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unoislazy · 5 months

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Your Touch

Mizu x Reader

Summary: Mizu is touchstarved. That’s it, that’s the entire thing.

A/n: Next story will hopefully be “Caged Bird” part 3, then I will finally post one of the asks that I took an interest in.

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You looked at Mizu, her dark hair pulled up into the high bun it was always in. The loose curl that she always kept out no matter what the occasion, lightly bounced as she walked by, focused on whatever task she had to finish.

You watched and looked on with curiosity, you wondered if she had ever done a different hairstyle on her hair before. You thought a braid might compliment her features, or even half up, you had many ideas and suddenly you were determined to try them.

Well that would require Mizu’s permission first.

“Hey Mizu.” You began, drawing out each syllable of her name to quickly pass on the hint that what you were going to say wasn’t serious.

She paused for a moment, putting down a large box and wiping her brow before looking at you. Her eyebrow rose ever so slightly, her curiosity was piqued despite her not saying a word.

“Have you ever worn your hair differently?” You asked. She simply stared at you for a moment before shrugging,

“A few different times. I just can't really afford to when I’m doing ‘samurai’ things.” She said in air quotes. She never enjoyed calling herself a samurai, for one thing most of the time she purely acted out of the name of revenge not honor. Another, she’s a woman.

Personally, you didn’t really care about the rules of a samurai, you respected them and their ambition but the ones you had met in the past were more focused on their honor over anything else. It had only hit you when you had met Taigen, he was so obsessed with reclaiming his honor like a disowned child that he practically abandoned his engagement. You didn’t understand it, what good is honor if it can be taken away so quickly.

You looked up at Mizu who seemed to be deep in thought. You figured she was just thinking of the different styles she had done before, but her face held a certain sadness as she thought. You began to realize that there was a story attached to the topic of hairstyles that you knew better than to bring up.

“Have you ever braided your hair?” You asked, regaining her attention. She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. It wasn’t a common style for the time so you weren’t exactly that surprised.

“Would you like to try one?” You asked. You had definitely piqued her interest, her eyes shifted ever so slightly wider as you patted the spot in front of you.

She obliged, sitting down and facing away from you, her legs in a crossed manner with her hands peacefully resting on her knees.

She almost seemed a bit eager to try the hairstyle which honestly excited you a bit, it’s not often Mizu openly gets excited about something, especially with her very subtle expressions.

She sat before you, her slim figure not too far away from you as you gently reached up and grabbed the hair tie that seemed to hold Mizu’s entire hairstyle together. You’d never understand how she did it with so much hair, it never made sense to you. Her sleek dark hair unfolded, a healthy glow could be seen throughout it, she took care of it despite it being up all the time.

With one hand you ever so gently began to rake through her hair, making sure there were no knots that might get in the way of the process. Because of this, you noticed Mizu stiffen for a moment, a shiver could visibly be seen going throughout her body.

Having seen this your hand jerked back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. Before you could say anything she turned her head just enough to look at you from over her shoulder and said in a low tone,

“Keep going.”

You paused for a moment as her words sunk in. The way she spoke to you was no different than any other time and yet for some reason… it felt different. You decided to pay no mind to it as your hand returned to her head, slowly dragging it through and sending shivers throughout Mizu’s body yet again.

Despite this, she sat calmly making no other movements other than the occasional twitch here and there as your hands glided through her hair. Having her hair done was a pleasure she never thought twice about, but the way you so delicately pulled at her hair, twisting it and shaping it as if she was some piece of art, it made her feel cared for in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time.

You carefully separated her hair, overlapping the pieces in a rhythmic manner, cautiously pulling the groups of hair but never hard enough to hurt. It didn’t take long before you had finished, you tied it all together with the hair tie that she used before, letting go of your work.

“How does it look?” She asked, now turning to fully face you. There was almost some sort of innocence that shone through Mizu's expression, one that seemed to say she genuinely cared how she looked. It was kind of sweet to see her usually stoic and harsh exterior break for a moment, it showed you who Mizu really was even if it was for only a few seconds.

You had seen Mizu with her hair down before, maybe not often, but you had seen it. Something was missing.

You stared at her for a moment, a confused look riddled your face before it hit you, the curl.

You gently reached your hand up towards Mizu’s face, one finger looping around the curl that had been hidden away underneath all of the other pieces of hair. Not expecting this, Mizu froze, letting you do what you needed to do but also not knowing how to react otherwise.

Once you had fixed the curl, you moved back a bit to reassess your work. You smiled, finally happy with how it looked.

“Perfect.” You said, proud of the work you had accomplished. Mizu was happy enough just taking your word for it but she was still curious to see how she looked. She drew her sword partially, only just enough to be able to see at least a little bit of her reflection on it. From what she could see, she truly didn’t mind the look.

“So, what do you think?” You asked, patiently waiting for her answer. You watched as a very small smile graced her features as she said,

“It looks good.”

She put her blade away, turning to look back at you as she brushed a few loose strands out her face.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be so… gentle.” She admitted quite plainly. Her hands rested on her lap as she thought back to a time when someone else had done her hair.

“Anytime my mother did my hair, gentle didn’t seem to be a word in her vocabulary.” She joked, a melancholic yet reminiscent look made its way onto her face as she thought back to the many times her mother had scolded her for looking to feminine.

“Being rough will only get you so far.” You responded, not really realizing how that sounded. It earned a small snicker from Mizu but it still went over your head regardless. It had got you thinking, the blue eyed woman constantly trained, having faced the several hardships in life at such a young age that no one would even dream of facing. She had to be tough in every way possible if she had any hope of surviving.

But you were determined to show her, in your own way, that you can let your guard down every once in a while.

“Let me see your hands.” You ordered pretty out of nowhere.

“What?” Mizu responded, clearly taken by surprise by your sudden demand.

“Let me see your hands.” You repeated, putting one of yours out and gesturing for her to place hers on top.

Her eyebrows wrinkled with uncertainty, having not a singular clue what you were planning to do, but she still did what you told her to anyway. Her confused expression remained as she placed her hand on yours, her palm facing towards the sky. With your free hand you gently traced the lines on Mizushand, slowly going over each callous that you could see. Just as you had expected, her hands were coarse and rough, tense from constant overworking and pressure, or maybe they were tense because she wasn’t used to the feeling of someone else, you couldn’t tell.

At first she didn’t know what to do except watch your hands.

“What are you doing?” She asked, confused what the point of this was.

You continued to trace lines and pointless circles around her hand, occasionally gently massaging different points.

“You’re really tense.” You pointed out, “I figured this might help you relax a bit.”

Mizu sat still for a bit as you continued, still not easing up in the slightest. Having her hair done was one thing, she had it done before so she knew at least somewhat how to react, but this was something different. You looked up at her, noticing her unbroken stare before smiling at her.

“Relax.” You calmly instructed her.

She closed her eyes, eventually relaxing into the feeling of your touch just like she had done before. She had truly forgotten what it felt like to be touched in a way that didn’t result in a bruise or broken rib.

You continued your motions, occasionally putting slight pressure on different areas. However in one area you had put just a bit too much pressure, resulting in a noise that sounded like a moan escape from Mizu. You immediately stopped, taking your hand away as you apologized,

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

You looked up at her, ready to continue apologizing but you were met with a serious yet… almost affectionate gaze as she said,

“Don’t stop,” She began, her voice was quiet and relaxed so at least you knew your work was paying off.

“It feels nice.”

There it was, that feeling again. You averted your gaze, not able to handle making eye contact with her while also processing your very wild feelings at that moment. One thing about Mizu was she never truly realized just how attractive she was, she always deemed herself a demon or a monster because that’s what she was taught to believe.

But you saw past that and because of that, things that Mizu didn’t even think twice about doing, would nearly send you into a coma just because it was her doing it.

She had no idea the power she had over you just from a few simple words, and you had no idea the power you had over her just from a simple gentle touch.

You continued on like she had told you, smoothing out the tension in her hand the best you could without any prior training on the subject. Eventually you had switched over to her other hand which was somehow more coarse than the first. You couldn’t help but admire the amount of time and strength that went into forming such things.

As you continued, you could tell Mizu was refraining from making any noises. In all honesty, it was nothing you hadn’t heard before, she’s been in pain enough times around you for you to get used to her whimpering and groaning.

Except this time was different, usually the noises she made were from a place of pain and discomfort.

However, this time, they seemed to come from a place of pleasure.

Caused by you.

“It’s okay.” You began, refusing to look up at her. “The more you let out the more I know I’m doing the right thing.” You encouraged, and sure one could say it was for a selfish reason but really who could blame you.

You could hear her continue to refrain, but over a small amount of time you could hear her a little bit more. Your heart raced as you continued, the act you were partaking in was nowhere near as sensual as it sounded and yet it still felt so intimate. If anything that’s all you wanted it to be, but that was a line you’d dare not cross, at least not yet.

A little more time had passed, you had eased out all the tension you felt in her hands and let go of her. Almost immediately she began to miss your warm and gentle embrace, having returned to her harsh and cold reality. But really, it wasn’t as cold as she had thought because you were still there, right in front of her, looking at her as if she was the only human to have ever existed.

“There now, do you feel better?” You asked quietly, a bit sheepish considering the amount of thoughts that had crossed your mind that you would never say out loud.

Mizu rubbed her hand absentmindedly, her face seemed a bit glazed over like she had been so lost in her thoughts and she wasn’t ready to be a normal person again. Once she had finally, fully, snapped back to reality she nodded.

“Thanks.” Was all she said before you two sat in silence. The tension was practically thick enough to cut through but neither of you wanted to be the one to take that leap, not without knowing for certain it was one they could even take in the first place. Up until now, sure you two had been close, but you had never gotten so close physically. You wanted to, she wanted to, but neither of you wanted to own up to it. She claimed she didn’t need distractions, and you claimed it was a feeling that would flutter away just as quickly as it came.

Well you were both wrong.

You both sat there, not looking at each other, not saying anything before you decided to gain the courage to say,

“Mizu?” You practically whispered. She looked towards you, finally taking her attention off of her hand which she continued to rub, trying to emulate the feeling of your touch but to no avail.

“Yes?” She responded. You very slowly inched a bit closer to her, not trying to make your idea or intention too obvious but she already had a few possibilities in mind on how this might unfold.

None of which she was complaining about.

“Can I… can I touch you again?”

That was all you asked. Sure you had literally just put down her hand but it was the fact that you had even asked that sent the same shivers down Mizu’s spine. She went quiet for a moment, not knowing what to respond with.

She truly had never been asked for permission to do anything before, not in this regard at least, and it shocked her a bit.

It somehow became the most intimate question you could’ve asked.

She nodded, not saying a word as she continued to look at you. It was as if she was trying to memorize your features, as if she was trying to burn them into her retinas so she'd never forget.

Your hand very carefully went towards her, cupping the side of her face as if it would break with too much pressure. She slowly began to lean into your touch, the warm feeling returning quickly as she let her harsh exterior down yet again, feeling uncommonly safe because of your touch. From this position she looked towards you, her hand making its way up to your face, and brushing a few hairs out of the way before asking,

“Can I kiss you?”

Her voice was raspy and low, just above a whisper. She waited patiently for your answer as you both sat in silence before you nodded in response. With that, her hand that had brushed the hairs from your face, slowly made its way to the back of your neck as you both leaned forward and-

“Hey, I found this place that sells food down the road and I- Oh. You’re here.” Taigen had barged into the room, not a singular care in the world as he looked at Mizu with his usual disdain. By this point you had already jumped back from her, being startled by Taigens sudden presence while in such an intimate moment.

With a cold glare Mizu looked towards Taigen,

“What do you want?” She spat. She could get over him annoyingly asking for a duel every now and then but ruining this one moment for her was too far. She finally felt safe and warm in someone else’s embrace and the same man who ruined everything else for her had to come back and fuck something else up.

Before either of them could say any other ‘kind’ words to each other you very quickly made your way to exit the room, not wanting to think about the awkward moment any more than you’d have to.

“I’m going to go… find some things for Ringo. I’ll see you later Mizu, bye Taigen.” You said, very quickly making your way out of the room, leaving both Mizu and Taigen together. Mizu had watched you leave with a certain sadness that you could only really see in her eyes, the rest of her face remained as stoic as ever as she turned back to Taigen.

