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star-maiden · 3 years

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Oracle of November - Healing and Personal Growth

Theme: What is needed for your highest growth and healing?

Hello and welcome! This week we are seeing a bit of a change with my readings! (Don’t worry. I will still do the Tarot Forecast). With everything that has been happening in the world recently, I think many of us are noticing a shift in energy. People are fearful, worried, anxious, angry, and all the shades of feeling that come in between. This week, I was inspired to do this oracle reading focusing on the themes of healing, self care and what we need to focus on to become the best, brightest version of ourselves. I asked Spirit to share messages that we needed to hear at this time to support our highest growth and healing, and in general help us handle everything that is happening in the world in a healthy and supportive way. As with all of my readings for the collective, these messages are meant for a wide range of people, life paths and situations. It is general outlook advice. As such, you may find that not everything resonates with you completely, and that is ok. Please take only what resonates and leave the rest. You will also want to check your sun, moon and rising signs for the message or messages that are meant for you. I sincerely hope that these messages will serve your highest and greatest good, and assist you in making wise, informed decisions. May you be safe and supported at all times!

⭐ Another deviation from my usual modus operandi this week is that instead of my tarot cards, I will be using an oracle deck. This is fairly unusual for me because I tend to only use my oracle deck in private readings for myself or with clients. However, I feel that this particular oracle is best suited to the task of providing us with the messages that will be most supportive at this time. If you guys like the oracle reading, I may start doing a monthly oracle for the collective. Please let me know if you would be interested in seeing that! This deck is the Starseed Oracle by Rebecca Campbell and Danielle Noel.

General Message: The general message for the entire collective at the moment is The Void. Stop. Embrace Winter. The Great Cosmic Womb. The message of this card tells us to surrender to the unknown. Trust that just because we do not have all the answers and cannot see every little thing that is happening beneath the surface, it doesn’t mean that something is not at work. We will all be best served by taking a sacred pause at this time. Rest, replenish and prepare ourselves to move forward in action again when the time is right.

♈ - Aries: The Great Severing. Mars energy. Anger. Conflict. Softening to love. For you this month, Aries, I am sensing that there is a rift that needs to be mended. This may be a conflict with loved ones or acquaintances, or it may be an internal conflict that you have been struggling with. This card is one of shadow work and confronting anything in our lives that make it difficult to feel connected to love, and supported in our work/daily lives. This card is appearing to tell you that it’s ok to feel the way that you do, even if the emotions may seem negative. In order to move away from hurt and anger, we have to go through the experience and process of feeling these things. Whatever is coming up for you, acknowledge it, process your feelings by allowing the experience. It doesn’t make you “weak” or incapable in any capacity, it makes you human. Still, do not feel ashamed of your reaction to difficult emotions. Wanting to hide away, to close your heart off and to protect yourself from further pain is normal. However, when this happens, it’s important for you to acknowledge what is happening and consider the reasons why. Do what you need to do to move through the experience of your emotions. It may be that you need some time for yourself, or that you need to talk to someone you trust, or even that you need to seek professional support. All of this is perfectly ok. Take care of yourself, Aries.

♉ - Taurus: Soul Plan. The Fated Life Vs the Destiny Life. Taurus, right now you need to remember your roots and your strength. What was it about your character, personality or spirit that has carried you so far already? You have wandered away from yourself, and have not been standing in your power. This card is telling you that you have not lost your strength, but rather you have forgotten. Sometimes, when we find ourselves in unfamiliar situations, or on a path to which the destination is unclear, we experience doubt and fear. This is ok to feel, but don’t let it rob you of your agency. You are being called to remember the strength of your soul and the inspiration of your spirit. What can you accomplish when you lead from a place of love, rather than an illusion created by fear?

♊ - Gemini: Messenger. Sirius Energy. Bringing Harmony and Balance. The message for you this month, and the way that you can support your highest growth and healing right now rests in the power of your voice. This is the power of your mind and your words to create and communicate. It may even be that you are not the one in need of healing at this time, but that you are being called to act as a mediator for someone else. The message of this card is that there are certain souls on this planet who are here to spend their lifetimes uplifting the collective energy, and to be the guardians of balance and harmony. Their life path or purpose, in this sense, is to help the collective recognize the connections that tie us together. This includes connections between people, people and the planet, with spirit and the divine. It is possible that you are one of these souls tasked with holding this frequency of pure love. There may be a special calling or work that you feel drawn to, or you could simply be meant to live your life with great love and intention, leading by example. This month, consider how you can create balance in your life? Who does this benefit? How does creating balance take care of you? Be sure not to create this balance at the detriment of your own well being, though.

♋ - Cancer: Loosen Your Grip. Coping Mechanisms. Destiny. Addictions. Let God In. This card is appearing to let you know that there is something, a feeling, habit or idea, that you have been holding onto too tightly. It is likely that you have used this thing as a coping mechanism; as a way to distract yourself from the things that are not going well in your life, or to cover a vulnerable aspect of yourself. This is not supportive for you, and has become a hindrance to your growth and happiness. It is time to let go, and to trust yourself and the experience you are having now. You are strong and capable, and can meet any challenge with grace and ease. Do not let fear tell you otherwise. Call in support if you need to. The oracle book says this: “Loosening your grip doesn’t mean that what you are clinging to will go away. It may. Or it might stay. But you can be sure that what is for you will find you.” Take this time to let go of anything that is not serving you, or that is destructive in any way. Letting go is part of the healthing process.

♌ - Leo: Star Bathing. Light Body. Crystal Grid. Transmission. Activation. I’m hearing a question for you, Leo. Spirit is saying “Where do you shine?”. In what ways do you feel most inspired to show up in the world? In what ways do you feel stifled? This card is asking you to consider what has been going on recently in your life. Is there anything that makes you feel especially drained, or reluctant? If so, it could be that it is not meant for you and needs to be let go. It could also mean that you are spending too much time focusing on outward actions, and not enough time doing things that are meaningful and restorative for you. Evaluate your feelings and energy levels. Take things slow. Is there anything that needs to change?

♍ - Virgo: Earth School. Life Lessons. Soul Growth. Study. Higher Learning. There is something that you need to learn, a karmic lesson perhaps. What has been showing up for you again and again? Virgo, pay attention to any patterns that may appear in your life right now. This is a sign that you need to pay special attention to these areas as it is time to mend them. This card also asks you to consider your perspective on any difficulties that show up in your life right now. You may find them easier to handle if you think of them as opportunities for growth, rather than “getting something wrong”. This month, consider: How are you being called to grow and learn?

♎ - Libra: Earth Pulsing. Pulse of the Mother. Slow Down. Time in Nature. Wow, Libra! Spirit’s message for you came through so clear! This month, you need to focus on self care. If you have recently found yourself in a cycle of “go, go, go” and are feeling a bit tired, then it’s time to rest. It’s time for you to reconnect with nature, with yourself, with the earth energy. When you take time for yourself, you allow for stagnant energy to fall away, and open yourself up to receiving more energies of love and inspiration from the universe.

♏ - Scorpio: You’re not for Everyone. Embrace Your Weirdness. Face Your True North. The message of this card tells you that you shouldn’t try to fit in or conform to anyone’s perception of who you are. Rather, you should focus on being true to yourself, and showing up in the world in a way that makes you happy. Sometimes, this is difficult for others to accept. Most often, it is the people who are closest to us that carry the strongest opinions of who we should be, and it can sometimes result in conflicts and disbelief whenever we uncover a side of ourselves that was previously hidden. Others may not agree with our choices or styles, but this is ok. We need to learn to be ok with each other's differences, and if someone cannot accept you for who you are, then it is a waste of your time and energy to try and convince them otherwise. In life, there will always be people who don’t like you because you don’t fit in the box that they have created to categorize and understand the world around them. This isn’t your fault or problem to fix. For every person that dislikes you, there is also someone else who will love you fiercely and stand up for you should you need it. Seek out these people. Don’t waste your time and gifts trying to make someone else see your worth. If they can’t see it already, it’s their loss.

♐ - Sagittarius: You are Not Alone. Isolation. Physical Connection. Community. With this card, Sagittarius, I am hearing that perhaps you have been spending too much time in your head. You may have withdrawn into yourself to deal with something, or to protect yourself from pain or conflict. In fact, many people find it deeply nourishing and healing to pull back from the buzz of the world, go within and rest. It is a great tool of self care, and a wonderful way to take care of ourselves when we feel overwhelmed. However, we can also spend too much time alone. If we stay withdrawn to the point that we are completely isolated from everything and everyone around us, then this can also be draining and damaging. Right now, it may not be safe for you to venture out and you’ll want to consider your personal health and safety when making decisions. One great tool that we have is technology. If you have been feeling isolated and alone, reach out on social media or to your friends via technology. How can you reach out to the people in your life to feel more supported?

♑ - Capricorn: Forge. Don’t Follow. Be the leader you wish you had. This month, Capricorn, you are being called to heal and mend something that happened in the past. This may be something that happened to you or to someone around you. Pave a new path forward by leading by example. Is there something that occurred in the past that you feel was handled poorly? This could also be in reference to social justice and equity. How can you be a leader in this situation? The book says “the most courageous and needed leaders are the ones who don’t wait for permission, or until they wake up feeling ready. They take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other, and figure it out as they go.” This is a powerful message. Like Gemini’s message, I’m sensing that it may not be you who needs healing at this time. It may be that you are being called to light the way for someone else. If no one is stepping up to the plate on topics that you are passionate about, then forge your own way. If this is something that you feel very strongly about, then no one else would be able to meet your goal with the same level of skill, passion, experience and unique perspective as you can. How are you being called to lead right now?

♒ - Aquarius: Big Picture Thinking. Pleiades Energy. Visionary. Inspired Ideas. You are being called to bring healing and renewed energy into your life through your creativity and inspiration. Is there an area of your life that feels stagnant and watered down? If so, then it is time to breathe some life back into it; to rekindle your passionate spirit. It is never too late to make changes and to learn new things. Aquarius, you may be the sign that knows this lesson best. What new ideas or creations are you being called to pursue? These ideas may be revolutionary in the sense that they turn the status quo upside down, or they may be of a “big-picture” perspective; designed to create change on a large scale. This card is asking you to dream a new world into being for yourself. To do so, you will need to envision what sort of future you’d like to have, hold this vision and follow it with daily action. Walking this path may take great courage, but it will be worth it in the end.

♓ - Pisces: Child of the Cosmos. The intelligence of the universe lies within you. This month, you are being called to trust yourself. Trust your inner knowing and all the work you have done thus far.The intelligence of Spirit; of the universe and the Divine is within you, just as it is in all living things. It is the part of you that knows the way forward no matter how unclear and uncertain your logical mind becomes. However, because we all live our lives with free will, it can sometimes be hard to recognize the deeper wisdom of our higher selves. We may become disconnected from our intuition, and forget to trust our own sense of knowing. If you have felt lost lately, then this card is a reminder to look within. Trust the voice of your intuition, and let it guide you forward. You are always connected to the source of inner strength, wisdom, flow and power. You just need to remember.

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ramblingguy54 · 3 years

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Webby’s Serious Vulnerability & Need For Happiness.

The McDucks meant everything to me. Not just because of their great name, but because they were a great family. One I thought I could be apart of, but now it’s gone...Guess the name, McDuck, didn’t mean much after all...

Webby’s desire for making others happy has been her greatest strength as a character. A beckon of hope others can be drawn to, much like it was for Lena’s case being best explored. Webby even helped Penny find her place in their big crazy world of Duckberg, but what happens when she tries to help a personal matter that, as Dewey said, could only make things worse? Even though this episode wasn’t the angst trip I was speculating it to become for our second visit to Castle McDuck, it shines an interesting introspective upon Webby’s emotional vulnerability once again. Something we saw before in Lost Harp Of Mervana once Webby realized Beakly had lied to her about trusting people in general. It’s not just one part of her character, but the entirety of who she is as a person when it comes to her unwavering philosophy of hope. Webby’s newfound confidence toward facing unknown stuff after getting outta the mansion helped because of others supporting her, too. Webby feels like she owes so much of herself for what this family gave to her life emotionally because she didn’t have much of anything in a long awhile, other than Beakly, obviously. It’s no surprise Webby Vanderquack has been a pretty lonely kid as evidenced by her particular episode quote from Woo-oo, “Ehhh, my granny is a bit overprotective. She trains me to be ready for anything, but then says I’ve got everything right here...”, showing how much solitude she endured socially. Webby got this idea into her head she owes her life to Clan McDuck’s lineage, basically. Which is why she tried everything in her power to manipulate the family into making up.

Webby’s helpful friendly morality has been played up for laughs before, like in New Gods On The Block, but here Webby is very controlling attempting to force moral solutions upon a complicated situation, revolving around inheritance of who’ll become the next statue pedestal. For good measure, Webby pulls upon Dewey’s strings for being noticed as the “best child” and formulates another idea ending in more escalation upon an already feuding family. Doesn’t help Huey & Louie stumble into this room at the worst possible time for added consequences. They were both already getting on each others nerves, so it sent them into adding fuel upon this bigger fire becoming a gigantic one as an end result. All of this was moral karma for Webby’s need to make others happy, even if it meant using her own methods to force a solution. Webby is certainly Scrooge’s biggest fan alright, considering his severe need for control rubbed off on her. The kid wants people to be content she’ll go so far as to push that idea, so Webby can feel happy about herself, too. Webby’s optimism was greatly praised in They Put On Moonlander On Earth and the writers wanted to criticize why putting so much stock into an idea of, “Everyone needs to get along, so I can feel happy!”, can also be a double edged sword in its own right. Sometimes you do need to step away from an already bad situation making things simmer down. Dewey did have a point to an extent about family fighting being a tricky situation. However, it’s not until Webby cuts all the bullshit simply to speak from her heart. No more lies or tricks, but a simple sentimental statement about why she feels the need to repay a debt to the Duck Family. Only then, could their squabbling actually stop.

I set out to preserve their history, but I destroyed it all. The past, the present, and the future...

