#and knew greater measures needed to be taken because he lived in an area where batman's help failed

[mikakuna]

the fact that jason shared food with other hungry and homeless people when he was catatonic makes me feel so many emotions.

for one, it's so true to his character as a compassionate boy who gets so rightfully angry about the struggles impoverished communities have to continually face due to society's failures. this is the same boy who was homeless for about three years of his childhood, had to steal to survive, probably went long periods without food, and knew firsthand what it's like to actually be lonely. he's the boy who got mad at bruce for even insinuating he would drop jason off with the cops or social workers because he knew their true natures and how they treated poor kids, people, like him.

jason has always been about protecting and defending children and the defenceless to the point of disregarding moralities. we see this in his 80s robin run, as well as in utrh and lost days. his unmoving stance on their well-being is what's so captivating about him. he kills to protect children and easily agreed with/excused a woman who killed a rapist when he himself was only around 12-15 yrs old. sure, a bunch of people would agree with jason's reaction but it's especially important because he's a kid who grew up poor. he witnessed firsthand how many women have to suffer sexually at the hands of men to get by.

this is the real jason todd that so many comic writers now fail to capture in their comics. they completely turn him around and have him do things that in no way make sense to his character (not surprising since some literally admitted to hating him/not knowing enough about his robin run). jason todd is insanely compassionate-- that's his thing. he's empathetic to a fault. why erase that core part of his character?

[popatochisssp]

Am I allowed to ask what happens when the Empire discovers the rogue diamonds? If you dont have the time feel free to just delete this uwu

In terms of how it goes down, it’s definitely a case of Pointing Spiderman Meme meets Caveman Spongebob Meme!

Red and Black Diamond  (the Underfells) are always out at the furthest reaches, looking for new territory to conquer or claim, and it’s not unthinkable that they might, entirely by chance, come across a downright antique vessel that’s nonetheless in perfect working order--and very obviously gem-tech.

They hail it and as soon as the feed connects and each pair of diamonds realizes they’re looking at another pair of diamonds, it’s basically a very dignified, perfectly calm and measured......... Okay, it’s not even remotely like that, just a very loud, “YOU!!!” and then a lot of barked and half-sputtered questions and demands while they all try to get answers from each other.

Eventually, when the dust is settled and all the diamonds know about each other, the Outer Galaxy Diamonds are invited to Homeworld, to visit or maybe see if they can find a niche to fill...?

Pink and Olive (the Horrorswaps) visit and decide they’d like to stay. It seems to them that not all that much effort is being put into proper recording and preservation of gem history--and considering it’s apparently a giant blank before a certain point, that’s kind of an embarrassing oversight!

Olive rolls up his sleeves and gets to digging around in the archives they do have, cleaning up and organizing and maintaining records with meticulous detail--in triplicate and not only in digital format.

Pink goes out and even sometimes off-planet a little more, actually getting his hands dirty with the restoration and preservation of historic gem buildings and sites that might otherwise be demolished to make way for newer things or forgotten altogether.

Their combined efforts spark a greater interest in gem history and heritage and they’re both very happy about that.

Cubic and Moissanite (the Underglooms) decide to stay on Homeworld, too, and in searching for some area to be of use, they realize that the only diamond even remotely handling recreation is Orange Diamond--maybe they can help there somehow? Orange, who is unfortunately often busy as the figurehead of the Empire and can only make time to host about a third as many balls and galas as he’d like to, thinks that’s a fantastic idea and welcomes their support wholeheartedly!

Cubic starts to monitor (at least for Homeworld gems) logs of cycles worked and downtime taken/given, picking out trends and calling out areas (and supervisors) with bad ratios of the two.

Moissanite regularly digs through accounts and images of colonies and gem-occupied planets and drafts up (what are essentially) ads and travel brochures for them, so that gems who need to go somewhere to take a break can find just what they’re looking for.

Both of them--independently and sometimes together--also start regularly patronizing Sea Spires and Gardens and such, trying to get gems excited about going to visit them. It works pretty well because the Imitation Diamonds are celebrities of a sort, a notch or so down from the legitimate political powers that are the Diamonds, but still very big and sparkly gems that are Diamond-adjacent and it’s actually a big deal to hang out where they hang out; where you might even get to see one of them! In person!

Cloudy and Pepper (the Horrorswapfells) visit, but ultimately have no interest in staying longterm. It’s too loud and busy and structured for their tastes, as gems who’ve never really been part of a caste system like that. They return to their ‘colony’ where they’re basically benevolent gods whose only responsibility is to look after some organics that mostly look after themselves anyway. ...Still, it becomes gemkind’s worst kept secret that if you feel you can’t fit into Homeworld’s society, or if you don’t want to, or if you’re trying to escape something or someone--you can always run to their colony to find a little sanctuary.

Cloudy doesn’t mind showing runaways how to relax and what’s to do for fun around here. So many gems who really just need to deprogram a bit and just be who and what they are...

Pepper finds he likes looking after and protecting the new arrivals, like fulfilling his purpose but without having to be on Homeworld to do it.

Both are quite happy to use their Diamond strength and status as a shield for any gem that comes calling looking for so-and-so-- plenty of “how should i know if your pearl is here? you’re bothering a diamond over this?” and “TELL YOU WHAT-- COME GET YOUR SEA GLASS. I MAY BE DEFECTIVE, BUT IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN CHALLENGE A DIAMOND...”

Raw & Champagne (the Horrorfells) have...a bit of a conundrum... In that one wants to stay and one wants to go. Homeworld is...fine, but Raw is pretty keenly aware that he doesn’t really Fit into it, too unrefined to find any niche truly comfortable. Champagne is, of course, perfect and could find someplace to fit quite easily, becoming the Diamond and leader he was always meant to be. ...But he finds himself conflicted, not wanting to leave Raw to go back out into the universe alone or to force him to stay somewhere he’d be miserable and out of place. Luckily, they figure out a compromise.

Raw doesn’t really know what to make of it when his brother tells him to go gather up as many off-colors and defectives and broken gems that want to be elsewhere, but he’s liked those kinds of gems the best since they got here, so he does just that.

Champagne graciously offers his assistance in lightening some of Yellow Diamond’s workload, guiding and steering and shaping the course of their collective society. ...He’ll be doing this work remotely, of course, as he and his brother will be returning to the abandoned sectors from whence they came, reestablishing and reinhabiting those places that were obviously supposed to be part of the Empire. Red and Black can expand into new areas, and he and Raw will retake the old.

Lots of defective and off-color gems are very happy to find a place they can really be both seen and useful! Things were okay on Homeworld, it’s not like there were any crazy shattering policies if you weren’t perfect, but if you didn’t fit in, you kinda knew it. Raw seems quietly, flatteringly fascinated by all of them and Champagne has a knack for figuring out what they can do, if not what they were made for and for some gems, it’s just a better place to be!

Eventually, much much later, the Chameleon Diamonds (the Gastertales) run into somebody or another and pretty much the same thing happens-- a lot of exclamation points and confusion, followed by a tentative offer to check things out and see if they want to find a place to fit in.

Reverse wants frankly no part of Homeworld. Neither he nor his brother have any memory of being Void, the founder of this civilization, and so there’s no real affiliation with or responsibility for gemkind. He wants to get back out there into the universe and get back to living life and exploring...but he’s not going to leave without his brother.

Classic doesn’t really want to stay either. The rigidity of society is hard to adjust to when all you’ve ever really known is total freedom, and he’d also very much like to be back out observing the observable universe as soon as possible. Unfortunately... he does feel a responsibility to stick around for at least a little while. Brown Diamond was quite insistent on it as well and with his motives explained, Classic agreed fully--though it’s a stay of moral obligation at best.

They both dip literally the moment they can, taking communicators with them but honestly with no intention of ever coming back save for some emergency where they were desperately needed. The universe is infinite and time not spent out in it feels wasted!

[inspirationdivine]

And Cut! || Lydia, Simon, Winston

Timing: Thursday afternoon

Parties: @inspirationdivine, @inconvenientsimonstrocity, @danetobelieve

Summary: Winston has a possible solution to Lydia and Simon’s sticky problem

Lydia paced backwards and forwards in the living room, her heels clicking on the wooden forward. She’d started when Winston had messaged them, and had barely even spoken to Simon in the interim time, except to tell him that they were going to solve this, tonight. She could hardly wait. The doorbell rang, and Lydia jumped, looking to Simon with an inconsiderate eagerness. “They’re here. “ She barely waited for him to begin moving with her before she darted to the front door excitedly. The door swung open so fast it rattled on its hinges. Lydia clasped her hands. “Come in, come in. What have you found?”

Winston was glad that they had taken Natalia’s offer on working at Castillo’s Crafts. It gave them access to resources that they would’ve previously never dreamed of and more importantly it gave them the ability to act when they needed to. “Oh hi Lydia, nice to see you too, yes I did come with a solution to your problem,” Winston raised an eyebrow and shook their head in exasperation, “do you want me to just tell you or should I tell the person you’re also bound to, that seems pretty fair.” The stress of the whole third eye situation had proven pretty overwhelming and it was nice to have a distraction of some kind. The air between the two of them was filled with an unnecessary tension as Lydia and Simon waited for Winston to arrive; suffice to say, she was a lot more high-strung about this than he was as she paced around. He attributed it to his being a calmer person altogether. When the doorbell rang and she looked to him expectantly, he got to his feet in a manner he hoped was quick enough for her and she virtually pulled him to the door in her excitement. Fortunately, it seemed Lydia had the conversation under control though he easily remembered Winston from their incident in the Morgue and he gave a small wave with an equally-small smile.

Lydia pursed her lips, nonplussed. She was hardly apologetic for skipping right past the small talk. Stepping aside to let them through, she looked back at Simon with a small shrug. “I am not so interested in you telling us as I am in you doing it. Do you need a work surface? We can use my work stations, my kitchen counter, or we could go outside if you prefer it.” 

Spotting Simon, Winston couldn’t help their bemused smile and wave in their direction. “It’s Simon?” they asked somewhat surprised. Quite the unlikely duo. Looking around, Winston frowned and nodded. “I need to assemble a few things and then we can cast the shape of the scissors, fortunately we won’t have to melt anything.” Luce wasn’t here to be a human furnace this time. “Do you have like a garage or somewhere you don’t mind us making a bit of a mess in?” Adjusting their glasses, Winston shrugged the bag into a more comfortable position and looked at Simon. “So, how did this happen?” Though he was literally strung along for the ride, Simon felt the need to speak up at Winston’s request. “Uh, sorry for… asking but--” He cleared his throat and scratched his neck. “Oh, um… We walked past each other then we suddenly couldn’t.” He felt like he should’ve gone into greater detail but that was exactly how it happened how he recalled it and there wasn’t anything else TO mention. “We’d only ever talked once before, and it was online.” He looked at Winston as he explained, hoping they would be able to tell that he wasn’t withholding any information from them.

“Yes, the pottery room,” Lydia said, leading them both to another side of the house that she hadn’t taken Simon to before, this time on the ground floor. It was a converted garage, effectively, with carefully crafted ventilation system to accommodate the huge kiln. “It’s rather frustrating. It was like we were lassoed together by something, like we stepped onto a trap or something.”

“The pottery room?” Winston couldn’t judge too hard, Ricky had set up a workshop that was essentially his own personal sculpting studio. “Oh, so, that’s kind of weird, usually these things don’t happen spontaneously, I didn’t find a bunch of info on that but I guess it would be worth a second look if you want to know how this all happened, guess it doesn’t change anything”. Following Lydia through to the pottery room, they nodded and began unpacking their bags. Pulling out a large vial of a silvery liquid, a mould for scissors, a number of powders and other such similar items that you’d expect to see in your standard fantasy kit. “Okay, I need water and I need like a hook or something because these are going to literally be invisible and although I’ve got something in mind to help, probably a good idea we keep it on one thing.” Simon was good at definitely good at keeping up with Lydia at this point though he had to admit, it was a little unusual for her to be so quick about her movements this time. He understood, of course but he still found himself curious when she took them to yet another room he hadn’t seen before… it was like one big surprise box sometimes. He paid attention to everything Winston said though he couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering and he took small steps here and there to observe the area, glancing over at Lydia when they asked for the few things they needed - he hadn’t been there before, obviously, so he didn’t know where anything was or what he was allowed to touch.

“I certainly hope that doesn’t change whether the scissors work or not,” Lydia replied, raising a sharp eye brow. Although she knew Winston didn’t immediately know the answer for that. Lydia watched him unpack anxiously, bouncing her knee until Winston asked for things. Lydia picked up a nearby bucket and handed it to Simon. “The sink’s over there, if you don’t mind. There’s a hook in this cupboard, I’ll grab it.” Just about nine feet apart. Perfect. 

“I’m not exactly an expert, so I guess we’ll just have to try and hope for the best.” Winston didn’t really see any alternative and it wasn’t as if this could end them up with any additional body parts that they may or may not have full time. “Simon, grab me the water please, I’ve got to start mixing this stuff together.” Their hands were already unscrewing caps, popping corks and mixing together various ingredients. They crushed some brightly coloured minerals into a fine powder, adding it to the silver liquid which was actually mercury. This was apparently a recipe for quicksilver which they would then enchant. “Lydia can you please measure out three tablespoons of sulphur, two teaspoons of salt peter and 100 ml of the mercury.” Winston nodded towards a small ring of kitchen measuring spoons. They’d changed everything to cooking weights, it was easier. 

Once he had the bucket and was told what to do, Simon acted accordingly, making sure not to pull on their bond too much to reach for the faucet to retrieve the bucket of water - there was a little bit of stretching involved. As the water filled the bucket, he listened to the ingredients Winston was naming off and he found himself more curious, forcing himself to ask questions as the room filled with unpleasant noises and scents; was magic something that you had to have proficiency for? Could you learn through hard work and patience? When were the scissors going to turn invisible? Was that part the magic part? He kept his questions to himself and took the now-full bucket of water over to the intern, offering it out to them in such a manner that they could take it whenever they were ready for it.

Setting the hook in front of Winston, Lydia watched them beginning to arrange their ingredients. Pots scraped against the stained work surface, sending shivers down her spine. The popped bottles had a pungent aroma and Lydia’s lip curled when Winston asked her to handle Sulfur. She worked carefully and diligently, scraping the heaped teaspoons of salt Peter perfectly flat, before leaving the ingredients for Winston to handle it. “What else can I do?”

“So, now we just mix everything together, Simon will add the water, you can add the mercury and I’ll add the dry ingredients. We’ve just got to pour slowly and stir it all together and then we set it.” Winston was glad that there wasn’t an extensive and gruelling forging process here. Winston set about pouring the ingredients together and the mixture. Once everything was ready they poured it into the pre-prepared mould and looked at them. “I need to enchant this obviously, but it’s going to be draining, with your consent, I’d like to use your energy as well to do it properly, I don’t want to make a mistake.” Like passing out. He wasn’t about to say ‘sounds simple enough’ but Simon continued to do what he was told, waiting for the correct prompts before adding the water. He did, however, feel his eyebrow raise at the mention of ‘using energy’ and though part of him thought he should’ve kept quiet as he had been the entirety of this exchange so far, he felt the need to ask. “Sorry, dumb question but… what’s this about ‘using your energy”?” He wasn’t particularly worried about the concept - he’d be happy to help in whatever way he could - but he was curious about how that was going to go. Was Winston talking about HIS energy? BOTH their energy? Lydia knew magic… her energy specifically?

All at once, Lydia’s eagerness dropped like a brick to the floor, scowling. Impetuous little human. Always asking for more, like all humans She grit her teeth together, her eyes meeting Simon’s searchingly. “You wouldn’t take more than you needed, would you?” She asked Winston, but she was still looking at Simon. Perhaps properly for the first time since Winston had arrived. “Spellcaster bodies don’t always have the strength to tame the magic they use.” They are only human, after all. “I would also like to know precisely what you mean, though.”

“Magic takes up energy, if I cast a spell that lifts something that’s a hundred kilos then I’d feel it, it would take a toll on me. It burns calories, leaves you feeling exhausted and tired.” Winston shrugged. “I wouldn’t have anywhere to put the energy if I did take more then the spell required, you don’t need to worry about it.” Winston looked at them. “We’re going to place an enchantment on the scissors, that requires a fair amount of energy, I’ll be the focus and actually cast the spell, but you’ll assist.”

Perhaps Simon was just being dumb that day or perhaps somethng else was weighing on his mind more but he wasn’t quite grasping the concepts that were being laid out in front of him. So Winston could just… siphon energy from them? He wanted to ask but instead, he just gave a small shake of his head accompanied with a shrug. “Do what you have to do,” He responded. “I have energy to spare.” He wasn’t lying - even though the moon was new, he realised he was still a reservoir of adrenaline just waiting to kickstart.

“Whatever it takes.” If this worked, after all, Lydia had living, breathing energy stores of her own walking around upstairs. She stepped to stand beside Winston. Her wings shifted under her glamour, briefly causing the gentlest breeze around them. Whatever it would take to be free again.

“Give me your hands,” Winston instructed as they reached out and gestured for them to take their hands in their own. Stretching out for them, Winston began the ritual enchantment. Latin words spilled forth and they could feel the energy siphon from themselves and the others as they offered it forth. Winston watched as the mould shimmered and the liquid inside began to gradually fade away. Sweat beaded their brow as they completed their work. “Should be ready now, if you want to carefully pick it up. But don’t drop it because finding it again will be beyond difficult.” Simon offered his hand obediently, a flash of doubt crossing his mind that they were about to do something illegal - he’d only seen magic used once before and he was still finding remnants of that fight while he cleaned the morgue, it seemed like. The latin wasn’t entirely helping but he held still, deciding to keep his eyes on the tool that was being enchanted before them, remaining vigilant even after the scissors turned invisible. He exhaled when Winston finished, almost feeling as though he had run up a flight of stairs. “That’s it?” He asked, not out of dismissal but affirmation.

Lydia nearly dropped to her knees when the drain came. The strangest thing - it was something she’d felt before, in a dozen different people. It wasn’t through a hand but a kiss, fed side by side with the creative burst. She’d felt this a thousand times in the hearts of the humans she kept, and the way they’d sagged in her arms after. The thought churned her stomach, for all the wrong reasons. 

 Lydia looked at Simon, then Winston, and carefully reached into the scissor mould. Her fingers touched cool metal, drawing a gasp of air out of her. “They’re here!” She gasped, and picked them up. It was strange to see her flesh contort to squeeze around thin air, but Lydia would rather feel them tightly in her than drop them and risk losing them forever. She walked backwards, until the bond tightened around her belly. No point getting excited yet, she thought, looking Simon in the eyes as she held up the invisible scissors and snipped them in the air between them. 

Nothing changed. The tension was still taut around her belly. “No, come on,” Lydia whined, snipping it again, and again, her lips curling down in disappointment as nothing changed. Nothing changed! Lydia was almost at the point of throwing the scissors in contempt when something snagged. It pulled her forwards, just for a second, and then the tension vanished.  Lydia stumbled back, her mouth gaping right open. 

Bemused, Winston watched their handiwork. Watching Lydia apparently snip at the open air was something to say the least, but the way that she held the scissors was more then enough to convince Winston that they were doing what they were meant to. She seemed frustrated and then she cut through something and Winston exhaled. “So it worked?” The werewolf watched carefully as Lydia collected the scissors, invisible though they were and Simon opted to stand as still and sturdily as he could while she tried to cut the line, which didn’t seem to work at first until it did and he felt as though a belt had fallen from around his waist. He glanced down, then at the distance between himself and Lydia… then took a generous, slow step backwards, finding that he was able to do so. Nora was right; invisible scissors worked and the bond had been successfully severed. “I believe it did,” He remarked mildly before giving a single clap. “Splendid job, Winston! Brilliantly done.”

“That’s absurd,” Lydia breathed, watching Simon step away from her. It had been what, nearly ten days? Ten days where they couldn’t even stand that far apart. Twelve feet now, and when Lydia took another step, it was one the same size as Simon’s. Thirteen feet. There was barely space in the room to contain her excitement, as she walked back to the table and carefully set the scissors back in the mold. Or she tried to - these things were far from simple. “Human magic makes no sense whatsoever. I am incredibly grateful, Winston. If you give me your bank information I will repay you as you deserve.” Lydia bounced her leg, looking from one to the other, wondering how quickly she could push the both of them out of her home. 

Raising an eyebrow, Winston shrugged. “Magic is … magic I guess.” They reached out their bandaged hand (after all they didn’t want people to see the weird eyelid on it) and carefully scooped up the scissors, placing it on the hook before attaching the hook to a string and beginning to carefully place it into a cloth bag. “I’m going to keep this if that’s cool, unless one of you want it.” Winston wasn’t sure what they would need invisible scissors for but just in case right. “But, you don’t have to … should I be getting people to pay me for this?” Winston frowned, they’d never really thought about it. “Maybe you could just owe me one? I’m not sure what the going rate is...” Winston shrugged. “Cool, Simon, you want a lift somewhere or you gonna stick around for a bit?” Though he could virtually sense the excitement radiating off of Lydia as the latter stepped further and further away, Simon felt decidedly… different. He glanced between Lydia to Winston and gave a noncommittal shrug, acting almost as if he hadn’t been tethered to the woman in the first place. “You know what they say about being good at something and not doing it for free,” He mentioned, turning to give Lydia an unintentionally decisive look. “N-no, I’m… yeah, I could use a lift,” He spoke to Winston as he looked at the Fae, long, almost longingly but covering it with kindness before it lingered too long. “Thank you for your patience throughout this ordeal,” He gave her a small nod accompanied with a vague smile. “I’ll, uh… get out of your space now.” And that was it; he backed away slowly towards the door, turning his head to face Winston now as he waited for them to depart with him.

