#So like while it's not super obvious like it's the influence over Rue that causes the manipulation

[mushroom-for-art]

I am feeling WAYS that God damn Mightyena is gonna catch these HANDS

This is a situation that occurred in Rue au likely after "Cave In" but obviously before "And it all went wrong" or whatever I called my chapters, Rue Captain and that Mightyena belong to @blues-sues, enjoy!

You're lying

The security door slide open with a soft hissing, in the doorway the chimera Zoroark stood looking into the room face like always unreadable.

"Rue. Follow me." it was a simple demand and they had already started to walk away, Rue quickly scrambled to put the book back on its shelf and fly after her superior following them down the corridors thinking that she was sure they didn't have training today but perhaps plans had changed.

When they turned a corner to go a different route Rue felt her confusion grow but she didn't question silently floating after knowing better than to speak when not spoken to. They ascended up some stairs into an area she'd never been in before there was glass panels surrounding a dome like shape looking down and as Rue followed Captain to a humans side she cast a look down seeing from a different angle the very familiar battle arena, and, a very familiar two stood inside looking around, noticeably lacking her usual metal accessories.

The impatient huff made Rue realise she'd stopped to stare down into the arena quickly floating over and stopping respectfully, feet touching the floor looking at the human superior. They didn't regard her looking down into the battle arena.

"Where were you yesterday night Rue." Captain spoke simply, looking at Rue with a steady cold gaze.

"Yesterday, night? I was in my room after having gotten patched up from the scouting mission." The question baffled her slightly, where else would she have been at night but her own room? The only time she'd be elsewhere is if she was out on a mission or doing night training.

The human she didn't recognise brought a radio to their mouth, "release it into the arena." Rue felt her brows furrow daring to look away towards the glass down into the arena and feeling immediately her stomach drop.

Dark fur stood already bristled hackles raised as the Mightyena claws at the ground underneath it, gleaming white teeth catching the lights as May turned to look at them in confusion.

"Yesterday night the kitchen in sector b was ransacked, did you know that?" Rue blinked to look over at the human but quickly brought her eyes back not daring to let the Mightyena out her sight as it paced.

"No? I, thought I heard about something happening in passing but I didn't know exactly what happened." The hum from the human sent an uncomfortable twinge down her spine.

"Do you know where your friend had been yesterday night."

"Look at your superior when they're speaking to you Rue." Captains voice cut through her coldly as she was forced to look away looking towards Captain and the human superior.

"She was helping the other Grunts with the unloading and stock checking of supplies after we returned from our away mission under the order and watch of Admin Marigold, sir." Rue recalled how the Admin had hollered at and collared May for following Rue back to the building telling her to get back and make herself useful while Rue was taken to be patched up. She hadn't seen May since with their differing schedules.

The Superior blinked slowly letting out a soft hiss as he inhaled, "That's a shame Rue, May said the exact same thing, we were quite hoping you'd have had more sense." Rue felt confusion take over her senses as he lifted the radio to his mouth, "Begin."

Rues head whipped around at the immediate snarl just catching sight of the Mightyena lunging forward across the arena to attack with May stumbling and immediately trying to run to get away. Panic stress fear and confusion took over Rues senses.

"What's going on?! I told you what you wanted, why are you doing this?!" Rues hands came to the glass blood splattered from Mays tail as a sharp swipe caught her in passing as the beast leapt for her before quickly giving chase again upon landing.

"I hadn't realised she was so questioning." Rue didn't acknowledge them as the superior remarked to Captain in a disapproving tone.

"You shouldn't ask questions, Rue. You'll be told what you need to know when you need to know it." Rue had to bite back the apology on her tongue as Captain chastised her.

"Your little orange friend has access to the kitchen, we're aware that she's been using that to bring you food and drinks not authorized by your nutritionist, which goes against our order. We know she used that access so that you could both plunder the kitchen during the night, reducing our resources and leaving a mess." Rue did look away to stare at the superior open mouth in confusion and betrayal at the assumption they continued.

"Had you just admitted that rather than lying to protect yourself and your partner in the act we could've avoided all this." They lied simply with no sense of irony or hypocrisy, "but now we've had to take action to punish accordingly and teach you and the other mewtwo a lesson so that you don't repeat this."

"Thats, that's not fair!" Rue was surprised by her own voice but she continued, "we did not do what you're accusing us of! Ask Admin Marigold! Check the cameras! This isn't-!"

"Rue." Captains voice was a simple short snap and she felt all her confidence and words die in her throat as they looked at her and slowly slightly shook their head giving her a level disappointed gaze that almost shattered the rest of her esteem.