“New hair style? You look oddly feminine wi-“ The man began, pointing towards her still braided hair.

“Say another word and you’ll lose an arm.” She threatened.

“Noted.”

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vampylily · 7 months

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Transcription of Fall Out Boy's interview with Rock Sound

Since I was going to read the article anyways, I thought I'd transcribe in case it'll be more accessible to read for others. The interview with Pete and Patrick goes in depth on the topics of tourdust, evolving as a band, So Much (For) Stardust, working with Neal Avron, and more.

Thank you to @nomaptomyowntreasure who kindly shared the photos of the article! Their post is linked here.

PDF link here. (more readable format & font size)

article in text below (and warning for long post.)

Rock Sound Issue #300

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

WITH THE TRIUMPHANT ‘SO MUCH (FOR) STARDUST’ CAPTURING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF FANS, FALL OUT BOY ARE RIDING HIGH, CELEBRATING THEIR PAST WHILE LOOKING TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE. PETE WENTZ AND PATRICK STUMP REFLECT ON RECENT SUCCESSES AND THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM TWO DECADES OF WRITING AND PERFORMING TOGETHER.

WORDS: James Wilson-Taylor

PHOTOS: Elliott Ingham

You have just completed a US summer tour that included stadium shows and some of your most ambitious production to date. What were your aims going into this particular show?

PETE: Playing stadiums is a funny thing. I pushed pretty hard to do a couple this time because I think that the record Patrick came up with musically lends itself to that feeling of being part of something larger than yourself. When we were designing the cover to the album, it was meant to be all tangible, which was a reaction to tokens and skins that you can buy and avatars. The title is made out of clay, and the painting is an actual painting. We wanted to approach the show in that way as well. We've been playing in front of a gigantic video wall for the past eight years. Now, we wanted a stage show where you could actually walk inside it.

Did adding the new songs from ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ into the setlist change the way you felt about them?

PATRICK: One of the things that was interesting about the record was that we took a lot of time figuring out what it was going to be, what it was going to sound like. We experimented with so many different things. I was instantly really proud. I felt really good about this record but it wasn’t until we got on stage and you’re playing the songs in between our catalogue that I really felt that. It was really noticeable from the first day on this tour - we felt like a different band. There's a new energy to it. There was something that I could hear live that I couldn't hear before.

You also revisited a lot of older tracks and b-sides on this tour, including many from the ‘Folie à Deux’-era. What prompted those choices?

PETE: There were some lean years where there weren't a lot of rock bands being played on pop radio or playing award shows so we tried to play the biggest songs, the biggest versions of them. We tried to make our thing really airtight, bulletproof so that when we played next to whoever the top artist was, people were like, ‘oh yeah, they should be here.’ The culture shift in the world is so interesting because now, maybe rather than going wider, it makes more sense to go deeper with people. We thought about that in the way that we listen to music and the way we watch films. Playing a song that is a b-side or barely made a record but is someone’s favourite song makes a lot of sense in this era.

PATRICK: I think there also was a period there where, to Pete’s point, it was a weird time to be a rock band. We had this very strange thing that happened to us, and not a lot of our friends for some reason, where we had a bunch of hits, right? And it didn’t make any sense to me. It still doesn’t make sense to me. But there was a kind of novelty, where we could play a whole set of songs that a lot of people know. It was fun and rewarding for us to do that. But then you run the risk of playing the same set forever. I want to love the songs that we play. I want to care about it and put passion into what we do. And there’s no sustainable way to just do the same thing every night and not get jaded. We weren’t getting there but I really wanted to make sure that we don’t ever get there.

PETE: In the origin of Fall Out Boy, what happened at our concerts was we knew how to play five songs really fast and jumped off walls and the fire marshal would shut it down. It was what made the show memorable, but we wanted to be able to last and so we tried to perfect our show and the songs and the stage show and make it flawless. Then you don’t really know how much spontaneity you want to include, because something could go wrong. When we started this tour, and we did a couple of spontaneous things, it opened us up to more. Because things did go wrong and that’s what made the show special. We’re doing what is the most punk rock version of what we could be doing right now.

You seem generally a lot more comfortable celebrating your past success at this point in your career.

PETE: I think it’s actually not a change from our past. I love those records, but I never want to treat them in a cynical way. I never want there to be a wink and a smile where we’re just doing this because it’s the anniversary. This was us celebrating these random songs and we hope people celebrate them with us. There was a purity to it that felt in line with how we’ve always felt about it. I love ‘Folie à Deux’ - out of any Fall Out Boy record that's probably the one I would listen to. But I just never wanted it to be done in a cynical way, where we feel like we have to. But celebrating it in a way where there’s the purity of how we felt when we wrote the song originally. I think that’s fucking awesome.

PATRICK: Music is a weird art form. Because when you’re an actor and you play a character, that is a specific thing. James Bond always wears a suit and has a gun and is a secret agent. If you change one thing, that’s fine, but you can’t really change all of it. But bands are just people. You are yourself. People get attached to it like it’s a story but it’s not. That was always something I found difficult. For the story, it’s always good to say, ‘it’s the 20th anniversary, let’s go do the 20th anniversary tour’, that’s a good story thing. But it’s not always honest. We never stopped playing a lot of the songs from ‘Take This To Your Grave’, right? So why would I need to do a 20-year anniversary and perform all the songs back to back? The only reason would be because it would probably sell a lot of tickets and I don’t really ever want to be motivated by that, frankly.

One of the things that’s been amazing is that now as the band has been around for a while, we have different layers of audience. I love ‘Folie à Deux’, I do, I love that record. But I had a really personally negative experience of touring on it. So that’s what I think of when I think of that record initially. It had to be brought back to me for me to appreciate it, for me to go, ‘oh, this record is really great. I should be happy with this. I should want to play this,’ So that’s why we got into a lot of the b-sides because we realised that our perspectives on a lot of these songs were based in our feelings and experiences from when we were making them. But you can find new experiences if you play those songs. You can make new memories with them.

You alluded there to the 20th anniversary of ‘Take This To Your Grave’. Obviously you have changed and developed as a band hugely since then. But is there anything you can point to about making that debut record that has remained a part of your process since then?

PETE: We have a language, the band, and it’s definitely a language of cinema and film. That’s maintained through time. We had very disparate music tastes and influences but I think film was a place we really aligned. You could have a deep discussion, because none of us were filmmakers. You could say which part was good and which part sucked and not hurt anybody’s feelings, because you weren’t going out to make a film the next day. Whereas with music, I think if we’d only had that to talk about, we would have turned out a different band.

PATRICK: ‘Take This To Your Grave’, even though it’s absolutely our first record, there’s an element of it that’s still a work in progress. It is still a band figuring itself out. Andy wasn’t even officially in the band for half of the recording, right? I wasn’t even officially the guitar player for half of the recording. We were still bumbling through it. There was something that popped up a couple times throughout the record where you got these little inklings of who the band really was. We really explored that on ‘From Under the Cork Tree’’. So when we talk about what has remained the same… I didn’t want to be a singer, I didn’t know anything about singing, I wasn’t playing on that. I didn’t even plan to really be in this band for that long because Pete had a real band that really toured so I thought this was gonna be a side project. So there’s always been this element within the band where I don’t put too many expectations on things and then Pete has this really big ambition, creatively. There’s this great interplay between the tour of us where I’m kind of oblivious, and I don’t know when I’m putting out a big idea and Pete has this amazing vision to find what goes where. There’s something really magical about that because I never could have done a band like this without it. We needed everybody, we needed all four of us. And I think that’s the thing that hasn’t changed - the four of us just being ourselves and trying to figure things out. Listening back to ‘Folie’ or ‘Infinity On High’ or ‘American Beauty’. I’m always amazed at how much better they are than I remember. I listened to ‘MANIA’ the other day. I have a lot of misgivings about that record, a lot of things I’m frustrated about. But then I’m listening to it and I’m like, ‘this is pretty good.’ There’s a lot of good things in there. I don’t know why, it’s kind of like you can’t see those things. It’s kind of amazing to have Pete be able to see those things. And likewise, sometimes Pete has no idea when he writes something brilliant, as a lyricist, and I have to go, ‘No, I’m gonna keep that one, I’m gonna use that.’

On ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ you teamed up with producer Neal Avron again for the first time since 2008. Given how much time has passed, did it take a minute to reestablish that connection or did you pick up where you left off?

PATRICK: It really didn’t feel like any time had passed between us and Neal. It was pretty seamless in terms of working with him. But then there was also the weird aspect where the last time we worked with him was kind of contentious. Interpersonally, the four of us were kind of fighting with each other…as much as we do anyway. We say that and then that myth gets built bigger than it was. We were always pretty cool with each other. It’s just that the least cool was making ‘Folie’. So then getting into it again for this record, it was like no time had passed as people but the four of us got on better so we had more to bring to Neal.

PETE: It’s a little bit like when you return to your parents’ house for the holiday break when you’re in college. It’s the same house but now I can drink with my parents. We’d grown up and the first times we worked with Neal, he had to do so much more boy scout leadership, ‘you guys are all gonna be okay, we’re gonna do this activity to earn this badge so you guys don’t fucking murder each other.’ This time, we probably got a different version of Neal that was even more creative, because he had to do less psychotherapy.

He went deep too. Sometimes when you’re in a session with somebody, and they’re like, ‘what are we singing about?’, I’ll just be like, ‘stuff’. He was not cool with ‘stuff’. I would get up and go into the bathroom outside the studio and look in the mirror, and think ‘what is it about? How deep are we gonna go?’ That’s a little bit scarier to ask yourself. If last time Neal was like a boy scout leader, this time, it was more like a Sherpa. He was helping us get to the summit.

The title track of the album also finds you in a very reflective mood, even bringing back lyrics from ‘Love From the Other Side’. How would you describe the meaning behind that title and the song itself?

PETE: The record title has a couple of different meanings, I guess. The biggest one to me is that we basically all are former stars. That’s what we’re made of, those pieces of carbon. It still feels like the world’s gonna blow and it’s all moving too fast and the wrong things are moving too slow. That track in particular looks back at where you sometimes wish things had gone differently. But this is more from the perspective of when you’re watching a space movie, and they’re too far away and they can’t quite make it back. It doesn’t matter what they do and at some point, the astronaut accepts that. But they’re close enough that you can see the look on their face. I feel like there’s moments like that in the title track. I wish some things were different. But, as an adult going through this, you are too far away from the tether, and you’re just floating into space. It is sad and lonely but in some ways, it’s kind of freeing, because there’s other aspects of our world and my life that I love and I want to keep shaping and changing.

Patrick: I’ll open up Pete’s lyrics and I just start hearing things. It almost feels effortless in a lot of ways. I just read his lyrics and something starts happening in my head. The first line, ‘I’m in a winter mood, dreaming of spring now’, instantly the piano started to form to me. That was a song that I came close to not sending the band. When I make demos, I’ll usually wait until I have five or six to send to everybody. I didn’t know if anyone was gonna like this. It’s too moody or it’s not very us. But it was pretty unanimous. Everybody liked that one. I knew this had to end the record. It took on a different life in the context of the whole album. Then on the bridge section, I knew it was going to be the lyrics from “Love From The Other Side’. It’s got to come back here. It’s the bookends, but I also love lyrically what it does, you know, ‘in another life, you were my babe’, going back to that kind of regret, which feels different in ‘Love From The Other Side’ than it does here. When the whole song came together, it was the statement of the record.

Aside from the album, you have released a few more recent tracks that have opened you up to a whole new audience, most notably the collaboration with Taylor Swift on ‘Electric Touch’.

PETE: Taylor is the only artist that I’ve met or interacted with in recent times who creates exactly the art of who she is, but does it one such a mass level. So that’s breathtaking to watch from the sidelines. The way fans traded friendship bracelets, I don’t know what the beginning of it was, but you felt that everywhere. We felt that, I saw that in the crowd on our tour. I don’t know Taylor well, but I think she’s doing exactly what she wants and creating exactly the art that she wants to create. And going that, on such a level, is really awe-inspiring to watch. It makes you want to make the biggest, weirdest version of our thing and put that out there.

Then there was the cover of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’, which has had some big chart success for you. That must have taken you slightly by surprise.

