#substitution principle

[alianoralacanta]

On the other hand, if you want to do less of something, it's a good idea to do more of something else instead. Less interrupting? Add more listening. Less smartphone use? Add more of something that doesn't require a smartphone. Less driving? More finding and using the public transport options, carpooling, walking and/or batching errands together. Less late night [insert activity one does not wish to do]? More sleeping or resting. Or more whatever activity means one should be awake late at night (e.g working or being present with someone else).

Not all of them will be this easy - for some people, the examples above won't be that easy either. However, the substitution principle remains useful for both positive and negative resolutions.

Remember that if you want to do more of something, you have to do less of something else. It's that time of year where people set goals for the new year and they have plans and hopes and it's always focusing on what they want to do more of. More studying, more exercise, more crafting, more socialising, more making things from scratch. Okay, great. What are you going to do less of in order to have the time and energy to do more of those things you really want to do?

[mega-banette]

anyway i think the funniest way to hc teru as trans is to have him not know that there are trans people other than him. he woke up one day when he was 11 and was like oh of course i can be a boy i am the main character and most special person and then he just attacked anyone who said he couldn’t with his psychic powers.

[tinchicus]

Hoy les traigo un nuevo principio de SOLID, en este caso el encargado de que usemos correctammente el polimorfismo en nuestros proyectos. Esperro les sea de utilidad!

[o4o41]

"Logically, she should be one of the main characters, but in fact she looks like a typical cardboard "girlfriend of the main character", like helpless half-naked girls from films about some Indiana Jones (I have nothing against Indiana, but the girls of gg in those days were really mostly cardboard in the background). In the following seasons, there is a place for Amity, but it doesn't get any better - she continues to look cardboard, a girl who can only scream about her love for Luz. Who gave up all her goals for the sake of Loot, but she didn't come up with new ones, and now her whole life revolves around Luz, while Luz, like gg, quietly lives her life and solves her problems. In the last episode, she has a job, she succeeded her father and works with abominations, but kamon, did it ever mention before the third season that she wants to take over his profession?? No. Starting dating Luz, she loses her personality, and all that remains of her is the delight at the sight of Luz and perfectly correct conscientious decisions, which do not go well with the image of Amity from the first series."

Why Amity is a bad character

Not my post, Ive just translated it, but I can't agree more

This can be called not even a hate, but a perplexity, since Amity as a character is not integral with us. It's like a solid plot hole hastily glued into a ready-made idea of the series. Let's take it in order.

In the first episodes with Amity, she is shown as a bully (when she poured shit on Willow), always competing with everyone's nerd (remember the episode where she couldn't stand that at least someone was better than her in abominations?) and in general, something like a kind of Draco Malfoy from the world of the Owl House. Even the twins Edric and Emira Blite quietly disliked her, as they considered her an arrogant reptile, shitting other students out of boredom. And so it was, in fact.

But then they started showing us Amity from the other side, and then the first inconsistencies began. In the series with the library, where Amity read books to little witches and other fabulous creatures, it struck me for the first time - like, all this time, Amity had a soft nature hiding under a mask of arrogance, but her brother and sister didn't even know about it and considered her just a harmful bastard? Okay, okay, let's say. But then we learn from Amity's memories that she was always good and Willow left only at the request of overbearing parents who were against their friendship. I'm sorry, what? I remind you that at her first appearance, Amity mocks Willow when no one is around, clearly enjoying it herself. Who forced her to do nasty things then?? And anyway, if Amity had a kind nature from the very beginning, why would she mock and laugh at others? She would have walked around with an arrogant look and that was it. My parents told me not to be friends with witches of a different status, and not to bully everyone who doesn't like them.

And after Luz and Amity start dating, Amity transforms incredibly radically and quickly. And I'm not talking about the hairstyle (which was much better in the original version, imho). She completely changes her worldview, her behavior, her plans for life, after all. And everything would be fine, but... These events take place in one summer. One summer, Carl! In one summer, an arrogant witch who loves to bully others, trying to be the best at everything, dreaming of becoming part of the imperial coven, turns into her absolute opposite. And do you know what I can't understand about such transformations? Footing. What is it like here? Okay, Amity fell in love with Luz, but why did she suddenly change ALL her principles for her? After all, she had somehow justified her dreams, her goals for herself before? Before, she really wanted to be the best, to join the imperial coven. Or how did it happen according to the creators - the evil mom ordered Amity to wish for certain things and zombified her, and as soon as the good Luz came, Amity immediately realized everything in the world and was filled? The same Hunter is shown much more realistically, we see he has an incredibly strong motivation to change, and then he doesn't do it in two episodes.

Damn, how much Amity doesn't fit into the story can be seen by the end of the first season, when we have an awesome important event and the main characters have to risk their lives to rescue Ida from captivity. And Amity did it in this fucking important episode in the finale... absolutely nothing. A few episodes before that, we were shown how Amity falls in love with Luz, worries about Luz, is already crazy about Luz, but when Luz risks his life in the center of events, Amity just lies at home with his injured leg and watches everything on magic TV. Like, seriously, man?? They didn't even bother to put it in the plot. Logically, she should be one of the main characters, but in fact she looks like a typical cardboard "girlfriend of the main character", like helpless half-naked girls from films about some Indiana Jones (I have nothing against Indiana, but the girls of gg in those days were really mostly cardboard in the background). In the following seasons, there is a place for Amity, but it doesn't get any better - she continues to look cardboard, a girl who can only scream about her love for Luz. Who gave up all her goals for the sake of Loot, but she didn't come up with new ones, and now her whole life revolves around Luz, while Luz, like gg, quietly lives her life and solves her problems. In the last episode, she has a job, she succeeded her father and works with abominations, but kamon, did it ever mention before the third season that she wants to take over his profession?? No. Starting dating Luz, she loses her personality, and all that remains of her is the delight at the sight of Luz and perfectly correct conscientious decisions, which do not go well with the image of Amity from the first series.

And it's impossible to call it Amity hate, because if you hate, then who exactly? We have three completely unrelated witches: The arrogant bully Amity, the kind Amity, Who Suffered From Evil Parents/Friends'/"Substitute An Excuse" and finally A Madly In Love Amity Without Her Own Goals And Principles. Which one of them to focus on, speaking of the image of Amity, is not in my heart. And yes, it's kind of sad to realize that at the beginning of the first season, Amity had a normal image that had chances for good development, a gradual realization that she treats people incorrectly, a GRADUAL transformation from a spoiled pest into a good friend for Luz and company, into a good secondary character. Even with falling in love with Luz, it was possible to do something interesting - to show how Amity rushes between two fires, tries to date Luz without quarreling with her family, wants to combine an affair with Luz and joining the imperial coven, eventually realizes that this is a failed idea and suffers from having to quit either a family and a dream, or a loved one... And as a result, all the potential was poured into the toilet for the hyper-accelerated development of a "serious romance for life" between two 14-year-olds. And Amity just follows Luz like a goat on a string, completely changing her life and her personality for the sake of a man she has known for less than three months. Yeah, very plausible.

[vegantipsandmore]

What Is Surprisingly Not Vegan?

Introduction Embarking on a vegan lifestyle involves more than just avoiding meat and dairy; it requires a keen eye for hidden animal-derived ingredients in a wide array of products. Our guide, ‘What Is Surprisingly Not Vegan?’, sheds light on these lesser-known non-vegan components found in everyday items. This exploration is crucial for those striving to align their consumption choices with…

[merlinmylove]

I adore it when Merlin goes away for a few days in a fanfic and all hell breaks loose

Arthur is grumpy because he misses Merlin and he hates it when anyone other than Merlin dress him. His hair is a mess and his clothes are crumpled, he’s missing one shoe but no one wants to tell him

The knights are walking in eggshells around him. Leons hair is going grey, and Lancelot is seen drinking wine during the council meetings

Gwaine is missing presumed dead

The kitchen is in a disarray, the usual schedules and menus are not being updated now that Merlin is gone

Bills have not been paid and new orders are not coming in. The merchants and fishermen are pissed. No one realises how much Merlin is actually on top of and how many people he has in his network

The Head Steward is scrambling to keep up with all the work Merlin seemingly did in his spare time. Some servants are wandering aimlessly with no tasks provided, while others are busy trying to finish up all the chores Merlin does in his sleep

Somehow the Kingdom is still standing (but just barely)

George is crying into the laundry (they ran out of soap two days ago because no one was instructed to make more) Merlin was always on top of these small things that most people overlooked — but now that he was gone, everything crumbled

Gwen could probably fix most of these issues, but has instead decided to go on strike on principle

There have been seven failed assassination attempts on the King. The Royal Spymaster is fired once Leon realised that Merlin is the unofficial spymaster

When The Royal Library and Mapmakers Guild requested a substitute scribe for the few days Merlin was away, everyone looked confused. For how long has Merlin helped them out too? Elyan volunteered, if only to get out of training

Mordred considers moving back in with the Druids and leave Camelot (this is not what he signed up for)

The council is in hiding for fear of further angering the King — one Lord mentioned Merlin by name and Arthur threatened to banish him, and since then no one has dared to speak his name again

Gaius officially retires and moves into a cottage

Merlin returns three days later like “what happened?!”

