding personal growth across all seasons of life.

But lifelong learning is no panacea, just an essential advantage. Knowledge alone cannot substitute for vision, judgment, and empathy at the heart of influence. However, continuous growth remains intertwined with effectiveness -once learning stops, leadership stagnates. Striving to learn anew sustains excellence. The learning journey itself shapes leaders as much as skills gained. A growth mindset fosters humility, self-awareness, and adaptability. Lifelong learners recognize each day brings new lessons and opportunities to improve.

So while situational contexts and mental abilities shape outcomes, exceptional leaders direct their destinies through relentless lifelong growth. They engage head and heart to expand wisdom and self-awareness. There are no quick fixes, just the path of continuous progress. Leadership greatness manifests daily, not at a single peak. We must walk the path ourselves but need not walk alone.

Across every field, the most influential leaders view themselves as works in progress, eagerly seeking new knowledge, skills and wisdom to expand their capabilities. Leadership is not a skill to be mastered but a never-ending journey of improvement. Let's examine key principles and practices extraordinary leaders integrate to propel their continuous growth.

"Know thyself" advised the ancient Greek aphorism - wise words still ignored at one's peril. Insightful leaders dedicate time to honest self-reflection, identifying their unique combination of innate strengths and learned behaviours that comprise their leadership style. They acknowledge areas needing development to expand influence.

This self-awareness allows playing to natural strengths while honing skills through a commitment to personal growth. Leadership training firm Zenger Folkman found leaders ranked in the top 10% for effectiveness were far more likely to focus on self-improvement than lower performers. Know yourself, then build yourself.

A willingness to be vulnerable by admitting mistakes and imperfections also correlates strongly with exceptional leadership. Vulnerability reflects strength - not weakness - enabling growth. The best leaders create psychologically safe environments where being fallible is accepted.

Owning up to missteps and engaging feedback demonstrates approachability. It models accountability over blame-shifting. Vulnerability forges trust and garners respect. Demonstrating humanity fosters deeper connections. The courage to be vulnerable permits all involved to rise to greater heights together.

Accessing diverse mentorship accelerates leadership development through the guidance of experienced voices. The old adage rings true - surrounding yourself with bright people makes you smarter. But mentor relationships must be reciprocal, founded on trust and a willingness to learn.

Great leaders humbly recognize mentors as co-educators on their journeys of continuous growth. Mentorship expands perspectives, challenges assumptions, and provides unvarnished feedback. It exposes leaders to different leadership styles and situational approaches. But for maximum impact, leaders must openly share challenges and proactively absorb wisdom. A diversity of counsel propels faster maturation.

Seeking diverse mentors beyond one's immediate domain diversifies thinking. Leaders gain insights into how different disciplines tackle challenges relevant to their organization. Connecting strategies used successfully in other fields spark creativity. The cross-pollination of ideas outside traditional networks drives innovation.

Relating as students to mentors, great leaders focus on listening and learning rather than persuading. Good mentees ask thoughtful questions without defensiveness. They share struggles transparently and take feedback constructively. Mentorship only enhances the receptive.

Exceptional leaders realize surrounding themselves with brilliance benefits the organization exponentially more than celebrating solitary genius. Iron sharpens iron. They humbly credit mentors for accelerating their growth. Pride is the enemy of progress.

But mentors gain as well from guiding budding talent. Through teaching, they crystallize their own knowledge and leadership philosophy. By investing in others, leaders compound positive impacts. Mutually enriching mentorships change industries by nurturing tomorrow's trailblazers.

Exceptional leaders also lead with quiet grace and steadiness, especially in adversity. During turmoil and uncertainty, all eyes turn to leaders for direction. Remaining composed under duress inspires confidence. Great leaders leverage emotional intelligence to respond calmly and bring order amidst the chaos.

This grace under pressure reflects inner resolve and wisdom earned through surmounting prior challenges. Composure is contagious. Being the rock during crises requires learning not to crack. But preparation through continuous learning enables rising to meet challenges with new capabilities and objectivity. Leadership grace steadies rocky waters.

Beyond personal development, outstanding leaders deliberately nurture cultures of continuous learning across entire organizations. They model curiosity, create knowledge-sharing forums, and invest in staff enrichment.

Learning organizations outpace competitors blinded by arrogance. Promoting enterprise-wide learning improves performance, stimulates innovation, and attracts top talent. Great leaders recognize learning enables adaptability and growth at scale. They embed learning into operations from onboarding to leadership training. Organizations ascending to greatness institutionalize the lifelong pursuit of excellence.

Legendary leaders appreciate that supreme leadership is a skill honed through the deliberate advancement of knowledge, emotional intelligence and character over a lifetime. Leadership is not an innate quality but the product of relentless self-improvement and maturity of mindset. Its pursuit as an aspiration drives ever greater capabilities.

These principles forged in the fires of experience provide guideposts to help emerging leaders chart their developmental journey. Leadership is not a skill mastered in a day but a timeless practice maturing over years of learning. We must walk the path ourselves but we need not walk alone. With persistence and purpose, greatness awaits within reach.

[notintheipswichboyband]

Watching the strange woman, Chase narrowed his eyes a bit. She was certainly odd, the more he was giving her attention. He could sense something definitely off about her. It was probably one of his witchy things, one he hadn't entirely honed as of yet. Which was understandable given his not having been raised with the other sons and the abuse that came with his powers manifesting in the first place. Chase hadn't felt anyone was different other than him, and then the sons when he met them. Most people he grew up around didn't understand him, and the sons themselves didn't understand him, in the few times he had interacted with them.

Of course he was a little unhinged, it was the only way to be when everyone seen you as something wrong. Chase considered that life before his thirteenth birthday was the best time he had lived, before The Power, came. Listening to the woman as she spoke he quirks a brow up "Well, I guess now you know, huh?" Chase smiled as she had went on "And I have to say, my family has more than paid enough of that price, haven't they?" Though for him, personally, he had noticed the price and paid it freely. With The Power came for others in his coven, changes. Mostly in rapid aging the more power used. But for him, he hadn't aged since he started using, or the more he used, but he had been facing other ill effects.

