#colors vary between angels and mean different things

[onlineviolence]

wings

[oncewhenalongtimeago]

HtTYD Masterlist

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Reader

Always an Angel, Never the God- One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

Your plans to run away with Hiccup fall through. Three years later, you finally make it off Berk and away from the Edge. Here are the years that follow.

Floret -One, Two, Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

Your heart’s gone sour, and like all dead things, seeds sprout in its wake. Eventually they grow too large for you to handle on your own. You’ve come to terms with it. For now, you just spend your time flying under the radar, taking long walks and giving good advice. It’s a lonely life, but it’s yours.

Sorry, but I Think I Lost Your Plot- One, Two, Three, Four, 4.5, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, 11.5, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty one, Twenty two, Twenty three, Twenty four, Twenty five, Twenty six, Twenty seven, Twenty eight

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

You’re stuck on Berk. Somehow, you manage to get by.

All The Ways I Could Have Known You (And Some Of The Ways I Didn’t)- Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

Three verses, six parents and their many varied opinions. (SbITILYP+Floret+AaANtG)

Castoff - One, Two, Three, Four, Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

The gentle brush of fingertips as they slip apart, the pounding of blood as his heart falls out of your grasp. Those are feelings you are familiar with. Your relationship is one made up of meanings searched for where they are not, a deep care uprooted by a raging current and a single, meaningful mistake.

Better Left Unsaid - Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

You wondered if you would ever be able to touch the sky again. You don’t talk about it.

The Jealous One - One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven,

Hiccup x Reader, Ongoing

An old friend starts to act odd. Snotlout is slightly less so.

Counting Coins - Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

On one cold morning, a small Chief’s son and merchant child are arranged to be wed. Now, Hiccup Haddock is your fiancé and you his. Despite your different walks of life, you find you come together quite nicely.

Changeling (Her Best Friend) - Full

Hiccup x Reader, Complete

You wished you’d been born someone else. Something else- a fairy, maybe. Something changing- anything different, anything besides.

Just Like Magic - One, Two, Three,

Hiccup x Reader, Ongoing

Hiccup’s got both hands full with dragon training, never mind everything else he’s got going on in private, because, really, it’s not just the dragon. 

Hiccup’s got no one at his back- no friends, no Dad and a dead mother. He has got Gobber on most occasions, though if you asked Hiccup, he’d say that he doesn’t really count, mostly because he’s not much of a help even on the best of days. There is that one girl, though, with her odd appreciation for the world, colorful hems, twine and tassels- To him, she’s something new. Whenever he’s with her, it feels like things just might be turning up. Honestly, she might be exactly the kind of person he’s been looking for.  

(By some stroke of fate and probably coincidence, Hiccup makes friends with a weird girl in the woods and learns that life doesn’t have to be about fighting or proving oneself- sometimes it’s nothing more than a few stolen, happy moments shared between a lucky girl and a very unlucky guy.)

Wildflower - One, Two, Three, Four,

Hiccup x Reader, Ongoing

With the babbling mouth of a child now long grown and a hidden, lost soul, there is no one who could relate more to his current circumstance. There is one problem, though- how is a sort-of-wimpy ex-runt going to win your heart?

[btower3689]

Natures of Celestials 1/2

I realized while working on this story that the character profiles are going to take a lot more research and time than I originally thought. Because many of these people are inspired by real religion and myth I want to be as careful as possible in their descriptions.

For now I’ll keep you all updated on some more concepts that will help you gain a better understanding of the characters and world. In particular, I wanted to speak more on the natures of the celestial entities in the story as they may differ from the traditional understanding of angels and daemons most are familiar with. 

Within the story “You Are Sheol”, we will be operating under the philosophy that energy in all forms is conscious and thus can harbor information, can remember that information, can forget that information, and most importantly, can have intentions. 

Energy is trans-dimensional and is the only thing in creation capable of fitting between The Veil. Humans can do magick with entities by sharing energy with them through intentions and worship. 

Death cleans the information of all energy, resulting in energy with no intention or identity.  There are multiple stages of Death.

The ethereal world makes work with dark matter. There are materials and elements composed of Dark matter in the 4th dimension that are unknowable to us due to our dimension’s inability to interact with it and our inability to detect it. We cannot comprehend it. If a human consciousness finds itself in the psychedelic world, it will likely be unable to understand the material even if it does interact with visible matter. This makes the ethereal world and higher dimensions mysterious in nature.

Examples of material and machines made from dark matter.

All celestial entities are composed of Energy in waves or forms that exist on spectrums and vibrate at a certain frequency. This energy is generated by feeding on Dark Matter in the form of different Primordial Elements. The result of this energy feeding on these elements is Primordial Fire, the result of an entity’s energy. The result of this interaction becomes a consciousness in varying degrees of complexity. All of these entities have names but very few have been discovered by humanity. 

Primordial Fire

Within these higher dimensions these beings have unfathomable mass and gravitational fields. Instead of a material body, a celestial will have a melam, which can be considered their ethereal body, a projection of the energy emitted from their Primordial Fire. While symbolism often relates angels to looking like birds, the rapid fluttering of their colorful wings are closer to that of moths. Celestials do not rest. Energy is collected through various means depending on the entity. Celestials have precise control over their own matter and energy.

A visualization of what celestials may "look like" in higher dimensions

Because celestials do not have physical bodies, it is easier to think of them as ideas of people and concepts rather than “people” themselves. A collection of energy in a closed system that has developed an identity, and in the case of Collective Angels, may have roles and natural intentions (to blow the wind, to grow the trees etc.) 

This means they can be considered many ideas at once, and can be in many places at once. Many versions of a celestial can exist from our perspective whilst still being considered the same entity. Celestials can simultaneously be classified as both damon and angel, but Collective Angels cannot be considered Daemon. Collective Angels can however, be Lower Gods, as can Higher Daemons.

Because these entities are thought forms, they can be accessed via specific correspondences that align with the entity's energy. These correspondences, in the form of colors, scents, sounds, elements, timing, planetary alignments, animals etc, all contribute to the energy of a specific individual entity.

Some entities reside on Earth, most do not. Entities exist in all parts of creation, and creation is incomprehensibly big. These entities may or may not have motives that interact with Earth or Humanity, and it should be noted that there are many entities that have never and will never interact with humanity at all. 

(Living creatures in other solar systems (which would be aliens to us, I suppose) worship the Gods of their creation just as we do, and those Gods have domain over those sections of space. Our story is mainly focused around the Gods of the Milky Way Galaxy who obey our laws of physics.)

Knowable Creation

Celestials (Gods, gods, Angels, angels, Daemons, and daemons)  can manifest themselves in the material plane as different forms of energy. There are entities that exist in high forms of energy, and there are entities that exist in low forms of energy. It takes a gargantuan amount of energy for a celestial to manifest in the material world without a material body. Our material plane simply cannot handle the complexity of their being, and their mysterious dark matter cannot pass between dimensions. So celestials often opt to manifest as one of these lesser forms of energy to make contact with the material realm. 

Energy is recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat and light.  Energy is transdimensional. 

For our purposes, we will say there are 7 main types of energy that a celestial may manifest as. 

Nuclear energy, gravitational energy, light energy (in all forms), mechanical energy, electrical energy,  sound energy, and chemical energy.  

(I’m sure through some technicalities we could identify more)

The spectrum that an entity exists on will fundamentally affect the forms that they present or manifest as. More importantly, the spectrum that an entity exists on outlines the limitations of their power both in the material world (our world, 3), the ethereal world (4), the psychedelic world (5), and onwards. 

It should be noted that an entity can exist across multiple spectrums, and may present in our world in one or more spectrum at a time. This requires more energy. Therefore, it is typical to see less powerful entities (spirits) manifest in only one spectrum at a time; ex: a lesser spirit may manifest as a whisper or a light, but usually not both at the same time. 

Higher entities can utilize the use of multiple spectrums to become more vivid in ways that lower spirits cannot. The spectrums that entities exist on also corresponds to the five senses, the elements, and by extension to the abilities that a psychic can develop (this will make more sense later). 

Manifestation through Nuclear Energy

Many Lower Gods and Higher Angels manifest as stars in the material plane, which is truly a testament to their overwhelming gargantuan energy and provides a mental scale as to why these impossibly powerful entities must stay so far away from us. Like a chemical reaction, the reactor within stars is the means to manifest the energy of the celestial (the angel is not literally the star but the energy conjured from the star). Practitioners can utilize the energy of stars through Astrology.

In the dawn of Earth’s creation there were more instances of natural self-sustaining nuclear reactions, I suppose it could be theorized that entities may have presented in this way on Earth in the past- but save for the most obvious examples, this form of manifestation is generally unobtainable through any means beyond Astrology. In our world this can more or less be disregarded except in the unique situation of Angels and Gods of War and Destruction manifesting in the form of nuclear warfare.

Whatever the case, this phenomenon shouldn’t occupy too much of your mind but provides an additional context to Astrology and deity worship.

Manifestation through Gravitational Energy 

Like Nuclear Energy, consider this irrelevant except in the context of gargantuan masses like planets and stars. This is more or less unobtainable from a practitioner’s standpoint, but holds more significance in the ethereal plane and how entities interact with each other. Higher Angels and Daemons are extremely massive in their own dimension, so much so that they affect other living creatures around them. For this reason it is incredibly rare to find an angel hanging around a lesser spirit like a fairy. Angels are able to control this pull to a degree through reducing their density by dispersing their matter or increasing their density by gathering their matter to a single point. Angels know how to navigate each other's gravity and lower angels often orbit their Archangel. If not for the dimensional separation, the gravitational pull of a single angel would likely be powerful enough to decimate the Earth in an instant. 

Manifestation through “Light” in all forms

This would be referring to the Electromagnetic Spectrum, or “light” spectrum across all frequencies. This is one of the most common ways a celestial entity or spirit will manifest, but this can mean many different things. With the right tools some forms of EM energy can be converted into other forms of energy like sound. Entities that manifest on the electromagnetic spectrum move at the speed of light and are the fastest entities in creation. This is more or less irrelevant to us here on Earth but is extremely significant in the hugeness of space. Keep in mind that just because you may not be able to see the entity, does not mean that it is not incredibly bright.

Manifestation through Radio and Microwaves

The lowest wavelengths on the EM spectrum and the easiest to manifest as. 

The age of technological advancement has truly been fruitful for Daemons. Entities will sometimes manifest in radio waves that can then be picked up by devices like a conventional radio, a television, or Spirit Box and converted into sound or images. This also means that Daemons can easily and efficiently manifest via the internet and television, and Higher Daemons can use tvs as portals. This has often been used to disrupt communication between and decisive humans or to plant the seeds of ideas in them.

Daemons manipulating television

The Seal of Solomon, also known as the Sigil of Solomon or the Seal of Suleiman bin Daoud, was a deal created by Suleiman that made it so that Daemons who were bound by it could not harm innocents wantonly. In exchange it provided them with protections as well. The Kings Pact binds them so that they cannot show themselves or speak to us, meaning that it revoked their ability to manifest as visible light or audible sound waves. This was a good solution for many years, however, the development of the internet and television made it so that Daemons could be seen without being seen through monitors, and heard without being heard through speakers and applications like social media. This is a massive loophole in the seal that was then wickedly exploited. 

The King's Pact, A Daemon using television as a portal

Manipulation and intersection of radio waves is a common and reliable way that entities communicate with humans. Nearly every single celestial in creation emits radio waves and uses them to communicate with humanity as well as each other due to their efficiency in penetrating most materials and their ability to travel indefinitely in the vacuum of space. In the ethereal realm, the psychic link between Collective Angels that is used for vast communication is most usually carried in high frequency radio waves, hence the appropriate name “Angel Radio”. It is worth noting that while humans may not be able to hear or see radio waves, the brain is sometimes capable of observing them. 

Manifestation through Infrared Waves

With the correct tools, Infrared light shows us how hot things are. Like radio and microwaves, most every celestial entity in creation emits immense levels of infrared rays in their own dimension because they burn so incredibly hot, but these rays can usually only be observed by us in extremely unique circumstances like summoning and in the case of spirits, in hauntings.