Webby gets stricken with serious guilt seeing how much damage her meddling around has caused. Besides feeling awful about how she tried taking advantage of the situation, it made her question if they were all their name was cracked up to be. All the studying she did by herself about Scrooge’s ties and legacy are being called into suspicion. If their historical achievements are great, than it can be argued in turn this causes more harm than good for a future together. When you’re at each others necks about who will succeed whatever they’re getting handed it stirs up more issues down the road. The McDuck pride is their greatest strength, yet weakness, from what this episode study displays. Remember Dewey’s research into Della’s disappearance and questioning whether or not she was a genuinely good person? Consider Webby’s introspection as a callback to it, reflecting upon her own value, where if she has put so much faith into who they are seeing them like this, than what does that make her? I’m definitely keeping this as an important mental note for future reference in the next last batch of episodes. She keeps seeing the ugly side of how people can act, including her own family, making this poor kid question everything Webby has held true to for a lot of her life. Dewey had that exact dilemma in Season 1′s episode, The Spear Of Selene, being so terrified of the possibility Della was a self centered traitor to his family. He was scared of being related to somebody who didn’t care for her family at all, making him wonder if that too makes him bad for solely being biologically tied to Della?

Webbigail, no doubt, feels a similar weight of seeing an uglier truth she’s afraid to accept. That not everyone means well in their intentions all the time. She got a taste of that back in Impossibin with Beakly’s extremist behavior about preparing for FOWL’s inevitable threat upon their lives. Now, yes, Beakly did mean well, but she showed a type of ferocity Webby is used to seeing her direct at their enemies, instead of the girl’s general direction. It terrified her for that period of briefness watching Beakly not pull her punches, at least until the end anyway. Factoring in all those variables showcases Webby’s greatest obstacle, her unconditional faith. Although, save for what happened in Mervana, Webby’s not one to doubt people often, since she was quick to forgive Beakly’s oversight a couple of episodes ago. The scary thing though is Webby did doubt everything these McDucks stood for in this moment and that’s very concerning for what they’re foreshadowing in her future conflicts, particularly with Beakly.

That girl believes the best in people, especially Merpeople. If she finds out they’re lying, she’ll be devastated.

When you’ve got her crumbling up a deeply cherished photo Webby held dearly to heart, that’s a big red flag going up there in my mind. If Webby’s already going that far in how hard she’s taking harsh reminders of stuff, then Beakly’s secrets are gonna destroy her emotionally. Food for thought to consider. Mirroring this picture with Beakly’s line from the Lost Harp episode really puts it into perspective about how truly sensitive Webby is to facing an unkind world.

#the fight for castle mcduck!#ducktales season 3 #ducktales 2017 #webby vanderquack #scrooge mcduck #matilda mcduck #huey dewey and louie #fergus mcduck #dt analysis

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ariainstars · 4 years

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The Greatest Teacher...

…is failure, isn’t it?

In Star Wars, we often see people fail; but often they do not learn from their mistakes. Logically, this is telling us that failure alone is not sufficient.

Prequels

The Jedi Order was stagnant because they did not learn from their mistakes. They practiced a discipline of detachment and indoctrination, remaining aloof and convinced of their world view. In itself, that may not seem so wrong; after all, the Jedi were well-meaning and they did not purposely hurt others.

But like every living being, the Jedi were flawed. Their great weakness was that they clung to their flaws never seeing them as such even when their house (the galaxy) was burning down around them.

I have repeatedly wondered what Darth Maul meant by “revenge”. What did the Sith want revenge for? After all, they are Force-sensitive beings the way the Jedi are. Both sides are convinced of being right in their way; this eventually leads to disaster because they never communicate with one another. (Perhaps one of the reasons why we hardly hear Darth Maul speak during the whole of The Phantom Menace.)

It was Anakin in the end who took the revenge in his own hands, and when we see how the Jedi behaved towards him, it does not wonder that he wanted revenge for very personal reasons. The Jedi never took him seriously; the ignored his criticism; they stifled his emotions and played down his intelligence; they sent him on dangerous missions unnumbered and in the end even denied him the rank of Master. Obi-Wan ignored Anakin’s nightmares about his mother and Yoda the ones he had about Padmé, pretending that he was wrong when he cared about others. Again, this goes to show how much they rejected and despised any form of true communication.

Anakin could not stand the idea of being isolated, without anyone to love; the idea literally drove him mad. But the conviction of being right was downright obsessive with the Jedi, to the point where we saw Obi-Wan maim and leave to burn the man he had raised like a younger brother and who had repeatedly saved his life.

Classics

When we first meet Luke in A New Hope, he is naïve and hotheaded; he is slowly learning about the Force but far from mastering it. And yet he is our hero.

Luke has one great strength throughout the classics which may be overlooked because we usually expect coolness from a hero: he is excellent at communication, always at his strongest when he reaches out to others. It is he who befriends everybody founding his legendary “family”. Luke always gives everyone a chance, as varied as the people he meets are. He would have died in the trench run had Han not rescued him; Han didn’t even believe in the Force, but Luke had given him an opportunity to join the Rebellion, and his offer of companionship won over the scoundrel’s heart.

Obi-Wan, the hermit who still thinks of a world long past, is the exact contrary. He spends twenty years on Tatooine waiting for the son to grow up so he can kill the father; a terrible thing to do when you think about it. Neither he nor Yoda lift a finger for the populations of the galaxy through the Empire’s tyranny and the Rebellions’ struggles and sacrifices.

In The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke finally finds out the truth about Vader, he is appalled not only at the fact itself but at his master’s betrayal, blaming him for not having communicated with him: “Ben, why didn’t you tell me?” Good Jedi that he is, Obi-Wan remains silent, although he had formerly appeared to him in ghostly form more than once.

Still after death, Obi-Wan shows that he does not understand the reasons for his failure; it does not occur to him that there might have been some error in his convictions. He says to Luke that “The truth is merely a point of view”, but he does not live by this wisdom. We never saw him accept anyone else’s point of view, at least not to my knowledge.

Vader traumatized Luke on Bespine, but his friends gave him comfort, helping him overcome his terror and become stronger and wiser. Luke learned from his mistakes, one of the reasons why he was not only the last Jedi but also the strongest. His connection with others made him strong.

Sequels

The Last Jedi is all about communication (one of the reasons, I think, why it is mostly loved by females 😊). Luke is shaken from his isolation by Rey; Kylo and Rey share a Force Bond; Luke finally speaks to his nephew again; Poe gets in conflict with both Leia and Holdo; Finn and Rose quickly realize that they can communicate very well.

The conflict between Holdo and Poe is a masterly lesson when it comes to communication. Poe does not trust her; he angrily demands she displays his intentions to him instead of obeying her, although she was chosen by Leia herself as her substitute. Headstrong, Holdo refuses to communicate with Poe altogether, which seems unnecessarily stubborn from her side but is her right, since she is his superior. And the outcome, as well as her final sacrifice, prove that Holdo was right all along. Poe failed because he did not listen, and because he did not accept that not saying something can also mean much.

Kylo / Ben is a person who is literally starved for communication. It must feel like a miracle to him when Rey finally listens to him, and it pushes him to do the right thing: getting rid of Snoke after he had heard him in his head his entire life.

Yet without their Force Bond, when they are communicating from face to face instead of between their souls, Rey and Ben miscommunicate. He tries to possess her, he expects her to need him; she expects him to become the way she is, i.e. someone who deflects and projects the Dark Side, which he can’t do because he is the deflection.

Feelings and connections with others are often painful and complicated, yes. But they are the only thing that can make us learn from our failures and mistakes.

Luke’s actual mistake had not been his moment of terror about his nephew, but his self-imposed isolation. We do not learn why he took Ben and his other students away to study on some distant planet of unknown name, apparently without any contact to the outside world; but that loneliness obviously did no one good. And even more importantly, after the damage was done, Luke did not go after Ben to get him out of the mess he had inadvertently caused. He shut himself off from the Force, his family and his friends, ashamed of himself and refusing any kind of contact.

Rey finding him on Ahch-To was necessary because Luke urgently needed someone to communicate with again: Rey listened to him, but she also called him to account. After she left, he searched for his sister again, was visited by Yoda, apologized to Leia and Ben. The connection with the people he cared about infused him with new strength and resolve.

Failure alone is not enough if all it makes you do is retire in some distant spot where no one can find you so that you won’t do any more harm. If there’s something the ST also tells us, it’s that in order to learn from your failings, you need communication with others.

Though set up as the heroine, Rey is not a satisfying one. Why? Because she is more or less thrown into action, makes mistakes, and hardly learns from them. She does communicate sometimes but is mostly a loner (probably due to her upbringing).

The stagnancy of the old Jedi Order came from their utter refusal towards new impulses. Luke himself said in The Last Jedi that the ways of the Jedi have to end. They do, because in order to remain strong, the new Jedi urgently need to learn communication. And I believe that only a Skywalker can teach them how to do it, because Force or not, ultimately this was always their greatest strength: the desire to love and be loved.

Which is why I still am not accepting that the last of the Skywalker blood is supposed to be gone for good. Ben Solo has a quality that I have never noticed in any other character in the saga, at least not in this intensity: he is a good listener, introspective and emphatic.

His grandfather Anakin also was the central character in six films; he was left for dead, but he wasn’t, he came back with another name and in another role. So let’s keep our heads up. We’ve been salty enough since TRoS came out. 😉

...Although, to be honest... If Rian’s trilogy doesn’t bring Ben Solo back, I myself might be tempted to give up on the saga for good...

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thecorteztwins · 4 years

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Alt-Marauders update! It’s pretty much the Shinobi Feels edition, so tagging @esteicy-blog in case you wanna read your boy’s bits (it’s fine if not!) and @sammysdewysensitiveeyes and @littlemeangreen since you guys are regular readers! CONTENTS “Weakness” - Shinobi/Haven “Instinct” - Sebastian/Madelyne “Nature” - Sebastian/Haven “Saturn’s Children” - Shinobi/Alice