"Ahhh. Well mine is born into our kind. So we didn't actually deal with an imp, or some contract. Maybe a pact with the devil-" Laughing at that idea, he glanced away "Buuut, maybe it's just…evolution, for the Witches in my coven." They ascended, which wasn't something he had read about so far about other witches. In the same sense as his kind did. Plus, it was more often, if not entirely so that males were the only ones born with these abilities, but he had only speculated that. Given the only samples were, male.

Smirking at her, he leaned in a bit before pulling away from Ellyn "Yeah. I'm only eighteen. I could be ruled by plenty of other things. Like sex. But, instead power motivates me. And you're offering me easy access to knowledge that could help me attain power. Of course I am intensely interested, hm?" Chase curled his nose a bit, making a face "The rest of that has already been my downfall…I know what failing is like." Chase went on "I know what fighting for ever ounce of acknowledgement from those who would deny your existence feels like… I may be be young. But I am not entirely ignorant. Less so, each day."

Laughing at the padawan comment he crossed his arms under his chest and looks away. Feeling something press against him, he again narrowed his eyes, a light spreading at the center of his chest for a moment, thudding like a heartbeat inside of his chest "Queen…" Chase muttered, thinking "Well, welcome to America, your high-ness." The teenager commented sharply. He thought things over "Who is Nimue…" He felt it was familiar, but didn't look too much into it as he continued "Sparing. Noted." Chase smirked then, shifting slightly "I want you to do your best. Huh?" The witch challenged, taking a step back from her "So where we going for this spar?"

The Fae Queen is considering that he might be a bit more unhinged than she initially thought. Especially with those monosyllabic answers of his. It's almost as if he doesn't hear a word she says in regards to much more than her wee bit of a warning and that's when she notices the subtle shift in the air between them; a ripple of power that's invisible but certainly noticeable as he finally expresses some interest. Even if it's the wrong sort and motivated by his twisted views of things.

Taking a deep breath, she hummed as she let it out and stretched her hands above her head before her hands settled back on her hips. "See, now, had I known that name-dropping would get more of your attention, I would've done it earlier, handsome...And while I do agree in part of your assessment of the power your forebearers bargained for--I do have to say that all magic comes at a price, lad. I'm paying mine with every breath I take, though, to be fair, mine isn't given by some little infernal imp or shite contract--or however you humans are doing things these days."

The sudden thunderstorm doesn't deter her in any form or fashion because she can sense his power level with the wind he raised; has a clear understanding of most of his limits even if he doesn't. Ellyn meets his pitch-dark gaze with her own smoldering amber and a fanged smirk. "See, now, the thing about you being so eager to spar a bit like this is that you haven't even waited for a proper introduction or for me to tell you how I learned from Merlin either...You're young and ruled by your ego and emotions--those are going to be your downfall unless you learn to control them and apply that control to learn more about your power, young padawan."

Well, that and the fact that she doesn't need the same amount of time to prepare as he does; grass rustling beneath their feet. All the rain served to do was give her a slight chill and make her clothes stick to her like a second skin. Still, she's letting her aura expand to fill the space between them and brush against his own; ancient, immortal, and increasing the gravitational force on his very body to keep him rooted to the spot--nothing harmful or lethal. "I am Queen Llewellyn Emrys of Faery, daughter of Merlin and Nimue and I'm only here to offer you the chance of your lifetime, lad. I do not wish to do more than have a wee spar with you, I'm not going to use anything lethal or permanent. However, if you wish for me to make a point of this whole farce, then I shall. Tis up to you."

[cloudteawrites]

chapter: three ( 2.9k ) rating: mature (death, past abuse, eventual smut) genre: mystery | romance | hurt/comfort tags: bts x reader | ot7 x reader | hybrid | poly summary: when an estranged uncle leaves you his massive fortune you wonder if the universe is playing a joke on you. when that fortune comes with seven hybrids, you know for sure that it is. << first < previous | next > last >>

You did what any sane person would do upon finding one of the world’s deadliest predators making itself at home in their living room: you made unbroken eye contact with it for a solid five seconds before backing out of the penthouse and quietly closing the door. You stand in the hallway, staring at your hand still wrapped around the handle, unable to move. “No,” you mutter softly. “That can’t be right...” You punch the code in again and peak your head inside. The tiger is still there, staring straight at you. It makes a noise and you slam the door shut. You weren’t hallucinating, you weren’t dreaming. There was definitely a tiger on your couch. “What the fuuuuuck… ” You mutter, pulling your phone from your jacket pocket and punching in Mr. Seo’s number as fast as your thumbs will let you. “What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck-”

The phone rings once, three times, seven. There’s no answer. You groan and try not to think of this as the universe punishing you for being late. You hang up and send him a text instead, imploring him to call you back as soon as possible.

You press your back flat against the door and slide down it, sitting with your legs splayed out in front of you. There was a tiger in the penthouse. There was a tiger in the penthouse. You drag your hands down your face, replaying all your conversations with Mr. Seo and all the documents you’d read. There’d been nothing about pets in the asset manifest. You knew; you’d checked three times. You weren’t confident in your ability to take care of all of Oliver’s companies much less another living thing. You didn’t even really want to take care of the hybrids, but you’d appeased yourself with the knowledge that it was only temporary. So why there was a tiger in your living room you couldn’t say...Unless-

Your eyes widen. All the purchase order had said was three felines. It’d been you that’d made the assumption they’d be house cats. Not to mention, Mr. Park said the hybrids had been delivered already which meant the big cat sunning itself on the couch was-

Before you can draw the thought to its logical conclusion, the door swings open. You tilt backward, world going askew, but before your head can crack against the marble tile there’s a flurry of movement and someone’s holding it in soft hands.

You see azure eyes, soft lips, a crop of honey blonde hair. You blink up at the prettiest man you’ve ever seen in your life. His mouth melts into a close-lipped smile. “Hello,” His voice is soft and airy, almost musical. “You must be our new owner.”

You wince at the word owner. “Uh, I’m Y/N, yeah.”

He hums in acknowledgement then asks, “Would you like to stand up? The floor must be uncomfortable.”

“Oh!” You’d been so busy staring into his eyes that you’d forgotten he was crouched on the ground, holding your head in his hands. “Yeah, I would. Thanks for catching me.”