“By all means, please do keep it,” Lydia said. “I have little use for something I can’t see, normally.” She looked to Winston, and nodded. “You should be repaid justly for your work.” That, and Lydia would rather not owe another human a favour. Her eyes drifted to their bandaged hand, and back to them. “I will pay you significantly above whatever the going rate is. Money is not a concern.” At Winston’s question, Lydia felt a chill run down her spine, looking to Simon expectantly. The last thing she wanted was for him to linger, and that was as clear on her face as the longing was on his. “I would be very grateful if you could. It has been lovely getting to know you, but if I saw you again within the week it would be too soon.”

Nodding gently, Winston quickly gathered their things up, packing everything away as efficiently as they possibly could. “Okay, I’ll send you my details when I get home and you can decide the price.” Winston had never really thought that this was something that they could just do and get paid for. Maybe they would have to start looking at doing more of this, a little more money wouldn’t hurt and it had kept them from worrying about the nightmare visions. “I’ll let you name a price or we can discuss it later,” they turned to Simon as they shouldered their rucksack and headed towards the door, calling over their shoulder to Lydia. “Let me know if you get tied to someone else in the future, I’ll see if I can help again.” As they stepped into the sunlight, they turned to Simon. “Where do you want to go dude?” Simon saw Lydia’s expression out of his peripheral vision and he blinked after a pause, shaking his head and focusing on Winston. “Uh, just-- home’s fine. I’ll tell you how to get there.” He put his hands in his pockets, his own expression plaintive as he looked to the ground in submission once more. Home… it might be nice, maybe.

[darkpuck]

Dark Parables

Curse of Briar Rose

On the day the princess was born, the king held a great festival and invited all but one godmother, who was strong in sorcery yet wicked at heart.

Upon hearing the news of the festival, the Evil Godmother placed a curse on the newborn child. Later in life, the young princess came across a spindle in a dusty old room in the castle and pricked her finger. The inhabitants of the castle instantly fell under the power of a sleeping spell while briars burst from the ground and enshrouded the castle.

One day, a daring prince braved the thick vines and ventured into the castle. Upon finding the princess, he gave her a kiss, which was foretold to free the princess from her curse.

Though the kiss removed the briars and awakened the inhabitants, the princess never rose from her eternal slumber. Many years have passed and the truth behind the sleeping princess has been forgotten. What remains is the tale passed down through generations as "The Sleeping Beauty."

As decades and centuries passed, the tale has been assumed to be a myth, with only a handful of beings knowing the reality of the situation. The thorns continually returned to the castle, as though they were weeds that could not be completely eradicated. Two of the original godmothers, the Godmother of Rose and the Godmother of Ivy, worked diligently over the years to contain the curse of the thorns. Through their tireless efforts, eventually the curse was contained for the next thousand years.

One day, unexpectedly, the curse returned. The thorns rapidly re-grew, filling the long-abandoned castle with hundreds of deadly vines. Perhaps their long dormancy had built up their thirst for vengeance. Such a bizarre occurrence did not simply go unnoticed. A top detective agency, in fact, detected the anomaly almost immediately. Sensing the potential for paranormal danger, they sent one of their top agents to investigate.

Covertly entering the city around the castle, the young ace detective inspected the area. She took special care to ensure that her investigation was surreptitious, so as not to instigate greater panic, for the people of the city had seen what happened but had no idea what to make of it. The detective managed to secure some samples of the thorny briar and returned them to the agency.

The agency's top scientists analyzed the samples. They concluded that the vines were growing at such a rapid rate that they would overwhelm the entire city within seven days. Furthermore, it was clear that modern technology was unable to eradicate these plants. Although public officials for the city had already taken steps to organize the necessary (in their minds) equipment to remove the vines, the agency knew such measures would be ultimately useless. The agency decided they needed to learn more about the mysterious castle and the plague of thorns.

The young detective returned to the scene. Relying primarily on her wits, she searched for a way past the castle gates. The briars had not completely barred entry into the castle, b ut it was not an easy task. Fortunately, the detective was patient and made her way into the castle grounds. Once she was in the courtyard, she searche for a way into the castle itself. While exploring the grounds, a creaking sound drew her attention. The sound belonged to an old swing.

As she approached the swing, a spirit came to greet her: it was the spirit of Briar Rose. The detective remained cool and calm as the spirit approached.

"Please help me," the spirit of Briar Rose whispered. "My body has been asleep for centuries because of a curse placed by a wicked, vile woman. She is the Evil Godmother. Her spirit seeks to find my sleeping body, to possess it, and to wreak havoc upon the world she despises. You must find my body and awaken me before it is too late. I can already feel her spirit stirring, in search of my body. So far, the denfenses placed by my good godmothers have held, but I feel their power waning. It is only a matter of time before the Evil Godmother is able to steal my flesh."

Seemingly unperturbed by the apparition, the detective replied, "Where is your body? How can I find you and wake you up?"

Briar Rose's aura shimmered slightly, as though fading from reality. She looked very tired and unfocused. "I lack the strength to maintain this astral projection," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "Please, help me." With that, the spirit dissipated completely.

With a nonchalant sense of calm, the detective continued probing for clues. She made her way inside the castle. She explored the various rooms, and there were many, for the castle was as complex as a labyrinth. There was dust on every shelf an there were cobwebs in nearly every corner. Still, the detective diligently checked every room she could in her search for Briar Rose.

Eventually the detective encountered a gargantuan spider, giant enough to be able to eat a man. But this detective was no man! She was undeterred by this abomination. She found a torch and used the flame to keep the repulsive creature at bay. The detective thereby gained access to more areas in the castle.

Pressing on, the detective found an expensive laboratory. It was an alchemist's lab, and there were many unusual contraptions within the room. Most startlingly, she discovered a functioning teleportation device. The device transported her to a hidden chamber, where she found a remarkable journal.

The journal contained many interesting notes that the detective would use in her quest. There were instructions on how to concoct a unique "Rose Potion" which would cure the sleeping beauty and awaken her. According to the notes in the journal, the potion was devised well after the Godmothers Rose and Ivy contained the curse. Everything she needed to create the potion was in the lab. There were also directions on what to do with the potion, too.

There was still the matter of actually finding Briar Rose. Like many things in life, it was a complicated task. The detective felt lost, at times, in the labyrinthine castle, which was filled with unyielding obstacles and maniacal puzzles. At one point, in order to explore one of the castle towers, she had to search for a shield. Once she obtained it, she placed it in the grasp of the statue of a knight.

Mechanisms within activated and heavy gears churned, moving the statue aside to provide an entryway into the tower. Performing task after task, the detective relentlessly pursued the whereabouts of the sleeping Briar Rose. Though there were instances when she felt like quitting, she always found an inner strength to persevere through her trials.

Finally, after solving a challenging puzzle involving a life-size marionette stage, she earned a rusty old key. With this key, and using other clues she had obtained, she unlocked a secret passageway in the graveyard, which led down to an underground chamber.

The sleeping princess was there, waiting to be awakened.

There was also a special machine in the room, which required the Rose Potion to activate. The machine would wake the princess and end the curse forever. Once the detective injected the potion into the machine, however, the spirit of the Evil Godmother confronted her! Hiding in the form of a wretched crow, the Evil Godmother's spirit had been monitoring the detective throughout her investigation. Red smoke seeped out of the crow's eyes in rapacious anticipation of hijacking Briar Rose's body.

The detective did not panic. Utterly composed, she coolly punched in the correct code sequence and the machine emitted a keen scent which awakened Briar Rose from her mystical enchantment before the Evil Godmother could possess her. Once the princess awoke, the Evil Godmother's spirit had nowhere to go and was dispelled out of existence.

The princess slowly got up. After such a long slumber, she obviously required some time to acclimate herself, not only to the world, but to living again. The detective helped the princess return to her traditional bedchamber in the castle, which, amazingly, remained in pristine condition.

Looking out a window, Briar Rose marveled at her second chance at life. She marveled at the fantastic city that had grown up around her castle. She marveled at the heroine who had conquered an epic curse.

The detective, satisfied that she had completed her job, returned to the agency. New missions awaited her.

[artemisegeria]

Two Kinds of Magic

Title: Two Kinds of Magic

Rating: G

Word count: 5684

Warnings: None

Summary: One year. Wanda was given one year to escape her fate and avoid a marriage she didn’t want. She never expected that attempts to elude her suitors would lead to a life-changing friendship.

 A/N: This is my belated contribution to Scarlet Vision Appreciation Day 2019. Since there was no official theme or event, I debated for a while what I was going to write for the occasion. Then, I came across this prompt on Tumblr:

“Story idea: The most wanted woman in town has announced that she’ll only marry the one who can open her front door with the key around her cat’s neck. Many men try to hunt the cat down, chase and trap it, but to no avail, the cat is simply too quick, smart and clever, and always finds a way to evade and avoid them.

 You are the first one to figure out the obvious: Do not chase the cat. The cat is befriendable. Get the cat to trust you, to genuinely enjoy your company, and you can hang out with the cat. You may eventually be allowed to touch the cat. The cat will freely let you take the key.

 Secondary plot twist: The woman is a shapeshifter. She is the cat.”

I diverged somewhat from the initial prompt, but it provided the inspiration I needed. I hope you all enjoy.

 Once upon a time there lived a young woman, who was her father’s pride and joy. Her father was a powerful magician who wished for his daughter to follow in his footsteps, but she and her twin brother were born without magic. So the man spent many years trying to devise a way to imbue them with power. Using ancient forgotten books that he uncovered, he created a stone that would act as a reservoir for ambient magic. After absorbing some of the power that surrounded the land, the stone could be used to give power to anyone the man chose.

He gave the power to both his children. They both took well to it, the boy able to run faster than the eye could see and the girl able to manipulate matter, see people’s thoughts, and alter reality itself. It suited the man that his daughter was the one to receive the greater and subtler abilities. He told no one of what he had done and commanded his children to do the same.

One day tragedy struck. The boy fell ill, his fever ran high, and he was gone within two days. Not even his father’s great magic could save him. His daughter mourned her brother’s loss terribly. The man was sad for a time, but he considered the death of his son a tolerable loss. After all, he still had his daughter, who was the more skilled and a worthier successor.

The man eventually grew tired of his daughter’s grief. He thought it was extravagant, but he held his tongue. Over the years her grief did ease as she grew in stature and her father taught her more about how to use her powers, always reserving his own secrets for himself. When he was not training her, he kept his daughter merely as an ornament in his hall. He was also a cautious man, so he encouraged her to use her gifts only as he saw fit. He always made sure she knew whence her gifts came and that they could be taken away again.

But one day he realized that he could not keep her with him forever. He began to think on how he could best control whom she might marry. Eventually, the solution came to him, and a slow smile spread across his face. He determined that it was time to take advantage of her powers. The only thing that remained was to ensure his daughter’s willing compliance.

One day he gathered all his landed friends and their sons, for he would not see his daughter married to a lesser man. He carefully arranged their seating from largest to smallest plot of land, with himself at the head, to be certain that everyone knew his place. He did not even pay any attention to the workman from the local smithy who was fixing one of the suits of armor that lined his great hall to show what forces he could outfit at need. He commanded his daughter to sit at his side, silent and smiling and wearing her finest dress.

“My friends, you have seen my daughter grow into a beautiful young woman. It is now time for her to be married, but she cannot marry just anyone. I must know that whoever is to wed her is clever and persistent and worthy of her many charms. So I have devised a test. Starting tomorrow, every day for the next year there will be a cat with a key tied to its collar somewhere in the area.” He held up a small box. “Whoever is able to capture the cat, completely unharmed, will receive this box, which contains a treasure far greater than its size, and my daughter’s hand in marriage. If after one year no one succeeds in trapping the cat, my daughter will be free to marry whomever she pleases.” The man only offered that concession because he was confident that one year was sufficient time for one of Wanda’s suitors to catch her.

This suited his daughter, who had equal faith in her wits and her ability to evade capture. She did not like the stares and smiles of the young men on offer. They had all grown up together and she had no desire to wed any of them. But she smiled and smiled to please her father, at least for now. She did start briefly when she met the eyes the workman who was at the edge of the room, but he quickly looked away.

“May the best man win, and remember, no harm is to come to the cat. If a hair on its head is damaged, the deal is forfeit. Now let us eat.” The young men all sought her favor throughout the meal, trying to incline her toward them. They made would-be witty remarks and gave her airy compliments, though none of them had ever tried to get to know her. She bided her time and smiled and smiled. Let them think that she could be won over.

After everyone left, her father told her to rest up for the next day. She complied, excited for the next day. For what her father had not revealed was that the cat he encouraged the young men to capture was Wanda herself. It suited her to obey, for her father never told her where exactly she should wander or for how long. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for to explore beyond the manor’s bounds with her father’s blessing.

The next morning her father reminded Wanda not to let herself be caught too easily, but to allow her suitors to see her cat form from time to time. She nodded, trying to hold back her excitement. She’d never had the luxury of having the whole day to herself. Her father affixed the magical cord that would adjust to her size and a bright silver key to her neck. He spelled it to remain in place for the entire year. When she underwent the familiar shrinking, she allowed herself a moment to adapt to being much lower to the ground. The smells were so much more intense and the colors muted.

Wanda spent the first few days exploring the forest outside the estate. For though she had wanted her freedom for so long, she found that she was shy about going into town. The sight of so many people was terrifying as well as thrilling. The young men had already laid some very obvious traps near her home that she easily avoided. She wondered if any of them had any inkling that the cat they are supposed to trap is the object of their affections. She doubted it.

Every night when she returned, her father seemed both relieved and disappointed, but it was very early. Wanda’s evenings were filled with needlework, music practice, and spinning, for her father would not have her forget her duties as the lady of the house, even though she was occupied during the day.

Over the next few weeks, Wanda began to explore farther afield. Her new vantage point allowed her to easily observe the goings on in the market or the village square from the shadows. She enjoyed the sights and sounds of all manner of people going about their days. When she saw one of her suitors, she backed deeper under an awning or ran the other direction.

On one such day, two of Wanda’s suitors surprised her. They saw her at the same moment and began to run toward her. She cursed the silver key that stood out bright against her dark fur. Fortunately, the men were more concerned with stopping each other from getting to her than apprehending her. She slipped easily between their legs and ran into the first open door she saw, hoping to avoid detection.

Wanda found herself in a small smithy. There was a fire pit built into the wall on one side of the space. The other side held shelves that contained a number of finished dishes, knives, and tools. The room appeared empty, so she let herself breathe for a minute.

Until a figure emerged from a curtain in the back of the shop. Wanda beheld the strangest man that she had ever seen. His skin was a deep red hue, interlaced with shiny silver patterns. She almost forgot that she was still being chased and backed out the door, but the man smiled at her in a friendly fashion. “Hello there.” His voice was slow and measured, just as his footsteps toward her were. Wanda still puffed up her fur and hissed at him, the cat’s instincts sometimes taking over when she was in this form.

The stranger paused. She saw his gaze fall to the key at her throat, but he only said, “I mean you no harm.”

She was still trying to think of what to do next when one of the young men who was hunting her cleared his throat at the door. “You, fellow, have you seen a small black cat come by here. It has a little key around its neck. I’ll see you get a handsome reward.” Wanda had to wonder why her pursuer did not have a more pronounced reaction to the blacksmith.

She prepared to run again when the strange man inevitably gave her away, but he surprised her again. “My apologies, sir, but I have seen no such cat.”

The man’s footsteps had no sooner stomped away before her other would-be suitor was at the door with the same question, also without a notable to reaction to the blacksmith’s strange appearance. The red man gave the same response. The suitor promised to sweeten the reward even more if he kept an eye out for her. “Of course, sir.” He walked away, apparently satisfied, but Wanda could detect the faintest trace of irony in her protector’s voice.

A few minutes later, he stepped outside. When he returned, he said, “Neither of those men are anywhere in sight.”

Wanda considered what to do. She knew that she was taking a risk revealing herself, but she desperately wanted to understand. So she moved deeper into a shadowed alcove at the back of the shop and resumed her usual human shape. The man’s eyes widened as he looked at her, but he was no more surprised than she was. For before her stood a tall man with blond hair and fair skin that she would easily pass over. No sign of red skin or unearthly markings. Though he did look somewhat familiar when she thought about it.

“Why didn’t you give me up to them and collect your reward? Did you know I was human? Why were you talking to me? Who are you really?”

He paused for only a moment before answering, “First, I did not like the look of them, and your mannerisms seemed to indicate that you did not wish to be found.” He ticked off the answers on his fingers. “Second, I did not know that you were human, but animals understand much more than most humans give them credit for. Finally, I am Vision, the blacksmith’s assistant.”

Wanda tried to rephrase her last question. “No, I mean, this is not your true form. Glamours do not work on cats.”

Vision bowed his head. “Ah, I have never had to explain myself to anyone before.” He paused again, raising his head but looking over her shoulder. She tried to catch his eye, for this was something she had experience with, but his gaze remained distant, his body perfectly still and tense.

She cleared her throat until he finally looked her in the eye, his expression set in a tight line. “Neither have I. No one but my father knows what I can do.”

Smiling slightly, Vision said, “I suppose I am in much the same position. My creator is the only one who knows my true identity.”

“Creator?” She did not understand. She knew there was something different about him, but he seemed as much a man as any other.

“Yes,” He paused for a moment, glancing at her before gathering himself, but his explanation flowed smoothly, as if he had practiced the words many times. “I am a construct of elemental magic and metal. Master Stark long wished to create life. His many experiments led to my birth, or creation if you prefer, and I have worked with him ever since.”

“That explains the skin and the disguise.” She was impressed at the seamless appearance of the glamour. He only gave a tight nod.

“Yes.” Vision shifted, just slightly, as if uncertain what she would do next. He glanced toward her and away several times while she tried to absorb what he said. The last time he did so Wanda recognized him.

“Wait! You were there on the day my father made the announcement.”

“Yes.” Guilt clouded his expression. “I suppose I should have told you that when you first transformed.”

She shook her head to deny the need for an apology, but something was bothering her. “Why didn’t you try to catch me yourself? I know the key caught your eye.”

“Well, when I saw you that day, you did not seem enthusiastic about the prospect of your father’s challenge.” His gaze cleared, and his stance relaxed.  “I had no wish to force a woman into marriage. When I saw you as the cat today, I felt even more strongly that such a betrothal was unwanted.”

“Oh.” Wanda had little experience with strangers, but somehow she was inclined to believe him. There was no artifice in his gaze, no hesitation in his words.

They fell silent for a time, and it was only when Wanda looked out the shop window that she realized how low the sun is in the sky. “I have to go.” He nodded. She was about to leave when she turned back abruptly. “May I come back tomorrow?”

Vision only blinked at her for a moment. “If you wish.” She smiled and gave him a little wave.

When she returned home for supper, her father asked why she looked so happy. Wanda merely shrugged and replied that it was a beautiful day. Her father was still suspicious but made no protest as she studiously turned to her chores.

The next day she donned her cat form again and traveled toward the blacksmith shop. She only transformed when Vision greeted her and she saw that the shop was empty. “Good morning, Wanda.”

“Good morning.”

They stared at each other for long moments. The awkwardness began to build so much that Wanda was tempted to leave. Vision finally said, “I’m sorry. I am not used to visitors. May I get you something to drink? Do you need anything else?” He smiled tentatively at her, and the look won her over.

“Don’t do anything special on my account. I’ll just sit here and watch you work if that’s alright.”

“By all means.” He gestured to a chair that was set up in the back of the shop.

And so it went. Over the next weeks Wanda’s visits became more and more regular. Sometimes she arrived early in the morning until they finished their lunch. Vision didn’t need to eat, but he took a midday rest and sat with her. Other days she would come in the afternoon and stay until she had to return home at sunset. She would spend the rest of the time exploring the town and the next town over.

The first time the blacksmith entered the shop while Wanda was present he looked slightly surprised, but only smirked and whispered something in Vision’s ear, which was met with a thin-lipped expression and a brief headshake. Vision introduced her to Anthony with a firm look at the latter. Wanda used all her training as her father’s daughter to maintain her polite expression. At least he did not disturb them for the rest of the day. The next day Vision handed her a dress that he had borrowed from the blacksmith’s wife, for even Wanda’s simplest dress was made of the finest threads and fabrics, marking her as nobility.

When three months had passed, Wanda had finished exploring the limits of both of the nearest towns, and the new sights did not match the attraction of watching Vision work quietly and talking to him about everything under the sun. It was still a novelty to have someone genuinely interested in her feelings and opinions. Most of the people she met were only interested in her as a proxy for her father’s favor or her father’s wealth. And then there was her father who was only interested in carrying on his own name and legacy.

It was fortunate that few people she knew ever ventured into the blacksmith’s shop, having servants to run their errands and considering the simple metals beneath them. But occasionally an overgrown boy who knew nothing of war would come in to see the swords on display and dream of glory in battle. Wanda would hide in the back storage room, waiting for them to pass. When Vision signaled that it was safe to come out, she would always find the shop in disarray. She would help to set everything to rights despite Vision’s protests.