[four-ravens-in-a-trenchcoat]

As we are approaching that time of the year, this is your friendly reminder/PSA from a Swedish person that the ä in Gävlebocken actually matters and that you should spell accordingly (or don't, I'm not the boss of you, but know you are Wrong)

Å, Ä and Ö are considered separate letters from A and O in Swedish. It would be like me substituting every E with an O when I spell English words, not like removing an accent from a French word. They have their own place in the alphabet!

Ä and A have different vowel qualities which affect sounds around them. Ä is "soft" and A is "hard", which means that Ä changes the pronounciation of certain sounds before it. Like G for example

Gä is pronounced similar to 'yeah' while ga is pronounced with hard/regular g and a long a like in 'garden'. Thus, Gävle and Gavle reads very differently

Same goes for Ö/O, but Å is also hard

It annoys me so much to see it and I can't be alone in this

Pro tip: The same principle applies to other Swedish words, like tumblr's beloved BLÅHAJ. Blahaj is a word with stress on the second syllable and not the first, and also happens to mean 'bullshit/nonsense'. So if you want to talk about your plushie blueshark and not a nonsense thing someone just said, I suggest spelling with an Å.

Don't feel bad if you didn't know this, most people don't. And a lot of other languages do treat letters with diacritics like special versions of the letter (we do it with e and é). I'm telling you this to clear up misconceptions

It's also resulted in the fun phenomenon of so-called "rock dots" wherein bands will put dots on letters in their name because it looks cool, which makes them sound really stupid when pronounced in Swedish. Think Motörhead and Blue öyster cult

[descendant-of-truth]

This was presented with a very whimsical tone and I enjoyed it for that but also. it's such a specific side effect that I can't not analyze it

Like, on principle it makes perfect sense. Give an already fast and energetic character who talks to himself all the time a boost to his abilities, and he becomes twice as chatty to compensate.

But his external monologue has never taken the form of a conversation between two people before, and in a show that's all about having alternate versions of the same character, that's worth taking note of. Especially since this started after he was given energy from the Paradox Prism, the thing that presumably made all of those alternate versions to begin with.

(And even more especially since the show already played around with the idea of there being two Sonics only a few episodes ago with the existence of Chaos Sonic)

So, the other oddity regarding this whole thing is how one side is consistently just. uncharacteristically mean and deadpan towards the other?? I showed one example earlier, but there's two more, and that accounts for almost every instance of Sonic talking to himself in this form

Sonic's never really talked to anyone like this before, not even himself. It almost comes across like an emulation of Shadow more than anything else, which is just. so bizarre?? Especially when Shadow's literally right next to him in the last scene, and thus he has no need to substitute his presence.

In fact, he seems to catch himself and stops doing the self-banter thing entirely as soon as Shadow acknowledges him doing it

And he looks surprised when Shadow speaks, too, like he already forgot that other people can hear him. It really comes off like he's in his own little world, and again, this is a show about multiple worlds, so it's pretty fitting.

I'm not letting Shadow's phrasing off the hook, either - "a Sonic," hm? As if there's more than one?

Even Sonic gets confused about how many of him there are, which has quite the loaded implication for how short of a moment it is; something that could describe everything about this form, honestly.

It all gives me this impression that we're not quite done with this concept of there being multiple Sonics, or at least not done with this form being used in general. There's a lot of potential in what they've already set up for it, and I'd love to see it explored further.

Plus, this one frame of Sonic after he first gets it still gives me the impression that there's something... off about it

And I want to know what that something is

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

I already regret making this post, but I think this needs to be a real discussion.

** Please note: I 100% do NOT want goyische opinions on this post. I am not interested, they are not helpful, and I will block you without hesitation even if we've been mutuals forever **

I think we have reached the level of Holocaust inversion on the left that we actually need to recalibrate the entire way we engage with an alarming amount of leftist goyim, because they have decided that their twisted understanding of Zionism as a form of 'apartheid genocidal ethnonationalist fascism' is on the same level as the Nazis.

Now regardless of how that makes you, as a Jew feel, that is how a lot of them are viewing this, period.

That means that you should assume that every single "we punch Nazis, not debate them" anti-fascist principle out there can be applied in full force to Zionists [with the understanding that their definition of Zionist usually means every Jew they don't like or agree with or who doesn't perform their brand of politics to the level they are asking]

Remember that video of an actual, real elderly Nazi that just croaks in the middle of his hateful yelling that went viral? Remember how happy people were when Richard Spencer got punched? Remember the whole "the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi" slogan? That whole idea that you cannot debate white supremacists and fascists because that inherently means debating your humanity and makes their position seem valid enough to debate?

Yeah. For these people, all of that applies to Zionists [and whoever they decide to label as such]

So yeah, an older guy protesting got killed? Same reaction as yelling Nazi dude above. Shrug.

A brutal massacre of Israelis and their neighbors that wiped out 1400 men, women and children? Imagine that some group managed to do that to 1400 Nazi families. We might find the sadistic nature of the deaths distasteful, but really: how many tears are you shedding?

Civilian population centers of primarily Jews are under constant missile shelling and bomb threats? Imagine that we were talking about Nazi Germany instead. Sucks for them I guess, right? 🤷‍♀️

Their reactions to recent events ranging from silent apathy to outright glee all make sense once you play a Mad Libs game of filling in "Zionist" or "Israeli" in place of "Nazi" or "fascist" in every "punch Nazis!!!1!" slogan.

The fact that Jews are and have been frequently the targets of these fascist groups throughout history and were the primary targets of the Nazis is irrelevant. The fact that we are human people who just want to practice our ancient religion and culture in peace is irrelevant. The bottom line is that the far goyische left has now figured out a way to fully de-person Jews in a social justice approved way, without even the ability to point out how utterly unhinged and counterfactual that take is because "we don't debate Nazis."

I don't know how to fix this.

Genuinely, I don't.

It's like the spirits of their pogrom-loving ancestors have gripped them and instead of whispering "the Jews killed Jesus, poison wells, and thirst for the blood of children," they just substitute out Jesus for Palestine.

[hermajestyimher]

Redeeming the Law of Attraction: A Believer's Guide to Manifestation in Alignment with God

I receive a lot of questions from you guys regarding how to reconcile the LOA and your faith at the same time. Or whether that's even possible. I fully agree that as a Believer, it can be confusing to navigate the concept of the Law of Attraction (LOA), especially given how closely it mirrors some Biblical principles, yet how deeply it has been distorted by New Age ideologies. While many LOA teachings emphasize personal power, manifestation, and relying on "raising your vibration," the Bible teaches us that all good things come from God (James 1:17) and that He alone is the true source of our abundance, protection, and fulfillment. So how do we reconcile this principle with our faith without veering into pride or idolatry? My opinion is that the answer lies in understanding LOA as a created principle that's part of God's divine order and not a substitute for God Himself.

1. God Is the Source, Not Us

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 gives us a direct warning against self-idolatry: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” The core issue with many LOA teachings is the belief that we can bring things to pass through our own will or energy, independent of divine grace. But Scripture reminds us that every ability, every blessing, and every outcome we achieve ultimately comes from God.

When we remove God from the equation, we risk elevating ourselves to the place of the Creator. This is the same pride that led to the fall of Lucifer and the rebellion of Israel. We see it played out in the consequences of Israel's disobedience and reliance on their own understanding, leading to exile and suffering (Isaiah 30:1–2; Hosea 4:6).

2. Pride Destroys, Alignment Protects

Manifestation without humility is a spiritual trap. The more we insist on controlling outcomes, the further we drift from the protection that comes through surrender to God. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Even when we are pursuing good things, if we do so without seeking God, we step out of alignment with His covering.

In the New Age framework, the LOA often becomes a form of self-worship. But for the Believer, true manifestation is not about making ourselves gods, but about aligning with the will and timing of the one true God. The difference is critical. God’s protection, insight, and timing are what shield us from attracting things that may look good but ultimately destroy us.