PATRICK: It’s pretty unexpected. Pete and I were going back and forth about songs we should cover and that was an idea that I had. This is so silly but there was a song a bunch of years ago I had kind of written called ‘Dark Horse’ and then there was a Katy Perry song called ‘Dark Horse’ and I was like, ‘damn it’, you know, I missed the boat on that one. So I thought if we don’t do this cover, somebody else is gonna do it. Let’s just get in the studio and just do it. We spent way more time on those lyrics than you would think because we really wanted to get a specific feel. It was really fun and kind of loose, we just came together in Neal’s house and recorded it in a day.

PETE: There's irreverence to it. I thought the coolest thing was when Billy Joel got asked about it, and he was like, ‘I’m not updating it, that’s fine, go for it.’ I hope if somebody ever chose to update one of ours, we’d be like that. Let them do their thing, they’ll have that version. I thought that was so fucking cool.

It’s almost no secret that the sound you became most known for in the md-2000s is having something of a commercial revival right now But what is interesting is seeing how bands are building on that sound and changing it.

PATRICK: I love when anybody does anything that feels honest to them. Touring with Bring Me The Horizon, it was really cool seeing what’s natural to them. It makes sense. We changed our sound over time but we were always going to do that. It wasn’t a premeditated thing but for the four of us, it would have been impossible to maintain making the same kind of music forever. Whereas you’ll play with some other bands and they live that one sound. You meet up with them for dinner or something and they’re wearing the shirt of the band that sounds just like their band. You go to their house and they’re playing other bands that sound like them because they live in that thing. Whereas with the four of us and bands like Bring Me The Horizon, we change our sounds over time. And there’s nothing wrong with either. The only thing that’s wrong is if it’s unnatural to you. If you’re AC/DC and all of a sudden power ballads are in and you’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to do a power ballad’, that’s when it sucks. But if you’re a thrash metal guy who also likes Celine Dion then yeah, do a power ballad. Emo as a word doesn’t mean anything anymore. But if people want to call it that, if the emo thing is back or having another life again, if that’s what’s natural to an artist, I think the world needs more earnest art. If that’s who you are, then do it.

PETE: It would be super egotistical to think that the wave that started with us and My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco has just been circling and cycling back. I remember seeing Nikki Sixx at the airport and he was like, ‘Oh you’re doing a flaming bass? Mine came from a backpack.’ It keeps coming back but it looks different. Talking to Lil Uzi Vert and Juice WRLD when he was around, it’s so interesting, because it’s so much bigger than just emo or whatever. It’s this whole big pop music thing that’s spinning and churning, and then it moves on, and then it comes back with different aspects and some of the other stuff combined. When you’re a fan of music and art and film, you take different stuff, you add different ingredients, because that’s your taste. Seeing the bands that are up and coming to me, it’s so exciting, because the rules are just different, right? It’s really cool to see artists that lean into the weirdness and lean into a left turn when everyone’s telling you to make a right. That’s so refreshing.

PATRICK: It’s really important as an artist gets older to not put too much stock in your own influence. The moment right now that we’re in is bigger than emo and bigger than whatever was happening in 2005. There’s a great line in ‘Downton Abbey’ where someone was asking the Lord about owning this manor and he’s like ‘well, you don’t really own it, there have been hundreds of owners and you are the custodian of it for a brief time.’ That’s what pop music is like. You just have the ball for a minute and you’re gonna pass it on to somebody else.

We will soon see you in the UK for your arena tour. How do you reflect on your relationship with the fans over here?

PETE: I remember the first time we went to the UK, I wasn’t prepared for how culturally different it was. When we played Reading & Leeds and the summer festivals, it was so different, and so much deeper within the culture. It was a little bit of a shock. The first couple of times we played, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, are we gonna die?’ because the crowd was so crazy, and there was bottles. Then when we came back, we thought maybe this is a beast to be tamed. Finally, you realise it’s a trading of energy. That made the last couple of festivals we played so fucking awesome. When you realise that the fans over there are real fans of music It’s really awesome and pretty beautiful.

PATRICK: We’ve played the UK now more than a lot of regions of the states. Pretty early on, I just clicked with it. There were differences, cultural things and things that you didn’t expect. But it never felt that different or foreign to me, just a different flavour…

PETE: This is why me and Patrick work so well together (laughs).

PATRICK: Well, listen; I’m a rainy weather guy. There is just things that I get there. I don’t really drink anymore all that much. But I totally will have a beer in the UL, there’s something different about every aspect of it, about the ordering of it, about the flavour of it, everything, it’s like a different vibe. The UK audience seemed to click with us too. There have been plenty of times where we felt almost like a UK band than an American one. There have been years where you go there and almost get a more familial reaction than you would at home.

Rock Sound has always been a part of that for us. It was one of the first magazines to care about us and the first magazine to do real interviews. That’s the thing, you would do all these interviews and a lot of them would be like ‘so where did the band’s name come from?’ But Rock Sound took us seriously as artists, maybe before some of us did. That actually made us think about who we are and that was a really cool experience. I think in a lot of ways, we wouldn’t be the band we are without the UK, because I think it taught us a lot about what it is to be yourself.

Fall Out Boy’s ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ is out now via Fueled By Ramen

#fall out boy #fob #tourdust #pete wentz #patrick stump #fob interview #so much for stardust #smfs era #your unemployed friend at 2pm on a monday:#anyways. hope this is helpful i loved the interview!

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kishimotomasashi · 4 months

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Alright, Uchiha Clan oppression longpost

This is the unavoidable, and often central, topic people tend to surround their Naruto politics takes on, and is as a result a big, ugly discourse-generator. It's also a subject I'm definitely always thinking about when it comes to Naruto as a noted Sasuke stan, and my thoughts on it have changed gradually over the years. I'm making this post to share what my current interpretation on "how and why the Uchiha Clan were oppressed" is.

Before I do that though, notice on what this post is not:

I'm not writing a "discourse ender", a take meant to be spread around with the claim of being the only correct interpretation of events. This is a post I wrote to share the exact way I rotate an aspect of the manga in my mind, and to convince people that looking at it from this angle is interesting. Basically: it's not that serious, I think about this because it's fun.

This isn't a "character-bashing" post or whatever either, so like if you agree with what you read here, I suppose I can't stop you from using those infamous "anti-[X]" tags, it's just that making a post that warrants them has never been my intention.

Along with that, I do want to address the by now very well established fact that Naruto the series is Not Very Good, and has glaring inconsistencies in its writing. The Uchiha Clan drama is definitely not exempt from this, and in its case the failures in Kishimoto's writing usually show in inconsistent power-scaling, in which we're made to accept weird leaps in logic (how does a 13 year old get rid of what we're told is one of the most powerful and feared clans internationally?) That being said, those particular inconsistencies are kind of irrelevant to this particular post, and don't much change the fact that the Uchiha Clan Massacre did happen. I'll be taking it as a given that if you're reading this, you're accepting to suspend your disbelief of those events on a technical level, and are more interested in how I make sense of it all more on the diegetic social/political level.

With that settled, we can get to the important part now:

The most popular take (as far as I've personally seen) on the events that led to the Uchiha Clan's downfall is the one that takes Madara at his word: the Senju have been oppressing the Uchiha since Konoha's conception, and Tobirama becoming the 2nd Hokage gave him the opportunity to put the Uchiha in a more socially disadvantaged position (police force), gradually earning them the villagers' ire, which was the catalyst for their eventual genocide.

This interpretation works if the end goal of your analysis is to say "Tobirama really fucking sucks". I don't think this conclusion is an unreasonable one, since Tobirama's hostility towards the Uchiha is great enough that he can callously tell a 16 year old genocide survivor that if his clan "self-destructed for the sake of the village, so be it". However, to me, the circumstances surrounding the Uchiha Clan are much wider-encompassing and more fascinating than narrowing their fate to a single man in fan meta written to convince you to hate him, so it goes without saying that I don't think "this is all Tobirama's fault" is a very interesting lens to look at this from.

I also don't buy the argument that making the Uchiha cops was (originally) to their detriment. We'll get back to that in a bit. I suppose this depends on how you look at Tobirama's character, but I think that when he said he made the police force as a sign of trust and to give the clan something useful to do in Konoha, he was being genuine. Arguing the opposite requires you to either believe that a law enforcement order could ever be in an oppressed position by default, or that Tobirama created a fundamentally useless new institution because he just hated the Uchiha that much. I think the former is a weird thing to argue if you're trying to be Leftist about all this, and the latter is a very ungenerous interpretation of Tobirama's character in which his own "racism"/pettiness overshadows his more utilitarian instincts to ensure that the village his brother built was safe and functioning. Obviously you could interpret that, but that leads us back to the "everything is Tobirama's fault" take, that I already mentioned I find lame as hell.

So then, how do I think the Uchiha Clan was oppressed? Because I think they indisputably were, or I wouldn't be making this post. Well, I think it was less "The Senju/Tobirama have always wanted to lord over them and wanted them dead", and more: they became gradually more socially disadvantaged during the era of Hidden Villages, with the consecutive world wars creating a souring global opinion on kekkei genkai clans.

(I'm gonna base my arguments primarily on what we see happen in the manga, and I'll add in some information from the fanbooks/databooks that weren't contradicted by what we see happen in Kishimoto's canon)

Let's start with what we know, definitely, that canon tells us:

Kekkei genkai clans are discriminated against to a very high extent, leading to things such as their mass slaughter (eg, the Uchiha Clan obviously, but also kekkei genkai clans like Haku's clan in the Land of Mist), and a vulnerability which puts them in positions where they're likelier to be targeted and kidnapped (eg, Hinata, but also Orochimaru having a whole criminal entreprise built on kidnapping and experimenting on people possessing kekkei genkai).

The trend for their discrimination is in being scapegoated. When Haku talks about the genocides in the Land of Mist (I refuse to call it the Land of Water sorry it sounds so stupid), this is how he describes them:

(chapter 59)

basically, it's not shinobi as a whole who are badly seen even though all sorts of them were likely participating in those wars: it's kekkei genkai clans in particular. Compare this to the Uchiha Clan being blamed for the Nine Tails attack (I mean one of them certainly was responsible, but was entirely unaffiliated with the rest of the clan) and being roped off to the edge of the village as a result.

Kekkei genkai clans are also frequently described by characters as being a bit "wilder" and more violent than usual shinobi. Tobirama calling the Uchiha "cursed", Kushina describing the Uzumaki as being "a bit savage", and Kakashi introducing us to the concept of kekkei genkai initially with these fun visuals:

(chapter 25)

The thing that's interesting about all this is the context in which it exists: the shinobi villages aren't technically "nations", but I think it would be accurate to liken their possessiveness of their secrets and paranoia regarding outside intrusion + conception of themselves as unified cultural entities + incredibly harsh treatment of dissidents (becoming a rogue is essentially a death sentence) to nationalism. There's an intentse "in-group vs out-group" feeling here.

Not to mention that canonically that shinobi have always been tools of imperialism for greater powers. While Hashirama's initial dream was to put an end to that, it eventually became corrupted; there was already discontent regarding land and resource allocations during his tenure as Hokage, and while we have no idea why the 1st War started, we know that by the time we're on the 2nd one, Konoha had become a tool for the Land of Fire's imperialist expansion (and was apparently was expanding its influence as a military village, too).

(chapter 436)

Basically, the "in-group vs out-group" conception that had once solely been clan-centric widened, and became this new concept of shinobi villages.

This is important because nationalistic sentiment inevitably rises during war; as a result, there's be a sharper eye for who'd turn traitor, who wasn't supporting the military effort, who would endanger their nation/village, etc. With this, there would be greater suspicion directed towards kekkei genkai clans, because they're more "genetically predisposed" to being unpredictable, because they would appear more loyal to their own than to the whole of the village, because they were the likeliest to turn traitor, and so on.

This would be a gradual process going on since the 1st War, but I believe that the 2nd War was where this kickstarted into becoming so much worse, because that one saw the destruction of Uzushio. It was a village composed entirely of a single clan, didn't bend to any of the big 5, and the Uzumaki were "savage" and had abilities that were greatly feared. It would be interesting to consider the idea that their associations with Konoha would have done them more harm than good here, too, given that Konoha was the Big Bad in the 2nd War and an alliance with them would not have been viewed positively.