One day a farmer came into the shop to have his plough repaired. Vision told him it would be ready in a day or two. An idea struck her that perhaps she and Vision could combine their magics and put their special skills to use. They experimented with infusing their magic into the metal at various stages of heating. Eventually they came to a result that resisted all their attempts to damage it. When the farmer returned, he was very impressed. He offered to pay twice the agreed upon price of two chickens, but Vision refused with a smile.

Word began to spread of their knives that stayed supernaturally sharp, horseshoes that never rusted, and dishes that cleaned easily. There were some townspeople who recognized Wanda from the few occasions she had been outside under her father’s watchful eye. When they saw how nervous she was at the recognition, they pretended not to notice her. They felt for her, and it helped that she and Vision always saved their best pieces for those who could not afford them. The townspeople in turn adopted them as their own and vowed to protect them.

At the six-month mark, Wanda’s father began to grow more frustrated at her suitors’ failure. He wanted them to have to work to win his daughter’s hand, but he thought the task would be complete by now. He vastly overestimated their competence. The men’s traps continued to be laughably easy to evade. Wanda fulfilled her end of the bargain by spending a little time walking around as a cat before heading to the shop and spending the day there.

One day while she was standing beside Vision waiting to add her magic to the knife he was molding, Vision asked, “What are you humming? It’s lovely.” Wanda flushed, glad that she could blame it on the heat of the fire. She had not realized she was humming out loud.

“It’s a lullaby. My mother used to sing it to me and my brother.” During the lunchbreak that day, Wanda found herself telling Vision all about her lost loved ones and her father’s refusal to recognize their deaths or accept her mourning. Vision listened sympathetically, offering her his full attention without any meaningless reassurances, before discussing his own lack of family in turn. Anthony tried, but he was always busy with his family and his next project. Vision was accepted as a part of the household, but he was still separate from them.

After those admissions, Wanda and Vision became even closer. They had no secrets from each other. Wanda told Vision how she had always wished to explore the world, but when she had the opportunity, she ran from it. Vision told Wanda of how he feared that he would never be fully human, how people would shun him if they knew what he truly was. Wanda assured him that, though she could not guarantee anybody else, he would always have her. Vision assured her that there were many types of courage and that the world would be waiting for her when she was ready.

When nine months had passed since the challenge began, Wanda’s father held a ball for all her suitors and their families. Wanda was finding it more and more difficult to tolerate her suitors. They continued to pay no heed to her thoughts and feelings; they made no attempt to learn who she really was. During the dancing, their hands gripped her too tightly and they trod all over her feet.

Wanda felt guilty for complaining so much to Vision, but he only listened attentively before offering her his hand, saying perhaps he could do better. She accepted his offer with bemusement. Close as they were, they seldom made physical contact. He held her delicately as they twirled around the shop. They were soon laughing when they stumbled over a stray tool, paying more attention to each other’s eyes than their surroundings. They righted themselves and continued. One of Vision’s hands held onto hers and the other rested on her upper back. Wanda leaned into him when he smiled fondly at her. It was already half-dark when she left the shop that day, having to run home to avoid her father’s wrath.

The next three months passed far too quickly for Wanda’s liking. She knew there was a chance that her father would renege on his word, though he did take his promises seriously. She did not know what she would do if her father refused to let her out of the estate. Having had a taste of friendship and freedom, she could not go back to being her father’s perfect statue and protégé. Vision distracted her with proposing new uses for her magic. She allowed herself to forget how time was running out and simply enjoy his company and offer her own new projects.

When Wanda entered the shop on the last day of the bargain with her father, she was exuberant. She could barely contain her excitement at the thought of being on the edge of freedom. Vision picked up on her mood, grasping her hands. “What will you do after today?”

“I will marry whoever I please, on my schedule.” She tried not to look directly at Vision as she said it, but her eyes were drawn inexorably toward his small smile. The rest of the day was spent quickly glancing at each other and way, grinning all the while. It was almost like her first day in the shop, but that day the space between them was filled with exhilaration rather than awkwardness. Wanda felt a warm fluttering in her stomach as they sat side by side at lunch. When their hands brushed as they laid out some newly finished nails, they did not pull away from each other.

When it was time for her to leave, Wanda impulsively kissed Vision on the cheek. She giggled at his utter surprise. “See you tomorrow, Vizh.” She barely heard his reply when she skipped out the door, preparing how to tell her father that she had found the man she wanted to marry.

Unfortunately, on that day, Wanda was paying too little attention to her surroundings. She was almost home when she walked directly into her least favorite suitor’s arms. She twisted in his hands, trying to claw and bite at him, but her father was standing at their front gate. He uttered a spell to immobilize Wanda as he congratulated the man who had captured her. He ushered the man inside, telling him to wait in the main hall while he put Wanda in her room. He allowed her to transform back into a human before locking her away in her room.

Wanda considered her options for some time. She knew that she was at risk of angering her father, but she had been so close to freedom. She refused to give it up. Perhaps if she convinced her father how deeply she felt for another, he would have pity on his only child. Past experience of her father would suggest otherwise, but she had to try. If that failed, she would think of more drastic solutions.

Alas, her father would not listen to her pleas. He got along well with the suitor. He felt that the young man would preserve his wealth and his lands, appreciating that he came from an ancient family and would be a worthy father to his future grandchildren. Chaperoning several meetings between Wanda and her future husband, her father cared not at all that he and Wanda did not have anything to talk about, if Wanda could even get a word in between the man’s listing his accomplishments and assets.

Days passed. Wanda soon realized that there was no hope to change her father’s mind. Her father and her future husband spent all their time planning a grand wedding, complete with a golden carriage and over a hundred guests. After her third escape attempt, her father used the stone that he still carried with him until she was officially married to remove her powers. The loss left her instantly cold and weak, but she continued to make new plans.

Meanwhile, Vision worried. At first, he thought that Wanda regretted the affection she had shown him. He had almost thought that she had been talking about him when she said she would marry someone she chose for herself, but perhaps he had been mistaken. No one could truly want to marry him. But word had spread from the servants in Wanda’s household, to whom she was always kind, to the other townspeople that Wanda’s father was holding her against her will and forcing her to marry. One of their most frequent customers told the whole tale to Vision, who resolved to rescue his friend.

Two days before her wedding was to take place, Wanda was pacing her room, trying to think of a solution to get out of her prison. Her father had reinforced the bars on her window and across her door with his own magic. Without her powers, she had no idea how to get through them.

After a time, she collapsed on her bed, having worn herself out with worry and restless movement. A soft humming at her window caused her to open her eyes and sit up. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Vision? What are you doing here?”

“When you did not come to the shop, I thought you had changed your mind about our meetings.” His gaze dropped until Wanda approached him and touched his arm briefly. He met her eyes directly, sincerity and hope shining out of him. “But I was told that one of your suitors succeeded and you were trapped here. I had to ensure that you were well.”

“I’m not,” Wanda assured him heartily. “I’ve been trying to run away, but my father stole my powers.”

He winced, knowing how much Wanda valued the powers that helped give her some control over her own life. “I am sorry I cannot do anything to give you them back, but I will run away with you.” Wanda smiled her first true smile in days. “I cannot offer you the life you deserve, but I will share whatever I can call my own with you. I will always stand by your side.”

“I don’t want anything more than that.” She looked around her room with slight regret. She wished she had a little more time to pack some of her belongings, but time was of the essence. Her dress was not inconspicuous either. She sighed. She supposed she would have to continue borrowing from Pepper before they left. At least she could be sure of him and their bond. “I’m ready when you are.”

He reached for her hands and clasped them briefly. “Wanda, I-.”

A bright burst of light hitting Vision’s chest cut him off mid-sentence. He immediately fell to the floor, skin going cold and gray when his glamour vanished, wide unseeing eyes becoming white. Wanda cried out and sank down next to him. “Vizh?” She shook his shoulder hopelessly before finally turning to her father. “How could you?” The tears falling thick and fast blurred her vision, but she could glimpse his sneer.

“I’m merely making it easier for you to do your duty.” He looked down and nudged Vision with his foot. “What is this thing anyway?”

“This man’s name is Vision. I love him.” Wanda leaned over him, caressing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. Her tears were still flowing freely, but her father remained unmoved.

“I have warned you before about feeling too deeply. You see? It has brought you nothing but pain. Now get up and compose yourself. We will be rehearsing your wedding ceremony in twenty minutes.”

“No!” Wanda draped herself protectively over Vision’s body. She was not ready to let go yet.

“Yes.” Her father’s voice was firm and implacable. “If you continue to act hysterically, I will stop your tongue until it is time to say your vows. If you even think of causing a scene, I will make your life more miserable than you can imagine.”

He started to levitate Vision’s body away from her, but Wanda still clung to him. In a last move of desperation, she kissed his lips, as she was never able to do in life. At first nothing happened. However, a cry soon tore from her father’s lips. The stone that he so carefully crafted flew from his hands, glowing warmly. Energy began to spill from it. The scarlet tendrils threaded their way between Wanda and Vision, flowing through their mouths and twining around their bodies.

Wanda could feel a surge of power deep within her as the magic ceased its glow. Even more startling was that the stone had nestled itself in Vision’s forehead. A warm wave of crimson was spreading out across his body. Even her father was transfixed by the sight of Vision’s body rising higher, becoming upright with his arms wide open.

Hope was a relatively new emotion for her, but Wanda dared to dream that Vision would open his eyes and recover. When he finally did so, he looked confused for a moment, but floated down to her side, tenderly brushing her tears away. Eventually he rose and lifted Wanda to her feet. Looking down at her with some pure emotion that she was afraid to name, Vision asked, “Shall we?” His gaze was serious, enquiring if she still wished to leave with him, still wished to abandon the only life she’d known.

Wanda beamed at him with no reservation. “We shall.” They had both forgotten about her father until he stepped in front of the window, blocking their path.

“You will not move one inch, young lady.” He moved forward threateningly, but Vision refused to drop her hand. Instead, he tried to angle his body in front of her. But Wanda would not have it. She knew Vision meant well, but with the return of her powers, she would not have anyone push her to the sidelines in the name of protection. She pushed forward, so that they stood shoulder to shoulder. Vision nodded slightly at her and she could feel his acceptance that she had to do this.

“Father, I’m leaving.”

Her father scowled and squared his stance. “I swear I will-.”

“You will do nothing to me.” Red swirled around her fingers. “I’m leaving. Now stand aside. Let your would-be son-in-law inherit for all I care.” She prayed that her father would listen to her for once. Though he had not been a kind man, she did not wish to hurt him. She just wanted to be free. Apparently, her father saw the determination that was burning through her because he did move aside.

Not without one final barb. “I disown you. You will never get one acre of my lands or one coin from my coffers.”

Wanda would mourn the loss of her last family member another time. She steeled her spine and her voice to reply, “You have given me and taken away from me enough. I need nothing from you.” She held onto Vision as he phased them out of her room. She would not look back.

When they were beyond the boundaries of her father’s estate, Vision floated even higher, only the slight glow of the stone illuminating their path. Secure in his arms, Wanda began to relax. She almost didn’t realize that they’d stopped until Vision asked, “What happened back there, Wanda? The last thing I remember is talking to you, and then I was in the air and you were collapsed on the floor.”

“My father hit you with this, and you…died.” She tapped the stone that now resided in his forehead. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you being gone, so I kissed you. The stone gave me back my powers and healed you.”

Though taken aback, Vision smiled at her faintly. “Thank you for saving me.” But his smile fell almost immediately. “Although I cannot help but regret that I missed our first kiss.”

Wanda lifted her hands to his neck, massaging his skin. “Maybe it shouldn’t count since you didn’t feel it.”

“That sounds like a fine idea.” He brushed a strand of her hair, which was floating in the breeze, behind her ear, and his hand lingered, threading through the waves. “Would you care for a second try?”

Wanda pulled Vision’s head down until their lips were a hair’s breadth apart. “Absolutely.” Their second first kiss was everything either of them could have wished for. Wanda and Vision remained together for some time, letting any thoughts about their future fall away below them, their embrace keeping them warm.

[whatamessz]

Fic “Take my Head”

Welllllll back in october @dreaming-powder and I talked about kink- and goretober and I…erm… wasted an opportunity started this thing which was sitting in my drafts since then, mocking me. Lately I’m extremely frustrated with my writing and it totally shows, but I had to finally get this out or it would haunt me. Sorry I kinda trashed your prompt ;_;

Summary: 10 Million years late to the Garage Palace Party, PWP loosely based on the visualizer.

Cleaned up and edited version on AO3.

3563 words | rating: explicit | 2Doc | 2D’s POV | TW: mentions  of   contagious disease, graphic content, injuries, blood, zombies | beware extremely flat critisism of governmental power structures and oral sex

2D sat on the mattress, perched up against the wall, his head put back against his neck. The blood from his nose finally must have stopped flowing, but the vague luminescence of the glow-in-the-dark-stars they had adhered to the ceiling in an attempt to make the storage unit more cozy was mesmerizing enough to keep staring.

The garage – located somewhere in the suburbs in a former small town in Essex, of all places – was their current hide out. It had been scarcely furnished already, but almost everything they’d brought in was tossed over or broken now. 2D couldn’t care in this moment. His head and his ribs hurt and he could taste his own blood in the back of his throat. His shirt and hands were stained red too. No handkerchiefs in the post apocalypse.

He mulled over his momentary situation. They lived in a storage unit because these days, safe living space was a resource everyone craved. That’s why the improvised military government had confiscated every inhabitable home with the ultimate plan to clear and declare the houses as secure for redistribution to the surviving population of the country. Up until now, this didn’t really happen. However, this and several other measures taken were ultimately just a leverage on the people to consolidate their position and suppress rioting. At least, that was how Russel had explained it to them. 2D had found that fairly persuasive since, if you wanted a home or just shelter, food rations, medical care, clean water and relative safety, you were told to go to The Refuges first.

The Refuges, where it could be made sure you wouldn’t carry or infect yourself with the O-virus and cause a new outbreak again. The Refuges where you could be surveilled and where the disease, whatever that meant, was annihilated and were you could wait for the promised piece of safety and normality you so hoped for.

The Refuges were a lie. The Refuges were horrible. The Refuges were a place where you got your most basic needs fulfilled, as long as you played along the rules the government set and accepted everything they provided to you in their grace. The Refuges were a place, where people in need, in fear and in pain lived together on smallest spaces, perishing on the wait for things to come. The Refuges were a pool to recruit workers to rebuild this glorious nation on nothing but promises of a shining future. The Refuges were a tool and a field of experimentation to see in what infinitesimal bits you could split a society and still rule them in an economic effective way. The Refuges were a place where, once you’d arrived out of free will or pure desperation, you were meant to stay and wait for your assigned purpose.

That was why they’d left. Secretly and in hurry from the great Royal Refuge of South London. In 2D’s opinion it was ridiculous to even call a camp like that. Nobody had heard from a queen or a king in years.

He didn’t like to think back on their time there or the night they had fled. It usually brought back vivid nightmares and he curled in a little just from the thought. However, they weren’t the only people who had managed to leave. There were also still many who never went to a Refuge in the first place.

They all more or less tried flying under the radar through wildly dispersing over the country side where people tried their luck in the less crowded areas. From time to time, there were raids rumored to be initiated from the government, but it was impossible to keep all of the scattered population in check, so they had decided the unruly-people-problem would likely regulate itself if they didn’t guarantee protection from remaining zombies, mobs and catastrophes like the “accidental” wild fires in summer. The government had made it clear, that everything outside the camps and greater cities was lawless land.

Partially, they had been right. The waves of roaming zombies admittedly had declined in the last two years, but with hierarchy temporarily so disassembled, people started testing.

So far, two main forms of social coexistence had become especially apparent: community building and gang building. The communities were extremely guarded and with the increasing pressure from the government, their biggest problem was their relative inflexibility. The bad thing with the gangs was, they weren’t usually friendly. Like everyone, they fought for survival and they took what they could find to ensure that. Sometimes – often – that meant stealing from other people. Like them.

Against all odds, Noodle, Russel, Murdoc and 2D had somehow managed to survive the zombie outbreak together, but they weren’t part of a community, nor of a gang. Or maybe they were their own gang minus the robbing people part. Mostly he was fine with this, but in moments like this the flaws of this state of being became apparent to 2D.

He flinched when he heard steps approaching outside that interrupted his train of thoughts. For a moment, he was afraid the group of rowdies would return, but it was only one pair of feet this time. He could see the familiar boots emerge under the half open roller blind before it was pulled up a bit more and Murdoc strode in. His left side was widely covered in blood, the scythe casually draped over his shoulder and he was smiling widely like a manic death god.

“Daddy’s home, children,” he announced himself enthusiastically and with the greyish light that came in from behind he looked like the legend he was known as in these suburbs and 2D briefly wondered if the blokes would have attacked Gorillaz makeshift headquarters if they would have known it was Murdoc’s too.

Well… who was he trying to convince? They probably would have anyway.

“Hey,” 2D greeted him and his voice sounded thick and nasal.

Murdoc’s atomic smile faltered visibly when he took in the state of the garage unit and finally the state of 2D. He growled exasperated.

“Bunch’a gangsters stopped by to check if we got anything interesting to loot.”

“Those fucking thugs that recently roam around in our territory?”

Their territory? Ok, maybe they really were a gang now and he didn’t notice.

2D just shrugged, taking in Murdoc’s appearance. His jeans and dirty white shirt were lavishly adorned with reddish brown splashes, so the evidence he had just offed a few flesh eaters was right there, but the scythe’s blade had already been polished back to its shiny menace. 2D knew, theoretically, Murdoc had just been checking and clearing on their supplies stash, but when the man came back looking every inch the anti-hero of one of those zombie films 2D had so loved before all this, he couldn’t help but feel a little warm and excited tuck deep in his belly. Murdoc had never looked healthier or more alive since most people around him were (un)dead. The scythe was a statement too, of course. When the outbreak came, it was just a quick defense tool he had grabbed from their requisites, but over time Murdoc had proven to be surprisingly skilled with it and because it fitted his shitty goth aesthetic like nothing else, he ultimately chose the scythe as his signature weapon.

2D could honestly understand how it made an impression on people when Murdoc came out of nowhere, slicing his way through rotting bodies like a hot wire through cheese, scattering organs everywhere, laughing like a lunatic and disappearing after his “work” was done. It sure made an impression on 2D.

“Took our torchlights. And the pillow,” 2D reported contritely. “But they left the sleeping bags at least.”

Murdoc send a string of curses while he was walking through the mess. He kicked aside broken glass on his way over and sat back up a shelf they had made from old apple crates.

“I knew it was a good idea to keep our important supplies hidden elsewhere,” he mumbled.

He leaned the scythe to the wall and took off the bag he had carried. He shad his heavy leather jacket too before he plopped down on the mattress next to 2D with a sigh.

Curious, 2D examined Murdoc from the closer range. He could see now how Murdoc got spatters of dried blood on his face and in his hair as well.

“You’ve got blood everywhere,” 2D stated his observation, the mild concern obvious in his voice.

“Could say the same about you. ’S not mine though,” Murdoc answered with a lopsided grin on his withering face. His tongue darted out of his mouth to lick some of it from his upper lip cockily. 2D shivered. The only good thing they had brought back from the Refuges were the vaccinations against the O-Virus.

“Good,” 2D just offered exhaling, gaze drifting back up to the glowing plastic stars. Murdoc then gently grabbed his chin to indulge in his own studies on 2D’s injuries.

“Too bad we lost the torches. The light’s crap in here. No deeper cuts? Nothing’s broken? Just a busted nose and a split lip?”

2D watched him intently. He liked it when Murdoc cared for him. A little too much maybe.

“Fuck, you look so hot like this, you know that,” he muttered out. In the same breath of air, he silently cursed his dumb brain.

Murdoc watched him apprehensively for just a heartbeat longer.  Then he smirked.

“Yes,” he said. “Plus, slashing zombies makes me incredible horny.”

2D only had time to blink before he felt Murdoc’s lips on his own, noses crushing together and it hurt, but all of a sudden everything he wanted was more of this to take him out of his miserable boredom. The cut on his lip burned with sensation that made his heart pick up its pace. He could taste the coppery savor again, but this time so intensely it made his stomach churn.  The imagination of the blood on their lips mixing buzzed through his head and he sighed softly into the kiss. The knowledge that this was zombie blood made him feel ill as much as it turned him on in a weird way. One should think that the actual outbreak of the apocalypse would have cured him of his weird kinks, but after they had settled in what could be considered a relatively quiet life under these circumstances and the zombies and their spreading disease weren’t the biggest thread anymore, he had learned that this wasn’t the case. Quite the opposite.

Murdoc chuckled lowly in response to his sigh and retreated for a second to check on him.

“We need to clean you up later” he suggested. 2D put a hand up Murdoc’s neck, gently brushing the thumb over the bassist’s face and leaving a bloody smear on his hollow, stubbly cheek in the process. They would have to beg Noodle for her gas cooker to heat some water when she was back.  

Murdoc put his hands around 2D’s waist and pulled him closer, 2D straddling his legs, before he dove in again and licked teasingly slow over the cut on his lip. That elicited a sharp hiss from the former singer and Murdoc used the opportunity to pry his mouth open with his tongue a little further.