3. We Are Co-Creators, Not Sovereigns

The Bible tells us in Psalm 82:6, “You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.” This doesn’t mean we are divine in the same sense as God, but that we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), given creative power through our words, thoughts, and actions. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and Jesus Himself said, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

We are, in a sense, spiritual creators—but under divine authority. The moment we see ourselves as sovereign over our lives without God’s governance, we step into dangerous territory. We may manifest what we think we want, but without discernment, we often call in things rooted in trauma, pride, lust, or broken ambition.

4. The LOA Is Real, but Fulfillment Comes from God

We should not deny that there is truth to the Law of Attraction. Our thoughts, emotions, and spoken words have power. But that doesn’t mean we are the ultimate power. God created the universe to operate on spiritual principles: sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7), asking and receiving (Matthew 7:7), faith and expectation (Hebrews 11:1).

Non-believers can and do use these principles to gain success. But without God’s direction, success can become a snare. People can attract toxic relationships, wealth that isolates, or fame that destroys. Only the Lord gives true fulfillment. Proverbs 10:22 reminds us, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”

5. Faith = Surrender + Expectation

Where LOA emphasizes belief in self, biblical faith emphasizes belief in God. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This isn’t a mere transaction; it’s also a transformation. As we align our heart with God, He plants His desires in us, but also delights in giving us the things we've longed for that are for our good.

Prayer and faith are not passive, they are bold, expectant, and active. Yet, they are also surrendered. We ask in full belief (James 1:6), but trust that if something doesn’t manifest, God has something better, or is protecting us from something we cannot yet understand. Romans 8:28 assures us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Final Reflection: Manifestation Under Lordship

Ultimately, the Law of Attraction is not a rival to God; it is simply one of the many principles He put in place to govern His creation. Like gravity, it works. But like any tool, it can be used righteously or destructively.

When we manifest under God’s Lordship:

We invite the Holy Spirit to shape our desires.

We allow God to filter our intentions.

We steward our thoughts, words, and energy in a way that honors Him.

We relinquish the outcome to His perfect will (to prosper us and not harm us, to give us hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11).

We are not victims of randomness, nor are we gods unto ourselves. We are image-bearers of the Creator invited to co-create with Him in trust, humility, and alignment.

So yes, believe. Visualize. Speak life. Walk in expectation. But do it all from a place of surrender, knowing that the One who holds the universe also holds you, and He has the final say and that is a privilege for you! Because in the same way a loving parent would never allowed their children to blindly get harmful things due to lack of understanding, neither does He want us to suffer because we aren't fully aware of the negative outcomes that some of our selfish manifestations may carry with them. God is not an authoritarian figure, but a protective and loving one. Remember that.

[everythingloveandanimated]

If they do end up endgame, I can’t shake the feeling that that marriage is going to end up in divorce. You can marry someone that sees things differently than you, but if you don’t have the same core values then it becomes a problem.

Both of them try to protect themselves, except Murtagh’s protection tactic is avoidance, Nasuada’s is have the ace up your sleeve, have the biggest stick, or subjugation. One does his best to avoid danger (to a degree. The man is too noble for his own good sometimes. 😔😮‍💨) the other arms herself against danger or preemptively disarms.

Murtagh gives hints that he really doesn’t like the court life and is happy to be out of it, and yet if he marries Nasuada, he’s going to be stuck there. He already doesn’t think it’s going to work between them because of his horrible PR, but he’s gonna have to ask himself really soon if he wants to raise children in a similar environment he was raised in.

I am very much hoping that he finds someone that… I don’t want to say is a free spirit, but Murtagh seems to like the free roaming lifestyle so long as there are “safe harbors” for him and Thorn to go to. So he needs somebody that complements that lifestyle. A woman that has ties to welcoming town or community for Murtagh and Thorn, and doesn’t mind traveling everyday. * Even better if she’s a woman of action so Thorn might not worry much when Murtagh goes into towns. She needs to be a warm safe presence that Murtagh can trust with his heart.

(Unrelated note, Thorn would very much enjoy if his rider’s mate had a teasing streak in her. Especially if they get to poke fun at Murtagh around the fire pit.)

*Problem is, I don’t think having a female travel companion would sit well with Murtagh. He’d be under pressure to provide comfort for her and deep down it would feel like history repeating itself: Morzan taking Selena with him away from her family and home. I think he would draw a really hard line at that.

I know many of you will most probably kill me if I say this, but I need to take it out: I honestly feel like Chris didn’t develop Murtagh and Nasuada the way he should have. I mean, their supposed relationship. It would be great if they were together in a near future, I’m not hating on the ship, but it felt as if out of absolutely nothing Christopher decided to put them together… Murtagh decides to convince Galbatorix to bring her to Uru'baen to save her from getting killed and they’ve only spoken once. It’s not like he was already in love with her. If it had been Eragon instead of Murtagh, he may have fallen in love more easily, but we’re talking about Murtagh. This young man has enormous trust issues and I highly doubt that just because he thinks Nasuada is fantastically fabulous he would fall for her. It would take him way more time to do that merely because of his upbringing and so forth. And then, when he takes her and Galbatorix forces him to torture her… Yes, they do get to talk and sort of befriend each other, but I don’t see how –also we have to understand they know each other very little from before their current situation– someone like Murtagh would go to the extreme of literally risking his life for someone he knows very little. I am the first one that wants Murtagh to be happy and I think Nasuada is perfect for him, but considering Murtagh's– and even Nasuada's– way of thinking… It feels like, in order for them to actually be in love with each other, they’d need to know each other way better… I don’t know….

[windvexer]

Brief notes on the witch's bottle

The creation of a scapegoat for protection in witchcraft is an act of sympathetic magic. You create something which is magically identified as you, and unwanted things which seek you out will be distracted/confused/mislead by the scapegoat and attach to it instead.

This is indeed the basis for the witch bottle of piss fame which we were joshing about just a post or two ago. The point of adding your urine to the witch's bottle (along with things like hair, blood, or nail trimmings) is that they are a correspondence for you, and something seeking you out will find the bottle instead.

Importantly, this bottle is kept outside of the home or wards, or at threshold points where an entering curse would necessarily encounter the bottle first (buried under the hearth or front door step). These days, one rarely buries a scapegoat under the literal front doorstep, but the same principle applies.

A witch bottle, or a scapegoat, is not a poppet which when acted upon sends the acts of magic back to you. It's actually a lot more like building a snowman around a fire hydrant, so that when the jackass in the truck swerves onto the sidewalk to knock over your snowman, this time he totals his truck and gets sued by the city.

A witch bottle in particular is an act of remarkably aggressive magic. Not only are your own bodily taglocks included, but often things like rusty nails, bent pins, and broken glass. This is to tear up and destroy magic (or other things) that enter the bottle.

Curiously, it's been said that if a spell is caught in the bottle, it will give the instigating witch horrid bladder pains, and if the bottle is thrown into the fire and explodes, the witch who cast the curse upon you will die following agonizing abdominal pain. We can surmise that a taglock gathered from the human body, instead of a plant or chemical based substitute, may have implications that spread far beyond 'this is tricks the spell into thinking the bottle is me.'

Creation and deployment of a witch bottle, or any scapegoat, can be an invaluable tool in dealing with aggressive targeted magic. Keep in mind its dual function and its vital placement:

It is likened enough to you that something seeking you out will at least explore it or enter into it trying to find you.

It contains harmful things to tear away at the magic that enters it.

It is placed in the world in such a way that incoming magic creeping into your home will find it first.

While the aggressive nature of such a working may seem unnecessary, consider if you think the following is likely:

While a bottle of wee and nails may throw a spell off your trail, we might guess that a sufficiently well cast spell or cunning practitioner is indeed able to target better than "them or what they left in the toilet." If a scapegoat does not perform an action to neutralize or trap the harmful magic, then do you think that magic is free to return to its hunt for you? Or, do you think the magic will find the first thing that could pass for you and just stop?

The answer the witch bottle provides is that the harmful magic, once lured, should be reduced to tatters, not left to resume its hunt.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

sorry if this question has been asked before, but do you know if potionology in twst is essentially just how we do chemistry but with more local / native magical materials added into the mix? ignoring how they use cauldrons

I'd say the two are similar, barring some exceptions (such as slightly different equipment, ingredients, preparation methods which involve magic, and the fact that high school students aren't allowed to make actual medicine, ie potions in Twst, irl).