It's thinking about all this in context, where nationalism was at its peak, where there's an idea that genetic chakra abilities impair swathes of people from being regular functioning shinobi like everyone else, is how we can imagine the Uchiha were discriminated against. They had another disadvantage to them as well, given that one of the first deadly attacks committed on Konoha was done by one of them. If we want to go back to the police force argument, it would be interesting to consider the idea that while it had been a good position for them at first, the utility and influence of the institution gradually eroded over time, and by the time the era where the massacre happened came along it became nearly meaningless since most of its original functions had been assigned elsewhere; as the kekkei genkai clan discrimination rose, the Uchiha also fell victim to it and their influence within the village significantly reduced out of fear of them.

The surveillance and the sequestering of the Uchiha Clan came after two important events; the first being the 3rd Great Shinobi War, and the second being the Nine Tails' attack on Konoha which happened barely a year post-armistice. Konoha was barely recovering from global armed conflict when half of it was destroyed in that attack; tensions are high, the Hokage is dead, and so the village saw an incredibly convenient scapegoat in the Uchiha clan.

So... yeah, that's how I see it! I find this a more fun interpretation than just pointing fingers at individual characters, because it allows me to consider the wider worldbuilding of the Naruto world, and also doesn't assume the Uchiha's position was especially unique and the end-be-all of all the problems with Naruto's politics. It's certainly important, but it's part of a greater network of problems too!

#send post #The ground is soft and I'm ready to dig #Uchiha #this is somehow both longer and shorter than I expected it to be #Anyways feel free to discuss and ask for clarification on some points if they seem confusing!

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simslegacy5083 · 2 months

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NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 25: The New Boy

With all the romantic excitement going on around the household, Olive began to ponder why she hadn’t found anything like a boyfriend yet.

School and her job in the city had exposed her to a much wider range of sims and life experiences than she’d known in quiet Henford. It wasn’t long before she came to suspect that the reason she’d not found any attractive men or felt particularly attractive herself was deeper seated.

When the fashion-conscious sim next went back to the hairdresser with Denton for a trim, she felt herself strongly drawn to a particular headshot with a very short, androgynous, almost masculine style. Why not? Extensions were easy to come by if she didn’t like it.

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Checking out how the sleek hairdo looked on her, she felt no rush to reverse it. It looked bold, strong even.

She felt for the first time that she could definitely attract her own romantic interest with a look like this. Her jacket wasn’t a bad compliment to the do’, she’d press Denton to help her pick out some more in a similar austere style. There was no time like the present to reinvent herself.

Her fashion sense called out for something soft to go with these sharp lines. Her heart said it should be something draped loosely around the new clean core of her look, a scarf or maybe a soft and doting sweetheart?

She was beginning to be able to picture a significant other in her life, and it was a different picture than she had always assumed she’d go for.

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Olive had never really put much thought into her sexuality before this, but with the taste of masculine energy sweet on her tongue and the idea that she could find a girl who liked that in her, and who could bring enough feminine energy for the two of them, she went online to research.

Her mother had always been a wild tomboy, and her SimNation had always had many same sex couples, so mostly what she was searching for was dating advice useful to this totally new understanding of who she wanted to be, and who she wanted to attract. She found some answers but also more questions to ponder.

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When she went to the store with Denton to pick out a few more jackets she found another new favorite fashion accessory. A special type of top designed opposite of most bras not to follow or promote her curves, but to smooth them and emphasize her new focus on a strong and clean outline. This specialty “binder” was more effective than a tight sports bra for that purpose, and more comfortable as well.

With her look and her research more settled she still felt like something was missing. She desired to make a clean break from her lifetime of ambivalence on the topic of sexuality and relationships and feel just a little more comfortable putting herself out there.

As she and her brother had their whole lives, Tori and Miguel’s eldest child went looking for the advice and comfort only her parents could provide.

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Tori and Miguel certainly knew all about discovering unexpected attraction and were happy to hear that their late bloomer thought she had found her path to romance at last. What they were less certain about was her request for help picking a new, more masculine nickname.

The twins hadn’t loved growing up with somewhat androgynous names (for different reasons), but after an uncertain glance at Miguel, Tori did confess that if Olive had been a boy, she would have been named Cullen. The look of delight that spread across their firstborn’s face told the older couple that it would definitely be worthwhile to be considerate and open minded during this period of experimentation, or perhaps, transition.

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When reviewing the cousins after I moved them in, I realized Olive had no gender/identity traits (a little LGBTQIA+ mod glitch I think was caused by another mod i was using to randomize NPC skills and traits), so I let her ponder and this was the unexpected outcome.

Don’t tell Tess that I was sad to lose Olive as the obvious “girl boss” at the townhouse 😉, but I wasn’t about to suppress Cullen’s self-expression. 🙂

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View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

#sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 legacy #sims4 #sims 4 nsb #sims4nsbstraud #sims 4 not so berry #sims 4 let's play #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 lets play

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echantedtoon · 6 months

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Demon Bride Ch45 It's Always The Hard Way

(Warnings!!: Enmu and Douma ARE their own warnings. Possibly some innuendos.

IMPORTANT INFO: IM NOT GIVING ACTUAL DATING ADVICE WITHIN THE STORY.)

"It just felt so real...Like...It was me but it wasn't me at the same time but I knew I was me and I did say those things because I would say those things. And I know you told me that Kaigaku told you that...THAT all happened and I have no reason to doubt either of you but I just don't know what to think of all this....Am I making sense?"

CLINK!!

A small teacup was placed in front of you by Enmu whom hummed at your words. "Oh trust me. You make more sense than most of my patients. It also helps I've been told of everything that happened to you."

"Thank you." You thanked him for the oolong tea and picked up the warm cup. You were tired but your wild thoughts couldn't settle until you got some kind of clarity. Enmu seemed like the best person to tell. "I'm sorry for disturbing you in the middle of your work, but I had to Tell someone of the dream I had."

"It's no problem at all." He smiled wider holding up a hand. "I'm actually glad you told me. Just rest assured you have nothing to worry about. The events you experienced in the dream have already passed and are over with. There's no reason to worry yourself back into stress."

He admitted he wasn't expecting you to come running to his room in the middle of the night and burst into his room to spew out everything you had experienced and forgotten a few months ago now but he supposed you had to remember one way or another. He did tell you those things happened to you but the shock of reliving it was a different experience. But he loved the looks of worry and shock and fear on your face.~ But as your fiance he did his best to comfort you. Some reassuring words and tea would help with that.

"Yes but why is this happening NOW? If I forgot it why wouldn't I remember it sooner or even at all?!"

"Well when those events happened you forcibly activated your demonic genes and then after you reverted back into your human self. Your body went through such a sudden and stressful transition that you must've repressed any memories during that time as a result. But... You're not human anymore." Oh yeah...You kinda forgot that part. "Now that you're fully demon and your body is now used to it, your memories must've resurfaced as well as a result."

"Ok. That makes sense...but I don't feel any different. The way I felt as a human less than a year ago is the same way I feel now!" As if to demonstrate that you held up your arms. "I don't even look different! The only changes are my eyes and nails! I don't have any horns or tails or anything else! I LOOK HUMAN!!"

"And so does Douma!," Enmu pointed out. "The only demonic traits he has really is his fangs and wonderfully pretty blue nails.~ Otherwise he would be considered very human looking. Perhaps with VERY strange traits, but otherwise Douma is quite human in appearance. A lot of his own followers don't even know he's a demon."

You stared at Enmu. You nearly dropped the cup you held. "....You mean...Douma ISN'T using a human disguise?"

"Hm? Oh no. He hasn't used one in sixty four years now. All his disguise does is change his eyes white and his nails blunt anyways. Not much of a change."

"So you're telling me he's REALLY that beautiful looking?? And it's not just some narcissistic disguise he whipped up to make himself more attractive?!" Enmu blinked st your words before chuckling.

"Oh no. He was born with those looks. Why? Are you interested in him-"

"HELL NO!!" You clarified glaring at his smile. "Douma is THE LAST person I want to be involved with. Human or demon. He gives me the creeps!..... Don't you tell him about what I said or else!"

"You have my word. But back on topic. You're not the only demon to look completely human. Master Muzan also looks completely human. The only way you can tell he isn't by first glance is because his pupils are slit like a snake's." He pointed out his own eyes. "Otherwise he'd look like any other man on the streets. So it would make complete sense for you to look human. There's nothing to worry about in that regard."

....You slowly nodded. "Alright then. That makes sense now. But I still can't believe I did that."

"Become a demon?"

"No. I can't believe I complimented that green pervert's eyes. Or liked any of those kidnappers for Even a moment."

Enmu threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha!! I suppose not. But I do hope I was able to answer your questions."

You nodded. "I do. Thank you. I'm not sure if I can sleep tonight though."

"You can stay here if you'd like. I don't mind the company."

"No. I'll just finish my tea and be on my way. I don't want to interrupt your work any longer and I should be there if Rui wakes up. But thank you. I appreciate all your help."

"Anytime Begonia.~"

You ended up leaving around ten minutes later and walking back to your room. It took another three hours for you to fall back asleep only to wake up drowsy when Rui left for school and then falling back asleep. Needless to say you had just slept in for most of that day feeling exhausted. However it was the next day that you started having problems. MAJOR. Problems. It started when you woke up two days later and tried to write down your own map of the place from where you vaguely remembered where things were. It probably wouldn't help but it was worth trying to make some effort in eventually escaping this place. Some effort is better than just sitting around. When there was a knock at the door and you quickly threw the makeshift map under your pillow in a panic.

"Who is it?"

"A humble servant, Lady Y/n. Lord Douma has sent a gift for you." The door opened and a man walked in smiling and holding a large bouquet of roses and baby breaths. "Aren't they lovely? Where would you like me to put them?"

You stared. "....Do you know where Douma's room is? Go put them in his room!"

You were NOT going to play these games with him! You were not going to give in to Douma! You would just rebuff him! This should hopefully fix it!

...The servant was back with the same flowers the next morning. "Lord Douma refuses to take them back. He insists on you having them. Please take them."

Oh. Is THAT how he wanted to play huh? Fine then! Two can play at that! So you found yourself visiting Enmu again and gifting him the roses which he lit up at and swooned when you insisted he have them. TAKE THAT DOUMA!! Except that...there was a problem. And it knocked on your door three days later-

"Lord Douma sends his apologies if the roses were not to your liking. Please take these hydrangeas in their place."

.....Guess who Gyutaro got flowers from the very next day? Yeah. Daki was happy to get another moment of you and her brother together and Gyutaro was very flustered receiving them from you. But then what came again four days after THAT!

"Lord Douma sends you his regards. He asks you accept these tulips with love and devotion."

Whelp! Guess it was Daki's turn. She seemed to really adore all the stuff you've gifted her that you didn't want. The tulips were no exception. But then guess what happened again-

"Lord Douma wishes to let you know he apologized for any mistakes he made in your choice of flowers. He wishes to make up for it with these daffodils. "

You stared widely at the nervous looking servant. "Is Douma here right now? I haven't seen him in days." Which was both a relief and concerning.

The servant girl shook her head no. "He's away currently on official business to look over if the healers' center and assess if they should be given a bigger budget."

"Is there any OTHER Kizuki staying here?"

"Lord Enmu is away on official business and Lord Gyutaro and Lady Daki are currently not in their rooms. The only residence is you and Former Lord Hantengu , My Lady."

Wait. You've heard that name before. If you remembered right, that was the name of the tiny man Rui was found with when you first saw him. "Hantengu? ...Then how come I've never seen him around before?"

"He doesn't like visitors, My Lady. He prefers to hide away from everyone in his room and only asks for his sons. The Lords of Upper Moon Four. But they haven't visited him yet sadly. The only visitor Former Lord Hantengu had was Lord Akaza months ago. He wanted to be sure he was being treated well."

"Yeah. That sounds like Akaza. If that's the case then take the flowers to him and don't bring them back to me. I'm sure Mr. Hantengu will appreciate them much more than I would."

The servant girl seemed shocked you'd dare to send away 'Douma's gift but didn't argue with you as she took them away. Hopefully this would stop Douma's 'love' and leave you alone. However again this wasn't the case. Because the next day you got a knock on the door and you went to open it up. Only to freeze at the sight of a red toned shirt and rainbow irises staring at you with that chilling smile.

A waft of cold flowed over your skin making your hair stand on end as he chuckled and a golden fan snapped open on display. "Hello, Dear. I heard you didn't like any of my flower arrangements. I thought since you smelt like flowers you would've-"

SLAM!!