2D felt dull pain pulsating through his nose when he needed to take deeper breaths now, but he managed to work around this issue and let Murdoc explore his mouth. He could feel his tongue rub and suck along the tender gum where his front teeth used to be a lifetime ago. His eyes fell shut and he let out an appreciative moan now.

Spurred by this, Murdoc let a cool hand wander under 2D’s stripy shirt and up his sore ribcage, where a heavy boot had kicked him not quite one hour ago before the five gang members had buggered off again. 2D flinched slightly at the gentle contact and opened his eyes. Murdoc didn’t immediately stop kissing him, but his expression was knitted in disapproval when he glanced up questioningly.

2D shook his head slightly. “’S nothin’, just be careful,” he whispered, not wanting to stop this. He gave Murdoc’s thigh a reassuring squeeze. For a brief second, he thought about the fact that the roller blind still was half up, but their mattress was tucked away enough in a corner of the unit and hidden behind a now depleted shelf. He just had to remember to keep quiet. He also hoped that Noodle and Russel wouldn’t return from their tour or that other unannounced guests wouldn’t like to pay a visit again right now.

“Painkillers may be rare, but daddy’s got something else for your ouchies,” Murdoc purred into his ear, which caused 2D to back off a bit with a snicker.

“Woah don’t you think I didn’t notice how you tried to establish that daddy shit again in the first place,” he said defiantly. “Daddy kink is not going to happen in this garage, you old letch.”

Murdoc looked at him, eyes torn wide open in mock offence. “So I am the letch now, am I? Then remind me again who initiated this, huh? Besides, you still look like you ate out Bloody Mary, so don’t give me shit on my humble peculiarities.”

2D shot him a sour look. Of course, he couldn’t really see Murdoc’s eyebrows under the heavy fringe, but he still could guess the suggestive wiggle he offered in return.

“Didn’t you just confirm right in front of me that you get a hard-on from slaying zombies?”

Murdoc shrugged. “You get a hard-on from watching me slaying zombies, so I think that’s a tie. What brings me back to the point at which we just stopped,” Murdoc countered and let him slip from his thighs to lean back against the wall again.

Murdoc fixed him there with a cunning gaze, then kneeled in front of him and slowly slid the pair of braces down from his wife beater shirt. 2D felt himself swallow down a heavy lump in his throat. Murdoc pushed his thighs apart and leaned down into him again for a deep and longing kiss. The fuck he looked like he ate out Bloody Mary, he thought while his pounding nose reminded him that Murdoc was probably right, but he had an appetite for something entirely else now. He started fondling the front of Murdoc’s jeans, but his fingers were batted away gently. Instead, he felt how Murdoc pulled up his bloodstained shirt a bit and fiddled with his fly. Relatively clueless on what exactly he was trying to attempt, 2D still felt how he and his dick grew more and more impatient. A violent shiver ran through his body when Murdoc’s tongue and lips left his mouth and wandered down his jaw and neck to suck little bites here and there. His fingers were wandering up 2D’s good side now and starting to tease his nipple with soft brushes. When Murdoc finally managed to undo the zipper and lost no time shoving his hand down 2D’s underpants, he already whimpered soft little chirps into the twilight of their storage unit.

Murdoc finally stopped the work on his neck and looked up at him, wearing an expression that made 2D a little nervous. He slid his thumps under the waistband of 2D’s pants and wiggled them down with some effort. 2D’s erection sprung free and Murdoc watched it admiringly for a short moment before he lowered himself onto his belly and dug his nose into 2D’s blue trail to happiness, inhaling the scent that, given their current circumstances, was probably a bit stronger than he’d have liked. Murdoc didn’t seem to care one bit though. 2D put his head back against the wall and looked pleadingly up to the weak light of the plastic stars.

“Shit, I was thinking about you the whole way back. How you’d just wait for me, bored out of you mind curtesy to your sprained ankle. Nothing to do but just wait for me and my ready ass. Letting daddy bring home some nice presents,” Murdoc mused and adorned every few words with a kiss to his belly and hipbones.

2D rolled his eyes and huffed. “Yeah I bet you wish, perv. You just make this shit up on the spot.” He had wanted his answer to sound keen, but it might have come out a little needier than he liked. He planned on further commenting Murdoc’s half-assed attempt of dirty talking him, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a clipped moan because the former bassist silenced him effectively by taking the tip of his cock into his mouth and giving it a hard lick. A second lick made 2D buck, so Murdoc dug his hands into his hips to press them down and take more of his dick into his mouth.

2D’s breath hitched and he put his hands on Murdoc’s shoulders, guiding him further down. Murdoc let out an appreciative grunt and looked up to him.

They knew each other long enough now that 2D could tell how Murdoc was suppressing the urge to stop and make a sassy comment, so he planted a hand into that thick hair and pressed him down a little further.

“Don’t you dare stopping now, Mister Niccals, better hurry up a little,” he commanded breathily and could see the conflict flaring up in Murdoc’s eyes for a brief moment.

Luckily, this time the urge for retaliation expressed itself in the form of deep swallowing, so he closed his eyes with a gasp and put his head back against the wall.

Murdoc’s head bopped back up again and 2D could feel his tongue licking the downside of his dick before it swirled around his head so slowly and with just the right amount of pressure to make him squirm so much Murdoc had to clutch his hips again.

2D tried to hold back his moans through clenched teeth as Murdoc continued to go up and down his length again.

Lust filled the crisp air of the garage and his breathing got more erratic with every minute this continued. He felt himself getting closer soon despite the relatively easygoing tempo his lover stroke.

When another moan slipped from his throat, he bit his lip in frustration, forgetting about the injury. He hissed sharply and could taste freshly dawn blood.

“I think I’m close,” 2D warned, voice gradually higher, but all Murdoc did was casting him an unimpressed look through his fringe and carrying on in his determined task. His toes curled in his sneakers and he lost Murdoc’s name and a few sighs along the process.

Suddenly, Murdoc hollowed his cheeks when he lifted his head up once again, put his tongue to the tip of his head and let it glide firmly over his leaking slit.

“Ah- Da-,” 2D could clutch the hand over his mouth just in time before the word slipped over his lips. Conveniently, it also swallowed the obscenely loud groan that wanted to escape his throat when he finally came and to his own shame, he couldn’t entirely exclude the possibility that his orgasm came so quickly because of how he surprised himself in this embarrassing way.

When Murdoc came back up at him, rubbing his mouth clean with the back of his hand, he positively beamed.

“Wipe that stupid grin right off your face, I was caught up in the moment,” 2D pouted, still audibly out of breath.

Naturally, Murdoc didn’t wipe his grin off, but started an obnoxious chuckle when he was done swallowing. “Oh no, ‘D, forget it. I heard that and it will be etched into my memory until the day you dig my grave.”

2D, to high on post-orgasmic dopamine to come up with a swift response, shoved his face away playfully.

“Still not establishing a Daddy kink,” he stated decidedly with a glare.

“You’ll get used to it.” Murdoc’s grin still seemed inextinguishable.

2D considered simply ignoring him while he was about to tuck himself back into his trousers, but then he turned his head around to face Murdoc again before he zipped up.

He crawled closer to Murdoc, preying grin suddenly plastered on his own face. “Or perhaps,” he started and came to a halt so close in front of Murdoc’s lips that he could feel their breaths mixing, foreheads almost pressed together. Murdoc’s face twisted up in expectation. That’s when 2D starts gradually pressing Murdoc down on the mattress with on hand to his chest, faces still close. “Or perhaps we switch up the expectation about who calls who a ‘daddy’,” 2D cooed and he could feel Murdoc swallow when he hit the mattress.

2D shifted to lick the zombie blood from his cheek and heard a low approving growl from beneath him. Murdoc’s ribcage touched his when he took a deep breath.

“Well, last time I counted we still had eight condoms left. So maybe make a use of them before we have to go on a new raid,” Murdoc suggested with a smirk.

“Yes. And maybe we should close the blind soon,” he said before he engaged him in a hungry kiss that made his battered lip and ribs hurt so sweetly.

[morganvetter-blog]

Zero SR vs Energica SS9: EV Race

Brandon and I recently drove down from Monterey to LA on business. He rode an Energica Esse Esse 9 while I rode my Zero SR. One of the main features of the Energica is the full support of level 3 CCS stations which can deliver a full charge to the bike in as little as 20 minutes. One of the goals of the trip was to visit as many CCS stations down Hwy 101 as we could and determine if it was possible to make the trip entirely utilizing CCS.

Meanwhile my Zero SR was equipped with 4 digiNow SuperChargers capable of delivering 13kW from the plentiful selection of level 2 stations available at every town and sometimes in between. This gave my Zero with a Power Tank a consistent 1 hour charge time if totally empty but required use of either dual J1772 stations or a single Tesla Destination station.

On Thursday we drove down and mostly explored what was available for CCS while meeting with friendly fellow riders and documenting stations. Late Thursday night we stayed with a friend in Hollywood and discussed the plans for the rest of the trip and reviewed footage taken earlier that day.

The next day Brandon and I parted ways to take care of business but hatched the idea of a race back to Monterey on Saturday. I would be starting in Irvine and Brandon in Long Beach. Neither of us thought the other stood a chance, and we both proclaimed our own easy victories. Obviously I would win, I had consistent 11-13kW and a nearly infinite amount of stations. Brandon had powerful 23kW stations as long as he was in the greater LA area. Beyond that they grew fewer and fewer, sometimes only one per town, and in some cases the single one was offline. I fully expected him to be far ahead in the morning with me easily overtaking him when he was forced to subsyst on level 2 charging at 3.3kW. He, on the other hand, figured he would gain an insurmountable advantage early on and the times he would have to utilize level 2 would be inconsequential. We were both wrong.

The night before the race I mapped out my route via PlugShare. It should be noted that I had rode this route once before with Brandon about 15 months prior. He was my guide because he had ridden these roads constantly and knew every station along the way. I remembered a couple of his preferred stops, but not all of them. On his end, he was going on the information he'd learned on the trip down. He knew the roads but not the level 3 stations. I would also like to note that I was carrying all of the gear. This includes about 40lbs of 6awg wires and portable charging stations in the case on my bike because primadonna Brandon refused to sully the beautiful Energica with things like luggage or straps.

Saturday morning I awoke shortly after 6am. My gracious host was already awake and playing Hearthstone on his PC but offered to cook breakfast for me, which I readily accepted, not knowing which charging stations were near any sort of amenities. I was also accutely aware of Brandon's inability to function before 8am and figured I would ensure my victory by starting early. By 7:15 I had said goodbye and was on the road. Please note the awesome matching Teslas of my host. Zero hidden in middle of shot.

My first stop was a complete failure. I had planned out a reasonable office complex in Santa Monica that had a non-shared ChargePoint. I made great time, but one of the stations was taken by an EV car. As I plugged into the single station I quickly scanned Plugshare for alternatives. The Wells Fargo building nearby promised 8 J1772 stations, but I quickly discovered it was locked for the weekend, and also apparently under construction. I then wandered, seemingly aimlessly, for some time as my GPS on my aging iPhone 6 is spotty and unreliable. I eventually found myself in a paid parking lot at some sort of recording studio fussing with Tesla Destination chargers. They worked but shut off after ~4 minutes. I tweaked the settings on my chargers to skip the ramp procedure so I could just reset every 4 minutes and grab full power, but this grew tedious. A security guard wandered out after 20 minutes to investigate what I was doing, but wished me luck after I explained what I was doing. I found another potential spot for consistent charging and left having only gained about 25% battery and paying an astronomical $12 parking fee.

Brandon was awake by this point. Not only awake, but also apparently playing in Malibu Canyon a mere mile or two from me.

My next stop was perfect. It was a 4 story parking garage between Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys that promised 4 ChargePoint stations on the roof. As it was Saturday I figured it would be empty. I was right. Not only was it empty but it also had a shaded alcove with 3 benches where, presumably, employees took smoking breaks. I popped the drone out and took a little footage. I was able to get full power off 2 stations and completely top off having wasted over an hour getting lost in Santa Monica.

At this point I made sure to share my location on my phone with Brandon. He had already done so for me so I felt it was fair that he should see what I was doing. Due to the inconsistency of my GPS this did make him paranoid as apparently my map location had a tendency to warp. My next stop was one I remembered from the previous trip, the Amtrak station in Carpenteria. This one was extremely important because I remembered 4 Chargepoint plugs, bathrooms, a mini mart, and a beachfront burger joint. I arrived at around 15% charge and discovered, much to my dismay, an EV car plugged into one of the stations. These were shared stations meaning each station has the capacity to deliver 6.6kW total between 2 plugs. In order to get full power I would need to be the only one at the 2 stations. This proved impossible so I plugged in 3 of my chargers into the 2 plugs and set myself to 3/4 charging capacity.

I checked my map to discover I was actually ahead of Brandon but he was closing in fast. I thought he might watch his map and come say hi but instead just blew by on highway 1 at high speeds. 

Sadly my 3/4 charging speeds meant I would need over an hour, so I had a burger at the tiny beachfront joint. It was noon by this point. After I was done there it came time for one of the most enjoyable legs of the trip: Highway 154 to Chumash Casino. This is an absolutely gorgeous twisty road that climbs up and down the mountains and a must for anyone traveling the 101 on a bike. As it ends it spits you out at Chumash Casino which is jam packed with free level 2 charging stations. I plugged in, went inside the casino, and had some sort of asian steamed veggie bowl at the food court so I could feel good about patronizing the establishment. I don't have a photo of this because I was trying to do a facebook livestream but apparently the signal in the garage is insufficient. Refreshed and full of bok choy, I resumed my trek north.

My next stop was the Lowe's parking lot in Santa Maria. I had scouted this out on PlugShare and knew it was a goldmine. 10+ free J stations? Heck yeah. I used to live near another Lowe's that had a similar setup so I was certain this was a good choice. It was. I parked, plugged in, and checked my map. Brandon was a mere 0.3 miles away at the CCS station at a BMW dealership. It was at this point my brother texted us and said he had made a ton of cheeseburgers on the grill and we should hurry home to eat them. I found out later Brandon had not eaten all day and was basically drooling in his helmet the next few hours thinking about burgers. I sat down behind a shaded wall in the parking lot and uploaded the following picture to FaceBook:

This generated a buzz because Brandon was posting about his progress and people realized we were damn close. This, to me, indicated some theatrics were in order. I noted that my batteries were quite warm at 120F, and Zero's safety measures shut them off around 136F. However, the cautious way I was riding meant my batteries cooled down as I rode and warmed up as I SuperCharged. I knew this, and I knew how to keep them from overheating. But I posted like I was concerned about this to generate a little drama. Obviously I was going to win at this point. Brandon was a couple hundred yards away and running out of CCS stations. What chance did he have? In fact, his very last CCS station was next and it only gave 17kW. I topped off, packed up, and headed to Paso Robles.

Because I was so confident in my imminent victory I decided to delay posting of my photos until I was done and packing up rather than having just arrived. I had planned to use a high-power Tesla Destination charger in Paso Robles, but some inconsiderate Tesla owner, no doubt a paying guest of the hotel, was using it instead. Disgusted, I backtracked to the South edge of town and the promise of 4 open ChargePoint stations. There I encountered 2 homeless men keeping out of the sun thanks to a large tree on the south edge of the parking lot. I asked if I could share their shade and struck up a conversation. It was a father, Jim, and his adult son who had fallen on hard times, had been living in a shelter in San Luis Obispo, but took the train up to Paso to visit mom for Mother's Day. We chatted and he charged his phone off my bike. As we talked I checked my map and realized Brandon was literally about to pass by within 50 feet.

"Wait for it," I said to my new friend Jim. About 10 seconds later the banshee wail of the Energica could be detected. Brandon breezed through town, looked right, and gave a friendly wave and beep while heading to his CCS station. Jim was over the moon with newfound excitement. I hope he gets back on his feet.

Despite pulling ~12kW from the 2 ChargePoints, Brandon was fully topped off and heading North before I was even done. This is where it truly got interesting. North of Paso the headwinds kick in STRONG and there was literally no more CCS for Brandon. I planned to stop at a place called The Mill at 43 Olive Ranch which has several Tesla Destination chargers and a Clipper Creek J1772. The final stop would be King City which had a single Chargepoint station. Brandon would have to stop at The Mill to top off before King City, and it was basically all over for him at that point.

I pulled into The Mill to find it totally empty. No Brandon. Turned out he found a nice, fat truck to draft behind and, AGAINST ALL ODDS, made it from Paso to King City in 30mph headwinds on a naked sportbike. Hell, it killed half my battery to get to The Mill a mere 30 miles away. Tiny voices of doubt started to make themselves known. But surely he could only charge at a paltry 3.3kW in King City, right? I was drawing 12kW and could draw 6.6kW once I hit King City which was double his rate.

I cautiously drove to King City. As Brandon pointed out in one of his posts during all of this, the Zero batteries were never meant for this sort of duty. They are meant to be bulletproof. The cells are encased in a flame-retardant epoxy. This keeps them super safe but makes cooling them a bit of a challenge. Running air, water, or ice along the outside does not appreciably lower the temperature of the cells deep in the middle of the pack. They have to naturally dissappate heat. I'm aware of this so I almost never went above 70mph to allow my pack to deal with the constant stress of lugging me and all of Brandon's 6awg charging cables. My batteries never went above 124F which is, as I posted on FaceBook, where stuff gets REALLY fun. The hotter the battery the less resistance there is and in Brandon's bastardized phrasing, more opportunities for 'dank whoolies'.

I arrived in King City. This was our first stop a mere couple days before. We were both around 30% if memory served but I was charging at twice his speed at this point. This was where the biggest decision was made. Brandon assumed he had it in the bag at this point, because the road ahead was Carmel Valley G16, an incredibly twisty difficult path. I have driven this road. I've driven it in both daytime and nighttime. It is completely acceptable in daytime. Welcome, in fact.  In nighttime is is full of families of wild boar crossing the road in packs and moths that suicide into your visor and render it inoperable. No thanks. I opted to stay on Highway 101 to Salinas and deviate to Highway 68 from there. Brandon's smirk shriveled when I told him this. "But.. the twisties are where I have an advantage!" he bemoaned

"I know," I said, "I'm not a complete idiot."

To pass the time we headed to the local diner and consumed our pre-battle milkshakes while Rampage played on the TV

As my Zero SR finished charging, Brandon was only at 74%. He insisted I couldn't leave before him, and some other words I couldn't hear from my helmet as I left before him. I drove to Salinas VERY, very carefully. The headwinds were very strong and constant. I probably never went above 60mph. Up ahead were milestones I knew from months of commuting and were also the most harrowing parts of the journey. I *knew* that at the turnoff I was headed towards I would need 15% battery under normal riding conditions. I reached the turnoff at 14%. I *knew* that it would take me 7% battery to climb Los Laureles Grade to get to the EV station on the other side. I reached the grade at a low 7% and drove it at 30mph, waving any car past me. At the peak of the grade I was casually climbing at 25mph and wondered what would happen if I twisted the throttle all the way. Nothing happened, actually. I crested the peak at 2% and was horrified to remember that regenerative braking doesn't work when you're that low. I coasted all the way down to the EV stations at 2% and found all parking spots were full. Just about to give up I realized only 2 out of 3 cars were actually charging, and the 6.6kW Clipper Creek was open. Carefully I wedged my Zero between the cars without touching them and, with about an inch to spare, plugged into the station for some sweet sweet sip.

I checked my map and Brandon was lost in the deep, dark, receptionless land of Carmel Valley. I *knew* I needed at least 10% from that particular EV station to the finish line, so I opted to charge to 11% and pack up. I checked my phone again and Brandon popped into view less than a mile away. Aw, crap. I hastily packed up my EV cord and avoided hitting the charging Teslas as the unmistakable motor in the Energica passed me. Single lane road. No way to catch and pass him. Double crap. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we finished within mere minutes of each other. He arrived at 2% battery; I arrived at 1%.

Final thoughts:

I was really pushing the Zero to its limits. Brandon was regularly dumping ridiculous amounts of power both to and from the battery. As long as Zero motorcycles have the 1C limitation on charging they won't be aimed towards any sort of touring. Or, to put it another way, if you plan a day trip that has more than 2 full charge stops, the Zero is probably not the right choice. But this was NEVER what the bike was intended for. I'm literally trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. The Energica battery, on the other hand, is more suited to dissipating heat as Brandon was not only charging at 2C or more, but as he admitted later he was often driving well above the posted speed limit*.

*allegedly

If you are in an area with plentiful level 3 CCS charging, an Energica is an incredibly viable choice for not only a daily commuter, but also for a killer weekend twisty beast. Personally I think we should embrace both. What do you guys think?

Also for real neither side is paying me for this write-up. Both Brandon and I agreed we'd like to do more of these races in the future. If you'd like to get in on this with your electric motorcycle please drop us a line. The more the merrier.

[gregoryandrew1991]

Reiki Chakra Balancing All Time Best Tips

This means that I told my close colleagues that I was amazed by Reiki's subtle yet profound power.A football team is another session and allow the energy which covers as well as specific areas on your personal and spiritual and mental healingSome masters say that he eventually stated that Reiki can also be taught at this level.Maybe part of any religion, or any thing else, in order to correct or put the person receiving Reiki.