Crewel is noted as overseeing the Science department and classes, which is where chemistry would fall in real life. A lot of the items you'd wear are basically personal protective equipment for the lab. And, in Vil's Labwear vignettes, Science Club's advisor (not explicitly stated to be Crewel) allows Rook to use the lab but "[required] a list of chemicals and formulas [they'd] be using, a detailed schedule, a fire prevention plan, and so on", all safety precautions a lab runner would have prepared in advance before loaning out space to students.

I don't know if I'd say that potionology is a true equivalent or a substitute for chemistry though...? It should be noted that chemistry exists in Twisted Wonderland as its own subject and is something that seems to be considered when potion brewing. It feels more like a component or basic knowledge you would need in order to make potions rather than potionology being "just chemistry, but magic".

Trey says in his Silk Adorned vignettes that, "They add certain metals to the fireworks mixture that burn in different colors. Barium makes yellow-green, lithium gets you red, and sodium produces yellow. Not many humans can use magic, so we turn to chemistry for stuff like this [...] I'm pretty sure you would've gone over flame tests in class... Anyway, the fireworks in the show will change colors based on the same principle as well." Note the elements from the periodic table and the mention of a lesson about flames in their science classes!l Chemistry must exist as its own subject for non-mages, and chemistry also exists as a basis of knowledge for mages to build upon for potionology, alchemy, etc.

In NRC’s Science Club, they indulge in non-magical sciences, not just magical ones, despite the extracurricular being for an arcane academy. For example, Trey states he researches cakes and baking/cooking processes while Rook has been shown to create explosives and write wildlife research papers in extended Twst content.

If you need additional resources for potion-making in Twst and related topics:

Subjects at NRC

PPE and general lab safety

Do you need magic to make potions?

Types of potions + poisons and healing potions/magical medicine in particular

Ingredients (both magical and non-magical)

You can also check out my resources masterlist for other useful lore posts!

[creamhoodie]

Hot Kettle

synopsis: "Reader is a new teacher at Jujutsu High school. She and Gojo have mutual feelings for each other but she at first thinks he is a player and avoids him. After being snowed in and spending time with each other, they learn more about each other.

A/N:Not sure how I feel about this but I've been working on it for weeks and have writer's block when trying to write anything else.

tags/warnings: NSFW, smut, unprotected sex, fluff, afab reader. Switching perspectives between Gojo & Reader. Flashback scenes written in italics. Other jjk characters mentioned.

word count: 8.2K

Snow flurries fell on the campus of Tokyo Jujutsu High and the ground had frozen into crystals.

You had only been working as a professor here for four months and it was your first winter here. 

Principal Yaga had sent out an email saying that classes were canceled. Of course the students rejoiced, but for faculty members snow days meant faculty meetings. 

You made your way to the designated meeting spot now, your snow boots clicking along the ice as you made your way into the building. 

Upon arrival, you found the room empty. Strange. Surely this had been the designated meeting room as stated in Principle Yaga’s email. 

Perhaps you were early? You had a tendency to arrive notoriously early for meetings and events. No matter, it gave you enough time to pop into the lounge room and heat up your ramen as a substitute for the breakfast you had skipped in order to arrive on time. 

You made your way into the lounge room that was only two doors over. It was also empty, but that was expected given the ghostlike fashion of the building besides your presence. You placed your tote bag down on the table and took out your heatable ramen. Fortunately you had packed a plastic fork. 

That meant the only thing you needed was water. The kettle was out already, strange but there was nothing suspicious about this given that and the toaster were often left out after use and not put away into their assigned cabinets. 

You went to grab it and as you did let out a blood curdling shriek as the white hot pain in your palm and fingers signified it had recently been used. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Oh my god we’re sorry Professor!”

“What do you mean we? I told you to put it away!” 

As your eyes opened, having winced them from the pain, your eyes focused to find three of the students: Megumi fushiguro, Yuiji Itadori, and Nobara Kugisaki.

They were all staring at you with concern and from the mugs they were holding in their hands and their words you pieced together that they were the culprits.

You didn’t have a chance to respond however as footsteps came running over and to add more insult to injury, your fellow faculty members were peering in: Principale Yaga, Mei-Mei, Kento Nanami, and of course dreadfully… Satoru Gojo. 

You felt his eyes watching you underneath his blind fold.

“What happened?” He asked, his voice sounded unusually harsh.

“We wanted to make hot chocolate and we were in a rush because afterwards we were gonna have a snowball fight using our techniques. I guess we didn’t put the kettle away properly and the Professor here got burnt,” Yuji explained for the group. 

His explanation did nothing to dissuade Gojo however.

“And how many times have we told everyone to put the kettle away properly so that this doesn’t happen?” 

By this point, all eyes were on Gojo. He was sounding so stern and angry, nothing like himself. He was usually the most carefree of the adults. 

“Gojo, it’s okay. They didn’t mean to, I should have been more careful,” you said. 

“No it’s not okay,” Gojo said, going up to you now, his thumb wiping away a tear you hadn’t even realized had been shed from the pain. 

Now your face was flushing and you were glad that the onlookers would just take it as embarrassment from the situation not knowing that there was more at play here, that there was history between you and the blind folded man which added to your embarrassment.

“That’s enough. Gojo, would you escort her to Shoko please? She should still be in her office since she hadn’t met with us yet for the meeting,” Principal Yaga said. 

“Can Nanami escort me instead please?” you asked.

You didn’t want to be alone with Gojo, it would only make things more awkward, no right now you needed to be with anyone but him. 

“That’s fine with me, I’ll go with you,” Nanami said, ever the gentleman. 

You gave an apologetic smile to the students as you followed Nanami.

“Oh and Nanami? Relay to Shoko that the meeting is canceled. I’m sure given the morning’s events and the weather that’s the last night anyone wants to do,” Principal Yaga said. 

You felt several eyes watching you as you followed your tan suited escort, but only one pair of those eyes mattered, pairs that you had actively been trying to avoid. 

The thing you enjoyed about Kento Nanami was that he didn’t pry, meaning he wasn’t one to ask invasive questions. 

While others may have asked about Gojo and why he had reacted the way he had, Nanami had only assured you he’d get you there safely and that Shoko has healed far worse. 

He had a calm presence and demeanor, the type that set you completely at ease. That is why though you had only been here a short while he was your favorite coworker.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure this isn’t how you wanted to spend your morning,” you felt the need to apologize to him all the same. 

“It’s no matter. I’m sure you didn’t want to be burnt this morning, but life is full of things we can’t anticipate,” he replied kindly. 

You followed him to a part of the school you hadn’t been before. Luckily you've had the fortune of not having to visit Shoko for healing purposes until now. In a way it was embarrassing as you were sure Nanami had been here for much for dire wounds, battle wounds really from his missions since he was a grade 1 sorcerer. But Nanami didn’t judge, he wasn’t the type to goad or say hurtful things. 

After what felt like forever due to the burning sensation in your hand, you two at last arrived in a wing of the school that seemed more like a hospital with its medical items laid out and its fluorescent light. A figure with long brown hair was slumped in a swivel chair in front of a computer.

“Shoko?” Nanami asked, shaking her shoulder slightly so she’d wake up.

Her eyes fluttered open and as if she could sense it she seemed to know there was a problem.

“What is it? Who needs to be healed?” She asked, but she answered her question upon looking at your tear stained face. 

She stood up and took your hand. Her gaze shifted between you and Nanami, clearly questioning.

“The kids left the hot kettle out and she got burnt,” he explained.

“Ahh,” she said in understanding. 

Your face flushed even more. It was so embarrassing. But Shoko was focused on healing you now and her mind had gone into the place only she and few others knew.

You watched as she worked her magic. You had heard others speak about it in awe but having never witnessed it yourself, it was amazing to see. Your palm and fingers once jaded red were now returned to their baby soft pink, they seemed even more soft than before as if you had just been reborn. Most importantly, there was no pain. Matter of fact if it wasn’t for your current location and Nanami at your side, you would have almost thought you dreamt the whole thing.

“Better?” Shoko asked, her eyes were dim and jaded and you remembered thinking how she always looked sad. 

It had always been strange to you how someone with an ability capable of performing miracles could be so sad but you chalked it up to the fact that healing wounds lost its charm when it was those close to you on the brink of life and death.

“Thank you,” you said as she slumped back into her previous position.

Nanami filled her in on the meeting’s cancellation as she took out a cigarette and lit it. 

The first time you had met Satoru Gojo was in one of the faculty meetings that he had hosted at his place. It was your first faculty meeting in fact, and it had been hosted on your third week at the job.