”WEAKNESS” They’d been captured, and placed in a power-dampening cell. They being Haven and Shinobi, the latter of whom was wounded, deep in his right side. Their captors had stabilized him---they wanted them alive for now, especially since they knew that letting Shinobi die just ensured he’d be revived on Krakoa with information that could defeat them---but given him nothing for the pain before tossing him back in the cell. Literally. He did not hit the floor. Haven’s arms caught him expertly and with strength that would have surprised him if he’d been thinking about anything but how much this hurt. Not the pain in his side---but the helplessness. Shinobi did not like being trapped. Shinobi did not like being at the mercy of others. It had bad memories. Perversely, Haven’s comforting presence made it worse. Because that was part of those same memories. His mother, holding him like she was, asking if he was alright, trying to soothe the pain away. He’d treasured her as a sanctuary then, but the fact was that it always came after the pain, and thus tied to it in his mind. That was the only reason he tried, feebly, to push Haven away, even when what he wanted was to sink into her, to curl up against her, to let her stroke his hair and whisper comforting assurances. He wanted that so bad but he also couldn’t, wouldn’t, be that weak little boy again who needed Mommy, who needed Mommy because Daddy had-- “Shinobi, Shinobi it’s me,” she said, “It’s Haven, Radha, it’s alright, you’re alright, I’m here, I’m right here.” She thought the reason for his weak thrashing, his trying to push himself away, was because he was confused, disoriented, thinking he was still in the hands of their enemies. But he was somewhere far worse---in the past. “I--I know,” he finally said as he got ahold of himself, “I’m fine.” He tried to push himself up on his arms. The pain was terrible for his body. But it’d be worse inside if he failed. If he was weak. He felt her gentle hands on him again, “Don’t try to move, Shinobi. You’re still hurt. They only stopped bleeding, but the wound is still--” “Don’t!” he barked, “Don’t---don’t---I’m not a child!” As much as Haven wanted to pull him to her, she was as respectful as she was compassionate. If someone was shouting at her not to touch them, she wasn’t going to; it would only do more harm than good. A comforting embrace could turn traumatic if forced, no matter how gentle, and Shinobi had been traumatized enough today. But she did not merely abandon the issue either. She looked at him with sympathetically scrutinizing eyes as he huffed and strained in his attempt to give every appearance of strength. This was...unusual. Shinobi was someone who craved attention, and though he desired more for it to be praise, she’d seen that he would settle for negative attention if nothing else would do, such as when Claudine and Madelyne waved him away in irritation at his amorous antics. He liked to show off, and was also...Haven was too kind to ever think of him as a coward, but when he realized there was real danger afoot, he tended to run. Which Haven could hardly blame him for, she was no combatant himself. He avoided pain. He sought attention. Yet now, when she was offering attention, he put himself in pain to refuse it. Something was amiss here. There was a piece of the puzzle that she was not seeing, a piece that would explain this. People were like puzzles, in their way---you could look at two pieces that seemed like they could never fit together in the same person, but that was only because you weren’t seeing the other pieces that linked them together. And while Haven tried not to think of other human beings as something to be solved, to be analyzed, to be worked out and put under a microscope---they were so much more than that, and deserving of dignity, of privacy, of keeping their hidden pieces to themselves if they so chose---she could not help SEEING these things when they came to light for her. She could not help the pieces connecting in her own mind. As these new pieces connected with pre-existing ones in her mind, the information coming together in a cohesive whole, integrating with what she already had known or at least suspected. “Shinobi,” she said very softly, but her voice seemed to echo to him, and it wasn’t because of their small cell. “Shinobi....by your father’s standards, I’m the weakest person he knows. He’s said as much. I believe you’ve heard him.” Shinobi turned to look at her, confused where this was going, and anxious at the mention of his father, the mere mention of the man when he was already in this pained, panicked state making his skin feel like it was tightening around him in anticipation of a blow. Where was she going with this. “So therefore, Shinobi, being as that is...it should be absolutely safe, should it not, to let yourself be weak around me?” She had not EXACTLY guessed what was going on. But she had gotten close. And Shinobi let himself collapse into her lap. *** "INSTINCT” “You know, I never asked you,” said Madelyne as they walked along the beach. It was nothing romantic, they were just on their way to the ship. “How’d you know it was me?” Sebastian looked at her oddly, and she clarified, “I mean when we first met. When Selene introduced me and I pulled down that drama queen cloak and there you see, the spitting image of---you know, her. I didn’t know it at the time, but you two had quite the past. How was SHE not your first thought?” “How do you know she was not?” Madelyne rolled her eyes, “You scoffed at me and called me an “unknown being”, you knew who I was---or at least who I WASN’T. If you’d thought I was Jean you would have---I don’t know but you wouldn’t say THAT.” “Perhaps I simply didn’t recognize the face without the Black Queen costume to go with it.” “Sebastian!” “You know that’s as liable an answer as any.” “You’re dodging the question.” Madelyne held out her arms to the sides, “Look, you’re basically the most morally bankrupt person I’ve ever met who wasn’t a literal demon—and I count Mr Sinister in that category—but you also gave me the kindness of individuality even BEFORE I started treating you as my personal bone machine. And I know the k-word doesn’t come easy to you Sebastian so what gives? More specifically, what did I give away that told you instantly who I WASNT?” There was a long pause. At last, Sebastian answered, and he didn’t sound sure in it at all, which was what let Madelyne know he was being honest. “I confess, spitfire, I really don’t know. Gut instinct, perhaps. “ “So Scott had no guts. Big surprise.” “Mr. Summers knew Ms. Grey in all her incarnations. I only ever knew your hated counterpart as the Black Queen, the Dark Phoenix. We never met when she was NOT that, NOT possessed by the Phoenix Force, not radiating with that strange cosmic energy.” Shaw did not know that the ‘Jean’ he had known had actually BEEN that cosmic energy and not Jean at all, nor did Madelyne, but that was besides the point. He continued, “I am no psychic---I did not have to be, to feel that power. It was more distinct than a face or form, and you lacked it. So much a difference did that make that I did NOT recognize face nor form without it. So if you are searching for some romantic reason concerning seeing your true self or some such sentimental claptr---” “No, that’s the thing, I KNOW it’s not that,” Madelyne cut him off sharply, insulted he’d think she’d ever be so deluded, “I know you didn’t love me. And I’m fine with that, I didn’t love you---did love your dick and money though. But that’s why it was crazy to me that the man who didn’t love me, saw more than the man who was supposed to.” “Well, I do hope that satisfied your curiosity,” Sebastian said, then smirked, “Now tell me again that first thing you loved about me?” Madelyne tried to push him into the water. *** “NATURE” “That’s how it is in nature, after all,” Sebastian finished, “Adversity builds strength. Look at the animals. Red in tooth and claw. Do you know what happens to the weak ones, Ms. Dastoor? They are devoured. As it should be.” “I don’t believe looking to animals as a model for our own behavior is a very good argument, Mr. Shaw,” said Haven, setting her teacup primly on her saucer, “After all, no animals wear clothing, and while I understand you find some articles...restrictive...it seems to be something you overall practice. Animals do not use boats either. Or teasets. Or currency.” “Fair enough. But simply because not EVERYTHING from the animal kingdom should be emulated, does not mean nothing should be.” “I do agree with that. I merely suspect we would differ on what should be.” “Quite correct. I think you can guess which I find most admirable. As I can guess your preferred models of behavior. Cows and dogs and such nursing their young, am I correct?” “You are, Mr. Shaw. But I think that my preferred models are actually just as conducive to your ideals of strength.” “Explain.” he leaned forward. He sounded genuinely interested, if only mildly. “I’m no zoological expert but I can tell you...it varies with species. Some, like sharks, don’t raise their young--they’ll in fact devour them. But in mammals, the strong species all nurse and nurture their young, at least the mothers do. Sometimes both parents, I think, as with wolf packs. But, let us take tigers, one of the greatest predators on the planet, surely a species that appeals to the ‘red in tooth and claw’ paradigm of power, the apex predator who devours the ones beneath it. These creatures, mighty as they are, begin as helpless cubs, blind and barely mobile. If their mothers abandoned them to adversity as you suggest they must, or worse, hurt them in order to make them strong, the cubs would die. Even if they did manage to fend for themselves in the wild without help, they’d be malnourished as cubs, resulting in stunted adults. And they wouldn’t learn how to hunt or behave. They need to loving guidance of their mother in order to be the powerful killers they become. I don’t think the father stays, but I imagine they would not be worse for it if he contributed. Therefore, I think the most successful species in your worldview, owe their success to the greatest traits in my worldview.” “Point to you, Ms. Dastoor,” said Sebastian, lifting his cup, “Though, as you yourself state---this does not apply to ALL great predators, and the tiger still does teach the cubs to hunt what is weaker than themselves. She does not nurture them forever. Surely at some point the juveniles are driven away from her, and by her own claws?” “I believe they do, when it is time. But I would not think you approved of that aspect of their behavior.” “Whyever not?” “Your son is an adult, yet you still have him taking orders at your side, do you not?” There was a very tense silence, and then Shaw smiled. “You say you’re no zoologist. Why do you know so much about tigers?” She smiled back, “Well, Mr. Shaw, it’s actually a bit spiteful, I suppose---I heard arguments like yours over and over, using ‘survival of the fittes’, to justify hurting or neglecting others. I decided to look into just how true it actually was that this was the “natural” order.” His smile became a grin, “Ah, so it is not about love of animals, but a love of refuting me.” "No, Mr. Shaw. It’s for love of the people hurt by beliefs like yours. But,” and her own smile became a grin as well, something that, despite its technical closeness to a smile, was a far cry from anything Sebastian had ever grlimpsed on her face before, “I will level with you---it is a little fun when someone doesn’t have an answer to my tiger example." *** SATURN’S CHILDREN “She was my mom, you know,” said Alice as they approached the wall of rubble. They were in the remains of the underground children where Alice and the other children had lived with Miss Sinister. Shinobi’s mission had been to get in using his phasing abilities, gather data, and get out. Alice, of course, had not been part of the plan. But when it was just her and him, she’d begged to come, and he’d...fuck, he didn’t know why he gave in. “I loved her. I still love her. And I thought she loved me,” Alice continued, as though in a trance, as though talking to the rubble and not to Shinobi, “And she did, I guess, just---just not how I thought. Like you love a car. Something you can use. Or more like, I guess, I guess---” Her voice broke, “A set of new clothes.” Shinobi, really just wanting her to shut up, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through with him. They were in the remains of the entryway when they went solid again, and as Shinobi tried to reconcile the digital map Claudine had given him with the ruins before him. Alice quieted down as they searched, but then something else set her off, she was touching something---a broken cloning tank. Again, she was talking to it, not to Shinobi. “She loved me for what she wanted me to be for her, she loved what I could do for her.” Shinobi stepped up behind her, “Uh, Ally?” “Alice.” “Right, Alison, listen, maybe uh talk to Madelyne or Haven or somebody about this later.” “Well they’re not here!” she shouted over her shoulder at him, and she sounded both angry and in pain, taking Shinobi aback, “They’re not here and you are and you...I know you understand me!” Shinobi froze, “The hell do you mean?” “You may be dumb but I’m not! I have eyes! All you want to do is party and have fun and get drunk with Pyro! No way you’re doing all this Black Bishop businessman stuff except for your dad!” “Hey, not true!” Shinobi returned, “The Hellfire Club is power, money is power, and power is everything! And I want everything!” “You don’t want power, you don’t even wanna get out of bed in the morning! “It’s called a hangover you stupid little snot!” “Exactly!” “Wh---what does that even mean?! Shut up, I’m not going to engage with a CHILD! And after I was nice enough to bring you here! I have half a mind to leave you now, if you love it so much! That would teach you some manners!” He just might have to, if he still didn’t need to look for the data. Alice at least was helpful with that---she had lived in this place, she knew it well, even in ruins. They walked in silence at first as she lead the way to where the supercomputer’s chamber would be, until, goddammit, she started up again. “Look I wasn’t trying to be mean to you. But I mean...you’re just a kid, really, like me. You just wanna have fun. And I see how your dad talks to you. Everybody does. Even if only Ms. Haven says anything. “And Pyro,” Shinobi pointed out. “Well, Ms. Haven covers my ears when HE says anything to your dad.” “Yeah, because you’re a kid and I’M NOT,” Shinobi said petulantly. And indeed he wasn’t a kid, he wasn’t some scared little boy anymore, he was black bishop of the hellfire club, partner to black king, his father, his father’s right hand man. Emphasis on MAN. Adult. Grown-up. Powerful. “Do you love him?” “Pyro? Nah, we’re just, uh...the adult kind of friends, you’ll understand when you’re older and more mature like m--” “Nooooo, dummy, your dad!” SHinobi tripped over the high heels of his costume, “What kind of question is that?” Alice looked down, not at Shinobi but at her sneakers, “I still love my mom. Claudine, I mean.” Shinobi didn’t answer her. He didn’t even look back at her. And she didn’t ask anymore questions, or talk about their parents anymore. They made it to the wrecked remains of the supercomputer, they got the wrecked remains of the data, and they returned to the rubble blocking the entrance. And as they phased out through it and stepped back into the outside world, Shinobi looked down at her and said, “I love what he can do for me.”

#alt marauders #fic #writing #out of cortez

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nasrullahmasud · 4 years

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Creativity and Innovation: How to Think Like a Genius

Creativity is one of the rarest and most essential skills of the human being. It is one of the vital elements of our modern civilization advancement. Creativity leads us to create something unique. It prepares us to learn anything, do many things, and achieve everything in our life. A creative person innovates something that can fulfill any unmet need of himself or any other person.

Innovation also follows creativity. Creative people tend to think outside of the box. They analyze any problem or event very closely. They always try to come up with ideas that are not considered yet. Like famous scientists, business people, politicians, and great leaders, almost all the genius people in this world are creative and innovative. So now the question arises, Can we be like them? Is there any method or way to become a creative man?

Pic credit: freepik.com

What is creativity?

In a single sentence, creativity is merely widening the range of choices. If we can invent any different way of doing or thinking anything, that’s called creativity. It’s a god gifted quality for us. Human is the only creature on this planet to think which does not exist in nature. Our multidimensional thinking ability and imaginative power give us the strength of ruling this world. So we can treat creativity as a button of progress in the future.

Definition and feature of innovation

Creativity has two parts. One is discovering any idea, and the other is delivering or implementing any idea. The latter one is innovation. In simple words, innovation is finding an efficient and unique way to execute any plan. Both creativity and innovation are essential for becoming a successful person.

Pic credit: journalismonline.com

Is creativity a natural thing, or can be acquired later?

Many people think creative people are generally genius. But that is not always true. Researchers don’t find any evidence of the role of any genes that can turn on creativity. So we can consider that we have a chance to be a genius. But how can we do that? Let’s check out some useful ways to follow.

Treat your brain as a muscle.

According to scientists, our brain is the most complex object of the universe. The number of neurons in our brain outnumber the number of galaxies in the cosmos. It functions all the time, whether we are in sleep or awake. Studies show that our mind takes and processes almost 35000 decisions daily on average per day. But how many of them are we aware of it?

Pic credit: freepik.com

It indicates that we are not correctly evaluating our greatest asset. We need to treat the brain as a muscle. So we need to exercise it to keep it conducive to our work. We can do that by thinking and analyzing complicated things. Challenge the basic assumptions to find a novel way of solving any known or unknown problem. Always try to engage with productive work. There is a saying, “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.”

Follow Zi-Zo-Zi method

One can follow the effective Zi-Zo-Zi method to practice creativity. It can be written in full form as Zoom in-Zoom out-Zoom in the technique. It is a very fundamental method of gaining confidence in thinking and creating something new. Let’s see the three steps of this method.

Zoom in: This step explains to analyze any events or things or unmet needs very closely. Try to see every pros and con of any problem and find the knowledge gap. It means to compare how we are solving any problem at present and how it can be solved efficiently according to current knowledge.

Zoom out: This is the idea generation step. After zooming into the events or problems, we need to find the potential solution. In that case, we need to brainstorm some ideas for solving the problem. These ideas sometimes may seem very weird, absurd, or awkward. But never kill any idea when it is just born.

Try to feel comfortable with any uncomfortable idea initially. Many inventions and discoveries in this world occur from foolish imaginations and mad ideas. That’s why Einstein once said, “For an idea that does not first seem insane, there is no hope.”

Albert Einstein. Pic credit: nobelprize.org

Zoom in: After thinking and producing many types of choice, it’s time to tame the ideas practically. It is the execution step. In this step, we need to modify and reform our thoughts according to our available resources and knowledge. In this case, we have to think about our capabilities for implementing our plans. Innovation begins its journey from this step.

To sum up the whole thing, we need to have our head in the clouds of imagination and feet on the ground of reality. It helps us implement any creative idea, whether it is small or big.

Napoleon Hill said, ‘If you can’t do great things, do simple things in a great way.’

Napoleon Hill. Pic credit: Bloomberg.org

Innovation career lessons from masters:

Leonardo Da Vinci

Many innovators lived and did their innovative works on this planet. Italian legend artist Leonardo da Vinci is one of them. He was a master of innovation. He drew many pictures of creative things that were discovered or made after many years of his death.

Pic credit: leonardodavinci.net

For example, he drew the picture of a triangle parachute out of his imagination in 1485. A man from Switzerland named Olivier built that after 523 years following drawing of Vinci.

Leonardo Da Vinci also made the preliminary design of planes, tanks, pistol, etc.

But he did not observe any object with his eyes while drawing. He did everything with his imaginative power and creativity. That made him famous.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is one of the greatest innovators ever lived on earth. He had more than 1000 patents under his name. This American inventor was not very skilled at conventional education. He also had problems with hearing. But he made this weakness as his way of innovation. He made a phonograph by capturing sound waves within a disc.

He also got popularity in discovering the DC transmission system. He found the filaments of the incandescent lamp also. The world lit up with artificial lights at night due to his hard work and determination.

Pic credit:art-sheep.com

The whole human civilization is indebted to him for this.

Michael J Gelb wrote a book named ‘Innovate like Edison’ in 2007. In this book, he discussed five innovation competencies of Edison. They are given below:

1. The solution centered mindset

2. Kaleidoscopic thinking

3. Full-spectrum engagement

4. Master-mind collaboration

5. Super value creation

The final verdict

At closing the topic, one can say creativity is not just a natural thing. It can be acquired by practicing that continuously. We need to have curiosity and interest in creativity and innovation. But only creativity and innovation are not enough to be a genius, people. Hard work and discipline are also vital elements of our success. Thomas Edison gave much importance to that in his life. He said, ‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration.’

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vmheadquarters · 5 years

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By Alexis Soloski

When we last saw Veronica Mars, the greatest private investigator Southern California has ever birthed and tanned — shut it, Philip Marlowe — she had ducked a corporate law job and returned to Neptune, her beachside hometown, resolved to defend the weak, defy the powerful, wisecrack with the best of them. Happily ever after, on her terms.

But why be happy when you can be hard-boiled? As Veronica’s inventor Rob Thomas said, “Happy and noir don’t go well together.”

“Veronica Mars,” a snappy, sophisticated crime drama about a high school P.I., debuted in 2004 and ran for three critically celebrated but lightly watched seasons, first on UPN and then on CW, returning in 2014 for a fan-funded movie.