Some angels employ the use of Infrared Energy in healing. Fluctuations in temperature during magical operations is a way that entities may make their presence known. Likewise, entities that absorb IF radiation may manifest during hauntings as unnatural cold spots. 

Pls stay tuned for part two posting soon I reached the image limit lol. If this is your first time seeing one of my posts pls read the other ones bc it probably won't make any sense if you don't. ::))) Thxx

[lacrimosathedark]

"Why did Vivziepop make Lucifer a seraphim? He's supposed to be an archangel!"

No he isn't, y'all just watch too much Supernatural.

There are several angels known as archangels in different Abrahamic beliefs, the most common being Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel, and not infrequently, Azrael.

Others may include: Ananiel, Ariel, Barachiel, Camael, Cassiel, Chamuel, Hanael, Haniel, Izidkiel, Jegudiel, Jerahmeel, Joel, Jophiel, Kepharel, Metatron, Phanuel, Raguel, Raziel, Remiel, Sadakiel, Samael, Saraqael, Sarathiel, Sariel, Sealtiel, Selaphiel, Shubael, Suriel, and Zadkiel.

The closest to Lucifer being an archangel is the archangel Samael, who sometimes is (or owns?) the serpent in the Garden and is the partner of Lilith.

But Lucifer is actually usually portrayed as a Cherub or a Seraph, both of which have been denoted as "closest to God's throne". And I think Seraph suits him all things considered, if Wikipedia is to be believed in that it comes from the Hebrew word for "burning" that they used to denote serpents due to their bright colorations and/or "burning" venomous bites.

Also, where archangels rank in the hierarchy of angels varies greatly between which one you're following. There apparently aren't any explicit references to archangels in the canonical Hebrew Bible, and they don't appear in the hierarchy at all, and Seraphim is the 5th highest rank. In Christianity, Seraphim is the highest rank, while Archangel is second to last, just above regular Angels. In Islam, the highest rank is the equivalent of Seraphim, followed by Cherubim, and then Archangels.

So, like, consistently, Archangels aren't the highest angels. Some of them might be here, as Virtues opposed to the Vices aka Deadly Sins, which would mean Raphael (Humility), Jehremeel (Kindness), Azrael (Patience), Gabriel (Diligence), Michael (Charity), Cassiel (Temperance), and Uriel (Chastity) very specifically.

Otherwise, in all likelihood, Sera is, in fact, the highest ranking angel, followed by Emily and any other seraphim. Fuck, maybe she is despite that, a Seraph above the Princes of Heaven the way Lucifer is King above the Sins.

But yeah, Lucie is no archangel.

I blame Supernatural tbh.

[something-tofightfor]

Javi Gutierrez + ✨ stars ✨

Anon, I am SO sorry that this took so long to get to. It's a little longer than the others to make up for it and I hope you like it.

This is Not Like The Movies Javi and Reader, and it's in the future ... but it can be read as a standalone too, if you want.

WC: 1.9k

The breeze was cool as it caressed your exposed skin, but you had no intention of getting up to go inside. Not yet. Not before I get to see. 

Turning your head to the side, you spied a rolled towel on the table next to your lounge chair and reached for it, flicking your wrists twice to unroll it. Perfect. The soft material covered you from the waist down and you sighed at the feeling, turning your attention back to the sky. 

“May I join you?” That got your attention, the sound of the man’s voice the only thing that would have been able to pull your focus in that moment. “If you do not want me to, I -”

“Please.” Your smile grew, teeth biting down on your lower lip as you nodded. “I’m glad you finished early, Javi.” 

He made quick work of dragging a second chair closer to yours and then kicking his shoes off before laying down. Javi didn’t speak again, though, instead turning his attention toward the sky and taking a deep breath, his fingers laced together and resting against his belly. 

This is perfect. Stretching your legs, you stared upward, too - the only audible nose the lapping of the waves against the rocks beneath the pool deck. As you watched the sky slowly darken, you took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. 

It was different from New York - different from just about everywhere you’d ever been, and a large part of you knew that going back home would be hard. 

You’d only been in Mallorca for a full day, but you were already falling in love with everything about it - just like Javi had promised you would. 

But he didn’t prepare me for this. He couldn’t have.

“Look to your left.” He said your name, though he didn’t raise his voice. “It gets dark there first.” You followed his instructions and were treated to the sight of the first stars peeking through the varied shades of blue and pink and purple that stained the sky. 

They grew brighter as more time passed, and then suddenly it was as though the world had been doused in darkness, the bright colors muted into deeper blues, shining points of light twinkling above. And he grew up here.

“This is gorgeous, Javi.” You wondered if he could hear the awe in your voice - the sound similar to the way you’d heard it in his so many times before. I hope so. “How could you ever leave this for somewhere like New York or Los Angeles?” 

“Sometimes a change is necessary.” He cleared his throat and you watched out of the corner of your eye as she shifted on his chair, getting even more comfortable. “But that does not mean that I do not miss things. Especially this.” 

“Yeah, I don’t… I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars at once.” They were scattered across the sky like loose glitter, only obstructed near the horizon by the hills and cliffs in the distance -  and by the small wisps of clouds above you. But still, this is … “I could stay out here all night.” 

“If that’s what you’d like to do, I… we can.” He reached over, resting his hand on the edge of your chair. “I think we should get a blanket, though, because the wind will -”

You laughed, turning your head to the side so that you could look at him. “Javi, as pretty as this is, there’s no way I’d sleep on this chair over your bed.” His smile widened, the man nodding. “How was your meeting?” 

“Later.” He gestured to the open air above you. “It went well, but we will talk about it later.” 

You didn’t press the issue, instead returning your eyes to the sky and taking a deep breath, holding it. 

It had been raining when you’d landed the previous day, the Gutierrez jet touching down on puddle-ridden tarmac before you and Javi dodged raindrops for the few steps between the stairs and the waiting car. 

It hadn’t let up at any point before you’d gone to sleep, which meant that the plans he’d made - an outdoor dinner and a walk through the heart of the city - had been put on hold, replaced with a meal on a covered patio at the Gutierrez estate and the two of you falling asleep in his theater room, a low fire crackling on the hearth. 

It had slowed to a drizzle by morning, but had only stopped an hour or so after Javi had left you to attend full day of meetings about the olive groves, the man pressing a lingering kiss to your lips as you sat, curled up on a chair in front of the large glass doors in his bedroom that overlooked the sea. 

Even before the sun had fully emerged from behind the clouds, you were outside and exploring the grounds, fingers trailing over brick walls, the scent of the salt air mingling with the clean scent of the rainwater. You’d spent what felt like hours wandering down various paths, and though you would have preferred to see everything for the first time with Javi, you knew that there was still more for him to show you when he was able to. 

But you’d made it a point to be back near the pool just before sunset, wanting an unobstructed view of the sky above when the stars came out. And it was the right choice. It was worth it. 

As the sky continued to darken, the Milky Way becoming visible, you covered your mouth with one hand, gasping as your chest tightened. “Javi.” 

You didn’t know what else to say, and luckily you didn’t need to, because Javi sat up and reached out for you, tugging gently on your hand when you took it. You stood, the man surprising you and leading you closer to the edge of the deck instead of toward the house. “Please, sit.” 

He murmured the words and you both did, the stones still warm from the last of the sunlight. Without pause, Javi put an arm around your shoulders, urging you to lean your head against him. Resting one hand on his thigh, you grinned. “You’re not afraid we’ll fall in?” 

He laughed, his body shaking gently, but Javi assured you that there was no danger. “Unless there is an earthquake, we’re perfectly fine here. I promise.” The water was well beneath where your feet dangled, but it was louder, the sound relaxing you as you leaned against the man and let the darkness envelop you both. “When will you ask the question I know you are thinking?” 

Javi’s voice cut through the night air, his arm tightening around you. “I…” You closed your eyes, fingers tightening against his leg. I don’t want to, but I will. “How is Gabriella, Javi?” 

His answer came almost immediately, the man’s voice even. “She was happy to see me.” He paused. “But I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you.” 

“It doesn’t.” You straightened up, squaring your shoulders as you looked at him. “I’d be very happy to see you after months, too.” That got a smile out of him, one side of Javi’s mouth lifting briefly before he ducked his head, the expression turning into a grin. 

“She asked about you. Said to tell you she’s sorry she won’t get to see you again before she leaves.” 

“No, she didn’t. And no, she isn’t.” Nudging him with an elbow, it was your turn to laugh, your nose wrinkling as you shook your head. “You’re a terrible liar, Javier.” 

“That is a good thing for you, no?” He angled his upper body toward you then, the breeze ruffling his curls as he stared at you with one hand flat on the brick. “I will never be able to get anything past you.” 

It was the truth. And while you were curious about the woman’s reaction to seeing Javi again, you weren’t worried or jealous about it. Not after Los Angeles. “I’d like to see you try to get something past me.” 

He fibbed with you sometimes, the man making up stories that toed the line of being believable or not. And when it came to the plots for screenplays or stories about his past, they were more plausible. But when it came to the real stuff - the important stuff, Javi had been so honest with you for so long that you almost immediately knew when things were false. And that woman and I will never be friends. 

“There is a place at the center of the island.” He spoke again, wetting his lips. “What is the expression, the middle of nowhere?” You nodded. “The sky is even darker there, without the lights of the city or the reflection of the water. We will go next time. I promise.” 

“You want me to come back?” Sliding your hand off of his leg, you covered his with it, Javi hesitating only a moment before he flipped his palm upward, widening the spread of his fingers to lace them with yours. “Already? We just got here.” 

“You have a permanent invitation to the Gutierrez estate.” Winking at you, Javi leaned closer, turning his head so that he could speak into your ear. “And the only other person I have ever extended that to is Mr. Cage, so you are in very good company.” 

“Wow, Javi.” Backing away, you widened your eyes. “I don’t even know what to say.” He smiled again, and even in the low light, you saw his gaze drop to your mouth and then rise again, his eyes full of mischief when they met yours. “Me and Nick Cage. I never would have thought I’d -”

“Do you know what very important quality you do not share with him, hmm?” He lifted a brow, the curl hanging over his forehead wafting back and forth. I don’t. Well… maybe I do. “I have never wanted to kiss Nick Cage as much as I want to kiss you under these stars right now.” 

It didn’t matter how many times Javi was brutally honest with his affection toward you. You knew that it would hit you hard every single time - and that night was no exception. 

“Well then.” You squeezed his hand and then pulled yours free, raising it to run your fingers through his hair as you moved even closer. “What are you waiting for, Javi?” 

A smile spread across his face - that one slow, remaining in place as he closed the short distance between you. “Nothing.”

He kissed you gently at first, though that only lasted for a few moments. The tentative press of his lips transferred the taste of the salt-tinged air to your waiting mouth. As it typically did, Javi’s kiss turned insistent the longer it lasted, the man pulling you closer before winding an arm around your waist, his tongue tracing along the curve of your lower lip before prodding between them to enter your mouth.  

There were countless people behind you in his house - staff and guests, including Gabriella and the other people he’d met with that afternoon. But as he continued to kiss you, Javi’s low hum turning into a groan, his free hand sliding up your back and beneath the shirt you wore to press his palm against the center of it - you weren’t thinking of any of them.  

And neither is he. 

—

[mtgpocketrealm]

What Lives In the Realms

There are beasts and plants in every realm, a biosphere needs them to not immediately collapse generally thus killing everything that lives there, but outside of them, there are the sapient races, the Guardians, and the Skep.

Since the focus is the diversity of color identity, I decided that the main race would be Human. No elves, vedalken, aetherborn, minotaurs, merfolk, etc. None of those are 'native' to the plane, only Humans.

However, with the Humans came Werewolves and Vampires, and with time came variations to the Human condition. Variants of Humans include 'Mutants', 'Splicers', 'Horrors', and 'Fractured'.

Non-Humans are the Eldrazi (they are sapient in an alien way) and Slivers (the Hive mentality creates an approximate intelligence).

Besides general Humans, the presence of the races, be they variant Humans, Werewolves, Vampires, and even Eldrazi, tends to fluctuate between the realms.