He... slowly blinked as the door was slammed shut in his face anf footsteps peeled away from the other side. "...Loved them." He knocked again louder. "Darling don't do this again. I'm respecting your privacy by knocking but showing my authority as your fiance by coming in now. We should talk instead of playing these games." He opened the sliding door...but frowned confused when you were no where to be seen. "Now, Lotus. You shouldn't play these games again." He walked into the room looking around carefully. "It's unbecoming of a lady."

.... Rui's door leading out into the hallway slowly opened and you perked out. Not seeing him, you stepped out, closed the door behind you, and tip toe ran all the way to Daki's room to hide. And there you remained for the rest of the day until you were sure you'd be safe. Daki and Gyutaro didn't return but Rui was confused on why you snuck back into your room through his room. You just told him you got scared by a mouse to avoid worrying him. However your trick had just run out of use you soon found out the next morning. There was a knock at your door again. You answered. You saw Douma. He opened his mouth -

SLAM!!

You slammed the door shut. And ran off to Rui's connecting room closing the door behind you. You stopped panting and quietly stood there waiting. You slowly heard your sliding door open again and you took that as your cue to tip toe to Rui's other door leading into the hallway and opened it quietly.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

You squealed out in shock bristling like a startled cat as you jumped back and in horror stared at the tall form of Douma standing there smiling at you. Wait. Wha- HOW'D HE FIGURE OUT YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE?! He hummed stepping into your son's room and tilting his smiling head at you.

"You had me fooled twice! Not a bad achievement! It's very hard to fool me more than once so I applaud you!" He clapped his hands as you glanced at the side door leading back to your room. "Now I think we can push aside these childish games and-"

SLAM!!

...He blinked mouth open as you bolted out back through the side door connecting your room to Rui's slamming it shut behind you, running through the sliding door Douma left open leading into the hallway, and RAN LIKE CRAZY.

"...Talk....Was it something I said?..OH! She must be playing hard to get. Very well." Rainbow eyed flashed amused at the doorway. "I don't mind playing a few games. It is most entertaining.~"

You ended up randomly ducking into a random room to hide and thankfully no one seemed to come after you. However that all changed the next day. There was no warning. There was no knocking. You were just reading a book after having breakfast when the door just quickly slid open and there he stood. You froze. The book in your hands dropping and landing on the floor with a thud as you stared wide eyed. Douma entered smiling as he stretched out his arms and legs and smiled at you.

"You may run now."

YOU BOLTED. Right past him. Out the door. And down the halls. Your spine giving a shiver as you brushed past his cold body. Your footsteps thudded down the halls with fear spiking your veins.

"This is fun! I can't say I've ever had a lady literally make me chase after her!", His voice called out close enough to be right behind you but every time you looked behind you he wasn't there. Only confused servants watching you run past them. "Will you have lunch with me when I catch you?"

"HELL NO!!" You angrily shouted back to...to..wherever the voice was coming from. Like hell you would do that. "FUCK OFF DOUMA AND LEAVE ME ALONE!! YOU'RE A REAL CREEP!!"

"But you didn't even tell me why you don't like me. I'm honestly very interested to know the real reason to that. You see I've never had a woman or man treat me the way you do and I would like to know why." He spoke as if he wasn't just chasing you down like a cat chasing a mouse.

"BECAUSE I FIND YOU CREEPY THAT'S WHY! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ME ALONE LIKE I ASKED, YOU'RE PERSISTENT IN A BAD WAY, AND YOU'RE LITERALLY CHASING ME RIGHT NOW!!" You again briefly glanced behind you and still saw no sight of the Kizuki demon chasing you. "SO YOU COULD STOP DOING THAT FOR A START!!"

"If you insist.~"

You looked forward and screeched to a stop as you saw DOUMA smiling from the other end of the hallway. He chuckled again and waved at you by wagging his fingers on one hand. You looked behind you and in front of you multiple times. How'd he get in front of you when he was behind you before?! Chuckling he started walking towards you- You bolted into the first door on the left. Snapping it back shut behind you before opening another door within the room and running out. You continued to do that. Running into one room then into another. Each room looked different and you had no idea where you were running to but you kept running. Door after door. Room after room. Until you ran through one door and slammed it shut behind you out of breath. Your lungs felt like they were on fire as you heaved. Your legs felt like jello and you blinked as you stood in a-...

Bath house area?

The entire room was warm and tiled like your bathroom except in the middle of it all was a singular giant pool of warm water. Steam rose from it. Oh...You supposed this was where the servants whom lived her bathed or perhaps it was a miniature sauna? You didn't have time to think about that when a shiver was sent down your spine and a cold presence stabbed your brain.

Douma.

He was coming this way! You panicked. You were too tired to run again and surely he'd hear you. How'd he even find you here?! You had to hide but where?! You looked at the tub. ..Are you would kill him for this later!! You quickly and quietly as you could ran to the water's edge, sat down and tossed your legs in instantly soaking them and half of your kimono already. Then sucking in a deep breath, you pushed yourself off the edge and allowed yourself to be washed over with warmth just as the door opened. Your eyes were closed while floating under the water bobbing. You slowly opened them up watching your hair float around your head, cheeks puffed out, and one hand pinching your nose. You blinked. The tub actually wasn't that deep thank goodness but it was deep enough to let you hide within its water. You looked around before looking up at distorted surface. It was hard to tell from the distorted water and steam but you almost let out a gasp of bubbles when a blonde figure was vaguely spotted walking around the tub...there there was the sound of a door opening as the blonde figure turned. And you heard muffled voices. They were faint. You couldn't quite make out what was said as at least two voices spoke under the water but both voices sounded like they were happy. A moment later the blonde figure disappeared from the water's edge and you faintly heard another door slide open and close. You didn't dare move an inch. Staring at the water's surface still and quiet. Until your lungs began to burn with the need for new oxygen again. You tried to fight it but you lost the battle. Instead your body forced your legs to move, your arms to stretch for the edge, and your spine to stretch up. You exited the water with a splash-

"*GGGGGGGGAAAAAAASSSSSPPPPP!!!*''

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

You froze when a woman shrieked coughing and grasping at the edge like a drowned cat. Your hand pushing your hair out of your face and you looked up to meet the surprised face of none other than Daki. You both just... awkwardly stared at each other for a moment... before she scowled.

"What are you doing in my herbal soak?!"

You sighed in relief. "Hi Daki. Boy am I glad to see you. Just thought I'd go swimming since I missed doing it."

"You decided to go swimming? In the ladies bath?" She stared at you like you'd gone insane. "My brother sure has strange taste in women. Why are you swimming in your kimono?"

"Laundry. Two for one deal," you said sarcastically pulling yourself out drenched up and on your knees. You winced looking down at yourself. This dress was surely ruined now. "Who were you talking to just now?"

"Douma. He lost his way while looking for someone. Didn't say who but they must be dumb to not know he was looking for her!'' Daki huffed sticking her nose up.

Ok. Ouch. But at least she did know so she couldn't tell him where you were hiding. "Oh. That's...nice. I guess. Hey. I actually wanted to talk to you about something for a bit." You slowly stood up, hands grabbing a piece of your soaked dress to pathetically wrong out some water. Like that'd help but Daki looked at you in question. "I was told by Gyutaro you get a lot of suiters."

She instantly groaned rolling her pretty eyes and crossing her arms. "Tell me about it. Mating seasons the worst! Thinking they can impress me with their cheap trucks and worthless trinkets! Even if I do sorta like them Brother always scares them off anyways. ...Why do you ask?" She rose a brow back at you.

"Well...I need some advice from you about something." If anyone knew how to get Douma off your back it'd be Daki who's had lots of experience. But you couldn't tell her it was Douma whom you were avoiding specifically. She might get offended. "How do you get a guy to leave you alone after you told him not to court you countless times?"

Daki paused. Her body went rigid as she stared... before she hissed. "WHO?! WHO IS IT?!" You blinked leaning back. "ITS THAT LITTLE GOBLIN ENMU ISN'T IT?! WHEN MY BROTHER HEARS ABOUT THIS HE'LL KILL HIM-"

"NO!! IT'S NOT ENMU!!" You cut her off as you quickly shoved a hand firmly in her face to stop her. "A-And I'm not talking about me!! I have a friend back with Kyogai when I stayed with him!" You half lied half truthed making her pause again. "She wanted the advice but I have no idea. I just surely someone as beautiful and experienced as you would have something that could help her is all!!"

Daki stared at you. Yellow eyes narrowed suspiciously as they eyed you up and down. "A friend?" You nodded. Ever so slowly she relaxed. "Oh. ...Well you certainly asked the right woman for advice." She huffed proudly and turned back to her things that was a towel and a few bottles which you didn't notice until now. "Well what has the lowly creature gotten herself into?'

You chose not to be offended by that comment and just be relieved that she wasn't sending Gyutaro after Enmu. "Well...You see the woman I'm talking about is already engaged to... someone." You were talking about you and technically you were engaged so you weren't lying. "But there's this other man that's been trying to court her at the same time."

"Then why doesn't her fiance just deal with him then?"

"He can't. They...He's away on a work trip, and doesn't know about what's happening yet. She's tried to get him to go away and leave her alone but nothing's worked."

Daki hummed again lightly shook one of the bottles she picked up. "Well what has she tried?"

"Almost everything I could think of...to tell her to do!" You added that last bit quickly. "But nothing I told her is working. She's tried giving him back all the gifts he gave her but he won't take them back and he keeps giving her MORE gifts when she gives them away or he just sends them again whenever she leaves them on his doorstep."

Daki nodded looking at you. "Go on."

"She's tried politely telling him no and rudely telling him no but that hasn't worked either. She's tried running away and hiding and ignoring him but none of that has worked either. And he knows she's already engaged! He's chased after her too now! I don't know what else I can tell her at this point, Daki...And...I'm kinda getting scared."

Daki hummed again squinting her eyes in thought. "I've dealt with a few men like that before but they were all dead or scared of by Brother."

"Well she doesn't have any nearby family members to ask for help. And no one would help her because the pervert is more powerful than her and lots of people are charmed by him. That's what's making it so difficult for her. Do you know any tricks around that?"

"I most certainly do." She smiled proudly. "If telling him 'no' and 'Im engaged' doesn't work then she should try a different approach."

"What?"

"Make yourself as unappealing as possible!" She raised a fist clenched.

"Unappealing huh?"

She nodded. "Act as rude and bratty as possible. Make yourself look a mess. Act lazy and boring. Treat him like a rat! He'll lose interest if he doesn't think she's worth the effort."

Your eyes widened. That could work! Douma said he was chasing you because you're the first one to act like this towards him. Maybe becoming boring and like the others for just a little while would make him lose interest.

"That's good but what if that doesn't work?"

"Oh that's easy. Make sure to give them an impossible ultimatum involving their weak points. If there's one thing a man loves more than a pretty face it's his pride and money. Make them buy expensive things until they know they'll be broke. Or give them an impossible challenge. Like she won't marry him unless he challenges Kokushibo and wins. And stick to it. Eventually they'll give up and look elsewhere for a wife."

"That's also a great idea!! But...what if that doesn't work either?"

"Then show him you see no value in him. Give all your attention to other men. Show him what a low piece of mold you think he is to everyone else. No man would ever think of taking a wife who'd never see him as even an equal. He'd be a laughing stock if he dared take a wife like that."

You lit up smiling. "Daki, I don't know if anyone's told you but you're a dam genius!"

He hummed pleased whipping her long ponytail back with a hand. "Naturally I am. I'm not just beauty....Even if I am the most beautiful woman around.~"

You nodded."I'll be sure to send her a letter soon but can I ask for another favor?" She looked at you. "I need a complete make over. And I know just what I want to look like."

Daki lit up immediately.

**********************

"It's part of the plan." You inhaled and slowly exhaled. "It's all a part of the plan. By gods I feel like I'm in a sauna."

You repeated that mantra and cursed insults in your annoyed brain as you (attempted to) walk with Daki down the halls the very next day. Only this time you were starting to regret the idea of letting her give you a make over although you appreciated her unknowingly letting her hang out with her until around the time Rui got back from school the other day. This time you were sure to get up rather early and sneak out to Daki's room before Douma could even arrive. The first attempts to engage your plans.