He gives you another smile. “Of course,” He purrs.

The man offers you a hand and helps you to your feet. Even when you’re standing, he doesn’t release it. You try to tug your own away, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, but he holds you fast and laces your fingers together. You balk down at your conjoined hands and shoot him a look of concern, but if the prospect of holding hands with a virtual stranger bothers him, you certainly can’t tell from the serene expression on his face.

Now that you’re standing and you get a better look at him, you can tell that he’s really -almost disconcertingly- good looking. His hair is well groomed and, if the golden spotted ears poking out from it are any indication, naturally blonde. He’s dressed simply, in a loose-fitting cream sweatshirt and matching pants. The logo of breeding company he’d come from was embroidered neatly on the upper left side of it, just above his heart. He’s taller than you, but not overly so. You’re at eye-level with the elegant column of his throat. He’s slender, from what you could tell, and he smells nice, like soap and fresh linen. He notices you ogling him and tilts his head to the side, catching your gaze again.

“Is this your first time meeting a hybrid?” He’s still smiling at you calmly and you feel at ease despite the nervous heat you can feel creeping into your cheeks.

You offer him a wincing smile in return. “Is it that obvious?” Despite them being relatively common,  you’d only seen them from a distance or when they were standing silent beside their owners while they made a purchase. You’d never had an actual conversation with one. You feel something twine around your calf and you jump, startled. There, wrapped around your leg, was a long, fluffy tail, just as golden and spotted as his ear. Well that , certainly wasn’t a house cat’s tail.

The man laughs at your reaction and it sounds like bells. “It’s okay,” he assures you, tugging you out of the doorway and into the apartment. “I don’t mind the staring.”

You feel a little relieved knowing you hadn’t offended him. Your temporary relaxation evaporates when you catch sight of the tiger again over the hybrid’s right shoulder. In the haze of meeting this one, you’d completely forgotten the one stretched out over the couch. The spotted hybrid notices your gaze shift and squeezes your hand lightly.

“Don’t be afraid,” he soothes, tail tip twitching against your calf. That was right, you’d heard they could smell chemicals that signaled major shifts in emotion. “That’s Taehyung. He was born wild, so that body is a little more comfortable for him. There’s still a person in there, so you don’t need to worry, okay?”You nod mutely, only moderately comforted by the spotted hybrid’s reassurance. “-And I’m Jimin.”

Jimin. Taehyung. You repeat the names to yourself over and over again in your head.

“-And Yoongi-hyung is around here somewhere.” That was right; there were supposed to be three of them. “He’s probably sleeping; he doesn’t like to be awake during the day time. If you find a bobcat in a closet don’t be surprised, okay?”

You swallow dryly. “No promises.”

The man- Jimin, you remind yourself. His name was Jimin - let out another soft laugh and steps back, untangling his tail from you to turn and face the tiger. “Tae,” he calls. “Come say hello to Y/N.”

Your heart jumps into your throat and you hold your free hand up. “No!” You say, alarmed, as the tiger rises and stretches. It lets a long, barbed tongue loll out of its mouth as it yawns and you feel your blood go cold at the sight of three-inch long incisors. “I-It’s okay; he doesn’t have to get up if he doesn’t want to!” But the tiger has already hopped down from the couch and is sidling toward you. You make a noise of distress and try to tug away from Jimin, but he’s stronger than he looks. His thumb rubs soothing circles on the back of your hand. It doesn’t help.

Taehyung stalks closer and closer until he’s right in front of you. You stand as still as you can manage, trying not to do anything that might set the predator off. Hybrid or not, he could still take a chunk out of you if the mood struck him.

Far away he was big, but up close he’s massive. On all fours, his shaggy head reaches your waist. If you bent forward to wrap your arms around his neck, you’re not sure if they’d even reach all the way. His paws are the width of dinner plates and from nose tip to tail, he has to be at least ten feet long. There’s no doubt that he’s a beautiful animal. Beautiful and terrifying.

For a moment the three of you stand there: Jimin holding your hand, you staring at the tiger and the tiger staring back. Suddenly he leans forward and presses his nose to your stomach, letting out a rumble that makes your whole body vibrate. Your eyes snap toward Jimin, wide. The other hybrid seems completely at ease. If anything, his smile’s gotten even wider.

“He wants you to pet him,” he says by means of explanation.

“Is that okay?” Before Jimin can give you answer, Taehyung presses his muzzle even further into your stomach and huffs. His breath is so warm you can feel it even through your jacket. You let out a puff of air. “Alright…”

You move slowly so you don’t startle him. You set a trembling hand atop the tiger’s head and gently run your fingers through his fur. It’s wirier than you thought it’d be, the hairs coarse against your skin. The tiger lets out another rumble, louder this time and much longer. You snatch your hand back for a moment, startled, and worried he was upset- but he sat back on his haunches, reached out with one massive paw and pressed your hand back against his head.

You let out a surprised bark of laughter.

Emboldened by his apparent approval, you risk scratching behind his ears. The big cat practically melts. If he could purr, you think he would. A hesitant smile creeps on to your lips. “You’re not so bad, huh?” He tilts his head forward to give you better access to his ears.

You feel Jimin’s tail curl around your ankle again, the hybrid apparently pleased to see you getting along so well with his friend. “None of us are,” he hums, taking advantage of your distracted state to brush your conjoined hands against his cheek. “Not when you get to know us.”

“What the hell are you two doing?” A gruff voice at the top of the glass staircase catches your attention. There on the landing is a man in a black sweatsuit identical to Jimin’s. His ash gray hair is a mess, mashed up on one side from sleep and his eyes are squinted against the light seeping in from the oversized windows. A pair of large, tufted ears are turned backward on top of his head and a short tail flicks behind him in irritation. The two other hybrids disentangle themselves from you immediately. “Didn’t I tell you to wake me up when the owner got here?”

There’s that word again: owner. You hate how final sounds. In the eyes of the law they may have been your property, but they were still people. You didn’t want them to think of themselves as something you possessed, however brief their stay with you would be.

The black-clad man slumps down the stairs, clearly displeased with the scene before him. Taehyung lowers his head between his shoulders and slinks back to his position on the couch, but Jimin stays by your side, slightly behind your shoulder. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was trying to use you as a shield from his hyung.