Mays screaming pulled her away from Captains glare blood was splattered across walls and the arena floor, sharp claws were slashing into the flesh of her tummy section over and over again as Mightyena pinned her by the tail under its back legs. Rues fists hit the glass without her even thinking about it.

"Get off her! Stop it!" Rues fists hit the glass again banging at it repeatedly, Mightyena looked up at the sound and although it couldn't see Rue through the tinted glass it still smirked raising a paw and placing it on Mays cheek pressing her face into the floor of the arena in an act of sheer degrading and dominance claws sinking into flesh. Rue hit the glass again and a crack began to form.

"That is enough!" Captain barked at her, pulling her away from the glass so she couldn't hit it by the wrist like a parent dragging their child. "You have embarrassed me enough Rue. Cease."

Hot shame prickled in Rues veins threateningly burning at her eyes at Captains words unable to meet their gaze as her arms and fists shook. Captain looked as though they would say more but stopped deciding to leave the weight of their words to eat away at Rue instead.

In the arena May attempted to shove the furred beast off of her struggling and kicking at the flooring beneath her trying to get leverage or summon any strength as she shoved an arm under the Mightyena one hand grabbing it's throat the other arm pressed against it's ribs as she gave a mighty shove to free herself. Before she could even get back up she yelled out in pain as it sank it's teeth into her arm and to her horror they began to shake their head ragging and rattling her like a ragdoll pulling on her arm as they snarled gleefully tongue licking over the bloody arm in its mouth as it yanked. Teeth crushing down cutting through skin muscle nerves, it stopped to adjust its grip to bite down again using it's back teeth to crush bone, it kept pulling and yanking as she continued to scream, intending to rip the whole arm out the socket.

Rue could feel herself shaking, every part of her brain screaming to move to do something to say something to stop this from happening, her eyes locked onto the horrific display below as the Mightyena attacked and ravaged her friend, one of the only other people who was ever really kind to her, who said that they liked her that she was a good friend, even though Rue knew she wasn't the strongest and therefore that couldn't have been right.

'Cease.' Captains voice echoed over and over in her head, 'That's enough," why? It wasn't fair, none of this was fair they didn't do it they weren't being given a fair chance May couldn't fight she was just getting hurt for something she never did, neither of them did, it wasn't right, it wasn't right! How much longer would they let this continue?? How long till they decided she'd suffered enough for a crime she never committed?!

Her whole body was shaking; she felt rooted to the spot in vines and she wanted to break free from them as they metaphorically bound her in place, squeezing her into obeying. Her mind came into focus once again as May let out a different strangled down, Rue watched her eyes go white and a small field of psychic energy form and knock the Mightyena backwards to the other side of the arena. She watched as the other with a trembling exhausted bleeding body stood up and realised quickly what caused that scream, her arm that was reduced to that stupid mutts chew toy was hanging limply from its socket dangling unnaturally in a way that made Rue feel sick.

The psychic throw hadn't been enough to deter the Mightyena, watching in growing horror it simply shook off the toss before in slow motion Rue watched it's claws sink into the flooring to propel and throw itself forward to resume the attack on her friend, if it got her arm again it could do irreversible damage and her superiors clearly weren't calling the battle off, how much more would she have to go through?! It might kill her, if not losing her arm would be an even worse sentence. The mental image burned into her mind of her friend missing her arm, can't carry a tray anymore, can't help with lifting, can't carry equipment, she'd become obsolete, they… Rue didn't even know what they'd do, but she knew she couldn't just stay there.

Invisible vines and roots snapping as Rue flew forward, psychic energy smashing the glass exploding it inwards towards the arena before she hit it and quickly shooting the glass shards towards the Mightyena, impaling the flooring and parts of its body as it snarled at Rue.

"That's enough, you're not hurting her anymore!" Rue found her voice and movement that had hidden from her once more, energy collecting in her palm she threw the dark energy at the snarling mutt. Captain hurried to the broken glass panel looking down into the arena in horror to how this defiance reflected back into them, horror turning quickly to rage as they glowered down at Rue fighting the Mightyena. If it took her other eye it would be deserved, they thought.

Behind them a grunt came up the stairs as Rue ducked and dodged and defended against the Mightyena, not allowing it the chance to continue its assault on her friend. The grunt came and muttered something as Rue's tail slammed into the Mightyena, sending it flying across the arena. It's laughter only caused Rues anger to boil.

"Two mewtwo to defeat in one day, maybe they'll see just how ordinary and unspecial you really are!" It snarled as it lunged forward for Rue energy forming on its fangs and claws before it's body turned red reducing to data back into a pokeball, adrenaline still ran through Rues body as she frantically looked around floating to her friends side as she looked up at the broken glass panel.