That seemed to be the end of it. Its star, Kristen Bell, continued a successful film and TV career. Thomas went on to create and run “iZOMBIE.” But you know the noir trope where a character thinks she has outrun her past and then the past comes on at a sprint? It applies.

In a genre-appropriate twist, the show is back, revamped for the streaming age. An eight-episode fourth season will drop on July 26 at Hulu, where the first three seasons are already available.

Reboots and revivals are as thick on the ground as Neptune beachgoers. A long-gone show that returns after so many years with its original cast, led by Bell’s Veronica, and its distinguishing style (think Dashiell Hammett after a few blender drinks) mostly intact? That’s rarer, and not without its dangers.

Continuing a beloved series after so many years risks tarnishing its legacy. (If we’re being honest, the uneven third season was risk enough.) Besides, how do you make a show about a child prodigy when that child prodigy can apply for a fixed-rate mortgage?

The season’s big mystery, according to Thomas: Is a 30-something Veronica Mars “an interesting enough character on her own to continue to attract fans?”

A few weeks ago, I met Bell on a gloomy June afternoon in her trailer on the Universal lot, an overheated box befrilled in demoralizing beige. She was in the middle of a shoot for her other show, “The Good Place,” and had two caffeinated drinks going, which partly explained the pep. (The messianic zeal she feels for Veronica explained the rest.) In her costume, a lilac sweater over an embroidered blouse and green chinos, she looked about as noir as an Easter basket.

And yet “Veronica Mars,” she said, is the show that launched her, that shaped her, that taught her comedy and responsibility and a commitment to social justice. She will quit it, she said, when everyone in Neptune is dead.

“That’s when I’ll do it,” she said, pushing her cane-sugar soprano into a lower register. “That’s when I will let her go: When the last body is buried.”

“Veronica Mars,” which The Times described, on a list of the 20 best TV dramas since “The Sopranos,” as “a peerless blend of neo-noir mystery and teenage romantic drama,” was always a show ahead of its time. Its heroine, 17 when the show began, looked like a Barbie and scrapped like a G.I. Joe. She was as quick with a comeback as with the Taser she called Mr. Sparky, but still vulnerable to problems personal and systemic.

More politically minded than your average teen soap, “Veronica Mars” had love triangles and cliffhangers and, from its first episode, a sustained interest in wealth inequality. In its depiction of gendered violence, it anticipated much of the #MeToo conversation.

“It continually kept questions about gender inequality in view,” said Susan Berridge, a lecturer in media at the University of Stirling who has written about the series. “There were so many story lines involving sexual violence and other forms of gendered abuse that it became impossible to see these issues as one-off aberrations.”

If you don’t identify as a Marshmallow, the name ride-or-die “Veronica Mars” fans adopted, here’s the back story: A onetime popular girl, Veronica became an outcast when her best friend Lilly was murdered and Veronica’s father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni), then Neptune’s sheriff, mistakenly accused the town’s most powerful man. Keith lost his job and his home. Veronica’s mother deserted the family. Her former friends ostracized her. During a party, she was drugged and raped by persons unknown. At some point she gave herself a terrible haircut.

“It was an adult show about a teenage girl,” Mr. Colantoni said, speaking by telephone. “This wasn’t ‘Saved by the Bell.’”

During the first two seasons, Veronica would solve episodic mysteries while also seeking justice for Lilly and for herself. The third season, which brought Veronica to college, dispensed with the case-of-the-week in favor of longer arcs. It also assigned Veronica a nice-guy boyfriend, Stosh “Piz” Piznarski (Chris Lowell), though most fans shipped her and the poor-little-rich-boy Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring).

Facing cancellation, Thomas tried to interest networks in a revival that saw Veronica working for the F.B.I. No one bought it. Presumed dead, “Veronica Mars” was briefly resurrected when Thomas decided to try crowdfunding a movie. He raised $2 million in less than five hours, drawing the highest number of donors for any film or video project in Kickstarter history.

“Veronica Mars” the movie may not have been a masterpiece — The Times called it “a likable, unmemorable, feature-length footnote” — but it melted the gooey hearts of most Marshmallows. Thomas and Bell could have let their gumshoe-made-good ride into the sunset in her secondhand car, placating the fans with the occasional tie-in novels Thomas co-writes. (“‘Co-writer’ is being generous to me,” he clarified.)

But last year, Thomas called Bell and asked her if she would consider playing Veronica again. It was a big ask: Bell had already committed to a final season of “The Good Place” and a “Frozen” sequel. Also, noir involves night shoots and Bell has two young daughters, which means a lot of missed bedtime.

Weighing the commitment, Bell recalled asking herself, “Do I want a world where my daughters know she exists? Or do I think there’s enough out there for them to look to?”

“I didn’t,” she said. “And I thought, yeah, I have to do it.”

And — “this is going to sound so corny,” Bell added — she still needs “Veronica Mars” in her life, even after all this time and all her success. The show gives her a place to put both her anger at a world that is still unequal and unjust, and her faith that individuals and communities can make it better.

“Just knowing Veronica exists has allowed me to pull strength in certain situations,” she said.

This installment picks up five years after the film ended, with Veronica sleuthing alongside her dad at Mars Investigations and living, reward check to reward check, in the oceanside apartment she sometimes shares with Logan, now an active-duty naval intelligence officer. There are a few B- and C-plots, but mostly Veronica works just one case involving a series of bombings threatening Neptune’s spring breakers.

Thomas and Bell, an executive producer, chose the eight-episode format partly because that’s all Bell’s “Good Place” schedule allowed, but also because they were impressed by what shows like “Fargo” and “Sherlock” were able to do in short seasons. They sold the show to Hulu, which was also able to acquire the past seasons. Craig Erwich, Hulu’s senior vice president of originals, described the revival as “an opportunity to see a beloved character grow up.”

Unlike the movie, this new season doesn’t pander — a few Marshmallows may feel scorched. The emphasis on wealth inequality and structural bias is, if anything, starker. The moral palette is grayscale, and the tone (Thomas described it on Twitteras “Hardcore So-Cal noir”) is dark, though maybe not that dark. “There are a lot of jokes,” Thomas said. “I don’t think we can go full ‘Handmaid’s Tale.’”

Though the earlier seasons of “Veronica Mars” shot in San Diego, the show relocated its exteriors to Huntington Beach, nearer to Los Angeles, where Bell lives. Certain sets, like the Mars Investigations office, have been faithfully re-created and shouldn’t upset continuity hard-liners, though Thomas is wary of checking his Twitter feed once the episodes drop.

The dialogue has stayed slangy. “What’s with the fakeloo, our mark’s no Jasper,” Keith scolds Veronica in the fourth episode. (Among this season’s writers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “It never got normal,” Thomas, a basketball fan, said worshipfully.) And Veronica can swear now, though not much. The sex scenes are a little more explicit, the relationships a little more complicated and the emotions real, just like they used to be. “Even when we were teenagers, we all meant it,” Dohring said.

Here’s the big change: A former child prodigy who could out detect men decades older, Veronica has become age appropriate, maybe even immature when it comes to her personal life. (If the series followed real time, Veronica would now be about 32, but these episodes edge her into her mid-30s, closer to Bell’s age.) Thomas wondered if her superpowers — her bravery, her righteous anger, her lack of interest in what others think of her — would seem as impressive on an adult woman. (Speaking as an adult woman: Yes.)

I spoke to Thomas on the telephone a few hours before I met with Bell. Before we hung up, I asked him what he thought I should ask her.

“Ask for her window of availability in 2020,” he said. “That’s what I want to know.”

So I did. Bell told me she had set aside a few months next spring to shoot a follow-up. “As long as people want to watch it, I will do it,” she said. (Hulu is “definitely open to the discussion” about making more of the show, Erwich said.)

But here is what I wanted to know. As a viewer, I’d grown up with Veronica, too. And I’d looked to her as a character who had survived trauma and had accepted how that trauma had changed her, without ever having to sacrifice her humor or her mean-street smarts or her self-confidence. “Veronica Mars was this girl that other girls and boys could look to as an option of what to do with pain, and how not to let it sink you,” Bell said.

So would she ever get that pony? Would we ever see her happy?

“I don’t think we want to,” she said, speaking as Marshmallow in chief. “We want to see her match lit. We want to keep her fight in her. When she’s truly content, the story will be over.”

#veronica mars #NYT full article #veronica mars revival #vm spoilers

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thedcdunce · 5 years

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Mister Miracle

“All right! She won't respond! But Mister Miracle never calls it quits! She will not die!” - Mister Miracle

Real Name: Scott Free

Aliases:

Helena Janice Bertinelli

Batgirl

Iron Owl

Gender: Male

Height: 6′ 0″

Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Race: New God

Powers:

New God Physiology

Alpha Effect

Abilities:

Escapology

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Indomitable Will

Genius Level Intellect

Weaknesses:

Vulnerability to Radion

Equipment:

Motherbox

Duplicate Test Dummy

Deathtraps

Cape

Gloves

Mask

Costume

X-Ray Contacts

Micro-Suction Cups

Electronic Pick

Aero-Discs

Multi-Cube

Universe:

Earth-One

New Earth

Citizenship: Genesisian

Parents:

Highfather; father

Vayla; mother

Marital Status:

Widowed

Francine “Fancy” Goodbody; wife

Married

Big Barda; wife

Occupation: God of Freedom and Escape

First Appearance: Mister Miracle #1 (April, 1971)

Powers

New God Physiology

Immortality

Superhuman Strength

Superhuman Durability

Superhuman Agility

Alpha Effect: When utilizing his full godly potential, Mister Miracle wields a cosmic energy field called "Alpha Effect" or "Alpha Energy", which acts an antithetical energy source to the "Omega Effect" or "Omega Energy". This Effect allows him to transverse through time and space, heal living beings, fully restore creatures back from death, and control energy to an almost boundless degree. The Effect also augments his physical abilities and augments his Aero-discs. Using the Alpha Effect, Scott could also manipulate the divine energies of other gods, draining them and returning their energies with equal force enough to incapacitate.

Abilities

Escapology: Mr. Miracle is the World's Greatest Escape Artist from it going to a self proclaimed title to a reality. He can escape most bindings in his sleep. In fact he has passed beyond unconscious competence in the realm of meta-cognition. He is aware of the unconscious procedures he's mastered and can modify them in their use with other skills or to use new knowledge. Much of his skill is the result of his advanced nervous system. Scott has studied the science of traps. In addition to building traps, Scott can invent new ones using primitive or Fourth World tech. Mr. Miracle usually knows as much about a trap as the builder. As a corollary Scott is very knowledgeable about security and jails.

Lock Picking: Scott is very good at picking locks and carries an electro pick hidden in his costume.

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Scott Free is a pacifist and never uses violence unless all other means are exhausted. That doesn't mean he's a pushover. In combat, Mr. Miracle often uses his acrobatic skill and extraordinary leaps and flips to outflank opponents and his enhanced reflexes to dodge attacks. Scott is a good marksman but not familiar with thrown or melee weapons. They can hurt people.

Indomitable Will: Scott Free rejected the totalitarian values of Darkseid, long yearning for freedom from Apokolips. Additionally, he was able to resist the lure of using the Anti-Life Equation for many years. His ability to resist the Equation was broken, however, following the death of Barda and his increasing instability.

Genius Level Intellect: Scott has seen a lot of the universe. He is knowledgeable about the Fourth World and much of our Universe. He can navigate a star ship or use a Boom Tube. He knows the people and places of New Genesis, Apokolips and Earth. He also has a working knowledge of many areas of Earth from his years on tour.

Weaknesses

Vulnerability to Radion

Equipment

Motherbox

Duplicate Test Dummy: Scott has a robot duplicate that is a perfect physical match. Mentally it leaves a bit to be desired. The robot has enough intelligence to operate a jet aircraft, it isn't very verbose or good at personal interaction. Scott has used the robot as a decoy or to test out a new trap. He has gotten very good at fixing the dummy.

Deathtraps: Scott has a variety of deathtraps he keeps around to train. Anyone breaking into his basement is in for a scare and might walk away thinking Scott was a serial killer. The traps are not set up and functional unless Scott is using one to train. But they can be lethal.

Cape: Mr. Miracle's cape is made of a memory fibroid from New Genesis. Scott's Mother Box can transmute the cape into a cocoon that can withstand a sizable explosion. This can only be done once. The transmutation is not permanent and destroys the cape.

Gloves: The gloves have wide cuffs that hold secret pockets for Scott's multi-cube and assorted picks. Small explosive charges can be stored safely between the fingers. In addition the gloves can fire concussion blasts and contain a fingertip laser for fine welding or burning out a lock. The palms contain magnets to let Scott cling to metal surfaces and adhesion pads letting him hang on virtually anywhere. Scott's gloves are fireproof and damage resistant.

Mask: Mr. Miracle's mask contains back up circuitry for his Mother Box and a life support unit. The back up circuits let Scott use his Mother Box hands free. The life support system lets him conserve Mother Box power in hostile environments instead of having her provide him with an atmosphere. The mask is tight fitting and sometimes uncomfortable but Scott is one of the few superheroes who doesn't mind pulling his mask off on the job to get some fresh air.

Costume: It seems to be skin tight, except for the gloves and cape. In reality it contains numerous hidden pockets. Each glove and boot has a pocket and the slim utility belt contains half a dozen more. The full-length flowing cape is attached with fasteners that can detach it in a moment to allow for greater freedom of movement. In a secret pocket on his right upper arm Scott hides his Mother Box.

X-Ray Contacts: X-ray Contact lenses are tiny devices worn on the eyes. They can see through several inches of normal matter, enough to see the inner workings of a lock or other small device. Mr. Miracle's lenses can only scan an area a few inches on a side.

Micro-Suction Cups: Micro-suction cups are another tool hidden in Mr. Miracle's gloves. They are tiny cups that are nearly invisible, he can use to scale walls or cling to ceilings. Scott uses these when he wants to conserve his aero-disc power or when the slight sound of an aero-disc might give him away.

Electronic Pick: An electro pick is a small tool hidden within Mr. Miracle's costume, which allows him to secretly help him escape traps he's been locked into.

Aero-Discs: Thin metal plates about a foot across. The New Gods use them for personal travel. They can reach speeds of 250 mph and attain altitudes of a few hundred feet. They can hover. Scott has modified his discs considerably. They are designed to retract into his boots when not in use. He also added magnets to let him cling to a metal wall or ceiling and toe knives to let him cut ropes or nets in flight.