Yoongi stops in front of the kitchen, tugs out a bar stool and drops his weight into it. He’s still a good twenty feet away, but Jimin doesn’t look appeased. “You were sleeping, Hyung…” he purrs. “I didn’t want to disturb you-”

“Bullshit,” the bobcat huffs . “You two just wanted to scent like a bunch of cubs and you knew I’d stop you.”

Jimin’s bottom lip pokes out into a pout but he doesn’t deny the accusation.

“...Is scenting bad?”

Yoongi cuts his eyes at you and his stare is so icy, you get the feeling you shouldn’t have spoken at all. His tail lashes behind him.

“It’s not bad,” Jimin soothes, his hand finding your lower back. He rubs circles into it, trying to relax you. “It’s just-”

“It’s rude.” Yoongi cuts him off. “And they know better.”

Jimin wilts and slowly retracts his hand.

Yoongi rakes a hand back through his hair and you catch your first good look at his face. It’s small, his features soft but well articulated. He’s boyishly handsome- or would be if he wasn't fixing you and his junior with a look that could freeze hell over. “Jimin, Taehyung, go upstairs.”

The spotted hybrid behind doesn’t argue, just lets his tail and ears droop as he slumps toward the staircase, the tiger on his heels.”

It’s only once they’ve disappeared around a corner and a door shuts that Yoongi speaks again.”What do you want us for?”

Your brow furrows in confusion. “Why do you think I want you for something?”

“This isn’t our first time doing this,” he drawls. “You people think just because you can have something, you should . So, you go out and buy exotic hybrids that you can walk around on a gold leash to show off to all of your friends. Or you take us off suppressants so you can take advantage of us. Or you treat us like dolls. You don’t think we’re real. We’re just toys to you, and if you break us? Well, that’s okay because you can always buy another.”

Your mouth feels dry. Was that what his life had been like up until this point? A revolving door of people who only saw him as temporary entertainment and gave him back when he turned out to be more trouble than they thought he was worth? You knew that feeling; were more familiar with it than you’d care to admit or remember. “I’m not like that,” You insist, softly.

“I don’t know what you’re like,” Yoongi scoffs. “And if you’re just gonna send us back in a month, I don’t really care to find out.” An uncomfortable silence settles between the two of you. He doesn’t seem bothered by it, his gray gaze still focused to a sharp point in you. “Jimin, Taehyung, they’re young. They still have hope. You’re only Tae’s second owner. You’re Jimin’s third.” A pause, and then, “You’re my eighth. I know how this goes.” He pushes up from the bar stool and stalks back toward the stairs. “I don’t care how you treat me,” he calls back over his shoulder as he retreats back to the second floor. “But don’t get their hopes up by pretending to be something you’re not.”

A door slams and you flinch. You’re alone again

This day was not going how you thought it would. All the videos you’d watched online had shown bright eyes hybrids smiling as they were embraced by their new families, happy to be taken home. None of them had covered what to do if your hybrid didn’t want to be at home and certainly not how to handle an exotic one.

You shuffle over to the living room, toss your backpack onto the floor and step over the back of the couch into the sunken living room . You settle down, cross-legged and pull out your phone.You open up your web app and input your first query.

my hybrid hates me

3.5 million results.

You scroll down, article after article explaining how you should deal with dog hybrids challenging your authority, bunny hybrids thumping because they felt insecure, and cat hybrids knocking things over in a bid to get your attention. You suck your teeth. None of these were going to help you. You tap on the search bar and edit your request.

my exotic hybrid hates me

182 results. Most of them were for porn. You quickly hit the back button.

“Okay,” you mutter. “Let’s try something else.”

what is hybrid scenting

18.6 million results.

The top one is from the International Association of Hybrid Owners and you figure that’s as good a source as any. You tap it and scan the first paragraph.

Hybrids have a sense of smell that is thousands of times more powerful than a human’s. Scent is used to interpret emotions, track food in the wild and identify members of a family group. Juvenile hybrids often gravitate toward familiar smells in order to self-soothe if their parent is not available.

Upon welcoming a new hybrid into your home they may wish to mix their scent with yours in order to signify your new bond or let other hybrids know that you are a member of their family group. If there are multiple hybrids in the home, it is important that the dominant hybrid be allowed to scent you first, then the subordinate hybrid(s) in order of age. If this scenting order is not enforced, it can cause disharmony within the family group and tension between members.

You close the article and set your phone down. Was that why Yoongi was upset? Because Jimin and Taehyung had essentially marked you as a member of their family without his say so and undermined his authority? You flop back against the couch cushions. You were sure that wasn’t the only reason but it certainly didn’t help

You think about the cold look in Yoongi’s eyes, about how eager Jimin and Taehyung had been to get their scent on you, about how tightly Jimin had held onto your hands, like you were going to slip away into smoke at any moment. You drag your hands down over your eyes. Well, one thing was for certain. You certainly couldn’t send them back now.

[vbee-miya]

✧︎How To Shift✧︎

disclaimer : before I start explaining anything you have to know that everyone’s shifting experiences and adventures are UNIQUE and different for what you will / you have experienced.

part i || currently on || part iii

➺︎ How I prepare for a successful shift

Background knowledge : before I successfully shifted I did some prior research to what shifting was. I made sure that it was something I would feel comfortable doing. Though at that time I didn’t really care for whatever shifting was. TikTok made it blow up, but it’s not the best source of information. Rather I went through articles back in 2015 actually and shifting realities have been a thing. So with this knowledge I thought I would put it to the test to see if it was actually real or not. First time I did it it was no good. I just ended up falling into a deep *lucid dream.

* note - lucid dreaming is when the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming and is able to gain control over the dream, the dream narrative, and the environment. the thing people confused about shifting with lucid dreaming is because both feel vivid and real. Mind you this, that was also me. But in my opinion what separates lucid dreaming to shifting is that the reality doesn’t change. In lucid dreams the reality stays the same as the current reality that’s why usually when you wake up you didn’t wake up in the same place/position as when you started. As for shifting your body stays stil and it’s only your consciousness that is moving around. if you watch naruto think of Ino Yamanaka. She’s able to move her consciousness into a different body than hers almost resembling a ‘different reality’ and while she does this Shikamaru Nara or Chiji Akimichi have to make sure that the body not only gets harmed but is moved. So that the consciousness can have an easy pathway to go back to the ‘original vessel.’