Humans

Humans of the plane are incapable of casting magic, they are as capable in that front as you or I.

Variant humans however are changed, some can use magic, and others hear the whispers of the Eldrazi of the Realm, some are simply fundamentally different possessing angelic wings or capable of breathing underwater. The variants are, by their nature, specific to their realms.

Fractured Humans are people who were damaged by the realm barrier and now barely function within the normal bounds of reality.

Werewolves

Werewolves of the plane are capable of magic, at night gaining great physical and magical might, at the price of their cognitive capacities and sense of self. Unlike the werewolves of Innistrad who can spread Lycanthrope to others, the Werewolves of the plane can not do such a thing, being a purely genetic/hereditary factor.

Vampires

Vampires of the plane are, generally, not capable of magic. They are characterized by their need to feed off of Humans in some fashion and their ability to convert a Human into a Vampire somehow. What they feed on and how they convert varies between the realms which possess them. Along with physical traits, as some appear utterly inhuman while others are nearly indistinguishable.

Eldrazi

Living on the outskirts of the realms, there is generally one specific variety of Eldrazi per realm, beyond the Spawns, Scions, and Horrors. They are like many Eldrazi, in that they consume reality, matter, mana, and life, though their appearance, abilities, and tactics vary between the realms.

Slivers

Placed in the exact center of each of the realms, their hives possess varying degrees of presence and importance between each realm. They generally terraform the area around them through their presence. To be blatantly honest about this project, this creature type is the reason I had initially created this project, though since that time, they have become less and less important. They are impactful on the realms to extremely varying degrees, but I've truly thought about them less.

Guardians

Mechanical constructs with immense (comparative to Humans) magical power, they manage the expansion of the realms through mechanical means. They have two forms, smaller Human-sized constructs which generate mana to be infused into the plane and manage the mechanical terrain. And the larger ones, about 6 meters in height, protect the smaller ones and the machinery. Those tend to have actual magical abilities as well as gestate smaller Guardians. A majority of realms, those without properly adapted barriers, have an additional far larger form whose only purpose is to prevent anything from approaching or even trying to pass through it. These massive Guardians are scrapped for materials once a true barrier is adapted by the realm.

In the realms, they remain in (they don't exist within the colorless realm due to a disproportionate Eldrazi presence), they have been unilaterally infected with phyresis before the end of the Phyrexian Invasion.

Realmsouls

Unlike normal planes that possess Worldsouls, the Worldsoul of the plane has been separated between the thirty-two realms. They are aware of events that occur on other realms, unlike most of the realm's denizens. These Realmsouls regularly manifest into physical forms and interact with the denizens of the realm, usually with some purpose in mind, such as facilitating a trade network between disparate groups or possibly protecting one person who is assumed to be important in the future.

Their appearance, personality, and purpose vary wildly between each Realm.

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[monsooninn]

Berakhot 6b: 3. "The Hazot", "The Sacred Proposal."

6b opens with a discussion of thought emissions, which can only be detected during meditation. Otherwise we are at their mercy. The process for meditation and cognition named in Judaism is different than other contemplative traditions or methods. First there is fact, perception, then comes truth, or realization.

One might see an apple on a tree and become aware of its size, shape, and color, and surpass whether or not one likes apples or not or finds them attractive, this is the Eastern way of doing it, but the way named by Judaism insists we ask what is the apple evidence of?

Next is the question of how will the realization dictate one's actions? A Mitzah "obligation" leaves no about this. Before one takes the action, the outcome or measurement of the obligated action must be clearly known and assessed before the act is performed. The expectation is what is called the Authority for the Mitzvah. This is the basic way Jews perform meditation if they wish to follow the Torah Mishnah:

3. If he went according to the mitzvah - he is sorry, and if he went according to the authority - he has no remorse.

Mitzvahs or sacrifices are performed to wipe the slate clean. In Judaism this means the thought emissions for the malpractice are forcibly stopped. They lose all potential to become sin ever again.

There is no magic to this at all, no praying, it is all effort. A Rabbi or Zaddik is skilled at understanding the relationship between the thoughts, their emissions, the outcomes and why the Torah forbids certain things for the process of elimination. This is why they may insist on certain courses of action with immense gravity, they are trying to cure cancer with religion and curing real cancer is probably easier.

Remorse, or Teshuvah is pattern analysis:

Teshuvah is the central theme of the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known collectively as the "Ten Days of Teshuvah." Typically, teshuvah is translated from the Hebrew as repentance, but it literally means return, as if turning back to something you've strayed or looked away from.

“Surely, this Instruction (Ha-Mitzvah Ha-Zot) which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, ‘Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who among us can cross the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?’ No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it” (Deut. 30:11-14).

The Value in Gematria is 6761, ו‎ז‎וא‎, "And that's it."

The Goal is also a little different than is mentioned in the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita or the Tantra. Rather than a Higher Self one wants to establish a Jewish Self which is not quite the same. The role of the Jewish Self, its interplay within the highly varied Jewish Community and its purposes in the world at large are the main topical ingredients of the Mishnah.

And as a gentle reminder, the Talmud is the Volume, Mishnah "fattening up" is the techique, Gemara "thinning out" is the result. One extracts the verses out of the Talmud, then one "fattens" them up through proper definitions of the terms and illuminations from the Tanakh, then one cores these for the Superior Data hidden in the Mishnah.

It might just seem like this means "don't work so hard at being a sinner," but if one reads the Torah, performs a rich analysis of its meaning and recalls the fact one is a member of humanity's only faction chosen long ago for God's purposes by the angels, then one will understand what is the Jewish Self.

[kemetic-dreams]

     IS IT BLACK OR AFRICAN OR AFRICAN AMERICAN?

HAD A RECENT RUN IN WITH AN ASIAN PATIENT OF MINE. WHO ASKED ME, AFTER I STATED MY NAME. WHAT DO I CALL YOUR PEOPLE? I HEAR SOME PEOPLE SAY BLACK, THEN AFRICAN AMERICAN,COLORED, AND SOMETHING CALLED MELANATED BEINGS?

SO THE BIG QUESTION WHAT DO WE CALL OURSELVES? I AM CONFUSED.

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND AFRICANS NEVER SPOKE ENGLISH

AFRICANS NEVER HAD A UNIFYING LANGUAGE

THE BASIS OF AFRICAN IDENTITY LET ALONE ALL IDENTITIES COMES FROM ETHNIC IDENTITY.

WHY WOULD AFRICANS BE MESMERIZED BY COLOR

REAL IDENTITIES ARE AUTONYMS, EXAMPLE AMAZULU IS A IDENTITY THAT THOSE GROUPS OF PPL WITH OUT FOREIGN INTERVENTION CAME UP WITH.

EUROPEANS NOR ASIAN CAME UP WITH THE TERM ZULU

THE TERM IFIRIYA OR AFRICA COMES FROM THE VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS FROM NORTH AFRICA

AFTER HANNIBAL WAS DEFEATED, SCIPIO NAMED HIS SELF AFTER THE LAND

ALSO AFRICA COMES FROM  Massey, in 1881, stated that Africa is derived from the Egyptian af-rui-ka, meaning "to turn toward the opening of the Ka." The Ka is the energetic double of every person and the "opening of the Ka" refers to a womb or birthplace. Africa would be, for the Egyptians, "the birthplace."

WHEN WE SAY WE ARE AFRICAN WE ARE STATING OUR RAICAL ORIGINS. NOT A NATIONALITY

                        IS YOUR SKIN COLOR BLACK?

NO OUR SKIN IS NOT BLACK NOR DO ALL AFRICAN LOOK ALIKE OR MYOPIC

Human skin color ranges in variety from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. An individual's skin pigmentation is the result of genetics, being the product of both of the individual's biological parents' genetic makeup, and exposure to sun. In evolution, skin pigmentation in human beings evolved by a process of natural selection primarily to regulate the amount of ultraviolet radiation penetrating the skin, controlling its biochemical effects 

Black people refers to a racialized classification of people, usually a political and a skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all Black people have dark skin; in certain countries, often in socially based systems of racial classification in the Western world, the term "Black" is used to describe persons who are perceived as dark-skinned compared to other populations. It is mostly used for people of Sub-Saharan African descent and the indigenous peoples of Oceania. Indigenous African societies do not use the term Black as a racial identity outside of influences brought by Western cultures.

For some individuals, communities and countries, "Black" is perceived as a derogatory, outdated, reductive or otherwise unrepresentative label, and as a result is neither used nor defined, especially in African countries with little to no history of colonial racial segregation. Some have commented that labeling people "Black" is erroneous as the people described as "Black" are seen by some to have a brown skin color.

WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO CALL AFRICANS BLACK

AFTER THE BACONS REBELLION, WHEN EUROPEANS AND AFRICANS HAD A REVOLT, THAT DESTROYED PLANTATIONS

It was the first rebellion in the North American colonies in which discontented frontiersmen took part (a somewhat similar uprising in Maryland involving John Coode and Josias Fendall took place shortly afterwards). The alliance between European indentured servants and Africans (many enslaved until death or freed), united by their bond-servitude, disturbed the ruling class. The ruling class responded by hardening the racial caste of slavery in an attempt to divide the two races from subsequent united uprisings with the passage of the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705.While the farmers did not succeed in their initial goal of driving the Native Americans from Virginia, the rebellion resulted in Berkeley being recalled to England.

AFTER THE LEADER OF THE REBELLION DIED LAND OWNERS, REACHED OUT TO LAW MAKERS FROM LONDON CAME OVER FOR HELP AND TO BE ADVISED

FIRST THING THEY DID WAS BAN INTER RACIAL MARRIAGES

THEN THEY DECIDED THAT AFRICANS WOULD NEVER GET OUT OF SLAVERY.

THIS IS WHEN THE TERM WHITE AND BLACK WERE DEVELOPED. BLACK MEANING YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS, AND WHITE MEANS YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS

                 SO WHEN WAS THE MAJOR CHANGE

By that time, the majority of African people in the United States were native-born, so the use of the term "African" became problematic. Though initially a source of pride, many Africans feared that the use of African as an identity would be a hindrance to their fight for full citizenship in the US. They also felt that it would give ammunition to those who were advocating repatriating black people back to Africa. In 1835, black leaders called upon Black Americans to remove the title of "African" from their institutions and replace it with "Negro" or "Colored American". A few institutions chose to keep their historic names, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church. African Americans popularly used the terms "Negro" or "colored" for themselves until the late 1960s.

In 1988, the civil rights leader Jesse Jackson urged Americans to use instead the term "African American" because it had a historical cultural base and was a construction similar to terms used by European descendants, such as German American, Italian American, etc. Since then, African American and black have often had parallel status. However, controversy continues over which if any of the two terms is more appropriate. Maulana Karenga argues that the term African-American is more appropriate because it accurately articulates their geographical and historical origin.

Others have argued that "black" is a better term because "African" suggests foreignness, although Black Americans helped found the United States. Still others believe that the term black is inaccurate because African Americans have a variety of skin tones. Some surveys suggest that the majority of Black Americans have no preference for "African American" or "Black",although they have a slight preference for "black" in personal settings and "African American" in more formal settings

The United States is weird on labeling people. At one point all Europeans were not considered white, ironically at the same time Asians were considered to be white. They say white and black are skin colors, but at what point do we call Asians a myopic color. According to the United States Census, because I have North African ancestry, I am considered to be white.

                                        Are Mexicans white?

The official racial status of Mexican Americans has varied throughout American history. From 1850 to 1920, the U.S. Census form did not distinguish between whites and Mexican Americans. In 1930, the U.S. Census form asked for "color or race," and census enumerators were instructed to write W for white and Mex for Mexican. In 1940 and 1950, the census reverted its decision and made Mexicans be classified as white again and thus the instructions were to "Report white (W) for Mexicans unless they were definitely of full Indigenous Indian or other non-white races (such as Black or Asian)."

.