By then you had met all the others, besides him. 

You had been filled in on the details about him from students to faculty alike and had gathered a mosaic of him from their words: the strongest, childish, intelligent, 

Those were all adjectives that had been used to describe him.

However, nothing had prepared you for when he had asked for you to stay behind once the meeting had been dismissed and everyone else had left.

“You’re new. We haven’t been properly introduced,” he said to you then outstretched his big hand for you to shake.

“I don’t really think you need an introduction. I’ve heard a lot about you,” you said, noticing how he still held your hand in his own despite the shake being far from over.

“And what is it you’ve heard?” He asked in a teasing fashion, his lips curled up at the ends.

“Only that you're the strongest sorcerer, Nanami said you’re childish, the students like you a lot,” you paused.

“What is it?” He probed. 

“I’ve been told you have these eyes that are so vividly blue,” you said, not being able to hide your curiosity.

He chuckled in understanding.

“You want to see them? You can take my blindfold off,” he said. 

At last he released your hand so you were able to do so. You had to stand on your tippy toes and he had bent down to help you as you flipped up the blindfold so it was resting on his forehead. 

You had gasped at the mesmerizing blue that was like no other.

“Like them?” he teased. 

His words had sent a jolt of heat in somewhere you were sure was not appropriate. 

“They are beautiful,” you had found yourself whispering. 

After that encounter, you and Gojo had experienced various flirtatious exchanges. The two of you had only gotten physical once and it had been unexpected. 

You had been cleaning up your classroom, the students having long been dismissed when he had come in.

“Still here?” He teased. 

“I’m not in a big hurry to go home,” you said offhandedly ignoring how his presence next to you, heat radiating off his body was making you nervous. You finished wiping off the chalk board and looked up at him. 

“Lonely at home?” he continued to tease. 

“No,” you said a little too defensively before adding, “I just like being here. You may have been here for a while but I’m still trying to get established.” 

It was true, you had shared it with him in one of your lounge room talks where he had asked you about your background. You were a foreigner that had cursed energy and had taught at a non sorcery university in your home country. Having heard of Jujutsu High and being introduced to Principal Yaga through a mutual connection, the principal had then invited you to come teach at Jujutsu High. 

“That’s right, I’m sorry,” he said, tugging at a strand of your hair.

“Why are you still here anyways?” you asked, turning the question back on him. 

“Because I knew you’d be here,” he answered honestly.

“Me?” you asked dumbfounded. 

He chuckled, stepping forward.

“How long are we gonna do this dance, princess?” he asked, calling you the nickname he had coined for you. 

“What dance?” you asked.

But you knew, of course you knew. All those flirty exchanges, light touches, teasing, and lounge room talks weren’t for anything. 

“That we don’t want each other,” he said simply. 

“And who says I want you?” you asked defensive again. Okay maybe you did want him, but he didn’t have to be so arrogant about it. 

“Hmm. Well what was it you said about my eyes again? ‘They are so beautiful.’ “

You flushed in anger and embarrassment now and tried to push past him, but he held onto you effortlessly by your shoulders. You were pinned against the chalkboard.

Before you knew it, his lips were on yours and your body instantly relaxed, you felt him smile at that. 

He was right of course, even if he had gone about it in the way he had, there was no denying the sexual tension and chemistry between the two of you. 

Giving yourself over to it now, you moaned as his lips moved to your neck, teething slightly at the skin. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he groaned into your skin. 

Your hands went to his hair, fisting the soft white locks. 

Nothing else seemed to exist besides you and him. 

“Gojo,” you whined wrapping your legs around his waist and he seemed to know exactly what you needed as he hoisted you up easily and placed you on your desk, notebooks clattering on the floor. 

“Fuck,” he cursed as your long skirt spilled around your thighs revealing your silky skin and damp underwear. 

You bit your lip as his fingers found your clit. You felt like you were in heaven and his name had spilled from your lips over and over again like a prayer. 

Satoru Gojo…

Of course you had wanted him who wouldn’t? He was impossibly handsome, he had truly won the genetic  lottery in more ways than one, and he was so gifted with his fingers that were making you reach new heights even you hadn’t taken yourself to.  

That line of thinking created a problem brewing in your mind: Everyone wanted him.

So what made you different? You were the new girl on the block, and you didn’t know him all that well despite your talks with him. You didn’t know him all that long. Maybe you had been overthinking, but it was that thinking that had taken you out of the mood.

“Gojo stop,” you choked out. 

His movements stilled, hearing the tone in your voice.

“Is something wrong?” He asked. 

You couldn’t exactly tell him your worries as you didn’t want to make things awkward. Besides what were you supposed to say? ‘I’m worried I’m just another one of your quick hook ups?’ You didn’t want to be clingy or weird especially if he just saw this as a casual encounter.

“No, no, everything is fine. I just should be going now it’s getting late,” you rambled straightening yourself up and standing up from the desk. 

You had been grateful you hadn’t seen his eyes as you were sure they were confused.

“Well can I  walk you to your car?” he offered. 

“No, that’s not necessary but thank you for your concern,” you had stated. 

Then you had rushed off. 

Your relationship with Gojo has been rocky ever since. You actively avoided him and he started doing the same. In a way you wondered if you had bruised his ego since he had never been used to rejection. 

Having assured Nanami you would be fine, you had driven yourself home. There was no reason for you to stay on campus given the meeting’s cancellation and the snow day. Moreover, you weren’t up to sticking around because of the morning’s embarrassing events. 

You made your way into your small apartment, and kicked your shoes off.’

When you were about to settle down on your couch and watch some television, the doorbell rang. Perhaps it was Nanami doing a possible checkup on Principal Yaga’s orders? 

You opened the door and found the person you were actively avoiding: Satoru Gojo.

“You forgot this,” he said, holding up your tote bag that you had left behind in the lounge room. 

“Oh, thank you,” you replied, still stunned. You stood there frozen for too long until he cleared his throat.

“It’s kind of cold out here, you know snow day and all,” he said, shivering with emphasis.

Even though it was the last thing you wanted to do, you invited him in. 

“Make yourself comfortable. Do you want anything?” you asked, closing the door behind him and watching as he looked around your living room. 

“No, I’m good. I can make you those noodles you wanted earlier though,” he offered. 

The noodles? Oh yes, the ramen pack. You had forgotten about them. It was endearing in a way that he had even remembered them. 

Before you could answer, he was picking the plastic bowl out of your purse and heading towards the kitchen.

“That’s not really necessary..” you began to protest as you followed him but he cut you off.

“Have you eaten today?”

Your stomach betrayed you, giving a rumble by way of answer. 

He chuckled before saying, “thought so.” You watched as he filled one of the pots with water before placing it on your stove and turning it on. The kettle would have been much more straightforward but given the morning’s events you figured he didn’t want to use it. Once the water heated up enough, it didn’t take too long on account of you having a gas stove, he transferred the dry noodles from their plastic bowl container to the pot.

Watching him in this domestic setting did something to you. Though you couldn’t see his eyes, his face was calm and focused. 

“Watching me?” he teased.

Your face blushed scarlet. 

“You know it’s not really fair that you wear that blindfold around,” you said. After all, it gave him the advantage of being able to catch you gawking at him. You suspected this wasn’t the first time he had noticed. 

“Would you like me to take it off?” He asked innocently. 

Remembering your only other exchange with him that involved his unsheathed eyes, you opted against shaking your head then adding a firm “no” in case his eyes weren’t on you for once. 

All the same, you continued to stand there leaning alongside the counter watching him as he had now taken to stirring the boiling noodles with a fork. After a few minutes of this, he transferred the now ready noodles into one of your bowls. 

“Do you prefer your noodles with broth or drained?” He asked. 

“Drained,” you replied, 

“Me too. I find that too much liquid laps up the flavor,” he said, going to drain it now in your sink. He then added the flavor, stirring it. When it was at last ready, he set it on your kitchen island, beckoning you to come sit. 

Hunger winning out, you did as he had instructed, not even bothering to care that he sat in the seat next to you. 

The noodles were good and just warm enough for you to enjoy and satisfy your hunger. You eagerly stuffed your face forgetting for a moment the man at your side. 

It was only when you finished eating that he at last spoke up.

“I wanna talk to you about what happened between us,” he said. 

Of course you had expected this, but it didn’t make it anymore easy to breach this topic. 

“What is there to talk about?” you asked, deciding to play dumb. 

“The kiss we shared,” he said, turning his body towards you.