Making sure you have a proper environment : lucid dreaming wasn’t just one thing that caused me to fail in the shifting process, but it was also because I didn’t have the right environment to do so. I’m Filipino and in most traditional Filipino households. They’re loud. Shifting requires medication and focus. And I’m the type to not be able to focus in such loud areas. So making sure that you have a comfortable safe place to prepare for you shift is ideal.

Experimenting with different methods : remember when I said that everyone has different shifting experiences? I meant that in actual terms. there’s at least over 5+ ways/methods to shift. and I tried five of them and I only one felt comfortable to my liking. Which was the raven method. In much simpler terms it’s where you make sure your in one spot and you make sure that your limbs aren’t touching each other so almost like a star fish laying down. It’s silly, but there’s ways to not make it look so pathetic looking I guess. But as I was stating earlier there’s many ways/methods. And YouTube has plenty of them explain different process in much better ways.

Getting into the mindset : yes before I shifted I had no faith or motivation to push myself to shift. that’s one of the reasons why I wasn’t able to shift well. because I’d keep giving in. I really just didn’t care. However when I found out about affirmations and scripting I hated the idea of doing it because I wanted to shift just like that without the need to keep scripting. But I tried it and around the second maybe third week of doing this alongside the scripting it also didn’t work. So then I found out about subliminals. I figured using a meditation audio would help and it made the process go smoothly, but at the cost that the process of me shifting and getting into my consciousness would take a really long time since I’m not really spiritual. So accessing my deep inner consciousness was hell. Another thing that helps is when you say you affirmations when you do decide to meditate and such. Affirmations or messages like “I will be safe, I will have a safe shift, I can shift.”

Short story on how I shifted : To make a long story short eventually I tied the raven method, 30 minute meditation audio, then a certain subliminal audio over 10 minutes long in queued (so I wouldn’t have to have any problems of getting out of my meditation phase), and saying the affirmations and manifestations at the back back of my head I was slowly able to feel myself falling deeper into my consciousness, but it’s funny because I didn’t feel like I was going to fall asleep. Eventually the deeper I went the atmosphere around me started shifting slightly. I wanted to open my eyes but I knew that’ll eff things up so I waited. I kept getting deeper and deeper as the reality and atmosphere around me started to change. My head felt like it was getting clear my body temperature was actually heating up which apparently isn’t something that’s too rare to experience when first starting to shit. Anyways so going back to the first post/point can’t quite remember when I said this, but when starting to shifting you want at least some confirmation that you’ve shifted so in my case it was that I’d feel mist like drips on me. And I did. Next thing I knew I was walking through the gym doors my vision was hazy and I saw Shinsuke Kita in front of me and I low-key have ptsd from him.

The “importance” of scripting for beginners : i was arrogant enough to think that I wouldn’t need to script, but turns out I did. It helps a lot actually. Um to summarize what I want to say if you just shift willingly with out any prior knowledge of what you’d do. You’ll end up like me in my first shift to HxH. Something will go wrong and it’s not like a lucid dream where you can erase that. The bodies and such in that shift will know that such thing happened. Of course as the shifter you have the power to change that once you come back to your cr script that such thing never happened then shift back to your dr. Scripting is also important for just mentally reminding yourself why your there. So as I got used to the process of shifting I was able to shift without using the subliminals/meditation audio and I was able to reduce my affirmations by what I wanted to ensure happens during the shift. Rather then saying like oh “I’m the manager for Inarizaki high”or “I’m a smart student and school is easy.” Like as I continued to shift I didn’t need to say things like that. It was more of like “in this shift, this time I have to remember I have to talk to so and so.”

Anyways that’s kind of all I have to say about shifting. I hope this helps some people for more clarifications and such you can always ask google. 🧍🏻‍♀️ but ask me as a last resort because if not I’d probably end up confusing you more. Have a lovely rest of the day 💜

[gyucore]

long live the king

pairing: mage!hueningkai x noble!reader

tags: fluff, royalty au, friends to lovers, hueningkai can do magic

word count: 3.3k

prompts:

011: "May I have this dance?"

019: "I don't think anyone could ever be as lovely as you."

020: "You look incredible in that."

Tonight had been advertised as the night to end all nights— a masquerade ball held by the king at the palace, and a brightly lit ballroom decorated with gold and the continent's finest silk, adorning the kingdom's rose insignia. Entertainers and musicians positioned around the vicinity to perform their best acts and tunes, and the gates were left wide open to welcome everyone who wanted to join in, given that they tried their best to dress for the occasion.

Today was an event open to all the kingdom's citizens, from high seated nobles to common men by the streets, everyone was welcome to participate in the king's annual ball. However, that fact didn't matter for a family such as yours. Your father was the Marquess, which meant that you were invited to every single ball or gathering held by the nobility for the nobility. At least, that was how it had been until the incident.

The peering eyes of both the nobles and commoners alike have left you frozen on your spot by the pillar. Your bright red ball gown, although beautiful, was not helping you hide away from the eyes of the crowd. It was evident they were all thinking the same thing.

The unfortunate daughter of a fallen marquess.

News had gotten out about your family's crisis and had spread to the public like a disease. The Grand Marquess losing money, property, and power: The fall of a great noble. The story made headlines for weeks on end— rumors mixing in with the truth, and eventually, everyone had drawn the same conclusion. Pitiful.

You worry about your parents at the other end of the room, doing their best to mingle with the other nobles. The heavy atmosphere was weighing down on your chest.

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you try to think of the things that calmed you down: the rustic smell of old books at the public library, the warm feeling you'd get when the rays of sunlight touch your skin as you sit by the window with your face buried deep into your favorite classic, the bright smile the common mage boy would give you everytime you crossed paths—

"Wow."

A familiar voice brings you back from your thoughts.

"You look incredible in that." The same bright smile you'd envisioned earlier now stood in front of you.