"Admin Marigold has confirmed your story, an unregistered Deino was also captured in sector b. You're free to go to medbay then to each of your rooms." Rue felt herself growing hot with anger feeling ready to explode, 'free to go to medbay?! Free to go?! No apology? Did they expect us to go to our rooms injured?!" Had it not been for Mays weak hand grabbing onto Rue for support as she stumbled forward she may have unleashed her temper upon the superior who spoke watching them casually unsympathetic and unapologetic.

Instead Rue could only bow her head, knowing her voice would betray her carefully pulling Mays good arm over her shoulders as she wrapped her arm around her to support her gently covering her body is psychic energy to float them both out the room, managing a whispery "it's okay I've got you," at the whimper her friend made. Would they have even stopped the fight had the grunt not come? When would there be enough blood?

Rues head was swimming as she floated them both to medbay, she didn't even realise tears of frustration and confusion were running down her face until she felt Mays hand awkward reach and brush her cheek from where it was around her shoulders.

"Dont cry, please don't cry Rue im okay," Rue could only stare at her bewildered as despite it all she smiled and tried to reassure her. What if she hadn't been okay? What if it didn't stop..

[tipsycad147]

Five hard truths about magick

Posted by Michelle Gruben on Mar 29, 2019

Of the many laws of magick, there are a few that you’ll never see on a T-shirt or affirmation board. Here, we’ll cover some of the tough stuff: The harsh, the unsettling, the ambiguous facts of living an enchanted life.

This article was inspired by some recent discussions of false positivity—that is, the habitual repetition of encouraging words and images. In short, false positivity means well, but it does harm by shutting down discussion of anything problematic. You can’t hide the truth forever—and when you try, it seeps out in sneaky and unexpected ways.

There are certain aspects of magick that are difficult to come to terms with. The purpose of airing them is not to discourage anyone from their path, but to counter some of the shallow advice and empty promises that the witchy blogosphere churns out.

It’s time for some straight talk about magick—some Swords to go with your Cups, some Rue with your Roses.

1. It's not for everybody.

Can anyone become a Witch? Any honest answer to this question is complicated. In some ways, yes—the magickal arts are open to all who seek them. In other ways, no. Some people lack the gifts, the learning—but most often, the dedication—to become effective practitioners of the Craft.

These two are the fundamental magickal skills: The ability to alter reality through will. And, the ability to perceive things beyond the normal senses. These experiences are part of our natural state of being. They are, in a sense, the birthright of every conscious creature.

Yet these abilities are constrained on our earthly plane and must be located and cultivated. You need a strong will to accomplish this. It takes repetition. It takes humility. It often requires help from others—partners, spirits, plants, disparate parts of self—whose cooperation you must earn.

In short, excelling in magick is just like excelling in business or music or athletics. Not every aspirant will have what it takes. Talent only gets you so far. Hard work isn’t always enough. Sometimes you do everything right and still don’t get the results you want.

It’s not easy. It’s not for everyone (or at least, not all of the time).

2. Real witchcraft isn't photogenic.

Thick black eyeliner, a bespoke cloak, moon tattoos, and a table full of Amethysts—that’s what magick is made of, right? Sure, if you believe the internet. Like so many other things, witchcraft has been co-opted in recent years by lifestyle bloggers and taste makers, advertisers and influences. Super-stylish, just-edgy-enough witchy pics go hand-in-hand with the idea that magick is a piece of cake.

What’s wrong with enjoying all these highly preformative images of witchcraft? Nothing! There’s no reason a person can’t be genuinely magickal and also extremely good at self-presentation. Visual art is a kind of magick, too. However, let’s not make the mistake of confusing Instagram witches with the real thing.

It’s even possible for personal magick and social media to work at cross-purposes. Oversharing violates the principle of magickal silence—the idea that talking about your workings can dilute or disperse their energy. People who endlessly photograph their working tools, altars, and ritual garments are arguably siphoning off some of their power for the sake of likes and followers.

Thinking back about the most powerful magick I’ve witnessed, much of it has been in the dark, among old or shabbily dressed people, with nary a smartphone in sight. The most eye-opening books I own are crappy dog-eared paperbacks that would look terrible in a tableau with a crystal pendant and a sprig of Rosemary. Pinterest offers no altar porn for the third eye…you’ll have to find those goodies on your own.

3. Magick is dangerous.

The Satanic Panic of the 1990s was in full swing when I first embarked on my magickal studies. The media often reported on the addiction, insanity, and death that were the obvious consequences of dabbling in the occult. Religious tracts and books warned against the dangers of “gateway” activities like drum circles and Harry Potter books. I used to hoard these writings and snicker at them. What a quaint idea—that devils stalk the earth, seeking the ruin of souls through Ouija boards and zodiac pendants!