Multi-Cube: It is a peripheral device for Mr. Miracle's Mother Box. The cube was designed by Mr. Miracle to use the transmutation power of the Mother Box to create a number of preset mechanisms in its interior. All of these functions are much easier to perform that improvised transmutation. They can be activated in combat and other stressful situations.

History

Mister Miracle was Scott Free, the god of escape in the New Gods mythology. Originally, the boy Scott Free was the son of Highfather Izaya, the ruler of New Genesis. However, as part of a diplomatic move to stop a destructive war against the planet Apokolips, Highfather agreed to an exchange of children with his enemy Darkseid. In doing so, he surrendered Scott Free to the care of his enemy while he received his enemy's son, Orion.

For years, Scott Free grew up in the care of Granny Goodness, a sadistic minion of Darkseid who oversaw the training of Darkseid's forces with inhuman intensity. As he matured, Scott learned that he had a natural talent for escaping and overcoming seemingly impossible traps. His talent and his love for freedom were furthered by Himon, a natural troublemaker and the one god whom Darkseid's forces weren't able to capture. Scott refused to be hardened by the planet's cruel abuse and kept his innocence and hope in the midst of such darkness. He fell in love with Big Barda, a warrior who was leader of an elite squad of woman warriors known as the Female Furies; she in turn was won over by his innocence and goodness, and later married him.

Eventually, Scott Free escaped and fled to Earth. Once there, he became the protégé of a circus escape artist, Thaddeus Brown, whose stage name was Mister Miracle. Brown was impressed with Scott's skills. Scott also befriended Brown's assistant, a dwarf named Oberon. When Thaddeus Brown was murdered, Scott Free assumed the identity of Mister Miracle. Barda later followed Scott, and the two used their powers, equipment, and skills in the war against Darkseid, who was still interested in recapturing both of them. Unknown to Darkseid, Scott eventually acquired the complete Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid's ultimate desire. However, his will was strong enough to resist the temptation to use it.

For a time, Scott was appointed leader of New Genesis in the wake of Highfather's death, but relinquished his position and god-powers to Takion, not wishing to be tied down by the constraints of such leadership, with help by the wizard, Shazam.

On Earth, the two have often accompanied Orion, and all three have served on the Justice League. For a time Scott retired as an active hero, and Shilo Norman took his place as Mister Miracle.

Death of the New Gods

Following the murder of Barda, Scott became increasingly unstable. Changing his uniform to a darker version, he flung himself into the investigation conducted by Superman and Orion, briefly considering that Orion was responsible. Discovering the corpses of the Forever People, Scott used the Anti-Life Equation to resurrect their soulless bodies to try to determine their murderer, but they dissolved their bodies rather than tell. Finally, when Superman and Scott confronted Orion, Scott allowed the Anti-Life Equation to take over, trying to kill Orion, only for Orion to reveal that he was attempting to draw the murderer out.

Finally, Superman and Scott traveled to the Source Wall, where they found a second composed of the dead New Gods. Superman revealed that the murderer, posing as Himon, was actually the Infinity-Man. Scott unleashed the equation to try and destroy the Infinity-Man, only for the Infinity Man to reveal that he was an agent of the Source, attempting to reunite with the Anti-Life and create a fifth world. Broken by the knowledge that he had violated every one of his principles to avenge his wife, only to discover that the murderer was the god he had worshiped for so long, Scott Free allowed the Source/Anti-Life entity to kill him.

Resurrection

He was resurrected along with the other New Gods on the Fifth World.

Fun Facts

Mister Miracle's true name is unknown. Even he cannot remember it. As a child, Granny Goodness provided him with the name Scott Free as a pun on the phrase "scot free".

In the end Scott Free was killed by the Completed Source. After Free realized the deity he had worshiped all his life was uncaring and used him for its own ends, he died broken spirited at his foolishness.

Mister Miracle also has the complete Anti-Life Equation, the Anti-Life Equation is said to give the being who learns it power to dominate the will of all sentient and sapient races. It is called the Anti-Life Equation because "if someone possesses absolute control over you—you're not really alive." But he refuses to use it as it reduces other beings to mindless slaves. Most recently in the anger for the death of Barda and his friends, Scott has revealed he possesses greater power as the embodiment of the Anti-Life Equation, this power for all purposes allows him to warp reality, space, time, matter and antimatter on a cosmic level. The ability is apparently fueled by rage and negative emotions which Scott himself doesn't have a personality for normally.

Mister Miracle has an Alpha Effect that is the antithesis of Darkseid's Omega Effect. Although eventually choosing relinquish the power, he still kept a sliver behind for use.

#mister miracle #mr. miracle #mr miracle #scott free #new gods #justice league of america #jla #dc #dc comics #thedcdunce

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1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt · 6 years

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9, 24, 40 and 50 for the star trek meme ask ;)

@picturelyuniverse sorry for the delay darlin’! I have been flat out between part-time jobs and full time Uni, I am so happy to relax and answer a few Star Trek related questions here!

9. Which episode plot do you prefer?

a. Time traveling to the past or dealing with time travelers from the future?

b. Going undercover to spy on enemies or going undercover to explore pre- warp planets?

c. Holodeck malfunction or space anomaly?

d. Ship being taken over or being stranded on a planet?

e. Rapid aging or de-aging?

f. Diplomatic negotiations or all out battle?

It’s hard for me to choose between b. and d.! Both of these plots really focus on the efficiency and interconnectivity of thew crew which yields some fantastic character development and interactions among crew members under duress. One of my favorite things that Star Trek does is throw our characters into situations previously unknown to us and showcases the best -- or worst -- traits of our humanity that come through in unusual or stressful situations. I love those moments where the crew showcases their merit -- or weaknesses -- both individually and as a group to tackle a conflict, or how to handle interacting with others who have differing ways of life or perspectives from ours. Spock tends to add another multi-faceted layer to that by offering his alien perspective to the human crew members. So yes, it’s definitely a toss up between b. and d. for me!

24. Which character do you relate to the most?

Honestly, I have my moments when it comes to the triumvirate with all three. I aspire to be more like Spock in terms of my ability to mediate conflict and stressors. I definitely relate to his ever-present feeling of being an outsider looking in; of feeling at war with himself and of trying to comprehend and decide where exactly he belongs in the grand scheme of things. We all have our own experiences with feeling like we don’t belong, of yearning to belong somewhere, and knowing what it means to feel alienated and like you do not quite fit into the expectations predetermined for you by others. He is also quite a lonely character at times and who on Earth does not relate to that overwhelming sensation of loneliness in their own way?

McCoy is certainly a character I relate to in terms of his loyalty to his friends and that level of near mother hen devotion. I have always operated with a strong level of honesty and support for the few number of people I consider close friends, and with that comes my own vehement defense and trust in those few who take the time to form a genuine friendship with me. His no-nonsense approach to mediating, and of course his straight-forwardness are also traits that I admit I’m guilty of which can sometimes be intimidating or even considered rude to people who do not know me well. I am not what one would call a placater; if my opinion or counsel is asked for, you can expect raw honesty!

Above anyone else I must admit that I relate most closely to Jim. His thirst for adventure and knowledge, his curiosity and enthusiasm for so many facets of his life pertaining to his interests, his steadfast loyalty to those he holds close, his ability to take charge of situations, de-escalate them, to rally people without alienating or taking something away from their own contributions -- he is a leader by nature, open, cheerful, and eager to share his own wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm with others. His confidence, self-assurance, and resolve are all traits that I too pride myself in and try to foster in others. Jim genuinely believes in and embraces the concept of IDIC which the federation is meant to emulate in practice, and he sees value and merit in the tapestry of differences which make up the human race as one of the greatest strengths in our arsenal. Like him, I do take losses -- be them my own or my teams -- very seriously and sometimes quite personally. I loathe failure and like Jim, I do have a niggling, persistent fear of loneliness. SO much of what Jim stands for, believes in, and how he operates align with my own perspective of what a successful, fulfilled and meaningful life should be. AHEM, WOW. I wrote a ton there, sorry! 😂 I really got carried away.

40. If you got a trek inspired tattoo what would it be?

I already decided that if I were to get a trek tattoo I would either want the symbol for IDIC or IDIC written in Vulcan script, or kaiidth -- as both are powerful and valuable concepts from Star Trek that I genuinely reflect upon and carry with me through life. I genuinely believe in the strength and power of the concept of IDIC and that reflects in everything from my choice of career to my political leanings. Kaiidth is also so powerful; a gentle reminder to accept what one cannot change and focus on that which you have power over. It seems so simple a thing to remember, but it is not so easy a thing to truly master. It is a constant practice.

50. A random headcanon?

I have always been of the firm belief that Spock must be a notorious neat freak who naturally craves order and organization in his daily life, and living among humans may prove to be a constant challenge to that goal. 😂 Lets just say that I imagine boundaries may or may not be overstepped on account of this. I wrote a short headcanon relating to that idea previously!

Thanks so much for the asks, I absolutely loved responding to these! Xoxoxoxo

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turtlessuggest · 6 years

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Beastfolk: Hindfolk

Inspired by the deer class list, here’s my take on a D&D race inspired by these animals

Deer - Hindfolk

“We were made to run. Once it was from those who robbed and feasted on us. Now we run towards our enemies with antlers lowered and courage in our hearts. We are prey no more.”

Zigamzigar The Bloodglutted roared in victory as he toasted his orcish warband. Tonight, they feasted and reveled in the ruins of one of the deer-men’s fragile little settlements. The hobgoblin had hardly gotten his gleaming armor scuffed in the encounter; the antlered weaklings had fled at the first sign of trouble. Not much of a battle, Zigamzagar admitted, but they at least made off with a great many valuables. The Hindfolk didn’t hoard gold or jewels like dwarves or humans, but the rare herbs they seemed to pluck out of nowhere may as well have been with the prices they fetched.

“They may be cowards, but at least these creatures make a fair liquor,” Zigamzigar growled before quaffing down the drink crafted of fermented berries and herbs. Shame he hardly was able to savor it.

Before Zigamzigar could take a second gulp, an arrow pierced his throat with a dull *thwack*, spraying his closest warriors with a mixture of blood and the sweet liquor. As he fell to the earth, choking on his own blood, he didn’t even fathom where the arrow might have come from. He heard no footsteps, no war drums. The next dozen warriors faced the same predicament, their bodies skewered by arrows out of the darkness. Only those with the sense to find some kind of cover lived to hear the piercing warcries of the Hindfolk as the volleys stopped. Only those with such sense lived long enough to see the Hindfolk warchief charge into the camp bearing a massive axe, the skulls of of hobgoblins and bugbears hanging down from it's blade.

The Hindfolk are a relative newcomer to the larger world of thinking beings, only recently involving themselves in the affairs of the likes of men, elves, and dwarves. It is unknown whether they are a natural product of the evolution of Awakened deer or the result of some arcane magic, but already these beings have accrued a sad and bloody history.

From the writings of wood elves it has been gathered that Hindfolk were once a peaceful, nomadic people, largely resembling different species of deer, from diminutive muntjac, to elegant white-tailed deer, to hulking moose, each of whom walked on hind legs thicker and more muscular than what one would find on normal deer. Their hands consist of two strong fingers and an opposing thumb, each tipped with a sort of nail or claw that corresponds to the split hooves of their beastial kin.They are fleet of foot, hardly ever requiring mounts, and are possessed of extremely keen senses. The males commonly have antlers of some configuration during the warmer months, though some species also possess elongated canines or “tusks”. Antlers among females are uncommon, but not unheard of. In either instance they are often decorated with elements from nature, from flowers to beautiful stones to thorny vines. Their furry pelts protect them from the elements, though they have been known to drape themselves in clothes made from flaxen plants or bartered for in the most fringe of outposts.

Living out in the remote woodlands and grasslands of the world, they travel in loose tribes, following trails seemingly only obvious to them, wood elves, and the most astute of rangers. They largely fed on berries, fungi, roots, the occasional fowl to provide certain vitamins, and woodier plants that would seem unpalatable or inedible to many other races. Rarely did they bother any outpost of the other races save in greatest need, relying on the strength of the herd and the knowledge of their elders. For a time, this was all that was needed, and the Hindfolk were at peace.

But the world changes, and the ranges of the other races grew. The Hindfolk quickly gained the attention of the raiding races, the likes of the lizardfolk, the gnolls, and most of all the orcs. The Hindfolk were not rich in mineral wealth, but they were expert gatherers, often in possession of rare herbs and fruits that made for effective medicines or other sorts of potions. They also watched over plentiful hunting grounds, as they themselves rarely took animal prey. This quickly made them easy targets for raiders, who looted their camps and claimed dominion over their woods. In some cases, they were even feasted on as if they were nothing more than venison. With simple stone weapons, they were no match for tempered steel, nor were they particularly learned in war. Even their magic proved weak and rudimentary in the face of the onslaught. They were pushed back in many parts of their range, with hundreds of tribes being put to the sword.

It was fortunate then that they had made friends with the likes of neighboring wood elves. Though reclusive, they had seen in the Hindfolk kindred spirits, fellow lovers of nature and all of it's bounty. When it was clear that the Hindfolk were facing extinction, the wood elves that lived in neighboring lands gathered as many of the remaining tribes as they could. They taught them some of their ancient crafts to create far more effective weapons and armor from the earth itself. They taught them the art of war, especially how to turn their knowledge of their native forests to their advantage. They taught them more effective magics, or at least ways to make the magic of their spellcasters far more effective. Most of all, they gave them hope that there may yet come a day when the Hindfolk could live in their own forests in peace, free from raiders and bandits. This meeting and exchange of ideas is forever known as The Greatest Gift among the Hindfolk, and has forever cemented elves as beings of the highest regard among their people.

From here, the tide began to turn. No more were savage beings facing a slough of frightened deer-people only putting up a marginal defense. Now they faced an army thirsty for vengeance and eager to demonstrate what they had learned. While few of the Hindfolk were physically strong enough to face the likes of orcs or bugbears head on, their knowledge of the secret paths through the forest and delicate footfalls made guerrilla warfare near child’s play with their enhanced arsenal. Volleys of arrows tore through otherwise perfectly silent forests into enemy camps with no warning, often quickly followed by the very ground grabbing raiders and dragging them down. From there, the mightiest Hindfolk warriors, often lead by a warchief, would charge in to mop up whatever remained.