During periods in U.S. history when racial intermarriage wasn't legally acknowledged, and when Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were uniformly allotted white status, they were legally allowed to intermarry with what today are termed non-Hispanic whites, unlike Blacks and Asians. They were allowed to acquire U.S. citizenship upon arrival; served in all-white units during World War II; could vote and hold elected office in places such as Texas, especially San Antonio; ran the state politics and constituted most of the elite of New Mexico since colonial times; and went to segregated white schools in Central Texas and Los Angeles. Additionally, Asians were barred from marrying Mexican Americans because Mexicans were legally white.

U.S. nativists in the late 1920s and 1930s (mostly due to the socially xenophobic and economic climate of the Great Depression) tried to put a halt to Mexican immigration by having Mexicans (and Mexican Americans) declared non-white, by virtue of their Indian heritage. After 70 years of being in the United States and having been bestowed white status by the U.S. government this was the first time the United States began to show true racist attitudes towards Mexicans in America something that usually came quickly to people of other races. They based their strategy on a 1924 law that barred entry to immigrants who were ineligible for citizenship, and at that point, only blacks and whites, and not Asians or Native Americans, could naturalize and become U.S. citizens. The test case came in December 1935, when a Buffalo, N.Y., judge rejected Jalisco native Timoteo Andrade's application for citizenship on the grounds that he was a "Mexican Indian." Had it not been for the intervention of the Mexican and American governments, who forced a second hearing, this precedent could very well have made many Mexicans, the majority of whom are mestizo, ineligible for citizenship. When mixed race Mexicans were allowed to retain their white status in American society they were unperturbed with the fact that the United States still continued its discriminatory practices towards Mexicans of full Indigenous heritage.

During the Great Depression, Mexicans were largely considered non-white. As many as 400,000 Mexicans and Mexican Americans were deported in a decade-long effort by the government called the Mexican Repatriation.

In the 2000 U.S census, around half of all persons of Mexican or Mexican American origin in the U.S. checked white to register their race (in addition to stating their Mexican national origin).Mexican Americans are the largest white Hispanic group in the United States.

The idea of color is a European colonial disease not an African one.

African is a racial origins term

Saying your Jamaican,Nigerian,Ethiopian,Canadian,Mexican, or Brazilian are Nations/Nationality

Saying Amhara, Sicilian, Irish, Yoruba, Zulu, or Han are examples of Ethnicities 

African American is not an ethnic group but clusters of different ethnics from Africa in the Americas.

Black is nothing more than a class system designed by Europeans

Just because your born in Germany doesn’t change your race.

When do Asian people stop being racially Asian just because they moved to a different nation

So, why does this happens to Europeans or Africans

There is no such things as a black language, skin color, or names or even a black or nation called black

[onlineviolence]

Any headcannons. Any at all.

(metaphorically cracks knuckles) ok

- thus is more of just a Artistic preference but I like to draw the v models with different accent colors. v1 is yellow, v2 is cyan and mirage is green (and w, technically is red)

- angel wings vary a lot in color, and not all colors mean the same things to every angel (gabriels ecstasy wing palette is yuriels default, and she is Not ecstatic all the time lol) like a lot of colorful birds

- and angel wings are like semi incorporeal maybe being cold and fuzzy(in the static way) to the touch

- the Power class of angel, between the virtues and archangels in "ranking" are the most visually diverse of all angels, taking the forms of many angelic (and often mythical) beasts! they are usually guards or war angels, but rarely can be messengers.

- all machines can purr.

[xamassed]

⟬ @bucketfullofocs​ ⟭

[Luke] A handful of days after Aya was returned home, Luke would get a text from Sarah:

>U can come visit if you wanna. >she doesn't remember, but i bet u'd make her smile >just no 'demons are bad' stuff, k? she's less like a demon and... >hmm >more like Bambi from the movie. >veggie snacks only 4 her btw

When he'd get there, Sarah would take him back to Aya's room and open the door, allowing him inside. Aya was in a suspended bed in the far corner, swinging freely from a tree branch and surrounded by pillows and thick curtains. Perhaps one of the first things he would notice was she was still in her 'demon' form - that of a faun. Horns, nose, tail and all. So different from the last time they had met.

She seemed to be focused on what was on her lap - an open sketch pad, a box of colored pencils by her side. Only when she realized that someone had opened her door did she look up, see Sarah and Luke, squeak, and immediately reach forward and pull the curtains closed in fright. Sarah only sighed.

He knew it had been too much to hope that the invitation meant her memories had returned. The small angel was hit with a rush of anticipation, only to be slammed into from the opposite direction with saddening disappointment. It took him ( the poor boy ) everything he had not to start crying again. He sniffled and rubbed his face against his sleeve, but he didn’t let another tear fall, not while he was asking Simeon for permission to visit the House of Lamentation.

 ( Although, rather snippily, he reminded Sarah that Bambi had died. Rude! )

Luke kept the rest of the texts in mind as he packed his little bag. Vegetables only, he could do that. Oh, but — did that mean she liked fruits too? He wanted to hope as much, so just to be sure, he snuck in a few strawberries. It wasn’t much, considering most ingredients were used up soon after they were bought, but he had a varied assortment of snacks if the urge to eat hit her.

Walking there and keeping his composure was easy enough, but the moment they reached Aya’s door, Luke frantically pulled Sarah back and shook his head. Sweat beaded along his brow, and his eyes nervously darted between the human and the closed door.

“W—Wait, what if she doesn’t like me anymore? I know you said not to say anything about demons being bad, but even the brothers didn’t like me at first. N—Not that I think they like me now, but they’re a little nicer than they used to be. What if she hates me and never ends up being my friend again?”

It took a round of reassurance ( and, potentially, some gentle head pats ) to calm him down. ‘ You never know unless you try ’ was the only concept that motivated him past the door, but that was as far as he allowed himself to go. The room took him aback, the swinging bed almost immediately bringing out child-like wonder. Under any other circumstances, he would have asked to climb in and experience what it felt like, but he knew better in this instance.

Then he saw her in her newest form, the sight of horns alone making his stomach churn. Luke didn’t hate demons. He couldn’t. So many of them, in their own ways, had shown that they cared for him despite him being an angel, despite him being stubborn and rude and sometimes closed-minded. He didn’t want to excuse his awful behavior, but he knew he had been taught to think and feel a certain way towards his fallen brothers. That way of thinking had subsided greatly since his arrival, and still it made him ache with worry.

If she was a brand new demon, would her thoughts and opinions be as biased as his had been? It didn’t help that she hid from them, her image muffled behind the curtains. Surely, she wouldn’t think of him as an adorable little brother now that she was different.

Luke was encouraged forward, but his movements were sluggish and twitchy. His lower lip wobbled, until he pulled it in and bit down on the swell of emotion that rose up from his chest. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

“H—Hey, Aya.” His voice was nothing more than a squeak, until he cleared his throat and worked the knot loose. “Um, Sarah said you won’t remember me, but it’s okay.”

He waited a moment, the started again.

“I like your bed. It’s really pretty.” He plucked up his courage and placed a hand on the edge, fingertips just shy of the opening in the curtains. “Do you ever get dizzy on it? I’d worry I’d fall out, but it looks big enough.”

[fabdante]

Not to keep on with this but right so I made a post about Vergil and Bernini  and in that post I mentioned what art works and pieces I think represent the other parts of the DmC trio, Kat and Dante. And I just wanted to follow up on that with more focused posts because yall have no idea, I’m very into this whole thing.

First up: Dante

So Dante I go into a good deal in the Baroque essay already so some of this is a rehashing but I just wanted to go more in depth about Dante and Caravaggio’s Davids. 

(David and Goliath, 1599)

(David with the Head of Goliath, 1607)

(David with the Head of Goliath, 1610)

More about Dante, Caravaggio, and especially that last David under the cut! This one got a little long.

Ok so first things first, like discussed in the Baroque essay, Dante is Baroque and the game is based around Caravaggio’s Baroque to a point where many of his paintings are directly referenced. That last David in particular is referenced directly in the game. See below:

so I’m not really saying anything the game hasn’t really done itself here. Dante is the main character, he is represented by Baroque and Caravaggio. That’s his vibe, that’s the parallel. And it’s a very intentional one I mean in Talexi’s art book he discusses picking Caravaggio as an influence and the overlap between Dante’s whole deal and Caravaggio’s own. But I’m like really into Caravaggio’s David’s and want to talk about that and the neat way this plays with Dante’s whole deal so, let’s do it.

To quickly summarize Caravaggio and the background of his last David: Caravaggio was an angry guy who worked in Rome during the Baroque period until he killed a guy for Reasons (probably a bet, possibly a woman, possibly a tennis match or something, probably the bet). He gets kicked out of Rome, does some stuff (joins a knighthood? at some point then leaves the knighthood?), gets word that the pope wants to pardon him. He goes back to Rome with some art but dies on the way at the ripe age of 38. One of the paintings with him that makes it on this trip is the last David. 

What I like about Caravaggio’s David’s is how different they are then other David’s that come up in the art history canon. Just for comparison I’ll share the famous David but also Bernini’s David from the same time period.

(The David, Michelangelo)

(David, Benini. Pain to get a photo of s2g)

The first key difference is I mean, all three of Caravaggio’s David’s are wearing clothes which I think is neat in that I imagine he would be wearing those given the situation. But beyond that, what strikes me about Caravaggio’s David’s is their youth. In the biblical story, David is more the age Caravaggio consistently depicts him at. Which is about approximately preteen or teenage. The second thing that strikes me is the confidence and power displayed in Bernini and Michelangelo’s David’s evoke. But Caravaggio’s are not confident, not the way these one’s are. And especially that last one. 

Caravaggio’s David is unsure. He’s just done this thing, killed this man, but he doesn’t seem to have quite processed it in the first two. But in the third, he is processing it. And he’s not processing it well. This is a David who is unsure. This is a David who seems to pity the man who’s head he now holds by the hair. This is a David who is not strong and unwavering and confident and elegant, this is a child who just killed a man. This echo’s in the games interpretation of the scene, that same worry echoing in Dante’s brow that’s in Caravaggio’s. It’s a sympathetic David in that he seems to be unsure if this choice was worth the personal toll but also in the sense that the viewer is sympathetic to him, they feel bad for this child who has just been forced to make this choice. 

Reboot Dante’s life is not one about choice, it’s not really something he seems to be able to do often. Sparda put him into the orphanage and the orphanage put Dante into the foster care system. And ever since then Dante has had to fight. Not by choice, but by necessity. It show’s in his combat style, in his clearly untrained movements focused on power and strength rather then tactics. Vergil, if you watch him fight, he’s much more elegant, his style reflecting practice and technique. Dante, though, throws everything into his movements to kill as fast as possible. That if he just swings hard enough, this’ll all be over faster. He even stumbles in his combat because he’s put so much power into his swings, it’s my favorite little detail. 

In the game, it’s mentioned that Dante’s first recorded demon kill was when he was eight years old. It was one of the ‘caretakers’ at the facility he was in. I often wonder if that’s the moment that they were trying to depict in this image, the moment after that. I'm not really sold that he looks eight here but I mean you be the judge of that but bare with me. It’s the mood, that moment right after he’s been forced to enter his new reality for the first time. That he is going to have to fight like this the rest of his life. That bewilderment and regret and just general disbelief that he’s done this, that he’s just killed something. That sorrow for the Dante he was before, like that sorrow that David must be feeling for who he was before as well. 

But there’s a second layer here I haven’t gotten to yet. And that’s how Caravaggio’s David is also thought to be a self portrait. No, he’s not David. Caravaggio has painted himself as Goliath. A portrait of Caravaggio for reference: 

(Caravaggio as depicted by Ottavio Leoni in 1621)

Usually this is read as a tongue and cheek thing to the pope, like Caravaggio is offering himself in the ultimate repentance for his crimes. He’s sorry, here’s his head on a platter. But there’s something about it being a self portrait coupled with David’s pity for this Goliath that feels kinda...sad in a way. 

Further context to this is Caravaggio, on the run or not, did not have a studio. He was a solo artist, which is a bit odd for the period at his level. He did not take students, so his techniques died with him. No one else worked on his paintings, they’re all by his hand. This in particular David was not commissioned either, it was done as a gift. So this was a deliberate thing entirely thought through by him, painting himself as Golith, painting David so full of pity and grief. 