He knew damn well it had been more than a simple kiss. If you hadn’t put the brakes on when you had maybe the two of you would have gone all the way in the classroom! 

“I don’t see why we have to discuss it. We kissed, so what? We can move on from it,” you said. 

“But that’s the thing. I can’t move on. I think about it all the time,” he said. There was a unique yearning in his voice, a tone you had never heard from before. At last you turned to face him as well and though his eyes were still hidden there was an expression of sadness on his face. 

“Well I’m sure you kiss people all the time,” you said. In an effort to put some space between the two of you, you stood up and walked away from the kitchen back into the living room, hoping he’d follow so you could direct him to the door. 

“That’s it then? You think I just kiss anyone?” he asked, following you as you had anticipated. His long legs allowed him to catch up to you quickly and he caught your wrist, swiveling you around to face him. “Don’t ignore me. You feel something for me too, I know it.” 

His proximity to you had your breath hitching, it had been a while since you had been this close. 

“Gojo-“ you began to protest.

“Satoru,” he corrected, wanting things to be less formal. 

“Maybe you should get going,” you said but your voice wasn’t as convincing as you’d hoped. 

“You’d really throw me out in the snow like that?” he teased. 

“You’d be fine,” you retorted. 

By now your resistance was waning, despite your better judgment, the scent of his cologne and the feel of his warm body was threatening your resolve. 

He seemed to know that all too well. 

“Let me kiss you again. I’ve missed your lips,” he whispered. 

Your knees buckled a little. 

He bent down, lips brushing against your jawline, the scent of him intoxicating.

It was futile, you wanted him desperately and he knew that. So when you didn’t push him away his lips lingered merely inches from yours, his minty breath in your face, leaving the option to you. 

Giving into your urges, you had only to bend forward, and once you did his lips were on yours. Like before, the passion between the two of you was intense, even more so given the built up frustration from how you had avoided him then. 

His tongue soon found yours and your legs hoisted yourself around his waist. 

“Satoru.. bedroom,” you whimpered. 

He understood, still holding you as you guided him to your bedroom. 

You didn’t have time to feel embarrassed about the plushies you had on your bed despite being a grown woman, as he plopped you down alongside them.

“Lay back,” he commanded. 

You did, but watched as he got on his knees in front of you. 

“Satoru, what are you doing?” you asked, still breathless from the kisses you had exchanged. 

He took his time answering you, a sly grin on his face as his hand caressed your pantyhose clothed thighs that were exposed as your skirt fell in ripples around your waist. 

“I’m gonna make you feel good. The way I wanted to before you left that day,” he said. His hands went up to the top of your waist band, pulling your pantyhose down effortlessly. He gasped at his newfound discovery. “No panties? You really are so shameless.” 

Your face was red.

“I- there was a line with my skirt and the tights are thick,” you stammered, feeling the need to defend your choice of wear. 

“I like it. How often do you go commando under these long skirts of yours?” he probed, fully removing your tights and leaving your legs and sex naked underneath the layers of your skirt. 

“Only when I wear the tights underneath,” you replied.

His hand cupped your heated sex, your arousal leaking into the palm of his hand.

“That’s right you did have some panties on in the classroom that day,” he said recalling. His fingers parted your wet folds. “You think one of these days you could just go completely commando for me? Nothing underneath? Not even your pretty little tights?” 

By this point you kept feeling pangs of pain and your clit throbbing, there was no denying the effect he had on you. 

“Somehow I don’t think that would be appropriate for the classroom,” you stated. 

This only seemed to encourage him more. 

“It’d be fun though. Just think about it,” his hand released your sex. He seemed to have something devious in mind. He came closer to you whispering in your ear. “You and me. The fun we could have. The quickies we could partake in between classes.” 

You’d be lying if you said his words weren’t appealing to you and vivid images of you hoisted against a desk and him shooting his load into you were intruding your mind.

“Satoru…” your voice had an edge to it. One that still remembered why you had put the brakes in between the two of you in the first place. 

He seemed to understand.

“Oh that’s right. You think I do this with just anyone. That I’m something of a player huh?” He asked, and you were surprised to hear offense in his voice. 

“I just don’t know you all that well yet,” you stammered apologetically. 

You felt that it was an almost stupid thing to say given the state the two of you were in. 

“Do you want to know me?” He asked. 

“Yes,” you replied. 

“Good, because I want to know you too,” he said. He sunk back down to his previous position between your legs. He pulled his blindfold down, letting it rest at his neck so his crystal-like eyes were visible. “And right now, I want to know what makes you tick.” 

When Principal Yaga had first told him there would be a new professor from overseas joining them, it hadn’t mattered to him greatly. 

Another teacher? Well that was good. A foreigner? Interesting. 

However, it hadn’t been something he had given much thought to.

So when he first met you at the faulty meeting he had hosted in his apartment, he had been surprised to find out how beautiful you were. You were also young, a little bit younger than him but still so young for someone so well accomplished (yes after your flirtatious encounter where you called his eyes beautiful he had looked you up). 

He must confess, he read your academic articles all thirty of them and he was always finding an excuse to speak to you in the lounge room. 

At last when he hadn’t been able to fight the longing for you anymore, he had waited until after hours, knowing you’d still be on campus. 

“Still here?” He had taunted. 

“I’m not in a big hurry to go home,” you said.

That was interesting to him. Surely a woman like you had someone waiting for her? It was something he had pathetically tried to find the answer to online but had fallen short given your profiles being professional in nature.

Desperate for the answer he continued to tease.

“Lonely at home?” 

God, he could shoot himself in the foot for that one! How incredibly cringe. He was used to getting away with it on account of his good looks, but you were different than most. You didn’t seem to fall easily to his charm. In a way it was humanizing, you didn’t let the veil of his looks and his power get in the way of seeing him for what he was. 

“No. I like being here. You may have been here for a while but I’m still trying to get established.” 

As suspected, you didn’t find his comment charming, answering rather defensively. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said, tugging a strand of your hair and considering it a good sign when you didn’t shoo him away. 

“What are you still doing here anyways?” You asked him. 

His heart was racing from how your eyes looked up at him and he was (not for the first time) grateful that his blindfold kept him shielded for surely he looked like a lovesick schoolboy.

“Because I knew you’d be here,” he said.

“Me?” 

The way you asked so dumbfounded made his heart ache for you more. 

Yes you, he wanted to tell you, he wanted to tell you just how completely unaware you were of the effect you can have. 

Even more so when you allowed him to kiss you, he felt like he was on cloud nine. Your body had felt soft on him, it was everything he had dreamed about, everything he had allowed himself to feel despite his fragile heart being ever so cautious.

“Gojo stop,” you had said suddenly, and to his horror.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. 

You had only made excuses and ran off leaving his fragile heart to shatter into a million pieces. 

“Fuck, Satoru- you’re so good at this,” you moaned, your back arching as you fell back against the mattress. 

He tongued at your folds, lapping at your clit and your arousal as if he was dehydrated and needed it in order to live. 

His fingers spread you open for him, flashing him with your inner pink, the sight nearly sending him into a frenzy. 

Your hands went to his white hair, gripping the locks and using them as an anchor as his tongue continued to pleasure you. 

Your moans were just as pretty as he had imagined and between that and the taste of you, he was determined to make you orgasm hard. 

It didn’t take long for him to find your sweet spot. You were starting to realize that of his mouth had more uses than just teasing and your toes curled. 

“This is where you’re weak, huh?” he said, sensing it from how your grip on his fingers tightened. You felt him curl his fingers up inside of you, continuing to pleasure that new unlocked spot as he leaned forward tongue still sliding down your sensitive clit. 

“Mm- Satoru I’m close,” you warned.

“I know, I know,” he cooed against your skin. 

Continuing that pace and motions, you felt it arising now, the tell tell signs of orgasm and the adrenaline feeling as if you were falling off a cliff. “That’s it, baby, let it go.” 

And you did, coming down from your high as your fluid flooded his tongue. 

You panted and watched as he lapped you clean, relishing the taste. Then, like before, a devious look rose to his crystal eyes. He came up to you, hovering gently above you, hands on the bed to steady himself.

“You should really taste yourself,” he said. Before giving you time to register what he meant, he kissed you and you moaned against his lips. The taste on his lips was sweet yet metallic and it was yours. It was so lewd, the way you enjoyed it, but again the fire of desire was burning for him so you simply indulged in the passionate makeout.

“Want help with that?” you asked, eyes pointed at the bulge in his pants as the kiss broke apart, salvia still connecting the two of you faintly. 