First plan. Act and behave like all the other girls here and bath all the others in attention. If you did that then surely Douma would soon see you weren't standing out anymore and then he'd lose interest and then he'd move on to whatever peaked his interest. And by giving someone like Gyutaro attention instead he might back off even more not wanting to upset someone he seemed to care about!

But by gods the thick make up and layers of clothing was starting to irritate you. You had to grin and lie to Daki saying how beautiful you thought she made you look and said you so wanted to show Gyutaro her hard work. She beamed at the thought and immediately agreed to take you to him. He was apparently spending time with Gyutaro today sparing and catching up with his sensai figure. Perfect. You barely contained a smug grin when she walked your slightly wobbly self outside and to a large platform where Gyutaro was with a certain blonde. Gyutaro seemed bored but politely listened to what Douma jabbered on about. Something about giving a school more funding for a trip to study human culture..or something?? You nearly froze seeing Douma there and nearly bolted again when Daki called out to them both and waved. Both looked over and stared at you two. Ok! Deep breaths. Here we go.

"Brother! Douma!" Daki waved a full arm excitedly at them as you walked closer. "We've come to watch you fight!"

"We? Who the hell is with you?," He rose a brow at you. Ah. Akaza didn't recognize you at first either with the full get up on but as you got closer he paused.... looked you up and down. And then stopped on your very familiar purple eyes. "...Eh?"

"Y/n wanted to come see you too. And doesn't she look so pretty Brother? Aren't you going to compliment her?!"

Gyutaro seemed to flounder a bit as Douma hummed and tilted his head at you. You steeled yourself. Ok! This was it! Show time. Act natural. Just like Daki showed you when asked. You took a breath to calm yourself before smiling.

"Oh, Gyutaro." Said demon blinked and froze as you walked right past Douma and up to him before reaching out to grab his hand. "When your sister told me you'd be training today I just knew I had to watch! You're just so strong and I couldn't resist seeing your strength in action.~"

Gyutaro completely froze. Daki blinked surprised....but then lit up in absolute glee! Douma blinked interested and tilted his head again.

"I- You- Um...W-What are you- HMMMM?!" He immediately turned red when you brought his hand to your cheek and placed it there.

Was that going too far? Maybe. Would it smudge your makeup? Definitely. Did you care Douma was watching? HELL NO! You were going to make it clear to him you weren't interested. And rub it in his face.

"I always knew you were so strong being Upper Moon Six. And you have such a smart and beautiful sister. And you're so cute to me. I just wanted to see you again.~"

Gyutaro looked about ready to die or faint at this point and gulped slowly his face a redder shade than apples. He opened his mouth but jolted as you leaned your face up and kissed his cheek. Leaving a bright red kiss mark from the lipstick Daki slapped on you.

"My good luck token to you!~ I love it when you're so nice to me.~"

"Hhhhhhuuhhhhhhh..." It seemed his brain stopped working as he stood there redder than a cherry.

"Oh how sweet of our little fiance.~ Have you come to wish us both luck, Dear?~"

You ignored Douma and decided to amp up the act by letting go of his hand and grabbing his entire face to pull down and start kissing him all over. Behind you Daki beamed proudly at 'her matchmaking skills'. Douma's smile...got a bit smaller blinking a bit.

"MWAH! MWAH! MWAH!" You exaggerated every kiss to his nose, his cheeks, his forehead his eyelids, and then the biggest kiss to his mouth. You made sure to exaggerate it the most by pulling a bugged eyed demon closer to you. "MMMMMMMWAH!" You pulled away from him and smiled at his kiss marks all over his face and batted your lashes. "Good luck my dearest.~"

"Oh, Darling.~ You must be in such a better mood now! Every other time you seemed on edge whenever I saw you.~"

You on purpose didn't respond to him at first only cooing over Gyutaro's frozen blank form before giving the most deadpanned, bored,and annoyed face you could muster before looking up at Douma. ....You looked him up and down before raising a single brow.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I know you. Have we met before?"

Douma paused. The hand fanning himself paused...he blinked..... before he smiled again. "Ah! It's understandable you would forget. I'm Douma dear.~'' He purred slightly bowing his head. "I'm one of the men courting you. Remember?"

"Oh...Mmm. Sorry you must be mistaken. I have no courting gift from anyone named Douma." And you made sure you didn't by giving Daki that lotus bloom comb as a present. She loved it and added it to her hoard of jewelry. "I don't recall you either. Are you one of the men who serve at the Kizuki Dwell?"

"I am Upper Moon Two dear." He smiled wider at you. "I don't serve but I help others find their eternal paradise-"

"Oh that's nice." You said quickly before looking back at Gyutaro. "I'll be rooting for you to win.~ But I must go have tea with one of the nobles. I get so many offers for tea and gifts I must thank them all. And I need to touch up my makeup since it smeared. You have a wonderful time my proud fighter.~"

You then turned smiling and stuck your nose high like a noble woman before as gracefully as you could in the get up walk away haughty. Douma watched you go with confused eyes as you walked away. Gyutaro ended up falling down on his behind staring off at nothing red faced and face covered in red lipstick kiss marks. Daki squealed in delight.

"This is it! I knew she liked you!! I'll finally have a sister! BETTER! I CAN BE AN AUNT!! YOU'LL BE MARRIED AND ILL BE IN A BEAUTIFUL DRESS AND PLAN THE CEREMONY!!"

Douma only blinked between her and Gyutaro before watching you disappear inside. ".....Maybe it's my fan blocking her view of my face? Is that why she doesn't remember?....Must be! I'll try again without it later!"

You couldn't wait til you got back to your room to change for now. It was getting late in the day and you had something else to take care of. You stopped a servant on the way there and gave them an order.

"Did you keep a record of everyone who sent me gifts or invites as a Kizuki Bride?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Please send everyone who sent me a gift a rose along with a formal thank you. And please send everyone who sent me an invitation a rose too along with my personal apologies for declining but Im under too much stress settling in for now."

"Yes ma'am. I'll contact the local florists immediately to make arrangements!"

Sakura approached you because you ignored her invitation and because she became jealous of not being the first Bride in three thousand years. You don't need enemies. You'd have to fix everything. First thing is to pacify everyone who might do the same thing Sakura did if they feel offended enough to attack you. Now onto your second problem. Sakura herself. You didn't need to have someone like her breathing down your neck so you'd send an apology AND warning. As soon as you got back to your room you grabbed something random lying about. You picked up a random golden trimmed hand held mirror. One of the random gifts you were given and hadn't given to Daki along with a letter that was a clear message-

'Sakura,

I'm most likely the last person you want to speak to concerning what happened weeks ago but I aim to clear this matter up. I apologize for everything I put you through but you should be aware of what you did. You are jealous of a woman, Me, who doesn't know you. And whom you don't know. I might be engaged to some of the Kizuki but you literally had NO idea if one of those people was Karaku. In fact I don't consider myself engaged to him at all!! I realize you sent me an invite which I ignored but I have my own reasons for that so accept my apologies for that as well along with this gift.

I'm not your friend but Im not your enemy as well. I don't know Karaku and whatever business you have with him is strictly between you and Karaku and you two only. You must remember that. But you also must realize that you are in the wrong. YOU attacked a Kizuki you're superior. YOU were the one who engaged the trouble first. YOU were almost killed as punishment for your actions. Which I stopped because I don't wish you any severe harm.

I don't expect you to apologize to me and I don't want you too. I'm sending this to show you that I have no intentions of telling your parents or your Master of what you've done. Just know that I don't want you to take your jealousy out on someone who isn't even involved with your love life. However if you are to attack or threaten me in any manner again like that, I'll be informing your parents and your Superiors about what happened.

-I think you know who I am'

You then called for a servant and handed her the mirror and letter. "There's a noble woman named Sakura. Make sure these things are delivered to her as soon as possible."

There! Two problems done with! Now only a hundred more to go. Sigh.

"Mother?" You looked up at Rui who blinked confused at you just arriving back home. "Why are you wearing that?"

"It's a long story."

The next day was a little similar to the next. You went out in fancy attire. And by that you dressed yourself up somewhat fancy as Daki wasn't around to help you doll up so you dolled yourself up as best as you could with what you could before Douma could be here. Which he was again. You expected him this time and was ready for him. So when he opened the door and you didn't run immediately he was pleased with himself.

"Hello, Darling. I must say you clean up nicely.~ You're absolutely ravishing today.~". He complimented you as he clapped his hands. You didn't even look at him. Just deadpanned look at the ground and bored fanned yourself. "Perhaps we could discuss our engagement finally. I wanted to start off with an apology for the-"

He blinked as you slowly walked around him ignoring him completely and just walked out the door. ....He stared at the door for a moment longer before following behind. You didn't even turn around as he easily caught up with you and smiled.

"As I was saying, I apologize for the lack of gifts that satisfy you. I was hoping you would do me the honors of telling me what you'd rather have me bring you." You didn't answer. Didn't look. Only acted like he wasn't even there. "Darling, are you half asleep and can't hear me? Or are you lost in thought?"

You still didn't answer which was hard to do since he was so annoying but you persisted. However that plan changed once you rounded a corner and spotted none other than Enmu there. He seemed to be minding his own business just casually talking to one of the male servants around here. Now THAT gave you an idea! Show time again. You calmly shut your fan and ignoring Douma's talking sped walked towards Enmu. Of course Douma followed still talking.

"ENMU!!," you called out loudly waving your hand at him and instantly catching his attention.

Enmu smiled and turned to you. "Ah, Begonia! Lord Douma. So nice to see you both again! I must say I wasn't expecting to see you all so early today since you were so busy running the entirety of the kingdom in Master's place. How-"

He didn't get a chance to finish that before two arms suddenly engulfed him in a hug as you hugged him tightly. "Oh I missed you! You're always working so hard and long to provide for so many people!" You pulled away and smiled at him. "You must be so exhausted doing such an important job."

Enmu... blinked at you. "My dear. Do not be offended when I ask this...But are you feeling alright today?"

No. I have an annoyance tailing me. You smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? Im with you." Enmu blinked again as you grabbed him by the cheeks and squished them cooing. "And such pretty markings on your face. I never noticed what pretty colors your eyes are."

"Actually it's 'color', Dear. His is only one color. Mine on the other hand are many colors."

"I love how you look. I love the pink tiny to your hair. And the strength you have. And-"

You stopped when Enmu's hand was placed on your forehead. "You're not running a fever. Are you having any allergic reactions to the make up you're wearing? Or did you perhaps hit your head lately? You're acting very unlike you this morning."

Ah shit. Did he have to say that?! You couldn't let your plan be blown now! You narrowed your eyes before letting his cheeks go.

"AH!!"

Enmu squealed as something kicked his leg out from under him making him fall until you grabbed his coat front in a dip and glared just a few inches from his face. "Am I acting like me now?" You snarled before ultimately kissing him.

Douma watched blankly as she dipped the lower Moon and kissed him full on. His teal eyes bugging out comically .. before they slowly closed the longer she kissed him. This was....new. What was he supposed to do? Should he be quiet and let them finish or say something? Oh! Maybe he'd get a kiss afterwards! Of course she must be greeting the fiances she knows more first! His turn would be soon after!

You pulled away leaving a nice kiss mark on his lips still glaring. "Anything wrong to you, Dear?"

"Nope!" Enmu giggled like a little lunatic and flushed a pink while staring lovesick at you. "Your lio muscles are as strong as ever.~...But your reflexes I'm not so sure." He smiled wider. "Mind if I test them?~"

"Oh absolutely. I'll even give you a demonstration for your diagnosis."

Enmu blanked. He wasn't expecting anything from the flirt he just gave. "....What? AH-"

You took the next few moments just kidding him all over as Douma just...stood there staring. Until finally you deemed the amount enough and pulled the shocked demon to his feet and grabbing a hand of his and pressing one last kiss to the small mouth on his knuckles. The action made him jolt and stare at you holding said kissed hand before smiling and letting go.

"I'd like you to join me for dinner tonight if you're not busy. I'd love to hear all about your trains. Just the TWO of us. And NO ONE ELSE." You reached out and gave Enmu a pat on the cheek as he stood there staring at his hand. "See you at seven."

"Ah. Young love. Showing affection is a beautiful thing." A hand grabbed yours and brought it up making you finally look at the demon with your most deadpanned face again. "It's good to always reassure our loved ones of how much they mean to-"

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" He paused mouth open as your expression didn't change. "I mean....You look vaguely familiar...barely. Have I seen you here before?"