It’s sort of this idea of pity for the monster when you yourself are the monster as well as a sort of self hatred. Which reboot Dante is familiar with. Either Dante, preboot or reboot, kind of has this arc about trying to cope with being half demon while hating being half demon. It’s not a part of himself that he likes. The reboot goes further with this though because he doesn’t even have the solace of being half human, he’s also half angel. Reboot Dante goes from seeing himself as a human being to being told no, your not, your the things that you hate and it’s your job to protect people anyway. You are both the out of control monster and a threat, but also their protector. 

In either reboot or preboot this isn’t like the most explicit character beat, though it does come up. In the reboot we see it peak through in moments like Dante’s interactions with Phineas. The ‘my father was a demon and I’m nothing like him’ mentality. The reboot makes this more pressing to in that like, the reboot makes it clear that demons are not a hive mind. While they seem to vary in intelligence and free will and all that, the game does not imply that Phineas and Sparda are alone in their grievances where as the preboot paints demons like Sparda and Trish as complete oddities. But part of either Dante’s rejection of Sparda is always rooted in ‘Sparda is a demon, and I’m nothing like the demons.’

This is interesting in the reboot because, unlike Vergil, reboot Dante is always visually contrasted with demon imagery. His world is very red. His color is red. The colors on him, even the blacks and grays, are warm tones. His devil trigger is designed in such a way that the abundance of reds in it are even more prominent then his initial design. The only time he’s not is the scene with the graffiti where he’s positioned on the side with the angels. But visually it’s still made clear. Dante is the demonic twin, Vergil more angelic. On top of that, characters in the reboot love to point out how Dante reminds them of Sparda. Phineas does it and Mundus really does it (the ‘just like your father, too big for your fucking boots’ line). Which further puts Dante at odds with his identity. As much as he thinks he is nothing like Sparda, he’s his fathers son. He’s the demon half of this twin relationship. 

I think to like Caravaggio’s David’s just...they don’t want to do this. They’re just kids. They don’t want to kill their Goliaths. But they have to. Which is the spot we see reboot Dante in. He doesn’t want to save the world. He doesn’t want to fight for his life as often as he does. He doesn’t want this. But he has to do it. He might say he doesn’t give a shit, but what’s his choice? When has he ever had a choice? He’s the unwilling savior.

This runs through the game to. Dante doesn’t really want to be here. He makes that clear a lot. And his bravado is constantly a cover to keep him from being too vulnerable, too exposed. But it’s that last fight with Vergil where it all falls apart. He did this because Vergil asked him to, and Vergil didn’t even tell him the truth. And just like everything else, Dante doesn’t want to kill Vergil. He doesn’t want to fight him. But he’s provoked him anyway and got himself in this fight and he can’t let Vergil take the throne. David can’t just let Goliath go.

It’s the end of the game where we finally have Dante completely free of his walls and completely bare and entirely unaware of who he is and what he’s supposed to do next. It’s the same sort of vulnerability that I feel is abundant in that last David. Who is he now after all of this? Does he like this person? What’s he to do now that he knows what he’s capable of, knows what he’s done?

What makes him any different then this head in his hands?

[steverogersbingo]

✨ STEVE ROGER BINGO’S ROUND UP - POST 1 ✨

Check out the fills our participants posted from the first month under the cut!

🎨 ART

heaven isn't in the sky (it's underwater) by agron T // Steve/Tony // Mermaids Summary: when steve went underwater he was discovered by three mermaid tony stark instead

Untitled by ABrighterDarkness G // Steve/Bucky // Alpine Summary: Steve and Bucky get distracted, Alpine enjoys every minute.

Space Stone by AriaFandom G // Gen // Moodboard Summary: Galaxy aesthetic for the space stone

Untitled by sanguineterrain G // Gen Summary: Magical, canon-divergent Steve

Untitled by call-me-kayyyyy G // Steve/Bucky // AU; Fantasy; Loin-cloths Summary: Steve and Bucky are elf's who ride their unicorns to check the perimeter.

Steve Rogers becomes Cernunnos by pinkybitesu T // Gen // AU Summary: Steve had always felt connected to the Earth. Becoming the God of the Forest, Cernunnos, made it all make sense.

"That Is America's Ass." by bleedxblack T // Steve/Bucky Summary: Steve Rogers straddles Bucky's waist with booty shorts that read "it ain't gonna spank himself".

📝 FIC

Clean Up These Bloody Fists by dontcallmebree E // 8,657 // Steve/Bucky // Shrunkyclunks; Mob AU Summary: Bucky can’t decide if Steve’s unendingly generous with his care for those around him, or if Bucky’s simply been lucky enough to scale the wall built up over decades, and had somehow proven himself worthy of the affection. Either way, he knows he’ll never take this for granted. Spend some time with Steve and Bucky this week in the perpetually fluffy ‘verse of Do The Things You Never Showed Nobody.

Scars by Kimberly T // 1,888 // Steve/Bucky // Post-CATWS Summary: The serum means that Steve can't scar anymore, though he's retained his pre-existing scarring. While in the hospital recovering from the fight on the helicarrier, Steve does a little introspection about this. It's bittersweet.

Without Regret by ABrighterDarkness E // 5,284 // Steve/Thor Summary: It had been a very long time since Steve had last felt like this. There was a buzz in his mind and tingling through his body. His movements were just slightly slower, clumsier and his were words spoken a little more loosely with a tongue that felt more weighty than it ought to. Even that, though, felt different than the last time that he’d had the opportunity to overindulge with a friend.

Love and Learning by ABrighterDarkness T // 7,746 // Steve/Natasha Summary: It reminded him, a little bit, of stepping into a machine seeing everything in varying shades of grey. Only to stumble out again into a world of color more vibrant than anything he could have possibly imagined. Overwhelming but entirely breathtaking and welcome.

Good by hawkeyeandthewintersoldier T // 1,062 // Steve/Bucky/Tony Summary: Steve returns to the compound and finds that the two men he loves, but never told his feelings to, are a couple now.

Lie to Me by Kit T // 2,102 // Steve/Bucky // Body Swap Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Steve and Natasha end up trapped in the others body. Instead of telling everybody, they make a bet. Who will be able to conceal their identity the longest?

Dream a Little Dream of Me by buckybleeds E // 5,719 // Steve/Bucky // Dub-con; Self-cest Summary: Steve goes back in time to comfort himself after Bucky fell and ends up having sex with himself. 

Pride by Kit T // 1,726 // Steve/Bucky Summary: Tony wants to take Steve to pride to watch him freak out. Natasha tags along to do damage control.

Take Care of You by hawkeyeandthewintersoldier M // 1,756 // Steve/Bucky // Daddy Kink; Age Difference; AU Summary: Steve has been so busy with his work as a commander at shield lately, that he has barely had time for his partner Bucky. Bucky’s worried his Daddy might not want him anymore and Steve has to rectify this by showing how much he loves his baby.

Love Has Left a Printed Trace by Girl_Back_There E // 1,726 // Steve/Bucky // Vampires; Dub-con Summary: Steve is obsessed with finding a mysterious figure named Winter in paintings throughout the years. James is a Vampire named Winter charged with keeping Vampires a secret from humanity.

with the weight of the world at the tips of my fingers by avintagekiss24 E // 4,420 // Steve/Reader // AU Summary: You and Steve share a morning in bed.

Always You by hawkeyeandthewintersoldier M // 1,691 // Steve/Bucky // AU Summary: After a year of traveling, Steve finally comes home and confesses his feelings to Bucky.

Stop the World by Rex E // 6,828 // Steve/Scott // AU Summary: When Steve got hired to entertain at Cassie Lang's thirteenth birthday party, he had thought it was going to be like every other kid's party he'd booked. He'd show up, play Captain America, get paid, and go home. He never quite gets to that last step, but to be fair, there was no way he could have anticipated the draw of Scott Lang.

Always by Rex G // 437 // Steve/Matt Murdock // Canon Divergence Summary: Even the Devil of Hell's Kitchen needs an angel from time to time. This one just happens to be from Brooklyn.

Glass by Rex M // 859 // Gen // Non-graphic torture; Implied non-con; Referenced suicide Summary: "We'll lose." "Then we'll do that together, too." Sokovia crashed, Ultron won, and he always had hated Tony the most.

We are already home by Bitters E // 4,948 // Steve/Bucky Summary: Steve carries an injured Bucky through a portal into…somewhere else? But they’re together, like they always have been, and that’s all that matters.

end of the line, time to go home. by moonythejedi394 M // 3,484 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence; Daddy Kink; Age Play/Regression Summary: Steve and Bucky always said they were together 'til the end of the line. But even they have to get off the train eventually. Everybody always figures, at the end of the line is... Y'know. The End. But actually, at the end of the line is happily ever after. It just took them a few decades and a couple suitcases of trauma to get there.

Not Technically A Bromance by dontcallmebree M // 8,657 // Steve/Bucky Summary: “A bromance?” Bruce asks, voice tinged with restrained laughter. “Yeah, we have one of those.” Steve glowers at Bruce, who’s patently laughing at him, eyes bright and twinkling with mirth. Bruce composes himself, biting at his bottom lip. “And you’ve had sex how many times?” (Inspired by that tweet, you know the one.)

At the Top of My Lungs by ralsbecket T // 1,646 // Steve/Tony Summary: Two months had passed since Tony had lost his life; since they had laid him to rest six feet under. It was two months of trying to keep his world from further falling apart, and it wasn’t really working in his favor. So, no. No, he wasn’t okay.

Thor’s Art Class for the Heroes of Midgard by WinterSabbath T // 6,338 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence Summary: In which Thor makes it his mission to help mend the broken, cold relationship between Steven and James through the only way he can think of: Art class. As a bonus, he also helps the team loosen up.

So Let It Happen by Bitters E // 2,287 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence Summary: Steve comes home from a tough mission and needs to get out of his head. His husband and retired Avenger is only too happy to help him with this.

Made of Glass (The Way You See Through Me) by ralsbecket T // 1,132 // Steve/Tony // AU Summary: Steve wasn’t sure what came over him when the model walked out from the back room, wearing a robe; from the moment his eyes landed on his face, he was just… awestruck. Dark hair, bright eyes, full lips. He was fucking beautiful. Or, the one where Tony is the model in Steve's life-drawing class.

for your cooperation by xceru E // 3,145 // Steve/Nat // Canon Divergence Summary: Hydra kidnaps Natasha on a routine mission in Cairo. When Steve finds her, Natasha decides that it's his turn to play prisoner.

my heart in the still winter air by xceru E // 11,887 // Steve/Bucky/Nat // Canon Divergence Summary: “He will,” Steve says, and suddenly Natasha understands. This is the man that Steve altered his heart for, the one he thought only the serum could love. But now Steve knows better—he knows he’s bisexual—he knows his love is real, and the man that it belongs to is undead.

Won't Let Go by afalsebravado E // 2,358 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence Summary: Steve is on the hunt for the Winter Sold-- Bucky. He's on the hunt for Bucky when the leads dry up and he heads home to regroup. But a package from Tony Stark arrives on his doorstep and makes him re-evaluate old promises.

The Truth of Who I Am by hawkeyeandthewintersoldier T // 1,203 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence Summary: Steve Rogers is not a cis straight man and he is tired of people erasing that and other parts of his identity so he fits into the image they already had of him.

Bruise of a Rose by marvelousmoons G // 1,710 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence Summary: It’s moments like this that get under his skin the most. The way Steve can just… be Steve. Be dramatic and give Bucky the cold shoulder for simply caring. But Bucky was stronger. He could play Steve’s game. He wouldn’t cave, no. He would sit and wait for the silence to overwhelm Steve first.

... And all I got was this lousy t-shirt by RainbowNerds M // 3,126 // Steve/Bucky // AU Summary: A month ago, Steve had the best sex of his life with a guy he met in a bar, and went home with the most hideous shirt he'd ever seen but no phone number. Enter his new roommate, Becca. The two instances are not connected, right?