You swore you saw him blush, but having a new found confidence, you didn’t wait for him to answer, fingers shakily undoing his pants. 

“So eager,” he teased, stepping back to fully shrug the pants and his boxers off. His shirt followed after.

His cock was big, bigger than any you had been with, and the head was just as pink as his lips. A forming bud of precum was visible at the tip.”Like what you see?” 

“Very much so,” you admitted. You were ready for him to sink into you, but an expression of concern overtook his face. 

“I don’t have a condom,” he explained, “I know you think I do this a lot but I don't, I don’t just have them on me.” 

You chewed the inside of your cheek. You weren’t exactly on any birth control right now since it had been a while since you were sexually active yourself, but you didn’t want to turn him down. Plus you were aware of where you were in your cycle so the chances of pregnancy would be slim.

“It’s fine, but I’m gonna need a morning after pill just in case,” you stated. 

He seemed to perk up.

“Does that mean I can spend the night?” He asked. It never ceases to amaze you how someone of his stature could still have such a childlike demeanor. 

Oh what harm could it do? You had already made it this far with him.

“Yes,” you conceded. You tried not to think about the fact that he was still technically a coworker and you intrusively wondered how the students would react if they knew the two of you were engaging in such activities. 

“Hey, what’s going on in that pretty little head?” He asked. 

“Nothing I just, we’re still colleagues,” you said. 

He smiled and lined himself up with you, the tip of his cock fettering your entrance.

“And? Colleagues can’t blow a little steam off together every now and then?” 

You gasped feeling him against your slickness, not in yet but only just, still lingering at your entrance.

“That’s not really helping your case of not doing these things with just anyone,” you said. 

He laughed.

“I can assure you before you I had no need or desire to fuck a colleague,” he said. 

Then at last, he began to sink into you. At first only the delicate pink tip, then an inch, then two more, until the full length was bottomed out inside of you. 

“Oh, you feel so full,” you whispered more as an exclamation to yourself but he heard all the same. 

For him, it has always been a fantasy to fuck you in your work clothing, as he had told you before your long skirts offered the illusion of quick access whenever at his disposal. 

He began to thrust lightly, allowing himself to relish all your warm walls. 

“So sexy,” he praised as his pace began to quicken. Your eyes rolled back in pleasure and you could feel his pulse beating away inside of you. 

It felt natural being under him like this, almost right as if you were meant to be underneath him like this taking every inch of his impressive rod. 

Although you were no stranger to sex at your age, his thrusting made you feel something you never had before. 

“Fuck me back, you’re a big girl aren’t you?” he teased, his mind probably following your line of thinking.His words emboldened you, and your vaginal grip on his cock tightened, and you began to thrust your hips up to meet his pace. 

You craned your neck a little to watch as his cock went in and out.

He caught you looking. 

“So you like to watch, huh?” his voice was heated. God, he was finding out so much about you. You were just as dirty as him, even if you were usually so well composed. 

“Satoru!” you yelped as he easily lifted you up, bodies still connected and dragged you to the restroom. 

“Oh this is perfect,” he whispered. 

Your bathroom had a large full length mirror and another large mirror above the sinks. Here, no matter where you’d look, you’d be able to see him fucking you. 

“Satoru, can I take my clothes off?” you asked, horrified at the idea of your work clothes getting soiled. 

“I have no objection to that,” he said. He placed you against the countertop, and undid your blouse removing it and your bra. 

Then came your skirt. 

Regrettably, for this he had to slide out of you, but it only took a moment. 

“Face the mirror I want you to be able to watch,” he said.

You did, gripping the counter as he slid into you from the back.

This all felt so surreal. 

Had it only been just this morning that you had burnt yourself? You had still been avoiding him then, now he had you bent over in your own bathroom as he thrusted in and out of your vagina raw from behind. 

You supposed this was what fucking a colleague entailed, it was much more chaotic than in the movies. 

Your eyes caught sight of his face, red and sweaty, eyes closed and turning your head to your side, you saw his length going in and out of you from the reflection in the full length mirror. 

His fingers kneaded the flesh of your ass, and you threw your ass back against him, cheeks enveloping his cock.

“Fuck,” he cursed. 

Your shared moans echoed in the bathroom’s acoustics and it only set him off more. His pace quickened and his hands reached around to cup your breasts, squeezing the sensitive nipples. 

You turned your head and your lips found his, all the while his thrusting and you grinding your ass back against him were bringing you both closer to reaching your peak.

“Satoru-“ you warned, but he seemed to understand.

“I know, I know. I’m cumming too,” he panted. 

Breathing heavily, you felt him shoot his load into you as you came on him, fluids dripping to the floor. 

He gave a shaky laugh.

“Erm- I can clean this up. Don’t worry about it. You should go lay down,” he said after using your hand towel to clean in between your legs. 

Mumbling in agreement, you went back to your room. 

Heart beating fast you tried to reconcile with the fact that you just had sex with a colleague and moreover you had agreed for him to stay the night. It wasn’t that you regretted it, Gojo was many things but a bad lay wasn’t one of them. 

You opened your drawer and quickly changed into a matching lounge set. You heard Gojo humming and moving around in the bathroom as he cleaned up. When he came out, he held your clothes in his hands, still naked himself. He placed your clothes on your bed before going to pick his own up and putting them back on, laughing slightly.

“What’s funny?” you asked. 

“You,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His lower half was covered once again as his boxers and pants came back on. 

“What about me?” You pressed. 

“You’d think after what we just did you wouldn’t be so shy still. It’s cute,” he said, pulling his top on and adjusting it so his v-line was no longer visible. He left his shoes off and when you raised your brows he said “remember I’m staying the night?” 

Of course you remembered. 

“Yeah, yeah,” you said, shrugging. 

He let out a belly laugh. 

“Why do you keep laughing at me?” you asked, growing frustrated. 

His face softened as he smiled at you fondly. 

“It’s just I don’t think I’ve met someone who is worse at expressing their feelings than me, it’s comforting.” 

Well, he was right in that assessment so you couldn’t help as your lips twitched upwards in a smile of your own. 

If today was going to be his only chance to make a good impression of you, he was going to use it to his full advantage. 

“You know what I always loved to do during snow days? Build a fort and watch movies with hot chocolate.” 

Luckily, you had taken his suggestion well and so he had taken it upon himself to build said fort by maneuvering your furniture and bringing your blankets and pillows over to the living room in front of the tv. 

He was aware of your eyes watching him as he did so. 

“What?” he asked, his hand rubbing the back of his neck self consciously. 

“You’re just different than I expected,” you said genuinely, your voice free of judgment. 

He nodded in understanding, he was used to people having the wrong impression about him. His looks, his talents, which were given to him at birth, all of these were things that shaped how people viewed him. He couldn’t fault you for having thought the same, but it did relieve him that you seemed to be gaining a more comprehensive perspective of him now. 

“I’m gonna make us hot chocolate, you’re still banned from using the kettle after this morning,” he said, making his way to the kitchen and looking through your cupboards. He found the hot chocolate packets and went through the motions of heating up the water again just as he had done for the ramen earlier. 

“Speaking of this morning, you should really apologize to the kids. You were kind of stern with them,” you said, appearing at his side and leaning  against the fridge. 

You looked so beautiful to him in the fluorescent lighting, your lips still puffy from the kisses you had exchanged and your hair tousled. He wanted to freeze this moment and live in it. He could see himself growing old with you and sharing domestic moments such as this. Satoru you poor romantic thing, he thought to himself. He had quite a habit of being a yearner, of letting his feelings consume him. 

It was his biggest flaw.

“Yes, maybe I should. Tomorrow I’ll make sure to do so,” he said. 

He finished preparing the hot chocolate and carrying both mugs he said: “now would you like to choose the first movie?” 

Watching movies with Gojo was peaceful. You each took turns choosing a movie. He preferred comedies and animated movies while you chose cult classics. 

Strangely enough, you felt comfortable with him. His commentary every now and then throughout the movies and the way he laid close to you in the fort, with only your knees brushing past each other occasionally, made you feel like he was trying to put you at ease.

Despite the two of you having sex earlier, he didn’t make any moves to touch you again, and you felt that it was intentional with him leaving the choice up to you. 

After the last movie finished, credits rolling, he turned down the volume before facing you.

“So what’s with you and Nanami?” he asked. 

You could tell from his expression he was trying to seem nonchalant, but his eyes that had remained unblindfolded betrayed him, there was worry in his pretty blues. 

“Nanami? Nothing. He’s just a colleague and I enjoy working with him. Why?” you asked. 