In a simpler world, that might have been the end of it. However in the modern times, things have become more complicated for the Hindfolk. For the orcs, the gnolls, the kobolds, the hobgoblins, they were seldom only fighting the deer-men. On the other side of their front often came the likes of humans, dwarves, halflings, and other less brutal folk, “civilizing” the lands that had recently been liberated from evil beings. Now many Hindfolk tribes find themselves clashing with such new settlements on the rights of each party, though thankfully with words and pen rather than with blades and arrows, as they have found these people less irksome than orcs. For there was one last parting word the wood elves gave the Hindfolk for their fight: “Do not become that which you hate so dearly.”

While traditionally the Hindfolk were nomadic and frequently made temporary shelters as they moved along their paths, since The Greatest Gift some permanent settlements have begun to dot what lands they currently hold. These are often where warchiefs, wizards, druids, and other figures of authority meet to keep their fellows updated on the progress of retaking their land. There is even word that deep in the woods there lies a great Hindfolk city still being built, but if it indeed does exist the deer-men do not speak of it to those outside their kind.

Hindfolk religion tends to be variable, as they have only been truly united in purpose as a people recently. Broadly speaking they tend to be shamanistic and druidic, but specific entities that they worship can range from elemental spirits to specific ancestors to a mysterious figure known as the Stag of the Elder Wood. In most if not all cases of Hindfolk worship, a common thread of caring for the natural world around them winds through many of their beliefs. “We must feed what feeds us” is a common saying and prayer, referring to how the Hindfolk subtley tend to the plants and lands that feed and house them.

Marriage is largely alien to Hindfolk, with courtship often switching between multiple partners within the tribe from year to year. If two males desire the same female, they may invoke an antler duel, a fight to first surrender using no weapons or armor, simply themselves and their antlers. While rearing generally falls to the parents, child raising is often communal, with nearly everyone in the tribe pitching in to teach the young the ways of their people.

Even before the burning of their woods the Hindfolk were a suspicious and shadowy people, and their recent interactions with many other races have not helped in that regard. They are often nervous around people new to them, and even when given to trust they still tend to be wary. Still, they often strive to be fair arbitrators of judgement, and there are some that are held in high regard among them. Elves, obviously, rank highest, excepting perhaps the Drow. Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes commonly rank below them, as sometimes trouble but generally more tolerable. Far below them are the likes of the goblinfolk, predatory beastfolk like gnolls and lizardmen, and most of all the orcs. Even their more level headed progeny, the half orcs, often find themselves the target of Hindfolk ire, as they find it difficult to differentiate them from their pure-blooded betusked parents.

Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity +1 Wisdom

Alignment: Hindfolk tend towards neutrality in the lawfulness spectrum, perhaps leaning to chaos in the more far flung tribes. Most are good, though hunger for blood and revenge have driven some of the Hindfolk to dark paths.

Age: Hindfolk age roughly the same as humans, maturing at 15 years of age and often living to 70 years of age.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 40 feet. You are able to keep pace with most swift mounts like horses when running, your bounding strides propelling you at great speeds. You cannot move like this without ample room to build up speed, however, and so cannot use it in confined spaces or difficult terrain.

Size: Generally speaking, Hindfolk weigh less than other races with comparable heights, the larger ones being the exception. Depending on the subrace, Hindfolk can reach around Halfling height, around 3 feet with a weight of 25 pounds (Muntjac and Pudu), to a hulking height rivalling a Goliath, around 8 feet and weighing 500 pounds (Moose and Elk). Most average around 6-7 feet however, weighing around 180 pounds. Those of the 3 feet variety have a Small build, while the rest are Medium.

Darkvision: The Hindfolk’s sensitive eyes work excellently in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if in bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot see color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill

Survival Instinct: You have proficiency in the Survival skill.

Antlers: If the season is right and you are able to grow them, you may lash out with your antlers as an attack for 1d6 +3 piercing damage.

You may also replace one of these abilities with any of the following:

Natural camouflage: Your pelt is mottled and better breaks up your outline. You get a +2 to stealth checks when in natural settings like in grasslands or forests.

Skittish: Even among Hindfolk, your uneasiness seems heightened. Gain a +1 bonus to initiative rolls.

Ace Bounder: Your limbs carry you better than most could ever dream of. You gain proficiency in Athletics.

Hindfolk War Cry: As a bonus action, you can produce the piercing, otherworldly warcry of the Hindfolk, resembling the bugling of elk but much more powerful. Once invoked, each hostile figure within a 30 foot radius must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, the enemy rolls at a disadvantage at it's next offensive or defensive action, whichever comes first. This can only be used once per long or short rest.

Languages: You are able to read, write, and speak Common, Elvish, and Hindtongue, a language specific to Hindfolk which is difficult for other races to decipher. It is a primal yet melodic language incorporating the full range of vocalizations that Hindfolk can make.

Subraces:

Demi-Hindfolk:

These smaller members of the Hindfolk race resemble diminutive muntjac deer or pudu deer rather than the graceful white-tailed deer or powerful moose of their larger cousins. They are small and light, excellent scouts but not exactly front line fighters most of the time. Their antlers also tend to be far more stunted compared to those of their larger relatives, and so rarely can be used as weapons.

Instead of the Antlers feature, you gain:

Nimble Escape: You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Size: At around 3 feet high and 25 pounds, you are of the Small size class.

Greater Hindfolk:

These truly physically powerful members of the Hindfolk race, often resembling powerful elk or moose, are often among the foremost war-leaders of the tribes they inhabit. Though less dexterous than their smaller kin, they possess incredible strength of limb and tenacity in battle, often standing toe to toe with the likes of orcs and hobgoblins.

Ability Score Increase: Instead of the standard increases, these Hindfolk get +2 Strength and +1 Dexterity.

Powerful Build: Counts as one size class larger for matters of carrying capacity and things you can lift, drag, push, etc.

#animal class lists #d&d #I haven't actually played d&d myself but I did do my best to roughly balance these like existing races #and I ran these by a friend who does play #long post

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noivysneverland · 6 years

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Justice, Reborn; pt. 7

Well this was a long time coming. I was off and on working on a mod that would allow me to change battle formats for gym battles but instead it ended up being an unfixable bug-fulled mess that I have since shelved. Instead I have modified my particular game to have all trainers at level 100 and I will be going through an old X-League style run dating back to the old PO league rules. As such, I will be using a fixed team of pokemon and moves at level 100 with Gym Battles having up to three legendary pokemon. Gym, rival and major meteor battles will have EV trained pokemon. Now then with the game context out of the way-

I walked back to the interrogation room with Ame, who told me what I needed to know about Team Meteor. Their leadership is unknown, the organization is well funded through unknown mean, and their headquarters are just as well unknown. They have been attacking the city in its various locations for seemingly no reason, attacking primarily transportation hubs or areas that would normally have high commercial activity. Ame presented me with a Reborn Trainer case, fairly large to accomidate 18 badges. The one thing that stood out was the Reborn symbol on it, the X had gemstones on each of the different arms, nice touch up. The ordinary case just had flat colors on the symbol. "I wish I could tell you more," Ame sighed, "I've been keeping the league going as well as I can through this chaos, and wearing these smiles with all the challengers can get to me." "For curiosity's sake," I suddenly came to a realization, "You're the champion of Reborn, aren't you." Ame shrugged. "A champion, there's plenty of champions here in Reborn. I'm just the only one who really runs the place. Who knows, maybe you'll find a few of them." "Right then," I grabbed each pokeball on my belt and put them on the table, "That'll be all from me. I'm just going to take a moment and meet my team." "Alright then," Ame quipped in a joyful tone as she was leaving the room back into the main hall, "have fun with that!" That lady is one hell of a person to have that composure.

I sent Oryx out first, and he promptly took his place beside me. We have done this sort of deal before, sometimes I would recieve new partners and we would go though a little minature orientation, which mostly comprised of Oryx letting everyone know that it's the boss, not so much me. But this time it was different. I knew I would be having these pokemon for a very long time, so I had to let Oryx know first hand that I was taking charge here. Without any further hesitation, I grabbed the first ball.

It was the Porygon 2. Relatively small, but that is never a measure for a pokemon's strength. I walked forward and looked at it, it's body tilted up and it made several inquisitive beeps. I introduced myself and Oryx, but with this pokemon I had an extra procedure. Every Porygon-family unit that I worked with had a special code that would allow it full access into most systems. But this particular one was not raised by the I.P. That is where my badge case came into play. I held it out for the digital entity to explore. It touched the cable port and did whatever these pokemon do. It looked at Oryx, and then back at me, beeping in understanding of who I am and what my mission is. "You understand then," I ask, "We're going to make the world a better place, can I trust you to work with Oryx and I?" It beeped in many tones, nodded its body several times, and produced a purple stone from its eyes, it was an Eviolite, a rare stone that amplified the fortitude of pokemon that haven't fully evolved. While I prefer Porygon 2 compared to the much more erratic and unpredictable Z, the idea of using an eviolite in battle never occured to me. With mutual understanding, I withdrew the Porygon-2.

The next ball was Swampert, the final evolved form of my first ever pokemon, Mudkip. He was something to behold, large even for his species, the ground shook when he landed on the floor. He took a look around the room first, completely ignoring Oryx and I. This wasn't a malicious act, that much I could tell, but Oryx wasn't having it. It stepped forward with a sharp glare and caught its eyes. The Swampert jumped back in a goofy manner, it was clear he was lazy, and didn't like the sudden piercing gaze. "Oryx," I sternly yell, "That's enough." It huffed in indignation while I took front and walked up to the shaken Swampert. "Hey there, sorry about the scare." I reached into my food pouch on my belt and offered it a few pokeblocks. It took the yellow ones and grunted in relief. "Oryx just likes to make sure you're paying attention, never means any bad feelings." Coming to respect me, he relaxed and gave a slight Ice Punch to the side of my shoulder. I could feel the glare of Oryx while I punched back and shared a laugh with the Swampert, in our own little world. With Swampert done, the Crobat was next.

Many people would associate Crobat with villains, but the reputation is undeserved. A Crobat only evolves from its previous form when its friendship with its trainer is at its best, and I had relatively little surprise when the Crobat flew around looking at me with interest. I held out some pink pokeblocks, which it evidently appreciated and settled down on my arm while it ate. Crobats were very social pokemon, and do not like to be alone for long periods of time. After it finished eating, it flew around the room at unimaginable speed, I always knew they were fast but seeing it in a small of a space as this made me realize just how much control it had of its flight. It stopped in front of Oryx, chirped a greeting, and with that done, I took it back inside its ball.

The Manectric was next, and he was without question, the most intimidating one I have seen yet. Almost immediately after it left it's ball, he was looking at me straight in the eye, with uncertain attention in its eyes. This Manectric was a very seasoned battler, it had some tears on its tail, and a scar that ran down its left front leg. He suddenly switched looks with Oryx, and to my surprise, did not flinch in the slightest. He had absolutely no fear, a rarity to be sure because not many can look at Oryx and not be alarmed. It walked up and at that point I noticed it had a collar. I felt around it and felt a smooth surface, turning it towards me I knew instantly it was a Manectite. It looked at me and nodded, and I decided to oblige his request to Mega-Evolve. The room filled with light and there was an electric feel to the air when I activated the key stone on the Mega-Z Ring, when the light faded, the Manectric stood with all of its glory. Oryx was impressed, while it has faced mega-evolved pokemon in the past, it never acknowledged them as an equal to him, a fault which led to one of it's few defeats at the hands of a Charizard's Fire Blast. Pride was Oryx's greatest weakness, and this Manectric had lots of it. I'll have to be careful with both of them when they're out.

The last ball belonged to the Garchomp, and with reluctance, I tossed the ball. Garchomp scare me, they're fast and incredibly powerful, and can cut just about anything to pieces. Noivy had one of them in our final battle at the Sigil League, only my Swampert at the time was able to put a stop to it. Garchomp had also been under the control of some of my toughest cases, so every time I see one I flash back to some of those really scary battles. This one was as tall as me, her eyes meeting mine at a perfect level angle. Oryx knew my fears all too well, and pushed me forward towards the dragon-type pokemon making me yelp in surprise. It always loved making me confront my fears. I held out a hand and held a red pokeblock to the Garchomp, who lowered her head down to eat it, she liked it to my relief and pulled me towards her with one of her arms and showed me another mega stone, one for her as well. Oryx was clearly amused at seeing my shock, though I realized soon that this Garchomp was lonely. When I raised the pokeball to return it, she looked at me and shook her head. She didn't want to go back in. With my curiosity caught, I decided to talk. "Don't like being in there," I ask with mild fear in my voice. I'll never not be afraid of Garchomps. "Were you in there for too long?" She nodded and revealed an additional item on hand, a paper note. I read its contents;

Make sure she never is alone. She depends on a strong trainer who must be willing to care for her to the best of their ability.

Garchomp were powerful and strong willed normally, but this one was a big exception to the rule. I don't like to admit it, but I would assume that Ame gave me this particular Garchomp for a reason. Because no one else could do what I could for her. Though she protested, I withdrew her and Oryx because I can’t stay in this room forever. I need to leave the Grand Hall and find lodgings that at a minimum has some kind of air conditioning

#justice reborn story #Pokemon Reborn

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seanofseancha · 4 years

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You don’t have to listen to these;

Today, my goal is to encourage us not to listen to these discouragements that the enemy, Satan, continually bombards believers around the world.

Personally, it was months ago when I struggled with most of these discouragements I will write in this blog post. Most of them, I battled and lost, and realized that, they are not to be fought, rather they are to be dealt— no matter how many reasons we throw on them and how many justifications we do for ourselves, our enemy have overthrown kingdoms and empires, so dealing them in and with the Lord is the best way to overcome them.

May it remind you as you read that Jesus said,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” —John 10:10 ESV

The Bible is very clear, the goal of our enemy is to steal, kill and destroy. The goal of the good Shepherd Jesus is to give us life and that we may have it abundantly. We have interpreted this verse too many times , that it has shifted us to focus only to the purpose of the Good Shepherd— a meaningful and significant life, a life not without problems but with purpose and satisfaction. In such a way, that we missed the goal of our enemy, which is the exact opposite of Jesus, to take the life out of us.

Have you felt that? As if life was taken away from you? A joyless, empty, and pointless life. With no meaning, purpose and significance. That is what the enemy wanted. To take the life God has intended for you and me.