"....Why ..Yes! I introduced myself to you sometime ago-"

"Oh that's right! You're one of the servants here! They're always in such fancy uniforms." You WRETCHED your hand from his grip and turned away sharply. "Inform the cooks of my dinner plans and make it snappy! I don't want a mistake like last time! Or else Ill have everyone's jobs including yours! And send someone to clean my room!" You waved him off, stuck your nose in the air, and began walking off as snobby looking as you could not even looking back at Douma.

Both demons stood there as you walked away and went around a corner before Douma blinked again and looked at Enmu. "Perhaps she is sick?"

"I have no idea... B-B-But if she is....I wouldn't mind her giving me h-her colds.~"

Douma did not follow you after that. Or bothered you for the rest of the day but Enmu did join you and Rui for dinner and just in case you kept up the act with confused both Rui and Enmu whom asked if you ate something that could've made you sick lately. You were exhausted with this plan but it seemed to be working! Now to take an even bigger step forward. You slept in the makeup. By morning you looked quite a mess with it smeared all over your face and roughed up your hair to make it look worse. Perfect. You looked like you just got hit by a tornado and got back up again. Now to wait for Mister Bothersome to come by. And wouldn't you know it...He did. He came by right on time opening your door but paused at the sight of you. You just ignored his presence reading a book.

"Oh my. You look like you just woke up. And such a sight....Are you feeling alright? Perhaps you are sick?"

"Oh shut up and move away from my light you simpleton!" You channelled your inner snobby rich girl and made a face while snapping your fingers at him. "I feel just fine! I can look however I please! If anyone else finds this an eyesore then it's their problem!" You didn't even look up at him. "What are you here to bother me with?! My time is precious! More precious than your life!"

There was silence for a long moment but you still didn't look up at him. Not giving him the satisfaction of seeing your face.

"... I've just come to inform you a few other Kizuki will soon stay here for a while and I'll be gone for a while. If this is a bad time-"

"There was never a good time for you! And good! Maybe I'll have some time without you bothering me for a while so why don't you just leave already!?"

There was more silence and you still didn't look up.

"....Very well then. My apologies for bothering you. It won't happen again I assure you. There's just one last thing."

"WHAT?!"

"Daki is waiting for you outside the Dwell on the right side. You should go see her now. It's urgent."

"I'll see if I can spare some time. Now get out of my sight and close the door behind you if you can even do that!"

Douma said nothing but did slowly exit the room closing the door behind him leaving you willingly. You sat there for a while just standing there before slowly looking up and not seeing Douma in your room or hearing him. He....He left you alone. DOUMA ACTUALLY LEFT HIMSELF AND LEFT YOU ALONE!! IT ACTUALLY WORKED!! You were so happy you dropped the book into your lap and threw your hands up!

"Yes! Finally!"

After two weeks of weird makeup and dresses and acting like a bitch and sucking up so much to Gyutaro and Enmu whenever you saw them it all paid off!! Daki's advice actually worked. You'd have to thank her later. And you would after you go see her. But first you'd make yourself actually look decent. So washed off went the makeup and you fixed your hair and threw on a regular dress of yours. Then looking like your normal self again, you headed out to meet Daki. Only...It wasn't Daki that summoned you. When you stepped out onto the docks smiling and expecting to see Daki...You paused not seeing anyone there.

Slam.

You whipped around hearing the door close behind you softly and you froze. A man was standing there blocking the door from you and closing it off so it was just you...And Douma. The taller man smiled eerily down at your frozen body. For a long moment neither of you said anything.

SNAP!

A golden fan snapped out making you jump. "Apologies for lying to you, but it seems like you're doing much better. You clean up very nicely, Darling Fiance.~"

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" You immediately stepped back away from this creep. A glare sent at him as well as a hiss. "And stop calling me your fiance! No way I'd ever marry you!"

"Well I did admit your plan had me thrown off guard for a good while, but I figured after the first week it must've been an act. Your behavior switched so quickly for it to be anything else." You again paused stunned and he smiled wider. "But I couldn't be too sure until I got proof, and here you are. Oh darling. You didn't have to play hard to get you know. I only want to give you the devotion you deserve.~"

He knew it was an act the entire time!? And he knew exactly how to lure you out. And like a moth to a flame, you walked right into it. The fact that he didn't even bat an eye at you caused chills to run down your spine and freeze. Douma tilted his head amused at your reactions.

"I can say that I was amused at your attempts to fool me, but this has been going on for far too long. You ignored your true feelings and tried to mask them but now we can be adults and talk."

....You slowly deadpanned. "Talk huh? Talk about what?"

"Well we can start off with the constant rejection. It's rather rude you're not keeping anything I give you." He shuffled on his feet and you noticed that he stood at the edge of one side of the docks. "I'm not opposed to getting things more catered to your liked, but you could at least tell me what I can get you."

... Your eyes slowly looked back to him. Indifference sketched across your face in a way that he couldn't tell what you felt except maybe bored?? You were a very confusing and interesting person that was hard to figure out but he seemed to be getting better at it slightly.

"You want to get me something for me?," You spoke in a calm monotone voice that matched your face. You began stepping towards him and he tilted his head watching carefully as you stopped just in front of him. You had to strain your neck upwards just to look at him. "That's a bold statement."

"Oh not at all. I'd love nothing more than to gift you something from my heart.~" A hand pressed against his chest over the organ.

"You like to speak of love a lot. " His brows lifted higher as a hand pressed against his chest. He was so cold. Like ice in a blizzard. "Although I wonder if you know what the opposite of love is."

He shivered at the touch before smiling wider. "I believe the word oppositing love is widely known as hatred dear.~ " You stared at him. "I'm not sure what you experienced to make you so afraid of feeling, Darling, but fear not. Your savior is here."

He made to touch your face and you stopped him by grabbing his hand harshly compared to your blank face which caught him off guard. "You're wrong. The opposite of love isn't hate or anger. It's indifference. You can't even tell apart hate from love. You are truly then the opposite of the meaning of love in it's entirety."

Something hard suddenly kicked out one leg from Douma's body. A firm hand shoved him back. Douma blinked as his world tilted- And then there was a splash. You brought up your arms to shield yourself from the spray of droplets and blinked looking at the rippled water's surface...then blinked again. Wait...He didn't see that coming? Surely he must've saw it coming. He was smart enough to figure out everything else quickly. Did he seriously just allow you to push him in? Or did he legitimately not see that coming??

"EEP!!"

You squealed out as a soaked blue nailed hand reached out to grab onto the docks.A moment later Douma's soaked head appeared with his hair sticking all over him due to the water. A koi fish comically flopped in his mouth before he turned and spat it out and back into the water with a loud noise. He then slowly pulled himself out of the water and onto the docks sitting up on his knees. Both hands reached up to push all the hair from his face to smile at you.

"You seem to play very rough, Dear. Akaza-dono and yourself have that in coming.~" He hummed tilting his head. "You'll be an interesting one to pursue-"

Something rammed into him. He blinked arms waving as he lost his balance and then he again splashed back into the water as you turned and stomped off.

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callmearcturus · 9 months

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(Ok, sorry for the second ask, but it wasn't really the same topic so I didn't want to put it in the reblog. Anyway, I hope it doesn't come off too much as paranoid rambling)

People not looking for themes in DR part of a wider trend of people dismissing anything Tom makes out of hand. Of course, McQ is the director and the writer, but the public perception is based on Tom, whether that is right or not.

McQ said that they had always been underdogs, despite how ridiculous it seems that Tom is one given how big he is, but he's right: the public perception of Tom, and the films he makes, works again them being given anything more than a surface reading.

No one got the themes in this movie because no one was looking for them, because it's just a dumb TC flick. It used to be that people confused Tom with his characters, saying that he was just like that, because of course he couldn't act, basically since the og top gun. A very common analysis of MI in the media was that there was no story or character, that it was just all an elaborate metaphor for how great Tom thought he was, despite how little sense that makes.

Since Maverick, I feel like people have been less overtly dicks, but there's still this this undercurrent that there can be no themes because he's not enough of an artist to even think about that. Even now, I feel like part of the accusations of misogyny are in part because people think it's likelier that Tom, and by extension McQ, are misogynistic, than that they told a thematically rich story. And it's not just Ilsa stans, of course: there's very few reviewers or mainstream fans going beyond how fun the stunts are, despite Tom and McQ clamoring for ages that what matters are the characters.

It's not entirely surprising that people who are primarily fan of Ilsa fall into this pattern, but again, what a fucking pity

this is interesting to me bc it totally makes sense but i lack almost all context for it. see, my analytical horsefuckery background is mostly from thinking way too hard about video games and music, not tv or film because I went through a VERY VERY extended period where I would only watch, like, two movies a year. one tv show a year. that's not any kind of exaggeration.

(i'm now watching a lot more stuff like MI has broken a dam in my head, i feel like TC would be proud of that given his whole thing about "pls pls pls watch movies, movie good actually")

so my toolset isn't even coming from film, it's coming from gaymes. it is very sad that people who, presumably, think a lot about films just.... missed? everything MI is doing? it's doing a lot. i'm always a fan of (to be slightly reductive) 'low' art that is saying stuff.

it seems to be part of McQ and TC's methodology to lure ppl in with the promise of spectacle and then go "now while we have you here, we want to talk about the preservation of history in the face of an increasingly digitized culture". which, mad lads. huge fan of that tactic tbh.

#threeoaksy #mission impossible #dead reckoning spoilers

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wc-confessions · 1 year

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Original *I have an opinion about the feather drama and I don't care what others think* anon.

After doing some research, I still stand by my original statement.

No one culture (coloniser or indigenous) can copyright a biological item found in nature and declare THEY alone have jurisdiction of how it is worn or used.

HOWEVER.

I would like to make the very clear difference between a single feather and the enormous amount of significance that an item created for and by people with the intention of participating in a ceremony or sacred event has.

I'd also like to apologise if I came off aggressive in my first ask. I've recently been reading about Papua new Guinea and it's cultures (I plan to travel there one day hopefully) as well as the history behind the Irish famine and the lead up to it.

I mention this because i came here angry and for that I apologise because this topic is far more nuanced. (also considering the various other problematic issues that exists in warrior cats I felt that this wasn't as comparable as pedos in the fandom ect. I'm willing to say that I can see how this view itself IS also problematic and that comparing the 2 issues by the impact that they have on the wider community isent a good indication of their serverity if that makes sense?)

I'd like to add that the original poster of the Google document was dismissive and condescending towards other individuals whose cultures used feathers and voiced their opinions on the issue and that I looked at the issue with that at the forefront of my mind not the actual substance of the document (ad hominum on my part).

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense but I I wanted to let you all know.

Warrior cats should NEVER be drawn with native American troditonal headdresses or war bonnets (or worn by others as I've learned that leaders had to earn their feathers)

Again I apologise for being antagonistic and for not being more sensitive about the topic and coming with an agenda as opposed to having an open discussion. Many cultures use feathers and their practices should be respected.

In regards to the annon asking about certain leaves and flowers having cultural significance in ceremonies I found some interesting articles below that detail a few.

https://www.inkaterra.com/blog/coca-leaf-reading/

https://naturecollective.org/plant-guide/details/sacred-datura/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1988790/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12231-018-9410-x

https://www.fao.org/3/XII/0087-A1.htm

This is going to be the final post on this matter and I mean it this time.

Thank you anon for coming back to express your thoughts in a more calm and eloquent manner, and thanks for the articles, they're certainly interesting!

Education on these subject manners is important and we should all strive to educate ourselves better.

~ Mod Lichenbark

#warrior cats #not a confession

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tenebrisdivina · 6 months

Text

On Channeling Part 1

I wanted to discuss a little about channeling as a concept and practice, as well as some advice for those who are interested in having another channel for them. This is 2 parts as there is quite a lot to say- as someone who has quite a bit of experience with channeling- for clients professionally and also just normally for a good number of years.

(I will refer to the person who is channeling the being; as variously a host or horse in this topic)

One of the biggest things I don’t think some realize is that the term “channeling” can mean different things to different practitioners. There are also different types of channeling and different stages within those types of channeling.

So what is channeling?