Love you too, jerk by WinterRaven G // 636 // Steve/Bucky // Canon Divergence; Fanart included Summary: Steve makes breakfast for Bucky and their 'kids' help him wake up his husband.

[bottomcasbigbang]

Here you can read all the stories of our second round and check out the artwork our participants have created! Thank you to everyone who was a part of this, be it as a writer, author, beta, reader, cheerleader or helping hand! Thank you so much everyone and we hope we’ll see you back for the next round! ♥

Without further ado, the BCBB 2019/2020 creations:

Wayward Sons by Substiel (Explicit, 29k)

Illustrated by bees0are0awesome

It's the year 1919 and the Wayward Sons are the most powerful criminal organization in the country. It's ruled by Dean Winchester who bares the Mark of Cain. A curse given to him when Mary Winchester made a deal with the Devil to save her dying son. Dean was always a cold blood killer who did everything for business, and he never let anyone into his heart. He didn't dare let himself get too close to someone. That was until the Roadhouse hired a new bartender.

Castiel always admired Dean from afar for helping the lower class have a voice. For some reason, the bartender knows how to get under Dean's skin. There was something different about him which led to the beginning of their newfound relationship. Two broken souls finding each other in the middle.

Archive Warning: Graphic Depiction of Violence

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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My Bloody Luck by TaymeeLove (Mature, 16k)

Illustrated by Kamicom

Castiel was a struggling actor who never had luck on his side in life or his relationships. He met with an accident and his life was never the same after. Will his luck in relationships turn around this time?

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Metanoia by adestielable (Explicit, 24k)

Illustrated by Noavice

Castiel’s existence has been nothing but pain, humiliation, and degradation. He’s an omega in a world where omegas are objects for an alpha’s enjoyment.

After a brutal assault on his nineteenth birthday, Castiel began entering into beastie fights—matches where instead of people going head to head, bio and mechanically engineered beasts fight to the death. And in Castiel’s months of fights, he’s not lost once.

It’s after one of these fights where Castiel meets Dean, his supposed true mate. Castiel hates alphas, and has vowed never to let one into his life because all alphas do is inflict pain. Yet…Dean is different. And Castiel finds he can’t help being drawn to him.

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Profound Kisses by BENKA79 (Explicit, 20k)

Illustrated by Gio (sketching-fox)

Dean knows he's screwed. He discovers he is in love with Castiel in Purgatory, and now he can't even have the angel in front of him, because he knows it's a one sided love. It’s Valentine's day and Dean tries very hard to hook up as always, but he can't get Cas out of his mind. So he drives back to the motel, drunk, and he finds Castiel trying to help him. Then, when Dean asks Castiel for some experimental kisses and the angel accepts, Dean starts a very dangerous game… finding in Castiel's kisses the most delicious experiences, but also, his own perdition. Will Castiel fall in love with him? Or will he stay emotionless as always?

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Sparks by DragonSgotenks (Explicit, 20k)

Illustrated by VampyRosa

Omega Cas meets Alpha Dean during one of the worst weeks of his life. Sparks fly when they realize they're truemates. But after a wild and intense night that ends with both of them sporting new mating bites, could a simple misunderstanding tear the new couple apart before they even have a chance to begin?

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Lesson Number 1: Monsters are Real by blueye22 (Explicit, 20k)

Illustrated by kuwlshadow

When Anael "Jo" Novak goes missing during a hike in the mountains with her boyfriend, worried brother, Castiel, goes in search of her. Castiel is surprised to receive the help of FBI agents, Dean and Sam. But what are they hiding?

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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You At the End of the Rail by spnsmile (Explicit, 30k)

Illustrated by verobatto-angelxhunter

Dean receives a text message from a new human Cas telling him of his suspicion that angels have found him in Gas n Sip. Still filled with guilt for kicking the ex-angel out of the Bunker, Dean steps up to make it up to his friend. Worried, Dean concludes the ex-angel has to disappear for many days so he asks Cas where he wants to go.

Cas’ answer?

Trains.

Fucking trains.

Archive Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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On Your Knees by raths_kitten (Explicit, 14k)

Illustrated by angeltortured

When Dean gets the assignment to follow the Fallen Angels on tour and write a feature article on them, he isn‘t their biggest fan. But that quickly changes when he hears them play live - and meets their charismatic lead singer Castiel in person.

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Just Like in the Movies by noxsoulmate (Explicit, 46k)

Illustrated by lotrspnfangirl

In a world where a new mark appears whenever you fall in love, Hollywood sweetheart, Castiel James, is known for his unblemished skin. Oh, he has the faint shadows of old crushes and childish infatuations, but no mark is that of something deep and true. No mark has ever stuck, no mark has ever become more than a hazy outline. Because Cas, well... Cas has never been in love.

The skin of bookshop owner Dean Winchester, however, tells another tale entirely. Dean loves freely, quickly, and deeply. He loves his family, he loves his friends, he still cares for his exes. While the first two don’t show on his skin, the latter do. All brushed over his body in various shapes and forms and colors. Of varying clarity. But even Dean has yet to get that one mark. That mark that sticks. The mark that is so deep, and so sharp, and so clear, it can only be that of a profound bond.

These two men share a common hope; a common desire. That one day, they might have a mark that means they have found a love that is as deep and true as love can be - just like in the movies.

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Granted by Andromache_42 (Explicit, 20k)

Illustrated by agusvedder

At forty-one, Dr. Castiel Novak is the proud recipient of a generous grant to fund his project on sustainability and urban farming from the Campbell Foundation, a small investing firm based out of Chicago. The night before he meets the award committee, lonely and pushed by his friend Balthazar, Castiel has the best sex of his life during a casual Grindr hook-up with “just-visiting” forty-seven-year-old Dean. Castiel’s life appears to be coming together, until he discovers that Dean is the head of the grant award committee. For the sake of professionalism, Castiel is willing to ignore the intense attraction between the two of them, but Dean turns out to be too tempting to resist.

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Finding Bigfoot by Desirae (Explicit, 22k)

Illustrated by Tamapochi

“Don’t be such a worrywart. It’s vacation time. Campfires, fishing, beer. What’s better than that?”

“Apparently a sasquatch sighting?” Castiel snarked, with an arched brow.

“Well, yeah. I mean, Sam’s a good substitute, but it’d be nice to see the real thing,” Dean grinned.

Finding Bigfoot wasn't exactly on the itinerary when Dean, Cas, and Sam planned their annual boys-only camping trip, but with his brother in a noticeable funk, Dean was prepared to do what he had to do. Even if it meant keeping quiet about a long-waited love confession from his best friend.

Determined to stay focused on distracting Sam from his troubles, and not make him feel like a third wheel, Dean and Castiel decide to keep their new relationship status to themselves, until after vacation is over.

After years of mutual pining, that shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Meet me at Sunset by Suus_Arido (Mature, 55k)

Illustrated by celstese

Ever since the Barrier of Melaina fell and plunged the worlds of men, monsters and magic together, the Republic Elohim has kept its citizens save with help from the hunter organization the Red Circle.

Dean Winchester has never known how the world looked before the fall of the barrier. He and his family have been part of the Red Circle for generations and he knew it was his faith to die in battle. All he is supposed to want is to protect the innocents from darkness. But how can he when his soul is dark and corrupt?

As the monsters start to adapt and become more intelligent, the rise of chaos is not far behind. It’s midst this chaos that Dean meets a human with the name of an angel. Not only does this man believe in the salvation of the world but he also seems to believe that Dean is redeemable as well.

A love story may perhaps develop but Dean knows better, for it is known that the faith of a hunter is tragedy. Will Dean be able to make the right call? Even when blue eyes turn unrecognizable?

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Beyond Borders by xHaruka17x (Explicit, 53k)

Illustrated by Diminuel

Sometimes doing what is right, what feels right, doesn't mean you’ll escape the consequences of those actions. Dean Winchester is the Head Alpha of one of the largest packs of the Western Hemisphere. He is days away from being a married and mated Alpha, ready for the next chapter in his life to commence, only for a horrific accident to change everything. Adam, Dean and Sam's little brother, is killed in a car accident across the globe in Russia. Dean finds out his little brother's now widowed Omega is all alone and pregnant, left to the mercy of his horrible home pack. Dean makes a decision and he knows things will explode when he gets back home, but he knows in his heart it’s the right thing to do.

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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The Cleric's Birthright by Scribo_Vivere (Explicit, 34k)

Illustrated by yoyo-deano

Castiel Novak lost his husband and the love of his life, Balthazar, three years ago in a slaying no one has been able to solve. Burying himself in his work at the university as a leading anthropology professor there, he attempts to put the past behind him. When vicious murders begin to plague him in an eerie replication of Balthazar’s death, Castiel decides to find out on his own what sort of evil has descended upon them all. But the answers he’s looking for may not be so easily found, and the revelation forced upon him could destroy everything he knows - about himself, his world, and the faith he once held so dear. Complicating things is his new relationship with Dean Winchester, who may or may not be what he appears. Why is Castiel inexplicably drawn to him like a moth to the flame?

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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To Soar Without Grace by QuillsAndInk (Explicit)

Castiel is an alpha and a cleric serving the gods of his kingdom and wielding their power in preparation to join a holy war. When he gets taken by the heretical high prince of a rival kingdom, Castiel knows his fate is sealed. That is, until prince Dean tries to persuade him to take on a mad quest to kill his father and end the holy war. With heretical magic Castiel can’t understand forcing him away from the gods he’s always served, Castiel joins Dean. But in the mountain wilderness in the dead of winter with only his sworn enemy for company, can Dean and Castiel get past their differences or will the war swallow them up.

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

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Cow Bells and Snow Globes by Pimento (Explicit)

It really doesn't matter what the gossip columns say. Dean knows the International Ski Champion Castiel Novak, aka, Casanova of the Slopes is actually just Cas. Loyal, kind, caring Cas. The same Cas he's absolutely not had a crush on since they were teenagers on the competitive circuit.

He's had two plus decade's practice at hiding his feelings, how difficult can it be to suppress them a little longer.

They just so happen to be in the same ski resort, at the same time for an entire season, so Dean is damn well gonna enjoy having his friend back in his life for a while and not screw it up. The fact that he seems to have the magic touch with the grumpy teenage daughter that Cas is trying so desperately to reconnect with is just an opportunity to ease his friends' troubles while he finds his feet again.

Art Masterpost / Fic Masterpost

[goldencursive]

Chapter Two: 1965 words

Title: bro, will you be my bro forever, bro?

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Kaminari Denki/Sero Hanta, Kaminari Denki & Sero Hanta

Characters: Kaminari Denki, Sero Hanta, Uraraka Ochako, Ashido Mina, Hagakure Tooru, Midoriya Izuku, Kirishima Eijirou, Bakugou Katsuki

Additional Tags: BNHA Rarepair Week 2021, Fake/Pretend Relationship, 5+1 Things, Fluff, Humor, or At Least an Attempt at Humor, Carnival, Meet the Family, a wedding wheeee, its not kamisero's lol, POV Kaminari Denki, POV Sero Hanta, POV Alternating, Mutual Pining

Summary:

alternatively titled: five times denki and hanta pretend to boyfriends and one time they actually are

“Brooooo, look at that!” Eijirou’s excited voice calls from ahead. The Bakusquad were hanging out at the fair during a rare day of relaxation. Most of the other members of their class are scattered around the fairgrounds somewhere, but right now, the five of them - minus Kyouka, who’s on a date with Yaomomo - are standing in front of a small contest stage.

“Wow,” Hanta remarks. “That is a giant Pikachu plushie.” Denki gapes at it. It’s in a sitting position, arms out, face beaming. It’s as big as he is. He wants it.

“I want it,” Denki announces out loud. “It looks so soft and cute and huggable. Can you imagine the cuddles you could get out of it?”

The Pikachu is sitting close enough to the front of the stage that they could touch it if they want to. Well, if they had really long arms. Like, arms twice as long as their legs, while holding one of those claw grabber thingys.

Okay, maybe they can’t touch it, but still. They can see it close up in its full, fluffy glory.