In simple words, here’s what the enemy wants.

“The enemy’s main goal is to discourage you.”

Today, I will share three strategies of how the enemy will try to discourage us, and how knowing them and being vigilant about them through the Holy Spirit and reading God’s word, may guide us to be able to guard our hearts and minds from these life-depriving, joy-stealing and peace-destroying discouragements.

Subtle deceptions

If there’s one thing we need to learn, and I learned the hard way in the short years of my Christian life— your mind is a battlefield. It is won and lost in the mind. That is why guarding your minds is necessary in determining the subtle deceptions.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’. And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” —Genesis 3:1-4 ESV

Ever since man’s fall, the enemy’s way is to make us question God. To make us doubt God. To make us believe that God does not take His word and He is hiding something from us. He always tells us, “Did God really said that?” And then deceives us to not believing God. How many times did we believe the enemy with what God has said?

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” —Psalm 139:14 ESV

How have we believed the lie that we aren’t beautiful and handsome and that we must fit the society’s standard to be beautiful and some number of likes to be approved? When God has said, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps 139:14). Why have we believed? Because we have been lied to, and we keep on believing that lie. It has been planted in our minds, a landmine that eveytime we step on basis of our looks and fame, blows us into insecurity and inferiority. Sadly, so subtly, we have been lied.

Deceptions are lies covered with some truth.

They are not easy to notice because they seem right, but altogether wrong. A complete lie you won’t believe, but the truth seasoned with some false information is a strategic way of letting someone believe something. That’s what make it so subtle, deceptions. Unless you know the truth, you will never be able to distinguish what is the lie. You have to know and taste what is real so you can know what’s counterfeit.

The S-Word

Too bad that only a few of us value truth, and how easily we shout we are in pain because of the afflictions these lies bring to us. So knowing that God desires that we may have life and have it abundantly, he personally involved Himself in producing the greatest reminder of all—the Scriptures.

In my own life, I think what deceptions does to a Christian, is to lower his guard. To give up just a little bit his defenses, because there’s seem to be no imminent attack. And when he was already unguarded because he has been deceived, his kingdom was attacked and a great plunder was taken from him. It reminds of the verse about self-control.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” —Proverbs 25:28 ESV

God loves you that He desires that you read His word. If ever you have been defeated and overwhelmed with the all the discouragements? Go back to His word. Remind yourself what God has said. Read it, not only when you failed, but so that you may be kept from failing. Love His Word. Marry the Bible. Just as George Muller has said,

“What is the food of the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and . . . not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

If you want to be kept from the subtle deceptions of the enemy, then you have to stay with your Bible all-day. Not only scanning it, but thinking about in every moment. I have never seen a Christian so weak, who have so intimate with God’s word. But I have seen how defeated I get when I don’t read His word.

Messy Distractions

Another strategy that the enemy wants us to do is to focus on the wrong things. Just as the mind is where the battle is the lost, where our eyes are gazed is of absolute importance too. Where do you look at? To whom are your gaze fixed on?

For David, his gaze was on the LORD’s;

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. —Psalms 27:4 ESV

Why do you think David’s gaze is in the LORD? Because he learned that,

“he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent, sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.” —Psalm 27:4-5 ESV

The context of the passage was a terrible time for David, enemies and armies around him to subdue him, too much noise and threats from his enemies to kill him and too much distractions for his life. But all these he has overlooked, why? Because his gaze was on the Lord. Remember when Peter was able to walk in water and then, because he stopped looking at Jesus but focused on the waves that he began to sink? He lost his gaze.

The same way, how our enemies will gives us too much of life’s distraction to lead us to focus on the wrong things or on these distractions.

And here’s the subtle part, sometimes, the enemy’s goal is not so that we may focus on the wrong things, but to simply keep us busy so that we may not do what the God-things are for our lives.

I recall how many times I focus on my own strength and fail to do what God’s will for my life. I confess that sometimes I lose my gaze in the Lord, that I begin to look at myself, at other people. Then I began to pity me, insecurites floats in and I get discouraged to keep on going. Why? Simply because I gazed on the distractions set in this world, instead of looking unto Jesus.

Look unto Jesus

The unknown author of Hebrews encourages us,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2

The ‘cloud of witnesses’ here does not just specify our fellow believers, but all the saints who have overcame this world through Jesus, those who have departed and lived a godly life through Christ. If they have done it and have persevered, then we could run with endurance too! Look at Jesus, don’t look at yourself, to others and the distractions of this world, look in the finish line! Look at Jesus!

The Disqualifier

No matter how old you are in this Christian life, how many books you have read, and how many conferences you have attended. You will always struggle with sin. Jesus freed us from the penalty of sin, we are justified, and through the Spirit, liberates us from the power of sin over us, and one day in heaven, will be completely liberated from the presence of sin. What a glorious hope and promise!

However, life sometimes kick us the hard way or we kick along the goads. We fail big time, we have been reminded with these regrets, and people got hurt. Then a voice whisper saying, “It’s pointless. I wonder if God has really saved you.”

“How could you do that to someone?”

“Because of what you’ve done, you don’t deserve it anymore.”

“You are disqualified.”

Some time in our lives, we could be legalistic with our standing before the Lord. How easy we put it on ourselves why we are saved when God has clearly said,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9

With all these discouraging voices in our mind, we begin to disqualify ourselves. We wanted to leave our faith. We have failed God already right? But yes, we have been lied to again. We have began to believe that our salvation is not by grace, but by our works. We get deceived.

That’s why the title of this blog is,

“You don’t have to listen to these”.

Because they are lies, they are not what God wants for us. They are not from God, they are from the enemy who wanted us dead again in our spiritual bankruptcy.

I always had this thought;

“When the enemy disqualifies you, that is because he knew that God has qualified you. Focus on the race. Do not believe him, he only wanted you out of the race.”

You are in the race. You are running a good race, and you have an enemy you can’t defeat apart from God. No matter how much you fight, unless you learn its tricks and how to counter them with the Lord. You will keep falling again and again.

So a final thought. Now that you know all these, and that you don’t have to listen to them.

Then who and what are you to listen? His Word—the Scriptures.

What I told youu, is not a secret. There’s nothing there that makes you overnight an overcomer, but it leads you to be an overcomer in the Lord. A victor and a conqueror.

Jesus said,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33 ESV

The promise is that he overcome the world. Take heart my friend and,

“Read your Bible. Live in it. Marry it. Satisfy yourself in it. Know God and the truth in it. May you consume it just as you consume food and become a part of you. Meditate on it. Take it to your heart. Ultimately, take God at His Word.”

—All glory to God

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coteriesrp · 4 years

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Every vampire has three inherent Disciplines which they pick up more readily and do not require training to learn. Many clans also have signature Disciplines that are not widely known outside of their clan and are sometimes carefully guarded, though this varies from clan to clan.

Perhaps the vampire has more in common with animal than human. A dangerous set of instincts drive them, and it takes a lot for them to withhold the urge to just lash out. Much like a wild dog on a chain, a vampire’s Beast will never truly be tamed.

Some Kindred find a way of becoming one with their Beasts. Those who do are the masters of Animalism. Some accompany the use of this power with howls, snarls, and roars, or communicate with animals in the animal’s “language,” though this is an affectation and not a necessity.

The Animalism Discipline sees much use among vampires who struggle to fit in or have no taste for living among mortals. Often classed as one of Caine’s gifts of utility, allowing a vampire to thrive on unrefined blood or form companionship with non-sapient beings, it is also a devastating weapon against vampires who cling to their towers, and against inquisitors who suspect their enemies will only come on two legs. A swarm of blood-hungry rats invading a Kindred’s penthouse haven, the Animalism-proficient vampire who cows the Sheriff’s Beast in Elysium, or the beady-eyed raven that spies on a Society of St. Leopold chapter all serve to strength Animalism practitioners, and weaken their foes.

Among the greatest gifts and worst curses afflicting vampires, the Discipline of Auspex allows Kindred to discern truth from lies, probe the minds of those around them, and perceive reality on a different level than other beings. What appears to be the ultimate power in foresight and vision grants its wielders perhaps too much knowledge. They may detect an assassin’s blade before it strikes or get into an enemy’s head to turn them around, but they can also sense every shift in emotion, good and bad, see things they wish they had not, and discern futures they may not wish to explore. Users of Auspex invite paranoia, but using it is addictive. Once you know the truth rests within your grasp, you seek it out at every opportunity.

Kindred use Auspex in many ways. Some vampires act as spies for their courts or factions. Others act on their own, blackmailing mortals and immortals with secrets gleaned from quiet conversations, subtle emotional shifts, and telepathic intrusion. Auspex allows its user to play the role of domain detective, studying the scene of a vampire’s destruction for tell-tale spiritual clues or interrogating suspects with unnatural accuracy.

The Tremere maintain that Blood Sorcery, or “Thaumaturgy” as they call it, was their invention. To hear the Banu Haqim give their version, “Quietus” was their blood right long before the Tremere became vampires. Other clans make the same statements. While its origins are murky, the dreaded nature of Blood Sorcery is not. Few Kindred trust the wielders of a power that can manipulate the vitae in their veins and turn Blood into poison.

Unlike other Disciplines, which could be described as advancing organically through the victims chosen by the vampire, practitioners of Blood Sorcery require teachers. The Tremere once relied on their pyramidic clan hierarchy to arrange tutelage for neonate apprentices, while the Banu Haqim stress the sire-childe relationship as being the best form of mentorship. These nights, many a Child of Haqim washes up in Europe or America far from their sire, and with the Pyramid broken Tremere neonates frantically search through moldy tomes and palimpsests for scraps of true lore. Genuine masters of this Discipline develop their own Rituals, though many guard them from others, revelling in the mystery surrounding their unknown cache of abilities. To practice Blood Sorcery is to twist one’s own Blood into submission. Any form of this power reminds a vampire that they’re far from human, as no mortal could wield magic in this way.

The ability to strike fast, dodge blows, and escape pursuers allows Kindred to become extremely effective predators. Celerity enables vampires to move faster than any natural creature, though it does more than grant a supernatural speed, with vampires employing it actually appearing to think almost as fast as they act. While some vampires use to slice and stab at enemies without fear of riposte, others simply use it to get from A to B faster than any other person on foot.

MALKAVIANS ONLY — Dementation is the Discipline that allows a vampire to focus and channel madness into the minds of those around them. Though it’s the natural legacy of the Malkavians, practitioners of Dementation need not actually be mad to use the Discipline... but it helps.

Disturbingly, Dementation doesn’t actually make their victims mad, but rather it seems to break down the doors to the hidden darkness of the target’s mind, releasing into the open whatever is found there. The Malkavians claim that this is because insanity is the next logical step in mental evolution, a transhumanist advancement of what modern people consider consciousness. Other Kindred scoff that this reasoning is an outright justification for the chaos that Dementation brings. They don’t scoff too loudly, however, lest the Malkavian advance their consciousness next.

Dominate grants the vampire the ability to control the actions of others, manipulate their memories, and force living creatures into acts they would not perform of their own volition. At its most basic, Dominate enables a vampire to make a victim forget the feed they just endured or enjoyed. At its most dangerous, it allows Kindred to enslave entire crowds of kine. This is the Beast at its most cruel and controlling.

Dominate acts as a bludgeon to enforce the Masquerade, create submissive servants, and reinforce the self-assuredness of the vampire. When using this Discipline, Kindred feel omnipotent, although the wisest of them know that this too may be shackles of a kind, slipped upon them by the Blood.

Most Dominate powers require eye contact with the victim. Once they establish contact, Dominate holds the gaze of the victim until the user conveys their command or commands, barring interference.

Much prized by immortals, Fortitude grants the ability to resist physical and mental assault. Few vampires survive longer than a century without at least a mote of Fortitude, especially in a world where violence is common and not even Kindred are safe. In these nights, fewer vampires use Fortitude to resist the sun than they do to withstand violent harm, fire, and supernatural coercion.

Those possessing Fortitude exemplify the stolid pillars of Kindred society, able to withstand blows and charms without movement or sign of dilapidation. Few vampires feel as secure in their immortality as do masters of Fortitude.

For any hunter, the ability to hide, move without being seen, and employ camouflage proves vital. For the Kindred practitioners of Obfuscate, the Discipline provides the perfect cover to get close to a victim, disguise themselves as harmless, and escape when the heat grows too much.

Obfuscate experts may utilise the Discipline to lurk in the shadows while spying, change appearance in a crowd while under surveillance, or even spread the gift to a group of vampires looking to hide.

There is a popular saying among the members of Clan Brujah: “You only underestimate our strength once.” Potence is vitae-fueled strength above and beyond other vampires’ capabilities. More powerful than any performance-enhancing drug, more unnatural than the physique of any bulging bodybuilder, Potence is the Beast let loose through the fists, feet, limbs, and raw bodily power of a vampire. The Discipline is used for more than just hitting things, though it is certainly good for this task. It is the vampire’s ability to force their body into actions impossible for mortals to replicate.

Potence trumps the other Disciplines in sheer incongruity – an elderly-looking Nosferatu strikes harder than a mortal heavyweight boxer or a Brujah Embraced as a child can decapitate a target with one blow.

Most vampires are creatures of grace and lethality. Associated with horrific violence and devastating beauty, Kindred embody opposites, alternating between nightmare and dream depending on the onlooker and the vampire’s whims. Presence is a Discipline that expresses this bipolar existence. Used to attract victims or disperse them in fear, Presence allows crowd control, emotional manipulation, and enforced devotion. A mortal’s greatest fear could stand before them and suddenly look like the most radiant creature on Earth.

Many Presence practitioners use this Discipline to easily acquire feeding vessels, while others use it to stalk the night as creatures of horror, making weak-willed kine flee terrified, unsure of what they’ve just seen. Effective as a lure as well as a defence, vampires with Presence enjoy an easier nightlife at the expense of forgetting what feelings projected at them are normal and which are compelled.

Werewolves despise vampires for their possession of this ability. They consider it a mockery of their own nature, as undead beings become wolves or bats, bearing claws and gnashing fangs like one of their own. Yet, Protean has flowed through the Blood for almost as long as the Kindred have existed. The power to mutate, shift form, and become ever-deadlier predators is as natural to the vampire as it is to the lupine.

Practitioners of Protean employ the Discipline for its utility. The power enables a vampire to become a beast, turn their limbs into weapons, or change their shape into clouds of mist to evade capture, glide through keyholes, or slip through cracks in a window.