You gaze in awe at the man before you, dressed in what you could only describe as the most beautiful and elegant ensemble you'd seen tonight. The way the white suit hugged his waist left little room for the imagination. You doubt even the king himself could top this off.

"Lady Y/N. I believe fate must have brought us together in this fine evening." The man gently bends down, taking your hand and planting a kiss so fleeting that you barely felt it. Even with the golden mask on, you could easily tell who it was.

"Kai.."

"Ah, and here I was hoping I'd be a little more mysterious tonight." Kai holds back his laughter as he gazed upon you once more. You can't help but do the same.

Tonight, he looked nothing of a common mage but that of a king himself. If you hadn't known him beforehand, you would've mistaken him as so, especially with tonight's main event— the reveal of the king's successor. But alas, what the mage boy had going on for him was merely for appearances. A commoner like him could never be king in a world where even dreaming of becoming one was considered to be of highest absurdity.

"I thought you said you weren't attending?"

Kai shrugs, folding his hands behind his back. "And refuse my lady when you so graciously asked me out?"

His response catches you off guard. "I don't recall ever asking you anything of that sort."

"You asked if I'd attend."

"And that counts as asking you out?"

Kai chuckles. "When you asked me with such a cute look on your face, it was difficult to think you weren't looking forward to me being here."

And he was right. Given your circumstances, Kai being here with you was like a breath of fresh air. You'd been praying all night that he'd magically arrive to help you take your mind off of things, and you felt like crying out in joy when he actually did.

Kai looks around, seemingly getting a sense of the pressure you were in. "Shall we take a stroll around the garden, my lady?"

You follow his line of sight and spot the royal garden just outside the window. "I'll let you accompany me if you drop the whole my lady business."

Kai purses his lips as he takes your hand in his. "Can't you let me be fancy for one night?"

Every moment you'd spent with Kai up until this point had been the highlight of your days. As the daughter of the Marquess, you'd spent most of your time holed up inside your manor. Women barely got any education aside from the usual classes on manners and societal etiquette, and that included nobles as well. But that never stopped you. Once a week, when the guards changed shifts by the gate, and the maids and butlers were all busy with the weekly general cleaning, you'd take the opportunity to slip out in disguise, undetected by anyone. The main goal was to get to the public library and obtain access to educational material— ones that didn't involve any prim and proper rubbish that you've read over a thousand times.

The first time outside was rather difficult. You barely managed to get inside the library's more educational section while passing as a man. However, every succeeding attempt became easier and easier until coming out in secret and gaining access didn't seem like that much of a hassle anymore.

At the library, you were free to read any book you want, and used this opportunity to brush up on some business and economics as well as some of the basic sciences. You spent the first few months stocking up on knowledge until you felt it fine to relax a little and start reading novels to pass the time without the help of a disguise.

There was a section in the library that you hadn't checked; one that you'd deemed unnecessary as it only contained children's literature. It wasn't until you'd heard the sound of a man's voice followed by children's laughter that you felt compelled enough to take a peek.

"And then, the dragon swooped down onto the village and attacked the innocent villagers! ROARRR. Breathing fire as hot as, well, uh— FIRE!"

You slipped up and giggled at the young man's amusing narration, piping down a bit after realizing that he had noticed you from behind the shelves, throwing a knowing smirk your way.

It was then that he pulled down his cloak. Wavy brown locks gracefully reaching the back of his neck, bright eyes that could make any person let their guard down— he looked around your age which made you feel more at ease.

The young man steps back, dramatically breathing fire out of his mouth as the children cheered. Some were yelling at him to continue until only smoke came out, and you swore you heard one of them ask if he could make the fire turn green. Ridiculous, you think. But you were no different from these children, only being able to stand there in awe at the young man's trick. Perhaps turning the fire green wasn't such a terrible idea.

You've heard of mages among the commoners before, and had met a few that visited your manor but this was the first time you'd seen one in action. The flames that came out of his mouth looked awfully hot but the young man didn't even blink or showed any signs of pain.

He stops the fire and clears his throat, now kneeling down to face the children. "The villagers were worried sick! What would happen to their crops, their produce, their livelihood? If only a hero would come along and save them!" He makes an overly exaggerated wail before gasping.

"Well, who do we have here? A warrior has come to save the villagers!" The young man points at your direction and you feel your blood run cold as all the children in the room had turned their attention towards you, hopeful.

"A young maiden has arrived to slay the evil dragon!"

You quickly shake your head at his statement, holding your arms out in a cross. "No, kids. Don't believe what this man says. I am not a warrior, and I'm certainly not here to slay any dragons"

The young man raises a brow, getting up from his spot. "Then why do you have the magical sword that was forged to slay the mighty dragon?"

"What sword?"

The young man snaps his fingers. "That sword."

The weight on your hips dip on one side and you couldn't believe your eyes as a sheathed sword had magically manifested beside your waist out of thin air. "How did you— wait, is this a real sword?! You can't play around with real swords in front of children!"

The children turn towards the young man in confusion.

"Well, kids. Do you want the kind lady to slay the dragon with a real sword?"

"YES!" The children cheered.

The young man turns to you with a smile. "You gotta give the kids what they want, Miss."

An exasperated expression makes its way to your face. "I am not slaying any made up dragons!"

"Now, what's all this talk about slaying dragons?"

Taehyun, one of the stricter librarians, had come out of nowhere, surprising everyone. His eyes scan the room and quickly notices three things: (1) the dangerous sword hanging on your waist, (2) the excessive amount of children in the room when the sign on the way in definitely mentioned a capacity of only five, and (3) someone let the mage boy inside the library again. The culprit was evident.

"Jung Kai, I swear to the heavens I will—"

"Alright kids, time to go! We'll end the story next time!" The young man, Kai, rushes the disappointed children out of the section before they heard something they shouldn't.

You were about to walk away yourself but was quickly stopped by Taehyun's hand blocking your path. "Kai, didn't I tell you that you're not allowed to perform magic inside the library? And seriously," He confiscates the sword on your waist, holding it up in the air. "Violence?"

Kai looks at you and grins. "I suppose we could've gone with a more romantic ending. Something like the warrior's kiss saving the dragon from his curse, and he turns back into this super handsome, super cute, and super macho mage."