“Hey, you guys admiring our Pikachu plushie?” A bubbly girl with bright green hair pops up from behind it. “You can win it from our contest! Couples only, starts in an hour. I can give you a sign up sheet if you want it.”

Denki turns to Hanta immediately, because he might not have a boyfriend, but he does have a best friend who he’s totally not crushing on what do you mean and who owes him so many favors for charging his phone. “Hanta, bro, please. I have never wanted anything more in my life.”

Mina snickers and drapes her arm around him. “Didn’t you say that last week about the cake Sato made?”

“His cakes are like heaven and angel tears rolled up in the burrito of the gods, okay? Don’t judge me, Kiri said the same thing.” Denki crosses his arms, pouting. “Anyways, I have never wanted anything more in my life, Hanta, please help me.”

Katsuki smacks Denki in the back of the head (but nowhere near as hard as he would have in first year because they’re totally friends now, no matter how much he likes to deny it). “Idiot, you didn’t even see what kind of fucking contest it is. Don’t just jump into it without being prepared.”

“Says you,” Mina snickers.

“Oi, you wanna die?!”

“I’m a bad bitch, you can’t kill me,” she answers playfully, ducking behind Eijirou.

While Eijirou tries to defuse the Bakubomb, Denki turns to the sign next to the Pikachu. “How well do you know your partner?” he reads. “Hey, that doesn’t sound too hard! We know each other pretty well, I think,” he says, turning to Hanta. Although he’s not sure the kind of information he knows, like how Hanta still sleep with a blanket his mom made

“I mean, it’ll be fun,” shrugs the taller boy. “I’m down.”

Denki cheers, and accepts a sheet from the girl. “Let’s gooooo.”

<><><><><>

An hour later, they’re sitting across from each other with a whiteboard in their hands. The three couples sit at tables arranged in a row with the two hosts in front of them and the prize Pikachu on a raised pedestal behind them.

“All right, let’s get started!” cries the bubbly girl from earlier. “I’m Hina and this is Yumi.” She gestures to the pink haired girl beside her, who cheerfully waves to the crowd gathered in front of the stage. “This is our ‘How Well Do You Know Your Partner’ contest for couples. It’s a lot harder than you’d think! We host this every day at the same time, so if you wanna participate but missed out today, you can always come back tomorrow! Now, can we get some introductions from our couples? We’ll start with you two,” she says, gesturing to the couple on the right of Denki and Hanta, a shy looking boy and brown haired girl.

They wave to the audience, introducing themselves as Yui and Haruto. “We’ve been together for over a year now, so I’m certain we’ll win!” the girl, Yui, says, smiling.

“All right, long term relationships are the best for this kind of contest! How about you guys?” Hina continues, gesturing to Denki and Hanta.

“What up, people? I’m Denki, and this is Hanta, my best bro and the love of my life.” Denki gives Hanta a dopey smile that’s not hard to fake because it’s not fake, and playfully bats his eyelashes, making Hanta crack up.

“Bro, stop, you’re going to make me blush in front of all these people,” Hanta says between snickers.

“What a lovely relationship! We love the ones where you can play around with your partners,” Hina says with a grin. “Now, what about the last couple?”

“I’m Ayaka and my girlfriend is Sora,” grins a girl with hair red enough to rival Eijirou’s. “We’re just here for the Pikachu!” Her girlfriend smacks her arm for being so blunt, but Ayaka’s grin doesn’t falter.

“That’s right! Our lovely prize, a giant stuffed Pikachu plushie, will be in the possession of whoever wins our contest! Now, our rules.” Hina looks over to her partner, who smoothly jumps in.

“The rules are simple: we’ll ask twelve questions of varying difficulties. Each of our contestants have a different color based on the seat they sit in, red or blue. We’ll direct our questions to either color. For example, if we ask Blue what Red’s favorite color is, Blue will write their guess on their board, while Red writes the correct answer on theirs. You’ll have thirty seconds to answer the question. Everybody got it?” She looks back at the contestants, who all nod back at her.

“Then let’s get started!” smiles Hina. “First question: what is Blue’s favorite food?”

Okay, blue, that’s Hanta. Denki looks down at his whiteboard, thinking. The first two things that pop to mind are oranges and soy bean flavored food. But which does he like better? Can he write down both? Is that allowed?

“Ten seconds!” Yumi calls. Ok, no time to agonize over it. Denki quickly scribbles ‘soy bean flavored stuff’ down. Hanta drinks soy bean milk all the time and hardly ever steals Denki’s orange juice, unlike SOME people who shall remain unnamed (cough *mina* cough cough). “Time’s up! Please flip your boards around to show the audience!”

Denki cranes neck to see what Hanta wrote. “Hey, we wrote the same answer word for word,” he says, grinning at Hanta. “High five!”

“Looks like everybody got this question right! Congratulations!” says Yumi. Hina makes a show of adding points to a large whiteboard bearing their names. “Next question: when is Red’s birthday?”

Denki writes a neat “July 29th” on his board, smiling as he remembers the first time they told each other their birthdays. Denki had been so excited to find out that their birthdays were only a month apart.

“All right, another easy point for everybody,” cheers Hina. “Keep it up! The next question: what is Blue’s favorite hobby?”

Favorite hobby, huh? Well, they don’t really have time for any serious hobbies outside of hero-ing, but Denki remembers oohing and aahing with Mina and Eijirou over the beautifully hand-woven rugs and tapestries all over Hanta’s room. His family owns a crafts shop, and Hanta had gotten into weaving that way, saying it was fun playing with the patterns he could create and good stress relief as well. So, weaving then.

“Let’s check out your answers,” Yumi says, calling the time. “Hm, looks like Yui and Haruto are the only ones missing this question.” Yui, sitting in the blue seat, frowns at her boyfriend for getting it wrong, but softens when he murmurs something back.

“I’m surprised you remember I like to weave,” Hanta says, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Denki snorts. “Your room is covered in the stuff. It’s kinda hard to forget.”

The next few questions go by without a hitch for Denki and Hanta. “Hey, we’re doing pretty good,” Hanta says. “We’re the only ones who have a perfect score right now.”

“Heck yeah, that Pikachu’s gonna be mine,” grins Denki. He’s honestly kind of surprised that they were the ones with the perfect streak, even though they weren’t even dating. But he can’t deny the burst of satisfaction that comes with getting each question right, and further cementing their brohood.

“Okay, we’re getting into the last few questions now. Who was Red’s first kiss?” Hina asks deviously.

Aw, shucks, this might actually throw their score off. Denki’s not sure if he’s ever told Hanta who his first kiss was since the guy wasn’t really anybody special. Actually, Denki kinda feels bad for forgetting the dude’s name as he scribbles down “a boy in middle school.” When the timer runs out, Hanta’s board only has a question mark on it, and he smiles sheepishly at Denki.

“Sorry for not knowing,” he says.

“Nah, dude, you couldn’t have known since I never told you,” Denki says, brushing it off. “But, hey, we still have the lead!” he continues, beaming. Hanta returns his smile with a wider one. Honestly, Denki could get drunk off Hanta’s smile, sweet and goofy and always there, like the way All Might’s always smiling, but softer and infinitely cuter.

Get a grip, Denki, he scolds himself. He’s definitely going to notice if you keep staring at him. So he looks towards the two hosts and gets ready to answer the next question.

“What is Red’s weirdest fear?”

Huh. It would be an easy point if the question were biggest fear since it’s common knowledge that Denki hates spiders as much as Katsuki loves swearing, but weirdest fear? Denki has lots of fears, ranging from insects to angry pomeranians (thanks katsuki) to forgetting his homework to Midoriya with no sleep (you’d understand if you saw it). And it has to be one that Hanta knows, so what about...sand foxes.

Okay, listen, Denki knows next to nothing about sand foxes, but he does know that their faces are NOT NATURAL and CREEP HIM OUT, so DON’T laugh at him. Seriously, the first Denki saw one, he couldn’t stop thinking about that face for hours. It still haunts him to this day. And it's definitely a weird fear that Denki complains to Hanta about all the time.

“Alright, let’s see your answers!” Looking around, Denki sees that only he and Hanta got this question.

“Dude, we’re totally gonna win,” Denki whisper-shouts excitedly, leaning into the table. “Look at how far we are compared to everyone else!”

It comes as no surprise, then, that they do end up winning. The contestants line up in front of tables. “Hey, that was a great game! In third place, unfortunately, is Yui and Haruto, with six points.” Kinda strange, that the couple has been together for over a year and they have the lowest score, Denki muses. Meh. Worked out in his favor. “Second place, we have Sora and Ayaka, with eight points. And finally, our winners, Denki and Hanta, with eleven points!”

Denki whoops, turning to give Hanta a high five. The other two couples walk off the stage while Yumi and Hina hand over their prize. “I know this Pikachu is huge and kind of hard to carry, so you can leave it here until you’re ready to leave,” Hina tells them.

“Promise we won’t let anyone steal it,” Yumi adds, winking.

“Nah, I think we have to go now,” Hanta says, shaking his head. They say goodbye to the two ladies and rejoin their waiting friends, carrying the heavier-than-expected plush between them.

“Bro, it’s even bigger up close!” Eijirou raves.

“And it’s so fluffy I’m going to die!” squeals Mina. She strokes it reverently. “Denki, you have to bring it to our next Bakusquad sleepover.”

Denki laughs. “You know it!”

<>

one thing that i couldn't find a proper place to add in: i promise denki's not being inconsiderate in assuming the pikachu all for himself! they had a convo abt it while they were waiting for the contest to start

part one | part three

[zoe-oneesama]

Serving up some LOOKS! I love Mylene's Ivan sweatshirt! Would you be willing to talk about what sort of style elements you use for each character? (If you already have and I haven't found it, please ignore the question, that's on me)

I mostly did this for Mendeleiev’s class back when Punch was starting Leave for Mendeleiev, and I did a small run down for how the Main 5 fashion will change in Scarlet Lady, but not Bustier’s class sooooo:

Marinette -[I’m copy/pasting from an earlier ask]- When she likes a color, she sticks with it. She has a versatile wardrobe, but pink must always be present. She has the hardest to nail style because she experiments all the time, but no matter what she doesn’t feel comfortable unless she has an outer layer. Summer, Winter, Shorts, Pants, she needs to the comfort of a jacket - for Tikki to hide in when her purse isn’t appropriate.

Adrien -[Also C/P]- Basic B*tch. He thinks he’s fancier than he is. Oh sure, his clothes are well tailored to him and fit well, but they’re basic as hell. Gabriel isn’t as “innovative” as he thinks he is. Most of his clothes have the Gabriel logo and he sticks to the brand…because Adrien has no fashion sense whatsoever. Oh, he knows in theory what works and can put an outfit together, but he doesn’t want to. If it were up to him, he’d wear tshirts with physics puns and cat themed jackets. But alas, when one is an icon…

Alya -[C/P]- Mom Vibes. Fashion is not her priority. She knows enough to do good for her figure, but otherwise can’t really be bothered. Flannels and jeans in varying heights and a snappy tshirt are all she needs. But she is drawn to things that remind her at least of superheroes or superpowers. Her ridiculous high tops with the spiky tongue? She thinks it makes her look fast. She’s also the one who’s going to embarrass Marinette by wearing trendy but “garbage” fashion: fanny packs, Jellies, ugs with sweatpants. Dammit Alya, you’re a beautiful human being, do you mind NOT dressing like a hobo on vacation?! (Secretly her favorite outfits are from Martinique, but she saves them for special occasions).

Nino -[C/P]- Precious trash goblin. Wash your shirts and the neckline won’t be so worn out! He likes graphic tees with his favorite bands and DJs logos on them (he’s partial to ones without the name of the band or DJ so he can find other fans) and prefers things to be loose. He’s also drawn to colors and he’s super chill when his “garbage” girlfriend rolls up to a date looking like she’s going to an amusement part with her four kids, because it means she can’t dump on him for not looking “put together” (she would never!). He’ll try to dress up every now and then for a fancier date or when Adrien manages to snag him a spot at an event with him, but it’s pretty clear he’s uncomfortable without his hat and headphones. He has a few Moroccan outfits that he brings out in the Summer.