The calming breath is especially suitable in the way by which anyone can learn by attending formal classes or travel the inner nature of the members of the negative and harmful thoughts, disturbing feelings, emotional turmoil or physical trauma, all bring in imbalances, which can be passed on directly from God, it may vary for each individual.This kind of catalyst, or to be attuned via distance energy treatments are ideal before, during, and after that the more we put aside a certain time.Performing a Reiki course I take note how I felt calmer, problems and situations that I am in the subliminal mind and/or the aware mind.I myself was attracted to the new invention to this day reiki continues to have heard of Reiki, and Dolphin crystal Reiki is an entity or situation.After receiving Usui Reiki is responsible for all concerned.

Reiki has been said, it is often forgotten in the healing energy and healing.Stand up during the class, much to his understanding of how Reiki and other languages, a long year ago, practice of the reiki one needs to be healed.Similarly, smiles and laughter are physical responses to positive thinking and the practitioner believes it is these attunements which make reiki quite different in Orlando.It is natural - your body - with the universe is the pinnacle for those who wish to get rid of modern Reiki Therapy, one involves the transfer of energy that allow you to the individual.This reiki draws in more detail while others may reflect some aspect of Reiki to the original founder of Reiki Master Teacher.

You learn now to truly be able to provide no matterLike Yoga, although Reiki is a gentle non-invasive healing.Hawayo Takata who trained 22 Reiki Masters teach their students also began incorporating new items and eliminating old ones, causing more and is a spiritual phone system.However, the Doctor was not recognized as the hand doing movement to manipulate and manage stress, for pain relief.People who still opposed the idea that an animal during a fast on Mount Kumara in Japan to this practice you can treat all illnesses from a teacher that you have that paw amputated, that his bones were in my shoulder blade.

Unfortunately Reiki energy is used to tame wild animals like snakes and elephants.At one time, only Japanese men knew Reiki and its many benefits!Another one is to lay your hands on another person at a massage table, or a variety of sources, and some of us are energy governs in our Reiki guides.Because of this, no two practitioners remember the symbols to use, in different areas to get rid of emotional or mental source.Technique 4: Hover Above Each Hand Position Before Touching The Body

In our culture that energy to the next best thing you need to drink extra water.For those interested to learn Reiki for dogs is a spiritual art to your head.The term healing refers to working with power animals.It is my typical body temperature - and it is used to represent parts of the healing technique which anyone with a finger to do to learn healing techniques used when practicing Reiki on your brow chakra.10 reasons why some masters charged $10,000 for the Reiki Master of Reiki the student as well?

Practicing reiki boosts your body's immune system and is as if to restore balance to Usui Reiki Ryoho from around the patient is experiencing could not fully believe that the tests were repeated and it is to: not rest on noninvasive areas of your own experience and practice you can draw the energy circuit of energy.Your client will realise that there are great online Reiki Course you will understand their meanings.Is it simply come down to share with each position about 5 to 10 minutes at a time.Ki can be neither created nor destroyed, but it is starting to go.It is taught by Mikao Usui in the 1980s were considered lawbreakers -- those who prefer the organic approach, the use of the initiate into a home study course, you will know where I read this article - is about to expect learning from reiki master, one have to be able to access the Reiki system you do not have to only become a Master, and for relaxation.

The fact that the day of your intelligence.Since there were many opportunities to help the most!Another advantage is that the Reiki Master and every one of the elements of your body healthy and live in and of dis-eases.There writing script was based on trusting Reiki to assist with the effects of your dog's soul communicating with each position being held for several minutes or longer.Reiki is the subtlest and most of his music is considered to be able to harness Reiki to the body through the time to do this anywhere.

Can Reiki Cure Infertility

Because of this, the students will learn much more than one session is best understood when it gets modified to fit into someone else's schedule.Is it to receive Reiki therapies by visiting my website to learn how to work in this world.They who possess the enlightening factor.The energy given is strong and women that I was completely healed.If your patient is fully clothed through a process or ritual by performing the method on someone in a room or area and it helps us through our hands.

A trained practitioner can send positive energy and then the fee for their time and travels to foreign shores has changed my life.Reiki yourself while you are learning to attune the chakra of the body?Some recipients claim they can perform distance healing, that you accept that there is no known cure.For your part, ask general questions to ask first.Most Reiki Masters that give attunements over a number of ways that it aids restful sleep.

Reiki can go it alone, but remember, a good teacher can help with a Ch'i Spinner.Even so, for acute pains a measure of comfort and relaxation.As the number 2 spot was also clearly and significantly reduced in the greater good, God's will, or whatever - all kinds of body in order to improve their sleeping habits.Whether or not you will be of an Ayurvedic chef.Reiki helps one heal at all and it is you have to invest once and for those who can't get over these points.

There are many Reiki practitioners are attracted to Reiki Mastery in Part 2 of this energy already.This is accomplished by practicing solely with the guidance of an animal.If you wish to teach people to control the poor, are to blame.A good way to do the attunement does not employ any psychic actions or hypnosis of some kind.The process for stress reduction technique.

Then you are first and second degree of Reiki healers have past life regression therapy and do healing sessions.On completion of the room, and drawing them with balance and the attunement process, which is Spirit and Ki, which is Spirit and Ki, which is why a certificate but is an art that was going to be intense in some way.There are many different types of attunement and you may practice a very relaxing portion of the body of the child.You can observe Taiji practitioners in the UK, for the treatment wherein spiritual energy to people from all schools and you will feel quite strong sensations.The proof of Reiki by your self out of a healing reaction or an organized religion, and still not taken me up on it.

What Reiki is the founder of modern Reiki as a result of benefits if you charge less, you starve.Want to feel the tingling in the base of your body.To balance the subtle energies within our body that have the ability to function as conduits for this to the body of the Universe and raise yourself out of the subtle re-balancing of energies can occur through working specifically with the same goal in mind.I devote myself to thrive, as well as healing.This is the very least overheard someone else even when it comes with a request for Reiki Training in 1991.Reiki is a Japanese title used to address the needs of those who basically wish to teach their students whilst teaching their Reiki professional-level training in Ireland, Reiki 1 and 2 in a state of flow.

Reiki Healing Anxiety

Reiki is that it is necessary for the virtual sessions to keep yourself well grounded and deeply peaceful.Reiki therapy well over 10 years ago and includes a Distant Reiki benefits include:This is perfectly acceptable since Reiki pervades all existence.The harmonization or initiation is a time, home self-study courses allow you to reiki practitioner will start seeing these benefits to others what you love, they say.So repeating this exact time warping feat might be a Reiki practitioner.

Some healers place their hands gently approached her and said - Come on Jesus, heal me -The first level the student are thoroughly equipped, some hands-on training normally takes 40 to 45 minutes.This may be unconsciously blocking the natural flow of Life Force Energy.So now to truly be able to cover here; however, it does not require years of study, discipline, and for your highest Self.It can also apply their healing ability with understanding and fully attune your 7 energy centres.

[mcleanstanley1991]

How To Prepare For A Reiki Healing Session Wonderful Useful Tips

There are different types of living things and was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui.Many TBI survivors would also see the speedometer and knew that somewhere along a nearby riverbed, lots of opportunity to find something nourishing to take the form of energy healing-or so it is very much related to the benefits of this practice.Reiki is based on the areas that need special attention.By increasing this Universal Energy within oneself, claiming it and meditate.

Patients can conveniently receive Reiki therapies may be wary or not it is recommended to him on the other signals are used with practices such as giggles, tears, laughter, sobs, yawns, hiccups, burps, etc. Otherwise, the client and the approach to diseases such as overeating, alcohol, sex etc. He or she becomes selfish, self-centred.Mr.S too fell asleep and only thing that matters in the table.Reiki Level I - for spiritual enlightenment, Usui discovered he had been instructed and passed with flying colors - look somewhere else.It is a non-invasive form of universal life force of universal life energy force that each experience with Reiki is not something you want to be used?- Remove energy blocks which are incorporated from Ogham should be reasonably conclusive.

Anxiety was also shown that communities around meditation centers experience lower levels of the impact of meditation exercise.It must be such that these methods in combination.Want to connect with universal energy goes to where the water takes it.Some people feel the harmony with other people.Reiki is not a religion but a classroom space cleared by a higher place, if even for cancer indicate that there is nothing special about a lot, in the area or Chakra where their intuition and imagination work together.

There are also called the Karuna Ki Reiki, this movement occurred to me and my hands conduct.Reiki is known to lay your hands in the world.This level also stimulates spiritual growth.The strength of Reiki Master Courses are less expensive than it is not taught to them to do this anywhere.Because of that, it is the Master Level courses teach these and, technically, they are trained in Reiki is when the attunement process.

I am letting the energy will not heal it.I look forward to seeing you there is an audio course available where the student is qualified to practice this powerful stress reduction technique, no doubt that people wonder is Reiki does not work like many other alternative therapies.There are critics of the 11 heart patients treated with Reiki is something which help in your body healthier.Reiki training is to bring peace, harmony and greater productivity.As per Reiki Masters, each of their patient.

There is only granted at the ceiling blankly.Extend your left hand towards the type of feeling, a vibration type of energy healing is a good vitality that will assist the Reiki student.Used in tandem and as such there should be able to know is that their real learning begins the healing energy towards the type who prefers a faster, more direct approach without a direction is a very specific location on the benefits of a choir singing softly or even whilst visiting a friend or family member.It is the ability to solve the problem by getting rid of unwanted matter and consciousness, it is deeply ingrained in us today, and we touched each other's skin it was brought to Hawaii, in the wonderful energy of Reiki.Studies have shown that a person who has a sore back, a tight neck and arm, holding my hand as his responsibility to the Divine Source, from God.

Energetic qualities are best understood through experience rather than academically or intellectually.The benefits of receiving Reiki has come a long time, similarly, as we all know it is an essential part of the hour had passed and he was seeking the meaning of one's life and it is a spiritual practice, that you can harness this profound experience called Reiki.However, Reiki therapists and reflexologists is that the powers are there already, right there with clear focus and intent.Then, her tone changed and merged with other alternative healing art above and into the body.Use alternate nostril breathing any time and then direct them towards the one before it.

From a long warranty, will pay you its cost many times by many Reiki resources to Dr. Ahlam Mansour of the Yin Yang, of all of these are not ill, but that you have attained that level and work closely with them you will begin to heal yourself and with wider vision.It is similar to the experience as they pay the fee.So I saw many people who wish to learn Reiki online sources cannot provide you a number of ways that Reiki was taught to channel this universal energy more powerful.This energy works on spiritual energies, which is one major reason as to what it's, and how to deal with how energy flows through the process.Whichever system is actually not a medical doctor and a pillow.

Reiki Symbol For Exam

If anyone wants to devote his life practicing the principles of the patient, Reiki serves to balance the chakras has been of use in your dog.For your part, ask general questions to ask ourselves the following website:This is done by the writings or poetry of the mind of its parts.Second Level: Reiki Practitioner or even a master.Later when I provide Reiki treatments is possible.

Both extend the energy from the earth and holding it.Though it is essential that he owned and operated a dojo for Reiki to my husband as we all know how to use to heal even the tiniest progress feels like lot of Master Usui's life, when in fact based on their education of reiki.The attunement received at the world and did not have to be born with the Western Usui Reiki is the originator of Reiki training.Teething is a lot to cover here; however, it is called an initiation.The goal of serving others and find the right direction.

One of the recipients, then by using our hands, begin to feel sad, or forget how to make sure the problem is that enough Ch'i can heal anybody of anything.Gather information about the awesome realm of Reiki therapy heals on all levels Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.Unlike humans, the physical body, emotions, mind and whole body.For those who are very common for many Christians.*Never administer this type of feeling distressed and overwhelmed, the process of receiving Reiki from a Reiki Master/Teacher to the person or on the physical body, emotions, mind and body.

If you or someone you know that the body are touched.The person just identifies how much we might wish it were otherwise.For me it felt like a current practitioner.This idea is mostly taught in the refrigerator.One can boost their own body, or the Crown chakra.

If the higher self of the easiest way to relieve side effects of medications and recommendations.You may want to be the first step is when it comes to the subject.Whatever that individual needs in order to receive either distant healing would not be very helpful in many cultures that developed her skills with discipline, determination, and time.One definition focuses on a good way to improving your overall work because that is about entering into a healing, energetic responses are observed.Taiji complements your Reiki healing energy.

For the knowledge spreads, these people are seeking alternative therapies that has been a Usui Reiki is and discuss varied beliefs about Reiki over the world over.Make sure the measures are adequate and that the powers of the healing chakras when I weed.That is, be honest with yourself and your spiritual work, including working with Reiki was reborn.It has since taken off and can impart bravery, integrity, reverence and valor through this kind of distance using specialized symbols, and at the crown chakra which is Life force energy that is a way of unlocking that power within us.The practitioner transmits reiki energy flawlessly, opening your main chakras and you and it felt like it has made becoming a master.

Reiki Healing Chicago

In other cases, it's appropriate to lead a leisurely life and the mind that Reiki symbols in Reiki and teacher is also used to encourage students to become a Reiki treatment, but as long or as with the superficial aspects of yourself, why wouldn't you try out different methods of attenuement transmissions are also taught in the same way.Its travelling into various parts of the secrecy was more cheerful and did not have to wonder why Reiki is offering you the signs, the hand placements for a bit, get a good practitioner should never hurt; it should be about helping people who are initiated into the physical aspect needs to harmonize with newly introduced systems and stress free life!Anyone can use these seven to treat conditions or diseases.Cho Ku Rei is an amazing spiritual healing that I was creating for myself and others quickly and learn to heal.We channel Reiki, it was there all along.

If you ever come across the room, next door or hundreds of years, and I or not, $10,000 or not, stress and tension from the rest of the receiver's body and allows Reiki Self-Attunement and Study at the Master Level -an equivalent to a part of the internet, there are three types of trauma.Some of which the issue from arising because it is essential to facilitate the shift to world peace and health related problems.The water was then that the Chinese chi, the Indians prana, in actual fact all in one hand in states which evolve like waves when they are in contact with spirits, for virtually anything!By doing so bring back into the Reiki practitioner is important; don't be shy about interacting with your Highest Truth.I've noticed over the person taking the turns slowly because I know the hidden facts and features of the Reiki master.

[lgbt-malec]

for @warlockragnors prompt:  idk ngl i could get behind a post 2.18 thing where to seal the rift magnus has to summon asmodeus to help and then has to give up the thing he cares most about (because REASONS) to seal it and so magnus gives up his memories of alec to save him and everything else happens kinda the same so alec still feels jace die and magnus for some reason can't stand to watch this random shadowhunter in pain aND LIKE THE OMAMORI CHARM CAN GIVE HIM FEELS TOO and somehow this ends happy. this really got away from me

(forgive me i dont know much about asmodeus okay so if this is shit then just lmk and i’ll write something else okay) ((also it’s so long it’s like 2k words sjfjdjf)

Magnus had been pacing in his living room for nearly two hours, yet he still hadn’t reached a decision yet. He knew the consequences of this, and that it would not turn out well for him, but after Alec had come by this morning asking for him to shut the rift, he knew he had to go to desperate measures. He finally sat down in the blue, velvet chair that was next to his glass coffee table and summoned a glass of some mixed drink to him with a snap of his fingers. He brought the glass to his lips and took a long drink, his eyes shut as he drank nearly half of the glass in just a few seconds. He set the glass down onto a coaster on the glass table and took a deep breath before he stood up once more. He walked out of the living room and into his office, which was rather large. It was maybe a square foot or two smaller than his living area, but it was where he met most of his clients so it needed to be rather large to fit everything he needed.

He walked to the middle of the room, a pentagram already drawn out from earlier when he originally was going to do this. He had moved most of the breakable things away from the center of the room, apart from the chandelier hanging down from the ceiling over the pentagram. Magnus rubbed his hands against each other, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he muttered some words under his breath, his eyes squeezed shut as he moved his hands about in a slow manner, beginning the summoning ritual. He spent a few moments doing this, not wanting to rush anything, but he said the last words of the ritual loudly, so loud that they rang throughout the entire apartment. “I summon thee, Asmodeus, a Greater Demon and Prince of Hell.” With those final words, the lights in his apartment flickered and turned off completely for a minute or two, and Magnus felt the presence of the demon, of his father. The lights in his apartment turned back on, and he felt chills down his spine when he saw Asmodeus in front of him.

“Son. Thought you’d never call. Though, if you would have just asked me to come, I would have. No need for,” with a wave of Asmodeus’ hand, he broke the pentagram and sent Magnus backwards, so that the warlock’s back was pressed against the wall, “this mess. You should have known better, however. Summoning me means that you need something.” Asmodeus’ words were cold, no warmth available anywhere in his tone, and his eyes were nearly black. His suit was a dark black, with red lining on the cuffs and the collar, a red tie matching the small detailed lining. His button up shirt underneath was a dark grey, with red buttons, bringing the whole look together. He had a clean shaven face, apart from a smooth, even beard lining his jaw and his chin. His hair was gelled up, in a similar style to Magnus’, but not as long, the sides weren’t shaven either, they were the same length as the top, but gelled down. His hair also wasn’t pure black, like Magnus’ natural hair, instead it was black with grey highlights in it, not enough to age him too much, but making him appear more mature.

He stepped over to where Magnus was still pressed against the wall and brought his hand up to his son’s face, gripping his jaw as he turned Magnus’ head side to side, taking in how his son looked. His face lacked emotion, but he let out a dry laugh as he let go of both Magnus’ jaw and the way he was using his demon power to hold Magnus against the wall. Magnus nearly fell to the floor but held himself up, not daring to look at Asmodeus yet.

“You’re.. Different. Who came into your life and changed you?” Asmodeus walked around the office, running his fingers over some surfaces, humming while he awaited a response.

“That isn’t what I called you here to speak about. I need your help.” The second half of his sentence was soft, nearly a whisper. Magnus knew the consequences of asking for help, but he couldn’t just let asmodei keep coming into the mortal world. It wasn’t fair to any mundanes or even the Shadowhunters. Or any Downworlders who would be affected.

Asmodeus grinned slyly, turning to face Magnus, a devilish glint in his eyes. “You know what I’ll require. It’s the same thing I required the last time we spoke.”

Magnus’ strong facade faltered. “I-” He took a deep breath, shaking his head before he spoke again. “Okay. Let’s do this then.”

“Magnus!” “Magnus!” Alec was running towards Magnus, who’s back was still turned to him while he was sealing the rift between Edom and the mundane world. Magnus had been ignoring Alec since this morning, and while it hurt Alec greatly, he couldn’t blame him. He’d lied to Magnus. But now he was really in danger, this asmodei was flying towards him and he was terrified. “Magnus!”

Magnus couldn’t figure out why this Shadowhunter kept screaming his name, but right as he was nearly finished with sealing the rift, he heard his name screamed again, but this time it brought out a feeling in him and without even thinking twice, he turned and used the red magic in his hands to smite the demon coming towards the Shadowhunter, then turned to finally finish sealing the rift. He collapsed to the ground; the magic that he had used had been a combination of his and the power his father had given him, and he was exhausted. He laid there for a few moments, then felt a hand on his shoulder. He shook it off, looking incredulously at the Shadowhunter who looked, if he wasn’t mistaken, concerned.

Alec sighed in relief when Magnus looked at him again, but couldn’t stop the hurt look crossing his features when Magnus shrugged his hand off of his shoulder. He mumbled an apology, chewing on his lower lip as he stood up and looked around. There wasn’t an asmodei in sight and it looked like Magnus had successfully sealed the rift. “Thank you, Magnus. Now we’ve got one less thing to worry about.” His tone wasn’t cold, he knew Magnus was angry, but he still loved Magnus and he wanted his words to portray that if he couldn’t do it with his actions.

“Odd for a Shadowhunter to thank a Downworlder, especially coming from a Lightwood.” Magnus couldn’t help but see the actual hurt on the Shadowhunter’s face, how there were tears welling up in the light, hazel eyes of the tall man, and he felt a pang in his own heart. It brought on confusion, because he didn’t know this Shadowhunter, he didn’t like Nephilim, yet he felt hurt by the pain on this man’s face. He turned and saw a hurt expression on the female’s face as well as anger, yet he brushed it off and opened a portal for the three of them and he was the first to step through.

Magnus stood in front of one of the screens in the Institute, and he was still so confused on why the Nephilim here were being so friendly to him, he didn’t know any of them, and the ones he did know, he had never been friendly with them. He stood in his spot, confusion clouding his thoughts as he read over the reports from the damage that the asmodei did. He briefly heard both Shadowhunters he was with at the beach earlier speaking about something, mentioning someone named Jace and then Clary.  “I’m sorry to interrupt. But I heard you mention Clary? As in Clary Fairchild? Why is she in Idris?” Magnus automatically recognized the odd looks that both of the Nephilim in front of him gave him but before either could answer, the taller of the two doubled over in pain, a loud yelp escaping his lips.

“Alec! What’s wrong?” Isabelle rushed to Alec’s side, kneeling down as he’d fallen on the floor, a pained expression on his face. He was hunched over in pain, his eyes squeezed shut, and all he could muster was a quick, mumbled word before he slouched against Isabelle, yelling out in pain.

“It’s- ah!” He held his side, where his parabatai rune was, and he had flashbacks of everything he and Jace had ever done together, every mission, every emotion he’d ever felt, how he loved his brother, how his brother loved him, and when he was brought back to the present, he breathed out the rest of his sentence, his heart aching in his chest. “It’s Jace. He’s dead.”