“I just wondered because you chose him to accompany you to see Shoko over me,” he said. There was a long pause before he added, “you know we’re colleagues too.” 

Your face flushed as you understood. 

“I don’t like Nanami like that,” you mumbled, no longer able to meet his eyes. Luckily, he didn’t press you more, your answer being sufficient enough for him. 

You felt him shift besides you until he was no longer on his back but facing towards you. Having had his blindfold still off you were able to notice more of his emotions he usually kept hidden. Now there was a hint of sadness in them, the same sadness you had seen on….

“Satoru, why does Shoko always look sad?” You asked. 

He gave you a wry smile. 

“It’s a long story and I’m sure only Shoko can speak for herself, but I can tell you about it as best as I can.” 

So he did.

He told you the story of three young gifted sorcerers and their ‘blue spring,’ as he had coined the last time the three ever felt a sense of normalcy. The story involved himself, Shoko, and someone named Geto, but mainly it orbited around him and Geto. Gojo told you of the mission they had failed at, to keep a young girl named Riko alive since she was the Star Plasma Vessel. You could tell by how he spoke of it that he felt largely responsible, especially since he hadn’t rested as much as he should have. 

“But that wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have possibly known about Toji and he was strategic so you’d never see him coming,” you said. 

“Maybe but it’s my fault for not noticing after how Geto changed. It affected him more than me in a way because of his ability to absorb curses. All that negative energy and the way it made him feel especially after he was jaded by the fact that non sorcerers couldn’t care less about sorcerers who protect them.”

Feeling that this was the first time he had opened up about this, you turned your body to face him as well and took his hand in your own squeezing it for support. 

“Maybe you didn’t notice it because he kept it to himself? You can’t fault yourself for that,” you said.

“Or maybe he didn’t tell me because of who I am, who I was born into being and my abilities. You know I’ve never known what it’s like to feel weak to feel truly powerless? Sometimes I don’t even feel human.” 

You felt a twinge of guilt for having thought he was some sort of womanizer, after what he had told you, that seemed so far out from the truth. It was clear he wore his heart on his sleeve and that it was his nature but he was guarded, even felt isolated because of the magnitude of his strength.

“I don’t think that’s fully true. Maybe in terms of power and your cursed energy but what you described: regret, guilt, and loneliness. All those things are very human,” you said. He smiled at you, and it reached his eyes so you figured your words had been of some comfort to him. 

“In a way Shoko probably feels more regret than I do, though I can’t be certain,” he explained to address your original question. 

“How so?” you asked. 

“Shoko’s ability is to heal. Curses destroy, people get hurt, and she heals. It is the same over and over and after a while you can start to wonder if there’s a point, if there is an end to the cycle.”

“Just like Geto did,” you finished for him, making the connection. 

He nodded. 

You laid there in silence for a while, listening to the gentle sound of his breathing. 

“Why me?” you asked, finally asking the question that has been the source of your previous resistance to him. 

“You’re beautiful, I thought so the moment I saw you. In truth it was after reading your published articles that I wanted to know you more. I felt like you’d understand me. You know your article analyzing Shakespeare's King Henry?” 

You nodded. How could you forget? It had been a pain to publish through all the hurdles of academia. 

“There was one line from the play you wrote about and it really stuck with me,” he said. He waited as if he wanted you to guess which line it was, and instinctively you knew.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

You don’t remember falling asleep or making it to your bed but when you wake up with the warmth of the sunlight kissing your face you immediately sit up as you remember the previous day's events. Your blankets having been used for the fort were draped back around you. 

A glance at your bedside tells you that Gojo had been to the store already, the morning after pill box sitting there waiting for you to take with a glass of water next to it. You go through the motions of taking it and then follow the scent of bacon and eggs to your kitchen. 

Gojo is there, cooking breakfast and his blindfold is back on. 

“Good morning,” he says, seeing you linger at the entrance. 

“Satoru, what time is it? It’s so bright out,” you asked, going to sit at the kitchen island. 

“A little past noon. Shhh don’t worry. Classes are canceled for today again so I turned your alarm off,” he said, setting a plate of food in front of you alongside a cup of orange juice.

“I don’t remember falling asleep,” you said, biting into the fat of the bacon. 

He laughed.

“Yeah you went out like a light. I think it’s my fault we spent the whole day watching movies and I trauma dumped on you,” he said. 

He sat down next to you with his own plate of food and orange juice. 

At his words, you briefly remember strong arms carrying you to bed, lingering lips on your forehead and a gentle kiss on your skin. 

“Did you sleep here last night?” you asked him remembering how he had wanted to spend the night with you.

“I did. I slept on the couch. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he explained. You nodded, yet a part of you was worried. Would you two go back to formalities? After everything the two of you had done and shared yesterday you couldn’t phantom that possibility. Fortunately he felt the same way. 

“Listen, the kids told me they are gonna have another snowball fight today before all the snow melts up. They asked me if I wanna join and I want you to come with me,” he said. 

You finished eating and looked at him. 

“I’d like that,” you replied. 

His hand reached for yours and he interlocked the fingers with you. 

“I want to be your man, if you’ll have me. I know we’re still getting to know each other but I can see myself spending forever with you,” he said, his cheeks were rosy.

“I want to be with you too. Forever is a long time,” you said. 

“I know so let’s start with now and we’ll lead our way into forever,” he said. 

When he leaned forward to kiss you, you didn’t deny him, savoring the taste of him and bacon grease. 

[astra-ravana]

The Basic Principles Of Spellcasting

Law of Similarity

These first two principles are from James Frazer's The Golden Bough and are fundamental to all of magick. Frazer describes this law as "like produces like" . This law says that manipulation of an image or likeness yields manipulation of the thing itself. Here's some examples of the Law of Similarity:

• Stabbing a human-shaped figure with nails or pins to cause pain to the person

• Drawing the practitioner holding their love interest by a leash in a "love leash" spell

• Writing a spell in a circle around someone's name to encircle or restrain them

• Putting a love spell that aims to make the target "burn with love" into a candle flame or oil lamp

• Walking upon a written spell to have the target "underfoot" and under your control

Similarity isn't restricted by literal similarity, it extends to metaphorical similarity as well. Idioms and puns were widely used in Egyptian myth and magick.

Law of Contagion

Frazer puts this one quite well: things which have once been in contact with eachother continue to act on eachother. One can extend this law to say that magickal energy can be transferred or shared between objects by contact and that transferal is strongest if they are in contact or extremely close. Examples include:

• Using the hair of a target in a spell or curse

• Writing a spell to a deity on the hide of a corresponding animal

• Burying a separation spell at the home of a couple to affect them

Hair is super useful (and sometimes required) for any spell targeted at someone. Some even keep or trade hair as collateral.

Note:If you need to perform substitutions in a spell, use the Law of Similarity and Law of Contagion for selecting the substitution, (ie: use red wine mixed with an animal's hair instead of blood from that animal).

Law of Durability

This law is basically covered by the Law of Similarity, but, because it's so important for picking components, it is being included separately. Magick done with more durable components will yield a longer lasting effect. For example, a spoken spell will be weaker than a spell written on parchment. The written spell will be weaker than a spell carved into wood or stone. This applies to enchanting as well; more durable items will stay enchanted longer.

Law of Layering

The Law of Layering must be applied carefully as it is about complementary layers, not throwing a bunch of stuff at a wall. The principle is the more layers that are used in magick, the stronger the magick will be. More layers build more power. Some ways to add layers are:

• Having a pre-spell ritual like bathing and meditating

• Cast spells in a designated space for casting with items designated for magick

• Make motions that mirror the words you're saying

• Add components to your spell via the Law of Similarity, the Law of Contagion, or objects along your correspondence.

• Perform the spell with a group as opposed to solo

• Reinforce a spell by doing it for multiple days, weeks, months, etc. (as in 'once per')

Law of Likeliness

One could compare magick to stacking a deck; you're manipulating chance to get circumstances to fall in your favor. This means two things. The first is magick cannot make the impossible happen. Magick is unlikely to cause things to levitate, or conjure fire from nowhere, or anything that isn't possible in our plane of existence. The second is, if an outcome is less likely, stronger magick is required to achieve it. Some decks are just easier to stack.

Law of Agency

No magick, short of possession, can fully rob a human of their free will. For example, if you cast a love spell on a target who's sexuality doesn't align with yours, it will have little to no effect. If a person is resistant to a certain energy in their day-to-day life, they will similarly be resistant to that same energy when sent via magick.