Chloe - Expensive Fashion Forward Chic. She made a staple out of shaming anyone else who dared to wear her favorite color yellow over the years. She was extremely smug about being the first in her grade to experiment with makeup that she never bothered to get good at it. Her clothes are expensive with just a smidge of impractical - only someone with cash to burn would constantly wear white pants! She’s also the kind of person to put off dressing for the cold as long as she can- if she puts on all these jackets and layers, how will these peasants see my brand name clothes underneath?! A lot of her fashion decisions are based on long forgotten advice from her mother - gold over silver jewelry, always have something on your head, brand or nothing. She’ll only abandon a well worn trend if her mother directly contradicts it.

Sabrina - Nerdy, geeky, almost like she’s wearing a uniform. She’s preparing to be Chloe’s assistant best friend for life so she has to look the part. She’s long abandoned any hope of shining next to Chloe, so being flashy and showy is out of the question. Luckily, Chloe isn’t drawn to patterns, so that’s a field of fashion that Sabrina can claim for her own. Doesn’t matter where it is, something she’s wearing needs to have a pattern. Leggings are her favorite accessory and she’s taken to collecting Chat Noir merch (though it’s less out of admiration for the hero himself and more for her “role” with Chloe. It reminds her of the rare times when Chloe acts like they’re friends.)

Mylene - Bohemian, and a touch artsy. Peace is important to her and her vibe reflects that. She’s not super up for showing a lot of skin, but neither are a lot of girls in her class. She leans towards a muted color palette so that her hair doesn’t clash, though she usually tries to match one piece of clothing to some color in her hair. Her accessories are a bit childish and kitchy, like her monster head bead, and she has a huge collection of hair accessories, like bandannas and headbands. She has a lot of different passions with various levels of seriousness, so she’ll come to Marinette for advice on how to use her wardrobe to fit the level of professionalism she wants.

Alix - Sporty but on the lazier side. Fashion is such an anti priority. She’s the one Marinette will go to for her more out there ideas because she has no recoil to pants made of buckles or shapeless over shirts, but that’s as far as it goes. Her clothes are made to be weather resistant and easy to slip on (and so that her dad won’t be pissed if she wipes out and rips something). If it were up to her, she’d just shop out of thrift stores and pick out all the color blocked 80s windbreakers, but when your whole squad is held together by a fashion designer, you can only get away with so much. Her nicest clothes are made by Marinette for her professional races and competitions and her favorites have nods to Egypt mythology and history.

Ivan - Punk but like…beginners guide to punk. Let’s be honest, when you’re built like a brick house, shopping is hard - or at least not that much fun. Ditto when you’re a dude that just…doesn’t particularly care. Ivan has a bunch of cargo pants because they fit, they’re grungy, and they’re practical. SO MANY POCKETS!!! Beyond that, like Nino, he prefers to wear band shirts of his favorite groups. His hiking boots are the nicest things he owns and he has a few bracelets that he only brings out when he’s “dressing up”. The most colorful thing he owns is a hoodie/pants set from the Cartoon Monster Show that Mylene’s hair bead is modeled after.

Kim - Sporty and Serious. Sweatpants and running shoes. That’s the make of his wardrobe. After all, you need to be able to challenge anyone to a race at ANY TIME!! Dressing up for him means putting on a pair of jeans, and he’s pretty much always under dressed but also completely oblivious to the fact. Red is his favorite color and he’s partial to that one brand of sports wear that’s on his hoodie-shirt and sweatband. If something is waterproof (and therefore, sweatproof) he’ll give it a try AS LONG AS IT’S REEEEED!!!

Max - Geek Fashion. Max dresses like he’s already 65 years old, and with his best friend being Kim? He might be. He has invested in some good walking shoes because when your bestie is running off at any and every moment, you gotta do SOMETHING to keep up. His pants are higher up than most guys and his shirts are always tucked in. He prefers sweaters over sweatshirts and cardigans to jackets. We are comfortable in this house, not trendy!

Juleka - Electro Goth. Black is the main attraction, but she likes that punch of something neon - purple, green, even blue (Rose can tell she’s feeling romantic when she puts on some pink). She’s tall and likes clothes that accentuate that and she’s a fan of the details - shoulder cuts, lace inserts, epaulets. And despite covering half her face, she’s really into makeup (and she’s way better than Chloe). Does she have colored contacts? She’ll never tell.

Rose - Decora Kei is probably the best shortcut to describing her look, followed by Kawaii Fashion. Doesn’t matter if she burns to look at, she IS the embodiment of soft and cute! Obviously pink is her favorite color, bu she also likes pairing it with some other bright colors. Rainbows. Are. EVERYTHING. And she’s a sucker for bunnies and strawberries and angel wings ^^! How else is she supposed to have an amazing day if she’s not decked out in sunshine?!

Nathaniel - Basic but like Colorful Basic. He definitely hopped the skinny jeans phase and will continue to do so until he finally grows a bit. He holds onto clothes pretty long because there’s only so many times you can buy new shirts after getting paint and charcoal on them before you just stop caring. He aims for durability instead of fashionable, but also collects clothes with the logo from the show he likes. (And no one knows about his secret Ladybug merch collection that he only wears around his house).

Lila - Gyaru was the search term I used. She’s one of the few with a not super saturated color palette, sticking to dark neutrals. She’s drawn to patterns, like polka dots and zebra prints, and tries to balance it with neutral colors. Plus anything that makes her seem “exotic” and foreign and more interesting, she’ll wear (as long as it’s stylish enough for her.) She cleverly toes the line between fashionable and trashy, showing just enough skin or using a just flashy enough pattern. Every piece she wears she’s crafted a whole story around how she got it, like her bracelets being a gift from street kids in Belize or her earrings being a prize she won when impressing an East Asian Prince. 

[aphrodicted]

How I prepare myself to practice with my tarot cards?

Since I started practicing and studying about tarot, I think the relationship between the tarot reader and their cards is very important. With effort and time I’ve managed to have a collection of cards I adore and use to help all the people who come asking for an opinion on any question in their life. When I’ve brought home a new deck of cards, I’ve always spent time with that deck. It doesn't matter if it has been a gift or I bought it by myself, spending time with the deck and getting to know each other before using it with anyone has been essential to build a solid foundation where my confidence in these cards will grow. If the tarot reader doesn’t trust their cards, the message will never feel correct. The same problem will occur if the tarot reader doesn’t know/study the cards of the deck they have acquired. Depending on the deck, the cards can have one meaning or another, as the message can vary a bit.

It’s important to create a connection with your cards. But... how can I "deepen" my relationship with my cards? Is there a specific method to achieve it? There is no single way to achieve this objective, but there are varierad of ways each tarot reader must choose. Free will is always present, so we must make use of this and choose the most comfortable way for us. Each tarot reader has a different situation in their life, so the option that least problems can bring to the tarot reader should be chosen. For example, a person who is beginning their spiritual path secretly from their family for whatever reasons, should look for an option that allows them to study their tarot cards without suffering any retaliation. Therefore, and after a few years of trial and error, I present a list of proposals on how you can "know" more about your deck:

Sleeping with your deck. Sometimes our cards can speak to us during sleep. I’ve had many revealing dreams when I’ve carried out this method, as well as messages of support and protection from my cards. I advise you to start one by one and not put a whole deck under your cushion. The Major Arcana can be the first cards with which to try and take into account everything you dream of. Things like colors, animals, plants or words can be very important and, if you are lucky and can remember it the next morning, I advise you to write it down anywhere and meditate on it.

Meditating with it. You can meditate with the entire deck in your hands or card by card. I started using this method when I already knew most of the cards and their meaning, so use the most comfortable way for you.

Studying it card by card. This will take a long time and will require the use of supports such as books, notes, or other sources of information. I recommend looking at other platforms outside of Tumblr, since some information may be uncertain on this platform.

Contemplate the cards without any support (book, notes...) and write down everything that card transmits to you. Always taking into account the colors, the drawing, the expression of the character, the elements drawn around the character, etc. We shouldn’t always focus on the general meaning of the card, but the colors and other elements can give us valuable information we can use in future readings.

Next, I will talk about the steps I take when I do a reading. Normally I always do it at home, but on some occasions I have to do these readings in other people's homes or in places that aren’t very "private" such as a park, a forest or places closer to nature. However, despite the location, I always follow the same procedure before I get to work with my cards.

Remember this is my “ritual” and you don’t need to follow the same steps as me. I recommend you try different ways of doing your readings until you find the most comfortable for you. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake! Tarot is an apprenticeship that can last for years, so be patient and have fun with your cards.

1. Clean the place where I will practice with my cards.

The workspace must be clean. Not only energetically, but the table or place where the cards will rest must be dry, clean, to avoid dirtying the cards during our practice. Not all cards are made of the same material, and some may be more fragile than others. For this reason I bought a mat to avoid certain stains or dirt on the cards, but not all witches like to use a mat. Even a tablecloth or other fabric can do the same job.

It’s a good idea to ventilate the room where we will work with our cards. Open the windows for fifteen minutes and let the air clean the room. After these fifteen minutes, I recommend putting a lavender, lemon or rue incense to clean and achieve a feeling of calm and cleanliness. In addition, a white and black candle placed together can also help to clean a specific area of the house.

2. Clean my hands.

This is something more personal and not everyone should follow. I try to keep my hands clean before I touch my cards because that is how I feel I must. It isn’t a mandatory step, but something more personal. The material of the cards can also play a role, as some cards are harder and have more resistance than others. In my case, I usually wash my hands with an oil made by my mentor with rosemary and olive, but the soap does the same effect.

3. Place the tools.

With the space and clean hands, I put the mat (or another fabric if you use something similar) and everything I will use during the reading. I usually place my cards, some oracles I use to reaffirm the answers to my cards, a pendulum I will use if I have any doubts, and some crystals to better connect with my guides or achieve better concentration. These minerals I always have with me are the following:

a selenite to better connect with my guides and other higher beings who want to assist me in reading,

a black tourmaline I use to avoid negative energies or dissolve any negative sensations I may feel,

and an amethyst I always have with me when I read.

4. Ask for assistance from your guides or other beings of light.

Some people ask their guides for help during their readings. This can be done out loud or without saying a word. "Please, guides and other higher beings who are with me and want to help me during the reading, please accompany me and guide me in my answers".

Close your eyes before doing so and take a few deep breaths. Leave your mind blank for a few seconds and sit comfortably where you are sitting. When asking your guides, I recommend you to put your palms up and on your knees. The palm of your hands should face the sky.

5. Shuffle my cards until they’re clean.

Before using the cards, some people meditate with them for fifteen minutes to clean them; others pass the smoke of incense over them, and some (like me) shuffle the cards for a few minutes until we feel they are clean. On some occasions, the same cards will indicate they are clean by leaving a message on the table. For example, a specific card will fall from the deck announcing whether they are ready or not. Each tarot reader must use the method that he/she likes the most.

Also, I should add the cards can be cleaned before or after calling your guides. Some people prefer to call them before cleaning the cards so they can help them with that cleaning, while others prefer to do it afterwards.

6. Enjoy my time with my cards.

The fundamental thing is to enjoy the moment with your cards. It doesn’t matter if you are practicing or studying. Enjoying that moment is very important to be able to make a correct reading for the person who asks for your help and even yourself if the reading is giving answers to a personal problem of yours. Therefore, if you feel you aren’t enjoying that moment with your cards, I recommend you to put them aside and do other things that have nothing to do with it.

We shouldn’t live the practice with our cards as an obligation. It’s especially important when we are doing a reading for someone, since our energy and vibration will condition our understanding of the message the cards convey to us. Therefore, if we feel compelled or we have a bad moment full of anguish or anxiety about not knowing if we are doing well or not, we will leave the cards on the table, breathe for a few minutes and do other things to relax and we will take up our cards when we are feel ready.

The time we spend with our cards should be a time when we can escape the real world and your worldly concerns.

Here is the post I published on Instagram on the same topic.

This is it, angels! Enjoy your way and create a nice relationship with your cards. Good luck!

Edited on 3rd October 2020.