Well at its most basic; it is a term it seems to indicate the practice/art of someone acting as medium; to pass on messages from a spirit/god/otherworldy being to a human (whether it is for yourself or others). It is most often thought of as happening due to the spirit inhabiting the body of the medium, in order to be able to pass on the message and/or energies. This is what most people think of when the topic of “channeling” comes up.

Because “channeling” in the broadest sense (by the above definition), can be seen to cover a wide range of practices (wider than what the colloquial understanding and definition suggests.) This can lead to some misunderstanding and confusion when it is discussed, or when someone sees someone saying they are “channeling a being” online such as in a blog post, discord chat, social media post or forum for example. Not all such “channeling” (by the colloquial definition) needs to or even includes bodily trance possession on the part of the host/medium.

In an effort to clarify the vernacular here; I would and do define actual channeling as specifically trance possession- which is bodily and/or trance possession of the “horse” host by the being/deity. This usually involves heavy entrainment with the being/deity/spirit/entity and sharing to varying degrees - your body, mind, energies etc with that being at varying levels of awareness and consciousness in trance. It can be partial or full body. It can be used to convey a messages or energies, for worship, ritual purposes or for some other reason. Partial possession for example is also known as transvocation in demon work. Channeling is not merely the act of using one’s spirit sense to perceive or translate a spirit/deity/entity- this is most often known as mediumship. This is not the same thing as bodily possession or trance possession.

Other methods such as divination or readings (which can be “channeled” guidance from a spirit or deity etc) would fall more under mediumship. As would receiving, passing on and “translating” messages from the divine/spirits etc in clairaudient (or other psychic sensory) conversation. Sometimes this is also known as “godphoning” - which is in fact something quite a few practitioners can truly do. This is a real and legitimate phenomena despite what some social media would have you believe.

At most I would consider such things ( divination/readings/”godphoning”) to be a quite light channel (in the spectrum of channeling practices). This is because in such mediumship practices; the hosts are most often still within their own minds, paradigm/beliefs, energies and so the interpretation of the “messages” they receive is done by the conscious awareness ( which includes the mind- limitations, ego/personality, energy body’s “cleanliness” and specific paradigm or beliefs which breeds specific perspectives of what the spirits energies mean- all of this is specific to each individual). It almost most likely means a less impartial and more biased “channel”. This then interferes with the accuracy and “clarity” of the messages. As the hosts in “mediumship practices” have not generally attuned very closely to the spirits/entities/divine beings energy, nor have they gotten beyond their own mindset and energies, there is practically no merging with the energies of the deity/spirit/entity being channeled. Instead- like in the case of clairaudient conversation- it really is just a conversation and the “medium” relaying what they “hear” and along with that their (conscious/unconscious and energetic) interpretation of it- even if the host doesn’t recognize that is what they are doing.

While this is not without its benefits, one may as well converse with the entity yourself (in whatever limited capacity) if you actually want an accurate message that is relevant to you and your circumstances- which tbh is probably likely why one would seek a channel from another. This is not to say such things may not be useful at some point, but it is helpful to be aware of what is actually going on here. And tbh this “channeling” type etc is usually what people are referring to when they say they are “channeling” a being - openly in social media places- unless stated otherwise (which can also happen). It is very unlikely to find someone full body trance possessed and channeling on social media unless it is specifically stated (even then I feel it should be taken with a large grain of salt because you don’t truly know what the person is doing, what level of channeling they are at etc and it can be very hard to tell especially for beginners and those who are not great at reading discerning energies.) Even then I recognize it is most likely at a more “mental” level of “blending” the two energies rather then completely “in the trunk.” Again such “light channeling” mediumship is not without its merit- this type of “channeling” but it should be taken with a grain of salt, unless you know the person/host well and agree with their perspectives and paradigms. Even then there are still unknown factors at play- given its fairly impossible to known simply from what people present- as to how their energy body and psychic senses works and if there are any blocks etc.

This distinction between mediumship and actual channeling is also due to being because of how channeling works on an energy perspective and the levels of it.

How Channeling Works and the Levels of It

( for more explanation of the levels of channeling, bodily possession please see this wonderful article on it linked here https://embervoices.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/possession-trance-experience-spectrum)

(I want to make this abundantly clear here; this is a very brief overview of channeling this is not an instruction manual, it is not a how-to and I am not responsible for anyone foolish enough to attempt this after reading this post- if you channel at this level you are your own responsibility no one else’s, not the beings you are channeling, not the person you are channeling for. Nor will I teach how to do this either)

To explain in more detail; the steps of actual channeling (these can be kind of blended and happening simultaneously);

The host getting into trance/ out of your head and ego paradigm, as much as possible.

the host’s entrainment/attunement to a being’s energy (quite heavily).

Then the energy of the deity/being/spirit then needing to pass through the humans energy field; which also includes; ego, paradigm, blocks, energy distortions etc in the hosts energies and the hosts psychic senses (depending on how open they are).

the “information” the deity is giving the person then needs to be “translated” by the psychic senses and “mind” to then be put forth into a message, information for the client/person on the receiving end.

The “information” that the deity gives the person is not often auditory or words, it can be a feeling, visions, or other sensory factors. The reason for the heavy entrainment then in the beginning, is so that the host can be properly attuned to as accurately as possible “translate” the energy for a particular “audience”. This often involves the host “getting out of their own way.” This means that the host needs to get out of their own head and be as disconnected from ego and sense of self and personal paradigms as they possibly can in order to be a clear channel for the deity being. This involves deep trance work and not interpreting things from an egoic perspective.

Now not everyone cares about or is even capable of a clear/clean channel (a channel without ego/paradigm influencing it- as much as can be) and not everyone who attempts to channel actually can. As to actually channel requires work, practice and training- not many are clear enough and know their own self and energies enough to be able to have such a clear channel of energies. Nor can most people immediately get into the depth of trance often needed for this without training. Those that can also have to learn really strong boundaries more so then usual and energy work, as it can be a problem for them.

If the “ego” and “paradigms” of the host are not removed from the picture (as much as they can do- as there will always be some aspect of this in channeling unless it is a full body possession and the host is “in the trunk”, even then there are still the hosts energy’s to contend with). Then the message will be filtered through the persons ego, energies and paradigm. This is then therefore not a clear message straight from the divine/spirit etc and bias is present. This is why the trance training, dropping from conscious mind where the ego is most active and clearing/cleansing your energies is so important (especially in a clear channeling).

Dangers of Full Body Trance Possession Channeling

This is also why actual full body channeling is so dangerous. Because of the entities energies colliding and conglomerating with the hosts can trigger things in the host they were not even aware of, they could create or be interrupted by blocks and distortions- which would lead to an even less clear message, or energies passing through. Channeling at this level can also physically damage your body- for a deity/being doesn’t “fit” or moves differently- which most do. It is also extremely draining. There can also be the issue if triggers are present in a person’s energy body- especially for someone with unprocessed trauma, since trauma lives in the body. And tbh almost everyone on this earth has some level of trauma simply from being alive.

Actual channeling with possession- even partial possession can have potentially long-lasting damage and while many people do channel safely and successfully; it is vital before pursuing such work (full body trance possession channeling practices) to have a very solid confidence and foundation in certain areas. Channeling like this is a very advanced practice. One should have a great confidence and know well the entity/beings you are working with and their energies, knowing your own self, personality, shadows, energies and cognitive processes inside out, knowing why you even want to pursue this. One should also have a solid foundation in cleansing, banishing (from inside yourself- not externally) grounding, warding, energy work and shielding processes (and a number of different ways of doing so). A note on banishing; it is done for safety, to be able to draw your consciousness back out of trance and to be able to kick a being out if needed. Note though “kicking a being out” only works on “lesser” entities- you can’t often force a god level being out. You can tell them though that you have had enough( if you are conscious enough to do so) and likely they will leave - unless there is a specific purpose they need to accomplish in being there- then they will leave once that is done.

Also knowing your own shadow very well and triggers if trauma is something to consider. Honestly though I strongly suggest not pursuing channeling (esp on this level) if you have unprocessed trauma- as it will most often make it worse- especially if your trauma or triggers are with dissociation- then it will definitely make it worse. Obligatory disclaimer: if you do have such considerations and choose to pursue it, then know how to handle it well- but that is at your own risk and responsibility- no one else’s and certainly not the beings you are inviting in. One should also be skilled at energy work and manipulation, as well as strong boundaries and the ability to enforce them Another thing to consider is also that sometimes and entity/deity won’t leave when you want them to and knowing how to handle that as well is important.

Metaphor for Channeling

Channeling practice can be thought of in metaphor of; a clear strong current of water/waterfall flowing down a mountain (the divine/spirit energy and the message they are trying to give is the waterfall/clear/strong and the mountain is the host and their energy body). This clear stream of water must flow down the mountain and reach the bottom for the “message to be translated and passed on.” Along the way, the water may encounter rubble, rocks blocking its way, deep pits in the ground where it could get trapped, it can get tainted and muddy and by the time it reaches the bottom – if it even does, the clarity has been distorted and it is a muddy trickle, rather than the waterfall ( the divine/spirit original level) it originated as.

All these deep pits, the rocks, ravines ,trees and other things blocking the waters way- are the energy body of the host and their “ego” personality and paradigm are what make the water muddy and distorted. Now in channeling there is no way that the energy will remain completely pure and unadulterated- even the best channeler will still have some time of “influence” over the message even if by the nature of their energy. So going directly to the spirit/ god etc by yourself will be a clearer message for the most part. But for those who are not as capable of receiving messages from the gods/ spirits directly then having a channel done by someone experienced is a good option. So long as the parties involved are aware of the possible “muddiness” of the messages.

Entities in Channeling

Something else I wanted to clarify in regards to the entities being channeled- you cannot truly force a being to be channeled if they do not want to, asking their permission is best practice. Many a host will have certain vibrations of energies or entities they channel best, not everyone can channel every or anybody. Some hosts are more flexible then others and can channel a wide variety of beings. It can also be something that is learnt by hosts. Hosts may also have certain arrangements and agreements with certain beings to channel them. It is often a good idea for a host to give some kind of offering to the being they are channeling as it helps the being to have energy for the channel and connect. It does sound like a weird concept but full body possession channeling can be extremely draining. Some entities energy is simply not compatible with humans, so they drain more from the host or they simply cannot be channeled. I have even had a being I channeled feed from me while I was channeling them- because she was a goddess; we had to set up a cycle of feeding for her and I had to be covered in sigils before channeling her, for my safety. Even if a being does not deliberately feed off you, having an offering for them anyway is a good idea as it helps with the energy drain.

Also it is very common misconception that people think they are being possessed by the full entity. That is almost never the case- unless it is a quite small spirit. Deities, deity-level beings and demonic divine beings- it is never full possession- as their full form cannot fit within a humans body. Most deities, demonic divine actually find channeling at this level quite uncomfortable. I have even had some demonic divine beings say they specifically hate it. For these large beings- god level, divine, demonic divine at most – the amount of energy you are getting is equivalent to a finger tip of their energy - if even that.

For example some demonic divine and deities or other entities energy is so strong that they are not in you at all- even with full body possession channeling on a human level- the beings are merely near you and you may be in their “aura” and tbh most often it is that level on the demonic divine/ entities part.

On the perspective of automatic writing- that is still also a light channeling as the being can just be moving your hand/arm etc by pushing it around, not by actually having the energy inhabit it. Though automatic writing/drawing is a good practice to help someone’s ego mind get out of the way and let the energies come through.

There is also forced possession- which I won’t go into a lot of depth here. Basically the deity/being forcibly possesses a human (not the other way round ). Usually, the human must be energetically on some way “hollowed- out” or “open” energetically for this to happen, they could also be injured energetically if it’s like parasite possession, shadow aspect possession etc. It is extremely, extremely rare that a deity, God level being, demonic divine being would do so. Mostly when they do it is for a specific reason and purpose once that purpose is done they leave. And this would be a type of possession that is likely the host could not kick the being out of themselves. There are also levels and a spectrum of which trance can happen; light to deep- deep trance being the host is basically unconscious and it is easier for them to be “in the trunk.” To get to that level meditation and trance journey work, some shamanic practices and understanding can help.

(Part 2 can be found here)

#demonic divine #spirit work #channeling #mysticism #metaphysics #energy work #dark pagan #witchblr #paganblr #deity work #demonolatry #theistic satanism

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