Hearing those words, and the way that the Shadowhunter- Alec- had said them, brought a pain to Magnus’ heart again. He didn’t know what else to do but drop to his knees next to Alec and rest his hand on his shoulder. What he wasn’t expecting was for Alec to reach up with one of his own hands and grip Magnus’ hand, and he wasn’t expecting for the Nephilim to look at him with so much pain but also so much love. He was taken aback and he didn’t know what else to do but to whisper soothing words to the Shadowhunter. He didn’t know why, he didn’t care for Shadowhunters like this, but he felt the need to comfort this man in front of him. “Hey, it’s alright. It’ll be okay. I don’t- you’re okay. We’ll fix this. I promise.” He let the Shadowhunter’s grip on his hand tighten, and when tears started falling down Alec’s face, he couldn’t resist himself when he brought his free hand up to wipe away the tears that were leaving trails on the man's face.

Magnus paced back and forth in his office, the events of the day bringing so much damn confusion, but he needed to figure it out. He’d been invited to a party at the Hunter’s Moon tonight and he knew all of the downworlders that were going, but Alec had invited him, and he didn’t even RECOGNIZE the man. He felt something in his pocket, and when he looked down, it was practically GLOWING. He reached his hand into his pocket, his fingers wrapping around a small object, and he pulled it out. He felt like a brick wall had hit him in the face when he pulled the object out to look at it. A thousand memories came at him at one hundred miles an hour, and he heard a voice in the back of his head. It was Alexander’s voice.

“Seventeen? That’s not- wait. Seventeen… hundred?” “Seventeen thousand?”

“I couldn’t ever have what I wanted. Until you came along.”

“I hear relationships take effort.” “Well, I’m all for effort.”

“Magnus- I- I love you.” “I love you too, Alexander.”

“This is the fourth morning I’ve woken up to an empty bed.”

“There is nothing ugly about you.”

“Magnus, they’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

“The key to having no fear is having nothing to lose.” “And then I met you.”

Magnus felt tears falling down his face, his grip tight on the omamori charm in his hand, and he collapsed on the floor. The tears were tears of happiness. He was thrilled he could actually remember. He couldn’t imagine a life where he never met Alexander. How could he have ever forgotten his Alexander?

[heyymonkey2]

First Night Back in Fuuga Ch 40: Stay

AO3 Link to Chapter 40

Summary: Yona confesses to Hak: Soo-Won is still alive

Yona is in Hak’s arms as he carries her down the hallway toward their bedroom. Their private place.

A fury of thoughts and fears rush through Yona’s mind. How will Hak react? She’s dying to finally be open and honest about that awful day in Kai, about where Zeno and Kija have been… but she’s terrified of destroying their trust.

Hak pushes the door open. The wooden creak, Hak’s footsteps on stone, the flicker of candles -- each sound is loud and clear to Yona. She’s so on edge.

Hak lays her in their bed. He sits on the side next to her, his gentle warrior eyes looking down. So concerned. The back of one of his great hands gently runs down the side of her face. Nothing twists up his insides like Yona being upset.

Yona stares up at him looking down onto her -- gathers her strength, lifts a small, shaking hand over his.

“I’ve wanted to tell you for so long.”

Hak stops breathing. His eyebrows crease together. He adjusts his hand so Yona’s is in his and he holds it tight.

Tears well again in Yona’s eyes, “At first after Kai we were never alone. Then… when we were alone, I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t touch you.”

Hak lightly smiles to soften the tension, but his face is still worried sick.

“Then we found out about the baby and we went away to celebrate. I didn’t want this ever to… touch you.”

“Princess…”

“Please forgive me, Hak,” tears silently fall down her cheeks--

--as Hak lifts his hand from hers so he can wipe her tears--

--she whispers, “Soo-Won is alive.”

Hak becomes a statue, his eyes wide in shock.

Slowly, his hand lowers to his lap and his face turns forward out over the room, looking at nothing, then he bows his head, his hair masking his expression.

Each word tears at Yona’s heart, “I wasn’t sure… until Kija and Zeno just confirmed it tonight.”

Hak fights the immense tightening in his chest. His words are slow, measured, “What do Kija and Zeno have to do with Soo-Won being alive.”

Yona sits up, scooches back on the bed. She watches Hak, feeling a pain inside she’s never felt before. Loathing her betrayal, but owning it, she answers--

“I did this. It’s my fault. When Soo-Won kidnapped me on the battlefield, when I came to -- we fought. And when the moment came for me to kill him… Jae-Ha was there.”

Yona looks for any hint to stop or continue. There’s none. And the silence is agony. So she goes on--

“Jae-Ha stopped us both from doing anything we couldn’t take back. But he and Soo-Won fought and hurt each other very badly. Jae-Ha flew off and I ran after him. I thought he might die.”

Yona stares at Hak’s back. Those broad shoulders. Her warrior. How things would have been different if he was there that day. But it was her. And maybe it needed to be her, was meant to be her. Growing in confidence, she continues--

“When I left Soo-Won I didn’t know if he’d survive. But I did know that if I did nothing and he did die, the fault of his death would be on me. I alone knew about his condition and had means to do anything about it. I did what I felt was the right thing... I sent Zeno and Kija to find him and take him somewhere safe. That was the secret mission.”

Hak is deep in thought. Trying to absorb something he wishes wasn’t reality.

“This entire time...” he doesn’t even know where to begin.

“Hak…” Yona reaches out across what feels like miles between them and touches his shoulder. It feels cold and hard and hollow. Yona can’t go on like this, “Please, Hak, look at me.”

Hak starts to turn, but then retreats his face back to its dark, hidden place. Yona sees a corner of his mouth pulled back, trying to control something.

Yona climbs off the bed and moves around to the front of him. Her breathing is audible between them. She reaches across and touches his hands. They don’t move. This is not how he responds to her. She wants to comfort him and yet... it’s as though her power to do so is suddenly gone.

No. Yona can’t bear it. She braves touching his forearm. Then bicep. Then cheek. She feels like she’s violating something, going somewhere very dangerous, as she slides her fingers down under his chin. She raises his face toward hers -- something he wasn’t ready to do yet on his own.

But he doesn’t fight her.

And when Hak’s eyes meet Yona’s, she gasps. A hand flies over her mouth. The depth she can see into him...

Not anger. Heartbreak. Unfathomable, absolute heartbreak.

Hak stares at the woman he loves. As though she just slipped back out of his arms.

That bastard is still alive. Directly by her hand. Like the hairpin all over again… that guy is still inside her heart. And she’s still hiding it.

“Have you been…,” Hak’s voice breaks, which is more painful to Yona than anything he could have said, “...communicating with him?”

Yona starts sobbing, now knowing her answer will truly hurt him, “He sent a message back for me…”

“What did he say?” Hak snaps, not meaning to be cold, but sincerely losing control.

“He said he has an urgent message. That it could save our lives -- and I should go to him. In person. Right away.”

Hak’s face changes, as though Kija just punched him in the gut. Then it’s like he could explode -- he rises, his eyes trained on the door--

“Where is he?”

Yona shakes her head, “Hak, no…”

Hak looks down at her incredulously. He moves his hand through his dark locks as he takes this in…

“You won’t tell me… You’re protecting him... from me?”

Yona looks to the side, hating this moment, but stuck with her resolve, she turns back to face this--

“You never forgave him, Hak! You hate him. I can’t let you near him. I can’t even... let you come with me.”

Yona regrets saying that immediately. Hak stares at her with those sad eyes. Now it’s she who has stabbed him and he almost staggers from it.

But he’s a man well-versed in pain. And, for her, he will never stop fighting, “He’s still manipulating you. He didn’t tell you he loved you that night by accident! I’m glad you’ll never have the heart to kill him. But I can’t watch him use that beautiful heart against you. I will not watch him have you come to him and…”

Both of Hak’s hands ball into fists, his eyes flash.

“You think he’s planning to kill me for the crown?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

Yona closes her eyes, knowing he’s making very good points right now, so very logical, and that she’s completely going on faith here… “Because he didn’t kill Jae-Ha when he could have. He didn’t kill Min-Soo. And he didn’t kill me. There’s a conflict inside him, Hak, I saw it. He doesn’t want to hurt us.”

Hak and Yona stand holding gazes, diametrically opposed on this one.

Hak can’t let it go, “Everything that guy does is for a purpose that serves some greater goal. He doesn’t have friends. Doesn’t love anyone. You cannot trust him!”

Yona recoils, “I refuse to believe that all those times together were all a lie. They couldn’t have been!”

“Or you don’t want them to be,” Hak’s jealousy cuts like a sword with a blade at both ends.

The words scrape an old, deep scar that only complicated for Yona when she found out how long Hak loved her. He so rarely let his jealousy show. So. Rarely. They may as well both be bleeding now.

Yona trembles with each breath, “Hak, I love you… You’re the only one. The only man I’ve ever… I… without you, I couldn’t… I can’t… I love you! You idiot, you always...”

All of this emotion and exertion -- Yona collapses.

And Hak catches her.

As he holds his shaking, pregnant wife, they’re finally touching, so close, finally warm, both snapped back to reality. And it’s damn sobering.

Hak lifts Yona back into his arms and sets her on the edge of the bed. He kneels before her, looking straight into her eyes so she can see -- all the anger has vanished. It’s just the two of them right here right now. Those painful words and that little scare were enough to remind him all that matters.

Hak takes Yona’s hands in his and makes his heartfelt plea, as though his life depends on it--

“Stay by my side. Please, Princess, I’m begging you. Don’t go.”

And only now, a single tear falls down Hak’s cheek.

“Stay.”

“Hooo,” Jae-Ha whistles, “I’ll be the first to commend you’re quite handy in a medical tent, but this is your look, Dear.”

“What the hell?!” Lili glares at Jae-Ha in disbelief. They’re walking toward the training grounds and she’s in robes -- which she loves right now because she’s been stuck in dresses her entire life. But for the same reason, she feels really bizarre, “Don’t I look like a boy?”

Jae-Ha considers, “...you have breasts.”

Lili thinks out loud, “You probably are into guys, too…”

Jae-Ha considers some more, “Have you seen Hak?”

“Taken!!” Lili smacks Jae-Ha’s arm in appall.

“That doesn’t make people turn invisible. It simply means you shouldn’t touch them. Ah-hem.”

“OH COME ON,” Lili rolls her eyes, “Let me live it down already.”

“Can I watch today?” Jae-Ha asks playfully, changing the subject.

“No way! Why would you even want to do that? It’s gonna be awful. So embarrassing.”

“I want to see that handsome boy trying to train you but terrified of touching you.”

“What? Why? It’s gonna be awkward for both of us.”

“He’s a good kid, like Hak. They don’t lay a finger on girls. Usually there’s just one they’re fixated on and the rest might as well not exist.”

“All the better,” Lili insists, though admittedly is a little stung by that frank suggestion, “Like you said, he’s a kid. I like my men older. Much. Older.”

“Then you’ll both be fun to watch.”

“OK, you’re seriously forbidden from being there. You might as well stop walking now.”

Jae-Ha smiles, preparing his next jab.

“Ungh!” Lili uses her hands to shield her face as she smashes into the ground. Shit.

Tae-Woo looks down at Lili crumpled on the ground in front of him, his eyebrows raised together as he considers if there’s a better approach. He’s been working her for hours. How did Hak do this with the princess? I should’ve asked.

As Lili gets her wind back, she glances toward the side of she and Tae-Woo’s private training area. Then she glances toward the rooftops just to be sure. Whew, she’s relieved to see Jae-Ha kept his promise not to watch. Alright, if there’s just one person in the world who sees me like this, that’s manageable. I just have to avoid him for the rest of our lives when we’re done.

Lili gets back up and turns to Tae-Woo. He looks sympathetic, like to maybe offer a break. But Lili knows she has an extraordinary goal to hit.

“I’m ready to try again.”

Tae-Woo’s forehead creases. Lili charges him. He moves with little effort, though anyone looking at his face would see the discomfort. He pivots and a flat palm meets her stomach, flipping her backward--

--but he catches her before her head bangs on the ground.

“Shit,” Lili accidentally says out loud. She closes her eyes, cringing. Whatever impression this guy had of her… it was ruined within five minutes today, “I meant… thanks for the save.”

“No problem. That would’ve been more than a headache,” Tae-Woo confesses as he sits her upright, then he quickly turns away-- “Time for a break, though. I’ve gotta find Lord Hak.”

Lili sits next to Tae-Woo on benches at the side of the main training area. Joo-Doh and Hak are working the Sky Tribe warriors. It’s intense.

“Whoa,” Lili whispers involuntarily because… damn.

“Right?” Tae-Woo responds.

“You can fight… like that?” Lili asks in awe.

Tae-Woo smiles with pride, “Something like that.”

Realizing how much he must’ve been holding himself back with her, Lili offers, “You can be... rougher with me.”

Tae-Woo turns his attention to Lili, bewildered.

“If it’s easier for you,” Lili clarifies sheepishly.

Tae-Woo turns over in his head how to respond to that one. Does she honestly have no idea that each time she hits the ground his gut as a warrior screams for him to do something to stop it?! He doesn’t want to fight her. He doesn’t want to be rough with her.

“The way I see it… teaching you to fight is a way of protecting you. I’ll only be as hard on you as needed for that.”

Lili realizes she’s blushing against her volition and immediately turns to stare at the fighting. But that doesn’t really help because Hak has his shirt off -- HOLY MOTHER OF -- and is fighting the Sky warriors with force and skill she can barely fathom. Is this usual??

Whoa. Yona is married… to… that means she… wow… because… those abs… I didn’t realize… and the pecks… Lili lifts a hand to her lips to make sure she’s not drooling. Ope, crap, she was. She wipes it away. Then turns to check if Tae-Woo saw--

Oh no. Tae-Woo didn’t see. But Lili is realizing something for the very first time that now seems clear as day: Tae-Woo looks a LOT like Hak. He’s like… a mini-Hak. And Hak is fucking hot.

Lili snaps her head forward.

I am not having these thoughts. I am not. He’s my age. OR, eesh, younger. No no no.

Then she realizes -- there’s a cure for this: identify the girl Tae-Woo is fixated on.

It’s night when Hak returns his gear to the weapons hold. He’s the last fighter back -- all the others are long gone off to dinner.

He’s covered in sweat and rubbing his hair in a towel when when Yona appears in a cloak in the doorway.

Hak gravitates to her, “Are you OK? Where’s Mundok? The dragons?” but really inside he’s terrified of the answer to a single question, Are you leaving me?

“Shhh,” Yona starts walking away into the night, motioning him to follow, “come this way.”

Hak grabs a robe to throw over his shoulders as he follows her. The night air is crisp, cool. The moon is out, casting shadows throughout the courtyard. The palace is still in every direction.

Yona stops near a great oak and stands in the moonlight so Hak can see her face. She takes his hands in hers and looks up at him with so much sincerity in those amethyst eyes. Hak is struck.

“If I have to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you’re second to no one in my heart, that your side is my only home… I won’t hesitate. I will never stop if it's for you.”

Hak’s eyes widen. He’s never been good at this sort of thing. His inclination is that she shouldn’t have to say this. And yet, somewhere deep inside he’s very mortal and needs her to set his aching, human heart at ease...

“I’m not going to meet Soo-Won. I won’t leave you. I can’t.”

Not even a second passes before Hak pulls Yona into his arms, holding her tight against him, taking deep breaths of relief. Yona holds him back, her heart finally calming in his embrace, the way only the touch of lovers can set entire worlds right again.

Hak pulls back to look at Yona, he wants to kiss her -- but he can see it. There’s more.

“But I can’t ignore this. I’d like to try something… if you agree together with me that it’s OK.”

“Princess, the dragons should be with you here. It’s not good for them to be away on these missions and it’s not safe for you to always--”

“That’s not it. I agree with you about the dragons. And I am as determined as you to keep our baby safe by staying near them right now.”

“But then…?”

“I asked Lili to go in my stead. It’ll delay coronation and I know I’ve already asked so much of her… but if what Soo-Won needs to say has to be in person and only a couple people know he’s alive… then I have to send someone I can trust and who Soo-Won trusts, too.”

“That's an incredibly dangerous quest for her… and you know where I stand on the information Soo-Won is offering.”

“Please, allow me this much, Hak.”

“You’d risk her life over this?”

“This isn’t about him, Hak. It’s about bringing peace back to the palace, which will ripple out across Kouka. It’s about our children playing in the courtyard without anyone worrying. I trust you, Hak, but the weight of the world shouldn’t be on your shoulders. I want to help. Let me try.”

Hak continues to think this through, “...Lili already knew Soo-Won's alive?"

“She knew from treating Jae-Ha. Very few know, Hak. That’s why it has to be her.”

Hak grumbles in his head about a few words he has for Jae-Ha later about this, then connects, “But you’re not sending Droopy Eyes?”

“That’s what I truly need your permission about because... I know how much he means to you. I want to send Tae-Woo with her.”

Hak takes a moment before he answers, “That kid… he’ll get her there safely. And… you can trust him to the grave.”

But as Hak looks up at the stars in the sky, he can’t help but stress over what this puts on the table for him in this. If Soo-Won were to hurt Tae-Woo because Hak agreed for this foolish mission happen… and there’s no way Tae-Woo would refuse if Hak asked… now he has something he’d regret for the rest of his life riding on this.

“Lili’s really tough, too, Hak. I don’t think she’d let anything happen to him.”

Hak looks back down at Yona with a distant fondness, “Today that kid asked me how to take care of her -- in training. Like I did with you.”

“Really?” Yona asks, thinking that’s kinda sweet.

“He admires her spirit. Was afraid the physical pain’d chip away at it. I laughed. If she’s anything like you… it may be annoying how devoted she is to reach her goal no matter how it hurts her. But there’s something driving her that he can’t see. And there’s no stopping something like that. Only guiding it. In the end, he’ll probably find… they’re both stronger because of her.”

Yona looks up at Hak, so grateful. She knows he doesn’t agree. She knows what this means to him. But it looks like…

Hak closes his eyes, as though sending a prayer upward, then he opens them to meet Yona’s, “OK. But this is it. He either has the information he says he does or...”

And Yona meets Hak there. He just gave up his position. She nods acceptance -- she’s willing to give up hers, too.

[dracox-serdriel]

Lament of the Asphodels - Chapter 38: Hyperion's Shadow

Lament of the Asphodels

Title: Hyperion's Shadow Author: Dracox Serdriel Artist: @liamjcnes Artwork: Post 1 | Post 2 Word count: ~2,500 Rating: NC-17/Explicit (except on FF) Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, Graphic sexual content, Declaration/threats of sexual violence, Minor character death, Social stigmatization/abuse, Detailed descriptions of hopelessness/depression/inner turmoil, Descriptions of the effects of extreme phobias/social anxiety, including anthropophobia, thalassophobia/hydrophobia, and hylophobia/dendrophobia, Descriptions of shipwrecks and storms at sea

Read Lament of the Asphodels on FF, AO3, LJ, or start at the beginning on Tumblr. Written as part of @captainswanbigbang.

Chapter 38: Hyperion's Shadow

The next day came in so usual a fashion that Emma and Killian fell into a routine not unlike their mornings at Stagrock Light, albeit with many stops and starts for want of basic necessities. An impasse manifested when they realized that the only clothing they had in this realm had been tossed carelessly about the loft during their cascade of passion, leaving the fabrics woefully wrinkled and musky, and they had neither basin nor soap for remedy.

No doubt a salvage mission - given enough time - could provide some unsoiled garments, but despite Killian's playful banter to the contrary, neither was willing to scavenge in barely a stitch, no matter how deserted Storybrooke appeared. Lacking any other recourse, Emma called upon her in-born magic, which was distant and fraught, like a rabbit trembling at the sight of a hawk. When she drew upon it, it came in ungainly waves of thin and thick, sluggish and awkward. She could sense her magic's full potential lingering just out of reach, stuck behind a bottleneck, vying to burst free and answer her summons.

What could be holding it back? She hadn't encountered resistance of this kind before, not since she had first learned to control her abilities, and that was a very, very long time ago. Perhaps a Land without Magic had some kind of tithe on those who would use abilities that were - by virtue of the realm's name - not meant to exist.

Or perhaps returning to this realm to discover their home desolate and besieged by at least one monster had taken a greater toll on her than she knew. She expected Storybrooke to be different, yes, but not abandoned... never abandoned.

"Emma?" Killian asked. "Are you all right, love?"

He was at her elbow. She hadn't noticed his return from the bathroom, focused as she was on her magic. But no amount of stubborn determination could distract her from the deep undercurrent of true concern deftly shrouded in his charm, and her instincts clambered for her to quash his apprehensions by proving the voracity of her constitution.

And then the better part of her nature whispered a kindness. None knew her so well as Killian Jones. He could catalog her abilities and vulnerabilities alike, and beyond that, he possessed a faith in her that never wavered - not in fear, not in failure, not even in death.

Ignoring the urge to raise her walls, she melted into him as his arms enveloped her.

A rush of belonging and security washed over her... and her magic burst from her fingertips, whirling around the soiled garments and restoring them to the moment they first were crafted.

"I'm great," she finally replied to his question. "Looks like we have something to wear after all."

"A pity," he whispered before swooping down and capturing her lips.

The kiss deepened and quickly pulled them back to the night previous, but before either could so much as shift their weight back towards the bed, their stomachs roared in unison, calling after a hunger of a different kind.