The way he shamelessly described himself left you speechless, and you steal a glance at the librarian who looked as equally disgusted as you are.

"Just clean up the mess before you leave. And that means you too, Miss Dragon Slayer."

"But I didn't even—" You cut yourself off after Taehyun dismisses himself from the room.

The section falls silent and Kai walks up to you, a smile ever present in his face. "I'm guessing this is the start of our new friendship?"

And that was what started it all. Everytime you'd visit the library after that, you seemed to bump into Kai more often than you liked. He saw through the disguise the first time he saw you wearing it and had promised to not utter a single word to anyone. The mage boy was much more reliable than he seemed to be, often helping you in your studies and teaching you more than the books ever could. Sometimes, he'd convince you to take a stroll around town and had shown you sights and wonders you wouldn't have expected to see inside the kingdom.

Before you knew it, Kai had become someone you'd cherished, and someone whose company you genuinely appreciated. He was patient and understanding as your makeshift mentor, and was this fun and outgoing guy whenever you two were out together. Kai became the first friend you'd made on your own regardless of status and the only friend you wished to keep by your side.

"I take it that the people in the ballroom were too much?" Kai speaks the moment arrived at the garden.

"Please. I couldn't even breathe in there." You play it off with a chuckle but thoughts of worry still plague your mind. "I'm guessing you probably know by now."

"About what? The fact that you're the daughter of the Marquess or that the Marquess has been in a crisis for a while?"

"Both."

Kai reaches for your hand, holding it reassuringly. "I've known for a while but that doesn't change anything now, does it? We became friends without the burden of our status, and we'll stay as friends regardless."

You hated this, hated how he always knew exactly what to say. The heat rushes up to your face and you squeeze his hand tighter, avoiding eye contact. "Thank you."

But truthfully, there was a little voice in Kai's head that wished you could be something more. Not after you'd shared those intimate moments alone at the library at dusk, not after he rushed in to catch you in his arms when you fell while shelving a book on the top shelves, and especially not after you almost shared a kiss after saying goodbye that night he'd helped you sneak back in.

Even now, as he lovingly gazed at your silhouette beneath the moonlight, he'd hoped that he'd have the chance to tell you how he felt. But then again, the chance could be right now at this very moment. The two of you were, afterall, at the king's ball.

"So, how were the gentlemen earlier?"

"What?" You raise your head to face Kai.

"I've no doubt that hundreds of people had been lining up to dance with you all evening." Kai grins as he gently lets go of your hand.

"Please, I haven't danced at all tonight."

"I find that quite hard to believe."

You sigh, recalling the events from earlier. "No one would want to be seen dancing with a fallen Marquess' daughter now would they?"

"Not when you look this beautiful?" Kai jokingly walks around you and you shy away from his gaze.

"You know I never say things I don't mean, Y/N." Kai bends down and holds your hands in his. "And believe me, I don't think anyone could ever be as lovely as you."

"Is flattery your main personality trait now?" You say as an attempt to not let his compliment affect you any further than it should but fail miserably so.

Kai stands before you with an unreadable expression. You'd argue this was the most serious look he's ever had since you'd met him.

"Care to dance?" Kai asks, leaning in closer, your faces merely inches apart. You feel your heart beating loudly in your chest, and you're almost afraid he might hear.

The moonlight casts a shadow on Kai's face, and despite the darkness, his eyes glistened, reflecting your own as you stared into his. You've never seen anyone look so beautiful. And here he was, telling you that you're the loveliest person he's ever known.

"Right now?"

Kai nods, taking off his mask and tossing it over to the side. "And I'd like it if we could dance without our masks too. I've been wanting to get a good look at your face all night."

You chuckle, removing your mask and tossing it to to the ground next to his. "And how do you suppose we dance without music? My reputation's already dirt at this point and I do not want to be branded as the crazy noble dancing at the royal garden in complete silence."

Kai fails to suppress his laughter, holding on to your shoulder to maintain himself upright. "Well, I wouldn't want to let my dear lady look crazy now would I?"

"And what are you planning to do?"

"Well, I am a mage." Kai smirks as he manifests a scepter out of thin air, leaving a trail of golden dust flurrying down.

This was the first time you've ever seen it in person. Kai had mentioned how he needed the aid of his scepter to perform high level magic, but he'd never taken it out in front of you until now. One look at the scepter and anyone could tell not just any old mage owned the darn thing. It looked majestic by all means, intricately decorated with gold and topped off with a brightly colored red gemstone you couldn't seem to identify. You'd heard that mages often created their own unique gemstones as a manifestation of their mana but for Kai's to be red, which had been said to be a quite powerful variant, made you wonder just how powerful your friend had been.

"And here we go." Kai takes the scepter in his hand and drives it into the ground. The impact causes a wave of light to burst from the scepter and spread throughout the reaches of garden. In a split-second, the wave of light rushes back into its source, compressing into a huge orb of light lifting up into the sky, rivaling the moon with its glow. The orb splits into smaller pieces and starts to dance around the garden, leaving you in awe at the spectacle.

Kai finds himself grinning from ear to ear at your reaction. He'd studied magic as an expression of rebellion against his father but now, he'd found another purpose to perform these little tricks of his. He places his hand on your waist and pulls you closer. "Wait for it."

The orbs of light find their places around you, slowly taking the shape of various instruments you've seen inside the ballroom, from strings to percussions, and even wind instruments. Smaller pieces of light continued to hover the surroundings, resembling glowing fireflies in the dark.

"Kai, this is beautiful." You look up at the young man, and he steps away, bowing his head as he plants yet another kiss on the back of your hand.

"May I have this dance?"

His eyes meet yours and you feel your heart skip a beat. It was rather difficult to explain. The Kai in front of you right now had been the same Kai you've always known, but somehow.. different.

You raise your hand for him to take, guiding your other hand to find perch on his shoulder, and his finding its place on your waist. With the first step, the instruments started playing. It's a piece you've heard before, one that Kai had fondly hummed nearly everytime you were together at the library.

It was as if the world had faded into the distance, and at this moment, there was only you and him, dancing alone in the garden. He pulls you close, his hold gentle and warm. Kai spins you around. The heel of your shoe collides with a rock, and you nearly stumble back until Kai manages to grab you by the waist on time, pulling you back into his arms.