With more experience, I see a grain of truth in those zealous warnings. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies out there, folks. Different magicians have different opinions about whether spirit entities have an external reality or only dwell within the mind of the magick worker. I can’t prove it either way, of course. But my own instinct says that entities are real, they have independent consciousness, and not all of them have your best interests in mind.

Not scared of spirits? Fine—let’s go to the energy model of magick. Playing with spiritual technologies—meditation, invocation, astral travel—can cause extreme and rapid shifts in your energy body. They can wreck your appetite and mess with your sex life. They can effect changes in your mood and sleep cycle that will disrupt every aspect of your daily existence.

Other hazards of the occult are more pedestrian: You can become arrogant (common!). You can turn into a colossal bore who only talks to plants (and even the plants wish you would shut up). You can invite the scorn of people who don’t approve of your path, people who formerly respected you. It’s hard to keep your spiritual and mundane lives in balance—but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to make magick a lifelong quest.

Anything worthwhile carries some risk. With magick, we are talking about nothing less than the rapid evolution of the soul…so it only makes sense than the risks would be commensurate with the reward. Only you can weigh the dangers and decide if it’s worth doing. (See #1: It’s not for everybody.)

4. You (probably) need tools for effective spellwork.

“Cast spells without tools!”

“The secret of mental magick!”

“Advanced witchcraft!”

There’s a whole slew of authors and teachers offering instruction in tool-less spellcraft. And yeah, technically they’re correct: The only tool you really need is your focused, unadulterated Will.

But therein lies the problem. How many of us actually possess a focused, unadulterated Will? We’re human! Our thoughts are always mixed with distractions, mental noise, memories, and misgivings. Magick without tools is theoretically do-able…but in practice, it’s rarely as effective.

It’s true that intention is the most important component in spellwork. It’s true, also, that the more practised you become with certain skills (visualisation and trance induction), the less you tend to rely on the externals. However…

Magickal tools—and I’m not just saying this as a shop owner—tools play a very important role. Several roles, actually. That’s why Witches—yes, even “advanced” ones, have employed them for centuries.

What do tools accomplish that thoughts alone do not? Here’s a sampling:

1. Anchoring: Tools link your intention in the physical plane (which is where you want the results to manifest, right?) Most magick spells can be conceived as a kind of cycle—from earthly need to thought/will and back to physical action. Tools complete the loop by grounding your petition in the present time and place.

2. Distraction: Tools subvert the less-magickal parts of the brain (mental chatter, worries, skepticism) by engaging the older, more primal parts. Tying knots, lighting incense, and dressing candles are all classic ways to activate spells. You could say these actions let your magickal self do its work by keeping the mind and body busy.

3. Correspondence: Spell ingredients like herbs and candles contribute allied energies to your spell. The magickal brain is both literal and sensual. To a person who is very familiar with lemons, the thought of a lemon is enough to invoke Solar energy. But if you have an actual lemon—bright and yellow and soaked in the summer sun—that’s better, you know? I refer to Randall Garrett’s maxim: “The best symbol for a sharp knife is a sharp knife.”

4. Effort: The extra work of using tools is a gatekeeper that separates the worthy spells from the unworthy ones. When you go through the trouble to acquire and prepare materials, you’re signalling to your unconscious that this spell actually matters—and that will generally translate to better results.

Magickal tools don’t have to be complicated, and they don’t have to be expensive. (See our list of cheap and free witchcraft tools.) A candle and some oil. A pen and a piece of paper. Keep it focused: An over-encumbered spell is just as a bad as a flimsy one.

Unless you are a super-adept—like, the kind of master that comes along once in a zillion years—you probably can’t just speak or dream your desires into being. Spells without tools are more akin to…wishes. It’s fun to make a wish, but they usually don’t come true on their own.

5. There are no experts.

“We’re all apprentices in a craft where no one becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway was referring to writing, but the same can certainly be said of the metaphysical arts.

Magick is a vast and mysterious topic. There’s a natural instinct to look up to people who have been at it longer than you, or who seem to be more sure of themselves. But while some people are objectively more accomplished, there’s nobody who’s got it all figured out. We are all grappling with the inexplicable mystery of consciousness. We are all grasping at forms we can’t possibly see the shape of.

It’s scary to realise that everybody else is basically flying blind. But it’s liberating, too. When you stop relying on others to show you the way, you can begin to truly explore your own power.

And there you have it...five tough nuggets. I don't expect that this will become one of my most popular blog posts ever, but I'm happy that I published it. What are your hard-won magickal truths? Share with other readers in the comments!

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/five-hard-truths-about-magick