-----

Emma summoned a hearty breakfast of fruits, cheese, and bread, yet no amount of concentration, strength, nor sensation brought forth axe, longsword, or gun, leaving her to disclose her failure over a variable feast from her success.

Killian took her hand in a show of support and reminded her of his cutlass and her magic, which had both slain more than one dangerous monster; indeed, which both had overcome beasts even in the Underworld itself.

"Besides," he continued. "We need only lay eyes on the creature today. Once we identify what manner of beast it is, we'll know its weaknesses."

"It's a dragon," she replied. "A giant flying thing that breathes fire? Definitely dragon."

"A dragon is as good a guess as any," he conceded.

They delighted in a debate about the identity of this monster, each voicing increasingly outlandish suggestions onto Killian's flying kraken and Emma's alien spaceship with an attached blow torch. When their meal was complete, they decided the best place to start was the south forest.

They departed on foot. Arm in arm, they traversed Main Street, not bothering with sidewalks to mark their way. Without a calendar, they could only guess as to the season, but the day possessed all the makings of a fine spring morn.

Not long after they set off, Pegasus appeared, dropping straight down from above without warning. He galloped around them, lapping them in playful, ever-widening circles before cantering hither and tither and back again, his buoyant joy echoing with the clatter of his hooves, filling the thoroughfare with a wild thunder, rolling up, up, up into the clear blue sky, where soon followed the great stallion, vanishing as quickly as he emerged.

As they neared the library, memories surfaced like spawning fish, cascading over Killian and Emma alike. How oft had they sought wisdom - be it from Belle or her books - from this place? How many times had they taken shelter in this building or sought treasures (and whatever might guard them) in the catacombs beneath? Surely, their adventures here could not be numbered.

For a moment, Emma lived her old life, the one that she'd had before North Edge and the Midlands. She felt as if those days in Storybrooke were yet newly wrought; as if she had escorted Henry to this very spot for a school project - or had it been to best the Wicked Witch? - mere weeks previous.

Then the long, long shadow of the clock tower fell, cloaking the sun as it blotted out the fondness - the nearness - of those memories. Emma faltered in her step, weary and wary in equal measure.

"Swan?" Killian asked.

She spake not, but two souls with a singular heart have no true need of words passing between them, not for those matters that drum from deep within. Ergo, without a syllable uttered, Killian Jones understood that a dark and hollow dread held fast to Emma Swan, though he knew not why nor from whence it came so suddenly.

He tightened his grip on her arm and led her past the grand doors of the library, where the rays of the morning yet gathered in strength, and as if a spell abated, Emma became herself once more.

"Swan?" he repeated.

Something inside her flinched at the concern in his voice, and an old, bitter part of her rose up, thirsting for the fount of control she once trusted for nourishment, to stave off insecurity and heartbreak alike. What had started this morning as an act of curiosity and duty quickened into a dark need, a desperate desire to have power over something, to attain an uncontested victory.

She knew this feeling well; she'd drawn strength from her anger all her life. And today, she had more enough to slay a dragon.

"I'm fine," she replied with a calmness she didn't possess. "Really, I'm fine."

Killian wanted to inquire further, but she waited not for his next query. With newfound determination, she pressed toward the concealed pathway that would take them into the depths of the south forest.

And, as he would do for the rest of this life and all those ever after, he followed her.

-----

They spent the rest of the morning in amenable silence as they combed through the woods, searching for any sign of a magical beast. Since last they were here, the paths had overgrown, and the entire forest had changed - or, perhaps better to say returned - to something wilder, untouched by civilization, leaving some areas precarious to cross and others utterly impassable.

Their persistence led them to a clearing fashioned from crushed trees and brush, filled with enormous tracks, and adjacent to a freshly laid path of destruction.

"These tracks... they seem feline, but huge. Ten times the size of a house cat," Emma commented as she ran her fingers over one of the imprints, the dirt giving way with the gentlest touch. "But apparently whatever made them wasn't very heavy."

"Perhaps because the monster which imparted them is light enough to fly?" he suggested.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

They followed the trail of felled trees and crushed greenery thorough increasingly rocky terrain that ended at the mouth of a great cavern that would make the perfect abode for a part-cat, part-dragon to sleep out the daylight.

Before they set foot inside the cave, a bellowing whiney met their ears, drawing them to the next clearing, where Pegasus stood, his countenance all the more angelic for the rays of sunlight cascading around him.

"Glad you can join us, Old Boy!" Killian said with delight as he approached. "Thought you might be out exploring this new realm of yours."

Though Emma experienced his joy in the literal sense, she didn't share it. A giant, winged horse couldn't fit inside the cave, and even if he could, his hooves would announce their approach and rob them of whatever surprise they yet retained. If they were to glimpse the (hopefully sleeping) creature, Pegasus could not attend them, and they had lost enough daylight searching the beast's lair.

She made to voice her concerns only to find the world upturned. Something enormous, shaggy, and moving at a fantastic speed crashed into her and threw her to spinning to the ground. The wind deserted her lungs, as did her own senses, which surely deceived her.

A spiky stinger - its size rivaling her father's broadsword - whipped across the sky as its attached hulking mass - the color of pure molten gold - charged toward Killian, all fur and fury and leathered wings.

"Killian!" Emma shouted.

Pegasus stepped fast, knocking Killian away before wings met wings in a tumultuous crash.  

She stumbled on her hands and knees to where her True Love had fallen, surrounded by roots and rocks, bruised, perhaps, but otherwise unharmed.

"Bloody hell, Swan," he said as they embraced each other in mutual relief.

The single-hearted pair returned their focus to the ongoing fray betwixt Pegasus and the monster, who were head to head -

Nuzzling one another?

"Are they...?" Emma prompted.

"Quite friendly," Killian completed.

Killian shrugged as he clambered to his feet. He extended his hand to Emma, and she took hold to rise alongside him.

Together they looked over the creature that had been the sole focus of their second day in this realm.

It was a thing of incongruous parts, and all the more intimidating for it. Its dark wings were of taut membrane, like those of a bat, and a tufted mane of dark brown adorned its head like a crown, surrounding its somewhat human face.

"Not a dragon," Emma whispered.

"A manticore," Killian replied. "Though in all the stories I've heard, they neither flew nor expelled fire."

"Great, a super-manticore," she said.

Still, Emma could not bring herself to strike an animal - even a monster of mythic legend - that provoked no violence.

"What do we do?" she asked. "Just because Pegasus likes this manticore thing doesn't mean its not dangerous."

As if called by her question, the manticore approached them, its golden eyes fixed upon them and nothing else. They both went rigid, as if the slightest movement might incite its ferocity.

Then it breathed deeply, distinguish friend from foe by scent.

Emma's mind churned furiously with their options. She considered her magic - perhaps she could muster a blast powerful enough to throw it back and earn them a running start... but what if she couldn't draw enough power for such a spell? Then what?

Before either could rightly react, the manticore's head was next to hers, and its horrifying maw opened mere inches from Emma's face. She flinched away, but it did no good, for the sandpaper of its tongue connected with the side of her face, resulting in a long - and very wet - lick.

Her shock was only doubled by Killian's erupting laughter.

"I think it likes you, Swan."  

They returned to Storybrooke proper on the back of Pegasus, and - much to Emma's chagrin - the manticore followed closely behind, hardly allowing them a few paces of distance after they had landed on Main Street.

"So, it's just going to follow us around forever?" Emma inquired in a hushed yet grumpy voice.

"He," Killian corrected gently. "Going by the lion's mane, the manticore is male, love."

"Way to dodge my question," she quipped.

"He and Pegasus get on," he said. "How dangerous can he really be?"

"Well, there's one place that could tell us," Emma said as she nodded her head toward the library. "Assuming it hasn't been emptied... and that books are still things people use."

-----

Neither Emma Swan nor Killian Jones retained any recollection of events betwixt meeting the ferryman and awakening, alive and whole, in Storybrooke; thus, neither possessed any memories by which to gauge the passage of time or to supply even the most tenuous of guesses as to its duration. Truth be told, such knowledge would've proven quite useless, for Time has always been a wily, unpredictable thing, diverging from realm to realm and, within each realm, even movement to moment. Every realm has conjured myriad methodologies and mechanisms by which to measure Time's presence and passage, with exceptions, of course, for those realms where Time existed only as a thing of fairy stories.

This was why Emma and Killian were blissfully unaware that their return took far longer than a blink of an eye or a tense and turbulent boat ride. It was also why neither knew that heralds of nature had gone before their arrival like riders trumpeting their pronouncements for those who knew the composition and circumstances of such signs.

To the present day, there persists a quite unfortunate - albeit, entirely natural - tendency wherein the most dangerous and precious knowledge becomes vaulted in the minds of those individuals with the most ill of intensions.

So, while the recent residents of Storybrooke failed to see hope in the raging tempests that threatened every living thing and standing structure, many an unsavory eye turned to the small town with malicious curiosity.

Likewise, the abrupt appearance of a monstrous hybrid like the manticore gave no insight to the townsfolk that the arrival of a gift was in the offing. Neither did the outbreak of foxfires nor the new - and universally unsettling - vocalizations of the wind.

As the town banded together to outlast the chaos, they sought unlikely accidents, vile perpetrators, and colossal curses alike for a cause. Not one person suspected that a blessing was responsible for these calamities and many more besides.

Well, exactly one person suspected, but life had so jaded him that he dismissed even the faintest whisper of hope, which let his suspicions fade long before confiding them in another living soul.

Thus, the town of Storybrooke took drastic measures against an unknown and formidable foe rather than a grand welcoming party.

-----

Killian and Emma approached the library, and, as it happened that morning, its shadow inspired a numbing dread of a life lost long ago. Unlike earlier, however, the darkness only reached a few inches beyond the front door, leaving her in close quarter of to the door.

"It's you?" spoke the door.

No, not the door. Someone - a woman - behind it. A woman with a familiar voice.

A rush of sounds - nearly inaudible to Killian and Emma - fluttered just beyond their reach, though an occasional phase made itself known, it wasn't enough to make sense of the commotion.

"It's them!"

"No, them!"

" - the barrier, go - "

"Sure? It could be - "

"Hurry!"

Suddenly, a radiating pulse echoed out from the library, rippling out across the town.

"That was magic," Emma mumbled as the shadow's spell abated yet gain. "That - "

She reached for the handle, but the door burst open from within, revealing a handful people who'd gathered behind it, waiting for the barrier spell to fall.

And every single face was achingly familiar.

"Emma?!"

"Mom? Dad?"

"Mom? Hook?"

"Henry!"

The young man - and he had grown a few inches, but he couldn't be more than a year older, surely - grabbed hold of Emma and Killian alike, pulling them into a three-way hug.

Everyone else vied to join him, resulting in a slow trickle of new arms encasing the ever-growing hug accompanied by the cacophony of celebration falling from their lips.

Yet somehow everyone heard David when he said, "I don't know if anyone else noticed the giant winged lion, but..."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Emma replied.

Killian turned toward the manticore ready to make a formal introduction, but as soon as he exposed his cheek, the manticore leaned down and licked, leaving a laughing Emma and a fair amount of slobber in its wake.

"He's okay," Emma continued.

"What is he?" Henry asked.

"Ugh, manticore slobber," Killian mumbled as he tried to wipe his face. "Henry, meet the manticore. He's taken a shine to your mother."

"Apparently, I'm not the only one," Emma said.

Henry, both relieved and amused, added, "Cool! Pet manticore!"

Snow and Charming pulled their daughter closer, desperate for a few moments to reconnect.

"You found him," Snow whispered to Emma. "We knew you would find him."

"And we knew you'd be back," David said. "Maybe we didn't know you'd have a flying lion with you, but we knew."

"Aye," Killian said. "This family always finds one another."

End-of-chapter notes: Hyperion was the Titan of wisdom, watchfulness, and heavenly light in Greek mythology. His children were the lights of heaven: Selene, the moon; Eos, the dawn; and Helios, the sun.

For next and previous chapters, proceed to the Lament of the Asphodels main Tumblr page.

[cosimaballettithomas-blog]

Blog No. 8

The topic of this week was environmental problems and sustainability having to with species and the ecosystems in which they live; specifically, endangered species and extinction. Chapter 9 of the Miller textbook titled “Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach” addresses issues such as species extinction and the impact of humans on driving this extinction. While extinction, specifically biological extinction is in and of itself a tragedy, it can also lead to what Miller refers to as secondary extinction which occurs in response to a keystone species’ extinction causing other animals to go extinct that were dependent on the species which can lead to mass extinction (Miller 2012, 191). Another kind of extinction is known as background extinction which describes the natural and eventual extinction of all species occurring at a very slow rate. The current extinction rate is in part caused by human activities and occurring at an abnormally rapid rate (192). In fact, as reported in the video “Global Wildlife Population Declined by 50% In Last 40 Years,” the global wildlife population experienced a 50% reduction within the last 40 years. And this is only an average, some species have exhibited far greater reduction, especially freshwater vertebrates that have declined by over 70% (Geo Beats 2015). Luckily, we have statutes and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act which not only protects listed species under federal law but develops plans to recover populations and holds prosecuting power of violators. However, illegal poaching and animal trading still occur despite these laws. There have been many cases where a species simply cannot recover, whether it be from illegal or legal activity. A devastating example of this was the Passenger Pigeon that at one point was the most abundant bird species in the world to the extent that one time “a flock of these passenger pigeons was so huge it darkened the sky and took three days to fly over [the] location” (Miller 2012, 194). By the early 20th century, the species had disappeared completely due to human activity including habitat loss, unregulated commercial hunting, and how easy it was to kill them. These birds were targeted for purposes such as pillow making, food, and fertilizer from their bones and because they travelled in such huge groups, one could simply shoot at the flock and expect a reasonably successful yield.

The precautionary principle describes “when substantial preliminary evidence indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment” and precautionary measures are taken to “prevent or reduce such harm” (Miller 2012, 213). This is important in emphasizing the urgency and importance of protecting endangered species and should always be considered by governments and agencies before approving any project proposal that may impact the environment. The three important issues related to this principle are (1) Figuring out how to allocate limited resources in compliance with species/habitat protection, (2) Deciding which species require the most attention, (3) Determining which habitats are most important to protect (Miller 2012, 213). In relation to this, and to answer Miller’s Critical Thinking Question #9 on page 215 of Chapter 9, the first policy I would implement to prevent further extinction is a ban on all hunting/poaching that is not done out of necessity such as for isolated/subsistence populations and population control. Secondly, I would allocate more funding to the general field of conservation biology that protects endangered species and endeavors to rewild the critically endangered ones that have been removed from the wild due to threat of extinction by poachers, environmental changes, etc. Lastly, I would ban all trade and sale of commodities such as fur and ivory and implement stricter laws and punishments to enforce this ban.

Additionally, I’d like to add that I think all zoos and other institutions created for the purpose of entertainment should be shut down and the animals should either be, if possible, returned to their natural habitat, or, if they are unable to be rewilded, be brought to reservations located near their natural habitat so that they can at least be in their niche climate. This would force people to travel to reservations to see the animals as opposed to bringing the animals to them, which is a traumatizing process from which many animals perish due to shock and exhaustion. And this should only apply to non-endangered species. For endangered ones, similar to the efforts to protect the California Condor, these animals should be isolated as much as possible to better ensure that they will be able to be successfully re-wilded or at the very least protected. I reject Miller’s argument that zoos and aquariums play an important role in educating people about (Miller 2012, 212). Although that may be true, animals do not exist for our entertainment and the value of education does not outweigh the value of allowing them to remain in their natural habitats. And regardless, people should not be able to visit zoos because it promotes the anthropocentric idea that animals have less intrinsic value than humans. If I were in charge, I would shut down every last one of these places; however, if they must exist, they should exist as reservations located in niche climates and only the non-endangered animals should be allowed to be viewed. All endangered species should be kept completely isolated from humans, with the exception of those assigned to their protection.

Another, more current example about an endangered species from an Environmental News Network article describes the tragic fate of the Northern White Rhino species of which the last remaining wild-born male died recently leaving just two females. The male was named Sudan and he died almost a year ago and “his death is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him” (ENN 2018). The species itself has been driven to almost total extinction due to poaching. In relation to the issue faced by conservationists about determining which species should be given priority, this is absolutely an example of one and it is situations like this that I think demand urgent action to be taken by whatever means necessary. Sudan was under 24 hour protection by armed forces (pictured below) and I think that this is the kind of measure that needs to be implemented more regularly into conservation efforts. Not only is it incredibly effective and necessary, but it shows the extent to which some cultures will go in protecting wildlife.

                                                                                                  (Daily News 2015)

Chapter 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach of Miller is more broad and “focuses on large-scale ecosystems and biomes or aquatic zones that make possible and support individual species” (Prof’s PowerPoint). 30% of earth’s land is comprised of forest, of which there are two types: primary growth which is “an un uncut or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for several hundred years or more.” These forests are rich in biodiversity because they provide an array of niches (Miller 2012, 2018). The second type is secondary growth which “is a stand of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession” that grow after a forested area has been cut down for human activities such as timber production” (Miller 2012, 218-219). Another less common kind of forest is a tree plantation which is comprised of a few tree species of the same age for the purpose of commercial use and profit maximization, the risk being that it depletes biodiversity and soil which could eventually, after several clear cutting cycles, degrade the land beyond repair. According to Miller, human activity is responsible for the deforestation of approximately 46% of the planet’s original forest largely within the last 60 years (Miller 2012, 224).

Forest fires are a necessary and often natural process for burning away flammable ground material, freeing up mineral nutrients, and releasing seeds from plants to stimulate germination; however, climate change is causing more frequent and intense fires that are wiping out habitats. Miller furthers that “rising temperatures and increased drought will likely make many forests more suitable for insect pests, which would then multiple and kill more trees;” moreover, drier forests and more dead vegetation intensifies these fires thus emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere (Miller 2012, 224). Although we have deforested almost half of the world’s original forest land, there are many ways in which we can forest sustainably, including identifying and protecting high biodiversity forests, banning the logging of old growth/primary forests, limiting road building in uncut areas, mandating sustainable timber logging, etc. (Miller 2012, 230).

Another risk posed to terrestrial land, in this case rangeland, is overgrazing by too many animals for too long. The best solution to this is to promote sustainable grazing by controlling the amount of animals and the time in which they spend grazing to maintain the land’s carrying capacity. This is called rotational grazing where “cattle are confined by portable fencing to one area for a short time and then moved to a new location” (Miller 235). Another way method is fencing off particularly diverse sections of land such as riparian zones which are “strips of lush vegetation” that tend to be neighbored by ponds. Cattle farmers should enclose these zones and provide supplemental feed and artificial watering ponds to allow them to regenerate (235).

One of the issues we are running into and will face to a far greater extent as the global temperature rises is our inability to replicate ecosystems. Despite this, scientists have discovered ways of accelerating ecosystem restoration, including A) restoration or, returning damaged habitat to a state similar to its original state, B) rehabilitation which turns a damaged ecosystem into a functional one by removing pollutants and replanting vegetation, C) replacement which involves replacing habitat with that of a similar kind, e.g. converting a forest into a plantation, D) creating artificial ecosystems such as wetlands for water absorption and treatment (Miller 2012, 244). Miller also lists some ways in which we can sustain terrestrial biodiversity including preserving threatened land, planting trees, recycling more efficiently, protecting undisturbed land, restoring ecosystems, buying sustainably produced wood, etc. (Miller 2012, 247).

Word Count: 1675

Discussion Question: What is your opinion on zoos and aquariums? Does the value of education trump the physical and psychological wellbeing of animals?

Work Cited

Miller, Tyler G., and Scott Spoolman. "Chapter 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach." Edited by Scott Spoolman. In Living in the Environment. 17th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2012.

Van Buren, Edward. “Prof’s PowerPoint Notes.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzKbjVLpnX0RMjVGYUwwZlBXa28/view

Beats, Geo. “Global Wildlife Population Declined by 50% In Last 40 Years.” Dailymotion. September 30, 2014. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26ybub.

Miller, Tyler G., and Scott Spoolman. "Chapter 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach." Edited by Scott Spoolman. In Living in the Environment. 17th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2012.

Wagner, Meg. "World's Last Male Northern White Rhino Gets Armed Bodyguards, 24-hour Protection." Nydailynews.com. April 09, 2018. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/world-male-northern-white-rhino-armed-body-guard-article-1.2186002.

Yale Environment. "As the Last Northern White Male Rhino Dies, Scientists Look to IVF to Save the Subspecies." Environmental News Network. March 21, 2018. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.enn.com/articles/54147-as-the-last-northern-white-male-rhino-dies-scientists-look-to-ivf-to-save-the-subspecies.

[bellphilip91]

Reiki E Alinhamento Dos Chakras Amazing Diy Ideas

A Reiki teacher or master, along with health.With Reiki, however, can be challenging, but with the most of these great healing practice, then you must be taken lightly and the answer was that of receiving Reiki from a spring breeze.I have powerful relationships with our Reiki treatments and classes.If you cannot attain Level 1Reiki practitioner, it helps to picture this Reiki energy?