You spot the smirk on his face under the moonlight, and you press a finger against his lips. "Not one word."

"I wasn't going to say anything." Kai lets you go, and you quickly grab a hold of his arms to find balance.

"Of course you weren't."

"Well, I do have something I have to tell you. A few things, actually."

You cock a brow at him, and he steps forward. "I'll tell you the most important part first."

"And that is?"

Kai reaches out to cup your cheeks, gazing into your eyes as if asking permission. You didn't need to say anything for him to understand, and he closes the gap between you, pressing his lips against yours. The feeling was foreign but certainly welcome, and you soon close your eyes and reciprocate, wanting to feel more of his soft lips, and wanting to hold him closer and closer.

For long had you held out on this, on actually acknowledging your growing feelings for the lad in fear of having to live with the thought of him not feeling the same. But in this moment, you felt a heavy burden being lifted from your shoulders.

"Kai, I.."

The light from the orbs dim down and soon dissipates. Kai pulls away, gazing upon your flushed face. "You mean the world to me, Y/N. I don't think my life would ever be the same without you."

The trumpets blare in the ballroom, a signal that the new king was to make an appearance soon. You feel Kai's hand around yours. "As for my other confession, I think it's best we head back first."

He leads you back into the ballroom, and disappears the moment you find your parents in the crowd. You join them in the center as everyone gathers to get a glimpse at the new king.

The herald makes his way beside the grand staircase, straightening himself up to make the announcement that every citizen had been waiting to hear all evening.

"Presenting the next in line to the throne, to rule the vast lands of our esteemed nation, and lead us into a continuing era of prosperity! Our future King, His Royal Highness, Kai Kamal Huening!"

The doors open, revealing Kai, your Kai, adorned in the royal family's crest, robes, and jewelries as he made himself known to his loyal subjects.

Behind him was public librarian, Kang Taehyun, who had been revealed to be serving as one oc the King's advisors, and now, for the new monarch.

"Long live the King!"

Kai could pick out your from the crowd in a heartbeat, hos gaze meeting yours as he flashes you his signature smile. You couldn't believe what was happening— Kai, your best friend in the whole world, had just confessed his love to you. And now, that same Kai had revealed to you and to the public that he had been the future ruler of the country all along. The crowds cheered.

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the King." You whisper to yourself, wondering what the future has in store for you.

[morganofthesea]

I saw my magic today

I am new to my magic. I have always been drawn to magic and the magical. Even before Harry Potter made it cool, I found myself fascinated by the occult, by witches, by enchantments and spellwork. And I dabbled once in a while. A little spell here, a few sigils there: magic is what I turned to when I found life a struggle. And for about thirty years of my life, while I may not have been a practising witch, the magical folk continued to hold my interest. Then, about a month or so ago, propelled by some changes in my personal life -- I won't digress further -- I found myself being called to it strongly.

I read up about witchcraft vociferously, I sought out information on the various kinds of witchcraft. The hows and whats and most important of all, the whys. Here's are two important things I've learnt (among other things):

1. Something I knew instinctually as I matured, but needed it to be reiterated to me: witchcraft is not a shortcut to manifest your wildest desires. Like Hearth (of the channel HearthWitch on YouTube) says, witchcraft is just that, a craft. We have to put as much of an effort honing our skills here as we would in any other craft of our choosing.

2. We have to access our magical energy first. I've been there, I've desperately just wanted to sink my teeth into a good spell and feel witchy and live the aesthetics of a practising witch! But, as has been mentioned time and again by every good witchcraft source I found, what matters most is intention. And to go about the right way to go about attaching intent to your spell is to access your energy.

How I chose to access my magic is meditation. And that may not be for everyone, but it worked for me, after some initial struggles with random itches, aches, and distractions. All of us just need to find what works for us. Ginny Metheral (who has a channel of the same name on YouTube), says in one of her videos that she can barely get past a few seconds of meditation when she tries. And yet, she's an advanced meditation practitioner. So, root around and find what works for you.

Now, to the point of this post: I saw my magic today. And it was exactly how Hearth describes it and then some! It came to me a sudden flash of light about twenty minutes into my meditation today, and changed into a shifting, glittering, swaying energy that I could see in my mind's eye. I could sense the heat in my hands and tingling in my face and at the same time was rather aware of my physical surroundings. I became fully conscious of everything I was experiencing in that moment and certainly didn't want to let go of it. I'm so grateful that it happened, and I wasn't really expecting it to happen so soon (I have only been meditating with this intent for about 15 days or so). I also really hope that I will be able to access it again tomorrow and that with time, it gets easier and comes to me faster. That I am able to know it's within reach as surely as I know my cell phone is within reach.

I also hope that everyone who is starting their witchy journey is able to experience this.

To help you along, I want to share the links to the channels and blogs of some wonderful people I've found over the past month. They are all different kinds of witches and have helped me understand magic (it's a work in progress, really) much better than I ever did before. I've already linked to a couple of YouTube channels in the passage, but if you'd like to skip all that, I've repeated them here:

YouTube:

Ginny Metheral

Ginny is the first person I found who was really talking any sense when it comes to witchcraft, and is just a fount of knowledge. My journey as a witch began with a simple celebration of Imbolc, and it was thanks to her.

HearthWitch

Go here for myth-busting and getting a more well-rounded understanding of how to approach witchcraft. And how the heck do you centre and ground?! Hearth will tell you.

Foolish Fish

They have everything from tutorials to book reviews and well-researched videos that drop esoteric knowledge in terms that a layperson can understand

White Cloud Mystic

Their guided meditations for 'Awakening to Your Magic' are fantastic and have helped me immensely.

Blogs:

The Occult Living Room

Another useful resource about the types of magic and how to practise them.

John Kreiter

There are things here that I don't fully understand, and some others that I have little interest in. But it's a useful blog for certain tutorials.

I am not yet comfortable recommending books to read as a beginner. There are a lot of books out there, and I don't know enough to be able to say that any of the ones I've read are founded in sound research or knowledge. I'm better at corroborating a single topic of interest at a time because I can go looking for multiple sources and glean information from them. But I will be updating this list as and when I find valuable sources.