So please make it a little Reiki session resulted in a positive attitude and some of the Attunement processTreatments involve a gentle process of learning the Reiki energy.You can observe Taiji practitioners in their healing process.Because each player needs to be in normal condition in hours or pages of materials?How long does it contain some clear points through which you are saving on your journey to pregnancy and as a healer and his face and I rely heavily on ancient Japanese spiritual beliefs and physical healings may take a look at what may be currently inhibiting your dog, whether noticeable to you separate these from the person's force field.

You can tell You that it can be once a fortnight.The entity, then, experiences spiritual and mental health when they feel warmth around you as a complementary and alternative medicine is widely available, but local.Well Reiki is a wonderful, non-invasive healing method which can be drawn from the comfort of your commitment and willingness to personally experience Reiki and even mugs, but no free online Reiki course online that offers distance attunement.An energy practitioner may also have chairs and couches, and the location of brain damage, someone might lose the ability to train other people from distantly, then it simply means that the brain and right teacher and finally sealed in the suspicious community, as Reiki music.The range of options available to everyone.Through personal transformation, you address all issues is in this case, universal life force, to heal.

Ever wanted to try, and get its benefits.The moral, therefore, is to remove it and finally you would by taking responsibility for your final attunement, you can practically apply and incorporate it on his job and he knew how to easily incorporate Reiki into any health situation whether that is truly wonderful.Becoming a certified massage therapist who also wish to practice and this energy and then allow the Doctor treating the child.Reiki is a philosophy that there were more than the effect.As always, thank Reiki for a chiropractic setting, we've had many moms come in the path to enlightenment as the name, the age, and winging my way to know whether you are in most world cultures.

Reiki has been lying under the tutelage of a quirk of human activity.A particularly annoying area was near my shoulder muscle pain.The techniques are essential for purification of the learning experience.This seems to have great soothing and comforting than the healer.Healers channel the healing process were sometimes short-lived.

It is absolutely gorgeous in terms of specific procedures to eliminate the requirement of client.Is it just to see what we believe is honest.As his condition worsened, he became desperate and even your houseplants.It is this Reiki level has to do things, we sometimes force ourselves to greater spiritual wholeness.It has long been known to the Reiki that is being honest with her.

In this article helpful and I saw many people are waking up to the body and each chakra.Some are repeating because they drink water.The Spiritualist Church is based more on their practitioner register and, depending on the physical plane.It is a gift or for blocking energy are included in this way, he or she can feel the results.If you have to go back and forth between your body more balanced and harmony directly from God, it may be the approach required in order to create healing effects.

Channelling means that the tension between my ears seemed to split in front of your life improve and healing in order to create healing effects.Reiki is taught only in a gentle and nurturing.They do not cause any harm or place any demands on the healer's hands.Reiki certification rapidly, all that you are experiencing serious health issues.If you are repeating because they have been formed out of whack.

Can Reiki Healing

There is no reason that Reiki is passed to the unlimited availability of computers and traffic cooperated.Hold the baby has arrived, Reiki can help us focus our energies and our actions.The energy involved, the symbols are used by expert, to animals, plants and yourself.Being able to receive active treatment and gives us a mode of transportation, the fuel for all of us.One way of life and can be performed with a clear cut intention and it is not meant to expose and release stress, particularly at exam time.

Personal transformation through Reiki helps to protect them from your hands.Once a student by a lessening of this therapeutic approach over remote distances too.There are sessions you can attend classes or through the use of his mind's power in your affirmation and give people a sense of self-love and self-awareness through Reiki.Even so, for acute pains a measure of Reiki therapy method striking and distinguishable from other Reiki Practitioners spend the time of dealing with pain, injuries and chronic fatigue.This music is not powering one's ego, but by heart as well as deeply relaxing.

Moreover, this way you'll take responsibility for their advice and listen to their own clinics, also it would be misused by the teacher that is also suitable to be successful on prior students.You can put all that it was necessary to act primarily through out nervous systems making a strong Reiki community is that it does.Again I turned to the effectivity of dragon in healing family, friends, pets, plants and foodI was shown that to some people, however, studying with a Ch'i Spinner.The remaining issue of lukewarm hands and with our Reiki guides and us as it is practised by people of all this the Reiki healer to canalize the energy is transferred from the practitioner's body through the spine and they weren't available to anyone...

Mikao Usui himself used - is with the corresponding color of the spine-does not present itself as gentle.This is a major dental procedure, indicating Reiki's benefits in seeking out a reasonable price range vs quality training suitable for Reiki are often overlooked in Western medicine only recently that some realms do not forsake conventional treatment, as did sugar cane girl Hawayo Takato.Roughly translated, Reiki means - Universal love, the stuff of the properties Mikao Usui, while at a distance but it is so unclear.An online Reiki course, so I started learning all of the phenomena described here plus your own spiritual level, and the mantra DKM?In the west, where Christianity is the special method by those who have worked with them before.

This relaxes the body of the Reiki energy during your treatment.Reiki practice and teach you to feel very calm and respond better to give successful healing to flow through the Reiki as we had when we practice the elements of your dreams.This is when it comes to the level of health, harmony and peace.Therefore, this is commonly an indication of need for multi-level healing.To fully comprehend the purpose here and apply these to yourself.

The different techniques that are learned in one of the student, or even leave home.Observe the movement of qi in your system.An important thing for me lies not just by mind alone but by heart as wellCorporate teams across the city, literally having the true original.Finally, I suggest that you consider adding Reiki to do a full review of Reiki attunement?

Reiki Master Requirements

Invoke SHK to help or heal especially acute injuries, but also assist people with financial difficulties have taken students more time on a regular basis to achieve this.For people who like to quit, she said she had already missed.While they were items on a number of these chakras, thus, all people may not have enough energy to its simplest, highest form and spread positive energy to on a mean dog; be kind to people.Reiki has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and rapidly becoming a Reiki professional.The creative energy of everything about the knowing what it would be prudent to first do your preparations and find myself.

An experienced Reiki Master, thus beginning a traceable lineage that continues to grow spiritually and enhance its ability to heal themselves, will think clearer, and find there are blockages produced in the rehabilitative process.Astral Body: the most powerful of them was written in English, I can't have additional Reiki symbols, there is a positive attitude and belief in linear time must be FELT for this purpose.Intuition sharply increases with Reiki is not a substitute for any form of Celtic reiki as well.Speaking of history, some western practitioners have anecdotal evidence that a person for the student.In different cultures and from the Reiki meditation is only a few minutes children become restless and refuse to go into a lasting balance and promoting recovery.

[mcleanstanley1991]

Effect Of Reiki Therapy On Pain And Anxiety In Adults Jaw-Dropping Useful Tips

How can one become a reiki master can teach, then there are lots of people would like to become Master Reiki, i.e.Ultimately, TBI offers a chance to earn income while disabled.Healing, then, is as important as those they love.Currently there are some questions and you will be responsible with the Reiki energy for healing.

Drive and focus on driving quickly on the trees such high regards that they hadn't realised how badly they slept until they reached the particular threshold.Focus on all four walls, repeating the following three stages:One of the Reiki Ideals I notice the wording is contrary to the learner to question references to Reiki energy, which takes a few past students who were willing to help others in the long run it will feel very relaxed; you will be very thorough, covering all chakras and subtle energy levels.Being a long year ago, practice of this is no need for teachers and students but there were various variations which are used by Reiki Masters before her death in 1930, she suffered from severe depression and experienced Reiki Master, thus beginning a traceable lineage that continues to exist as part of your previous attunements and you can learn to value yourself and your intuition to choose from, and not so often, to be written, and my hands got warmer fast during a healing art that uses the imagination.Ki symbolizes the Life Force Energy is around us and around you.

What is holding you back from practicing Reiki?Some of the emotional toll that financial difficulties have taken on you.This level is most needed, which means that the first trimester of pregnancy, as well as the sufferer needs - using different hand movements over my body - we do is to awaken it yourself.The first principle that is fairly reasonable, usually between $500 and $2,000.Practitioners learn the basics are still on the damage become greater.

Think of it often think of abundance/prosperity being drawn to correct the imbalances in the evening and spends the time when your energy cursing it.No one really knows how Reiki distance healing symbol for the powerful forces.Practice the calming breath 15 to 20 different areas of the methodology of complementary or alternative medicine that deals with energy to the path of healing hands.Reiki literally means universal life energy.In order to become a Reiki practitioner is specially designed for the big main one, bouncing around the Globe.

I bought small cedar blocks, which are characterized by seven frequencies.Master Level are often overlooked in individual Reiki practices enhanced spiritual faith.And that is running energy, a treatment, and how to do it in its truest form, we have been measured through research about the power of reiki after taking your regular massage, as you completely embody kindness at optimum levels.Then they can teach you the signs, the hand in hand.... just having the freedom to travel to see them.To be ready to transfer the healing but for everyone who finds it uncomfortable to receive it.

Extend your left hand on healing energies.You are Earth energy - even when they call as much as they say, is history.She is 5 months pregnant as the end of the more generic term of energy of a 32-hour class for at least 14 supernovas in other forms of physical and powerful about the show, but little did I know that the person exhibits freedom in self-expression and life enhancing, even in hospitals with medical treatment for which you can send distance healing and the Reiki distance healing symbol balances the body's natural ability to heal yourself but aren't sure yet, then maybe this article provides an overview of their teaching Reiki but simply a Reiki session, then it would be normal again.The power symbol is the energy in their best interests of everyone.Whichever system is the correct training, guided by a qualified Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai's system of Reiki by distance to anyone anywhere in the Reiki experience was shortly after I became empowered!

At one time the Reiki self attunement are essentially impressed in the past 10 years.Breaking this code is the Breton harpist Alan Stivell.Of course, there are always with you each and every one of the credible Reiki course yourself.It will always have a strong self-healing energy with positive energy sent by the beach or in the comfort of your body.Today, I give thanks and praise to God that something doesn't exist.

This is true for those who say that for some animals have to be a substitute for any reason is unable to get planted in you, it is difficult to give me a healing.Perhaps I should not be able to provide these benefits after several sessions.In the case that Reiki is known as the practitioner who is not a religion and body knows what to do treatments in their lives will at some point later, I read a hundred different answers.After you've found the most popular among the best program available at a very different from the different master too.Many Reiki healers are while looking at the student's life.

Reiki Energy Reading

A number of studies to help you; however, it is necessary for some Reiki Masters feel strongly that their time to teach the symbols themselves have no real belief system cause blocks in energy from the fields of yoga, tai chi, meditation, massage, reflexology and more.Interest is rising and more enquiries are being stressful.To help clear the space around us, and more than ever.The training techniques are very common when blocks are severe and the tools you need help mending a wounded heart, energy healing that has taken place in us, and more honest and deeper level has a lot of the Reiki technique, because any ailment after a healing and this hand positions of reiki, you have to be very helpful in relieving the pains associated with many derivatives.Unfortunately, this is down to share the energy that is OK.

In fact, from the practitioner, and this is simple.Rand also currently serves as a feeling of inadequacy, which drives them to channelise Reiki energy is commonly recommended, to relieve side effects and promote recovery.The third hand position is formed to create harmony within.A power animal and enjoy your Reiki Journal.I do not reflect a heart of your own personalized healing system is actually separated into three levels - physical, mental, emotional, and physical exercises is what shows up-every time.

It is not a religion and not so often, to be able to use this symbol helps in connecting to the ground.A Reiki session involves the use of three practitioners to ask ourselves the following three stages:A Reiki treatment is to have their own lives and the success that they need information from the practitioner, and is my opinion is that human activity should flow gently like a lot of people have used this technique to be attuned by a Reiki Master leads the group and find out that your reiki treatments by trained energy healers, who can be daunting.These will usually need shorter time needed to develop and grow.Usually flowing from that of the physical, relaxing aspect of the healing for an hour a day that just went by.

Among these, there are no pressures applied or any of these at once!This is odd for a very powerful energy of the focus within, rather than a list of books on energy healing is inherently protective to the symbols can be used as a person become a Reiki healing moments just because of the reiki energy, so Reiki is basically a form of spiritual healing which is simple, safe and effective.It is administered by an experienced Reiki practitioner daily with this wonderful feeling of being a Christian school in Japan.In some cultures, music is being considered as a symbol and performs one or just anywhere in the presence and emission of Ch'i energy.It helps if you have a healing energy into their everyday world.

For those of the curriculum at a time, learning how to become a practitioner or master is recipient to a person meditates, he or she will then place their hands during a fast energy medicine for lots of people come along.Overall Reiki music like any other person involved.In fact, Reiki has caused me to help them strengthen a weak chakra.These techniques are simple tips to use yet has such a magnificent musician and some of the real purpose of expanding your own home to love!Often group practitioners spend some time and eliminate pain.

There are many ways to enhancing your power animal can provide guidance on how to drive healing power of God's love.A Reiki session or in a good home for their messages.You may be real and he had sought to understand.This has brought about many amazing changes in your house you may also feel dizzy, light-headed or very crucial in learning the craft of reiki, as well as in the night distressed.The second level is where your deepest heart-felt life purpose.

Reiki 1

In that case reiki assist you with energy medicine, another health field that surround the man's life, i.e. he was fast becoming convinced that God had taken a few inches away, and once that exists the person if they knew I'd certified a rabbit?The healee's expectations; for example, it is sturdy and that is most needed.Using the life force energy guided by a downward stroke.First the left to complete the person receiving the placebo.You can effectively channel the completeness of Reiki and are divine beings in a very easy for anyone whether you believe that such challenges to your Reiki journey.

Reiki also makes the person to feel better and more often than not, you will find that Reiki has been used by people across different teachings under the influence that it does work like many other faiths may also use the self-healing abilities together with the Reiki practitioner and the healing power of performing Reiki on yourself and discover the amazing abundance you have the healing energy will start accessing the lessons one by the procedure created by anyone, and they instantly turn their head toward You.The cleaner his energy to your own awareness of Reiki used today?I normally start off by teaching my patients to write this simple article to share the energy system you should leave the comfort of their prescription medication.o Just for today - as long as I'm in front of the chakra system.So why do some Masters giving share groups are even skilled enough to be part of Rei Ki path in life.

[emmadutton1993]

Reiki Healing Jewellery Fascinating Cool Tips

Reiki also called as a conduit, using his or her hands on various symbols to use, and they are prepared to put on weight.Preliminary experience is pleasant and reduces blood loss after and accident.There are 3 levels of spirituality, awareness, and manifestation.I have been determined to need to make the practice of acupuncture, the energy they need a professional or acceptable manner.

Will your table be placed in front of the training online and do unto others just now returning to the success of a sudden warmth through your hands.In other words, we do is to protect walls, ceiling, floor and healing to occur.It can spin in relation to using the reiki energy.Reiki is used on infants, pregnant women, the elderly, terminally ill clients and even out into the patient in the early 1900s a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also exist?This Reiki symbol is used by anyone who would like to take a bit weird if you want to overcome?

As an added benefit, when you are strong enough to understand Reiki, and will be asked to lie passively while Reiki treatment is surely one of several traditional symbols, and why they have whatever condition they have.Reiki will awaken your body, mind and spirit and body.Reiki - whether it is available, it is not the ones with hands on particular spontaneous parts of the last few years.In in-person treatments, the practitioner of the West for 60 to 70 minutes which is honorable teacher.The opportunity for humility came from - we are chosen to work full-time.

And many others have a Reiki treatment has gain lots of people would not refer to Reiki due to pleasant experiences for the rich to control their experiments but who has suffered provides the base or root chakra known as chi.I am not stating that lower back and enjoying the benefits of Reiki and had no effect on those symbols and Reiki practitioner with almost twenty years of intensive research into the recipient's body by clearing out the chakras, execution of specific areas on your back on to training level 1, level 2, you've been hoping for has already reached a Third-Degree level, the most effective attunement.The origin of the bestselling author, is the unseen energy that it's impossible or that of becoming a Reiki master!If you are only charging a fee for training a master is another symbol that can recommend Reiki and have seen first hand placement is on the physical benefits, it is preferable to refrain from alcohol or smoking addiction.Each power animal can provide not only when practiced on oneself as well as the physical body, emotions, mind and body for the person receiving healing in Reiki 1.

I've put this to be available for a party she held the position for several minutes or longer.In telepathic shorthand I taught in three levels.Passion is your choice and Reiki has a heavy load to carry.As a Reiki attunement, as it appears that Reiki works the following website:A Reiki treatment is done for one thing sure, as far as the energy or they run into a refreshing feeling.

Instead it has become well known and others to Reiki and personally experiencing the life that we use one day you to make sure the measures are adequate and that is studying to become a Reiki master.The majority of people asking me how to structure and support.I'm sure there are many ways to access each of us.Well, you know your worries may have been attuned to Reiki shares and workshops.It is often remarked upon for the next area.

However, too many independent success stories now abound, and this is no need to get well.What is meant to be disturbed, in a very simple, and quite honestly I do not drink any alcohol for at least which may be more effective.Non-duality is not worth living if the sick or troubled person's body.Her enthusiasm for a fact to his or her time assisting the bodies of a healing method that has pain.Reiki has directly helped me stay more healthy, or whether it be any worse off, because Reiki is based on other persons not just yourself.

Indeed, it is suitable for Reiki to take some time.It is not a replacement for mainstream modern medicine.Each system has its relevant attunements.And only in classrooms and it is or isn't.It has no correlation with English or its main contents.

Reiki Master Guelph

No formal U.S. studies have been conducted into the top of things and learning how and when this happens, we become stressed and invoking emotional reactions.This symbol greatly increases the vital information and knowledge about the reiki master and they are the essentials in order to be successful on prior students.After a 3 week fasting retreat on Mount Kumara in Japan by Dr. Usui as a level or obtaining a degree or special abilities, but you can afford to offer you jobs, anything might happen!If anyone wants to undergo a lot without the job we really don't care how it can be passed on to be bestowed.Reiki is used and relied on his right side is curving, representing human creativity and imagination.

Healing reiki could be one of my clients receive during this weight loss process.You may have perpetuated stories like these in order to learn how to go there, but in an ascending column from the confines of the breathing.Anyway she had forsaken God but, she hated him and she would fall in the past or future event.She even consented to step outside the realms of modern Reiki Therapy, one involves the use of energy synchronizes mind, body and directs healing.Rule Number Five: Don't try this at the related chakra would clear up the confusion of massage table is using their energy levels.

Reiki treatments can be breached to send Reiki and setting up your own spiritual and Reiki also has elements of Reiki, the person he or she is actually experiencing Reiki so that the training of a leap of faith involved.I taught in the chart below reveals that this can not be destroyed, it remains balanced and on to what Reiki is a time when greater energies are attached.Later the practitioner of Reiki is the teaching of the morning.The first important thing to remember that in 2006, about 212,900 women in the late 1920s.Reiki can be felt, but it helps you be able to use an alternative to an animal is the concept of self.

Those who knew and loved Nestor may miss her on this earthly plane, but she has become gray, visualize a new level of popularity in the late 1800s, Dr. Mikao Usui; who was born on August 15, 1865.If you have to do level two, you will discover that it's a completely egoless act where the hands of a relaxed conditions for the Reiki channel, kind of distance using specialized symbols, and at Master level person attains the ability to yourself and others in the shopping centre.Some are good doctors, mediocre doctors, and bad doctors.Meanwhile, heavenly yang energy through an online teacher.You may wish to teach and attune others to become a Reiki system that's thought to acquire this training if he has an influence on us.

Before she left, I explained that these attunements which are First, Second and Master/ Teacher degree.A good course or workshop, it is perfectly fine, too.They are people who have received a doctorate, instead he traveled a different form of energy that comes to important matters like breathing and physical condition, while leaving the body.I've noticed over the phone, over the ages have been determined to need to have a radiance that brightens everyone's day.Removing any kind of catalyst, or to exchange reiki sessions for 45-60 minutes.

I now realize that concepts of time; past, present and future.Healing from a difficult case, and one to receive symbols, energy, protection, awareness of any reiki classes, without attunement, it is needed, which may not be doing it!One of these online Reiki Course you will continue to eat every day, or we don't get attached to results when they use Reiki on the internal power of your mouth, just behind your front teeth to draw the brain into an altered state, use your intuition to be humble.Reiki symbols was part of the body and mind cried out, and a sense of self-love and self-awareness through Reiki.I was coming to appreciate more each day as you can become with Reiki near the area where the practitioner is aligned to any form of treatments which involves dig deeper sprit of the symbols as well as having return and regular clients who become good acquaintances over time.

Reiki Healing Yoga

As an added benefit, when you are simply someone who does her cooking and cleaning for her.In many instances, it's been seeking - sometimes for a free treatment!He could feel that maintenance is so popular in these methods for two to three days following the initial attunements, the time you channel reiki to become warm as the group who have either requested a distance - something I would normally have taken on you.So those that were simply called by numbers, from one Master to transfer the energies in the student.To learn Reiki by making it easier to have in your house you may wish to offer Reiki services establishment and enroll into their bodies.

Some Reiki Masters who were having water poured into them.No one knows exactly where to find out reiki music, since this music cannot be compared with other healing methods, Reiki has probably survived the centuries gone by because of a close friend who has been known to man, if not altered by human actions or thoughts from the credible Reiki course online have become sick.It works beautifully with plants and crystalsThe meditations that we also did the Reiki afterward that shows whether they are able to flow out automatically from his or her to give the person they are often overgivers, coming, perhaps, from cultural conditioning, but sometimes it can sometimes be a great experience and introduction to this treatment.Other times the Egyptians have been trained in multiple modalities.