BANU HAQIM ONLY — The Discipline of silent death, Quietus is practiced by those of Clan Banu Haqim. Based on elements of blood, poison, vitae control, and pestilence, Quietus focuses on the destruction of a target through a variety of means. This Discipline doesn’t always cause a quick death, but the Banu Haqim rely on its lethality to hide their involvement with their victims.

It is primarily known for being an assassin’s tool in the hands of the Warrior caste, and the basics of the Discipline are largely geared towards that end. Developed by the Assamite Antediluvian, Haqim, in ages past, its use by his descendants is associated with passing judgement on Cainites and protecting mortals from their depredations.

One strange side effect of such power over blood, however, is that it seems to leave bloodlines with an affinity for Quietus vulnerable to blood curses. Also, blood diseases spread more quickly among users of Quietus.

THE MINISTRY ONLY — Serpentis is believed to be the legacy of Set himself, a gift to his children. The Ministry are very careful to guard this Discipline’s secrets, only teaching the art to those who they deem worthy. Most vampires fear the Setites because of the powers of Serpentis and its connection to snakes and reptiles; this Discipline can evoke a primordial fear in others, particularly those who recall the tale of Eden.

Encompassing both shapechanging abilities, characteristics associated with snakes, as well as corruption, Serpentis has a near religious significance to the Clan, although Kindred scientists presume a relation to the shape-shifting powers of Protean.

Certain powers allow the Setite to remove either their own hearts or that of another Cainite, and other organs as well. A Cainite without a heart is immune to staking and diablerie. A Cainite with all of their organs removed grows a scaly shroud that is nearly indestructible, that can only be removed by feeding the vampire their organs.

THIN-BLOODS ONLY — The thin Blood of the latest generations holds barely any power of its own. But certain thin-bloods have learn to use it as a catalyst, awakening the latent power in everything from human trauma to gasoline. Born of the street drug scene and cocktail culture as much as it was uncovered by instinct or in mouldering medieval texts, thin-blood Alchemy may be the defining art of the next-millennium lick. By blending strongly resonant human blood, and sometimes other substances, with their own vitae, Alchemists can counterfeit a wide range of powers from other Disciplines – and some unique powers of their own. Rumours already abound of specific elixirs that grant the ability to walk in sunlight, commune with Antediluvians, or achieve Golconda. But for now, the street-level cookers have all they can do to stay out of the Court’s sight – plenty of elders consider Alchemy nothing but watered-down diablerie.

#lore.#disciplines.

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spnsimpleman · 7 years

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The Unknowns: Twenty

*^Google search^*

This is a continuation for The Unknowns. A one shot turned into a long ass Prologue. Part One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen.

Dean x Psychic!reader

Teaser/Summary: An AU sparked from a songfic challenge, The Unknowns is based on Season One Episode Nine, Dean met reader in Lawrence as a child and they created an unbreakable bond. At the end of The Unknowns, reader decided to stick with her boys because she felt something coming but she holds secrets; one she holds close to her heart and a few that she doesn’t even really know yet.

Word count: 4303

Lines borrowed from season two episode one, “In my time of dying” in Bold.

When I was a little girl, I didn't actually believe in Hell. Of course, I’d heard of demons, had seen one and had a loved one ripped from my life, but I still didn't believe there was an actual place below our feet where sinners were sent to rot in torture and torment. There wasn't a need for it. I’d felt enough by the age of ten to know there was no need for a fictional place that tortured us for our greatest sins when we did that pretty damn well on our own.

The phrases didn't hit me until I was in high school, when I went through my ‘death-obsessed phase’ as Dean likes to call it. People would joke ‘go to hell’ and the responses were a version of ‘I'm already there’ or simply a riff on it. Sometimes simply saying this is what hell is like. I felt the pain, shame, terror, anxiety, and every imaginable torture that we dish out on ourselves. Who needs the river Styx when we’ve got the floodgates of shame and regret to beat us down into something we don't want to recognize even if we could?

Hell on earth is all in our heads and it always has been. That biblical unleashing of hell on earth was the moment God said, here kids have some free will and oh, that delicious fruit on this tree, don't touch it. He put the cookie jar down with a giant red sticker that said don't touch and we seriously wanted to touch it. That tendency from childhood rears its ugly head, the harder we try not to think about it, the more passionate and desirable the idea becomes.

I think most of the time, we take the cookie and sometimes we don't, but I still haven't been able to figure out if there ever is a win/win situation. Which is kind of a hell all its own. Maybe it's level one. Demons are probably level three through five. Human nature covers all the rest. Dante's divine drama because as humans we've really perfected that one.

“How is he?” Jess’s voice was soft, both fear and strength residing in it.

I still held Dean’s hand, even though I hadn’t felt him yet since coming in this room nearly thirty minutes ago. “He’s not here.”

“What?” Jess choked.

I couldn’t take my eyes from his chest, trying to will his soul back. Why hadn’t he come when he felt me? Could he still feel me? I squeezed his hand and called to him again, the chill reverberating through me and weighing on my eyes. It terrified me on a level I don't understand.

Maybe this is level five.

I should've seen this coming. I couldn't save the one person that would also save me, not from something natural even if the supernatural caused it to come about.

Jess moved to the door and I spared a glance. Pamela was standing there and they spoke in hushed tones. Sam wasn't back yet, John had just sent him to meet Bobby at the demolished impala when we arrived at the hospital. Something was going on with John but I couldn't pinpoint it. I couldn't pinpoint anything. I could barely feel, not much had changed since I had shut everything off like I had somehow detached slightly from my body. The very thought sent another shiver along my spine.

I looked at Dean’s face, at the tubes connected to his nose and mouth. “Where are you?” I squeezed his hand but there was no response, not that I thought there would be but… I've seen those movies. That's when they respond, when you call them back, when everything feels like it's over, when the loved one feels like… ah, fuck he hated those movies.

“Bullshit! Come on, if he was sitting close enough that he heard all of that and he still waits until she's falling apart to finally do something… I'm sorry, he's an asshole and you need to leave, sweetheart.”

I hid my smirk behind the popcorn I lifted to my mouth, “maybe it's not so easy being a ghost. We know how much energy it takes for a poltergeist to throw shit and they're usually stark raving mad.”

He looked into my eyes and pulled me close, “if I don't answer you, you have permission to kick me in the balls.”

I barked out a laugh, “oh yeah, I'm sure you'd be able to move something then.”

“Or just grab my balls, I’d definitely have the energy to jump back into my body and wake the fuck up.”

“Y/n, honey, you okay?”

I tried to open my eyes or answer Jess but it was all too heavy. Something hard was against my head and I couldn't move. Loud beeping filled the room and I tried to move away but nothing was working. It would be so much easier to just let the darkness suck me down. I was so tired.

“Y/n!”

I just wanted the beeping to stop. Then it did.

Jess stared down at Y/n as Pamela took her hand out of Dean’s. “Are you sure we should…” hands grabbed her arms and Jess jerked, throwing them off.

A nurse held her hands in front of her in surrender, “you need to get out so we can work.”

A doctor and another nurse rushed around them and the nurse's gaze shot to Jess’s side. Jess looked and saw Pamela half carrying, half dragging Y/n. She jumped over, grabbed Y/n’s arm and pulled it over her shoulder as she wrapped her other arm around Y/n’s back.

They carried her out into the hall and Pamela searched for somewhere to sit her down. Sam appeared out of a room down the hall and rushed over, “what's going on?”

Jess sought his gaze and relief swept through her, “she was in with Dean and just fainted or something.”

“Or something,” Pamela mumbled, still searching. “Sam, we need…”

Y/n gasped and her eyes shot wide open, “Dean.”

She was staring past Sam and he turned but there was no one there.

“Get your ass in there and fight!” Pamela commanded the air beside Sam.

Cold brushed by Jess’s shoulder and she stared back toward the room they came from. “What the hell?”

Sam moved over to the door like a man possessed and leaned against the frame. Jess looked at Y/n who stared into Dean’s room and stood on her own strength again. Jess glanced at Pamela who nodded.

She took the few steps to Sam’s side and touched his arm. He kept his gaze trained on his brother but slipped his arm around her back and pulled her to him. She watched the tension take over every muscle.

The beeping started again and the doctor and nurses called out stats. She looked back at y/n now sitting on the floor in Pamela’s arms with a nurse on her other side with a pressure cuff on her arm. Her eyes were open and staring up, some color returning to her face. Jess whispered to Sam, “what the hell are we going to do?”

Sam turned them toward y/n and Jess glanced at him. He was watching the nurse. Pamela and the nurse helped y/n off the floor but her gaze never wavered from Sam’s side and Jess got the feeling they were missing something. The nurse walked away and y/n started talking, her voice still weak.

“It's some kind of spirit. He can grab it. He got it away from his body.”

Pamela glanced at the area where y/n’s gaze was fixed. “It's not a spirit. Think, look at her, you know what this is.”

Y/n tried to smile but it wobbled just like the tears in her eyes, “we’ll figure something out.”

The tension tightened right in between Jess’s shoulders and she looked at Pamela. Her mouth became a tight line. A shiver ran down her spine and Jess leaned into Sam with a sigh, “shit.”

Y/n closed her eyes, her head tilted to the side as if leaning into something and more color returned to her face. “I know,” she whispered.

Her face changed in such a subtle way but its meaning dug into Jess’s chest so deeply. The contentment, the yearning, the sheer amount of... love between them gutted her in that moment. Sam had said the connection between them was something out of a fairy tale but Jess wasn’t sure he got it quite right, this was something that even a fairy tale couldn’t touch; it was just as deadly as it was heavenly. Just the look on her friend’s face told her that much.

There was always a price to pay for something that magical and Jess didn’t want to sit back and wait to find out just how much her friend would have to pay.

“How is she?” The doctor had stepped up beside Sam looking down at the woman clinging to the invisible soul that stood or knelt in front of her.

Sam jolted then tightened his hand on Jess’s hip. “She fainted.”

The doctor nodded, “she’s free to go back in when she's ready.” He tried to keep his face blank but Jess didn't miss the look in his eyes or the tension in his mouth. Jess’s stomach twisted.

She turned her gaze to Y/n now standing, leaning heavily into Pamela. What the hell were they going to do? She squeezed Sam’s side before moving toward Y/n and helping her back into Dean’s room.

She made sure she was as comfortable as she could get in the hospital chair they moved back to Dean’s bed. Y/n put her head down on Dean’s leg and Jess’s heart clenched. Pamela told her what happened the last time Dean almost died. It felt so much worse seeing it first hand.

She turned back to the door and Sam still leaned against the doorframe, his gaze shooting from Y/n to Dean’s face. Sam was still mad but he was watching the two most important people in his life fade away right before his eyes and there was nothing he could do. He grimaced then pushed away from the door. Jess looked over her shoulder at Pamela, “you'll stay with her?”

She nodded and shooed Jess away.

Jess hustled into the hallway and saw Sam disappear into his father’s room. She approached slowly, worried that Sam wouldn't want her to interfere.

“The bond does that?” John asked.

“Yes. Pamela said it was survivable but… not by much. You've got to have some idea of what we can do. We dealt with a reaper before but it wasn't natural… this is…” Jess stepped into the doorway and Sam stopped talking as both John and Sam looked her way. He released a breath, “Dad, this is…”

“Jess.” John smiled, “it's nice to finally get the chance to meet you. Or should I say that I even get the chance to meet you?”

Jess glanced at Sam and he nodded. “Thanks to y/n and Pamela.” She walked over and held out her hand. John took it and shook. “They saved me, do you have any way to save her? And Dean?”

John released her hand and his smile faltered as his gaze dropped to the bed. “We’ll figure something out.” Something crossed his face and she wondered once again what it would be like to have some of y/n’s ability. “Sammy, you two get me everything you can on reapers. Talk to Bobby, the man’s gotta have a couple ideas of where you can start looking. We’ll fix this.”

Jess frowned, feeling the chill crawl up her spine. She didn't like the sound of it but maybe he knew something, he just didn't want to say right away. Y/n said John liked to keep his plans tight to himself until he had them fully fleshed out. She had the feeling that was exactly what he was doing now but she had nothing solid to back it up.

Sam took her hand and they left the room. “He’s not saying everything,” she whispered in the hall.

Sam nodded but she felt that maybe Sam had some idea of what his dad might be planning. “Nothing new. Let’s try to make this quick so he doesn’t have the chance to do anything… reckless.”

John paused in the doorway of Dean’s room and looked at his son connected to multiple machines keeping him alive. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. His gaze slipped down to y/n, her cheek laying on his thigh, her hand clutching his.

He walked further into the room and she didn't budge. He moved around the end of the bed and her face was tense but her eyes closed.

All they had done to try to keep them safe and here they were clinging to life. Still clinging to each other.

He had been terrified when Missouri had told him about their connection but when he saw them together, he understood it. He knew what it was like to love someone, to feel like everything that made life worth living was in those eyes, that touch, that smile, and that laugh. More importantly, he knew what it was like to lose her.

No parent should have to lose a child or watch another wither away because of it. Sam would find a way to continue on, but y/n, he wasn't so sure. He watched that girl grow up and he was proud to know her, to be able to say he taught her a thing or two and she taught him plenty. But Dean was her heart, hell, he was her everything. Those two had gone and done something so much more consuming than what most parents worry about, but he knew what her father would say and he wouldn't disagree.

Those two kids were made for each other. There wasn't anything in the legend about it but they made the trio. If two of them were gone, they didn't have a chance in hell. He sighed and walked over to her side then laid a hand on her shoulder and knelt down beside her.

“Y/n,” he gave her shoulder a quick shake and her eyes fluttered open, “hey, kiddo.”

A weak smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, “hey, how are you feeling?”

He chuckled, “I've been better.” He took her free hand and squeezed, “I know you're tired but there's something I really need you to know about the demon. He’s hunting for kids like… Sam, trying to build an army but some of the information is...” She blinked, squeezing her eyes hard and tried to open them wider as she lifted her head. She didn't get far before the pain etched across her face and she gently laid her head back down.

“Sorry, what did you say?” She whispered and cringed, “what drugs did they give me… give you? I think they gave me something too.”

He touched the top of her head and ran his hand down her hair before cupping her cheek. “I'm proud of you two. So damn proud. Why don't you get some more rest? Don't worry about anything, okay?”

She gave a subtle nod as she took his hand and squeezed it hard. “I love you, John. He loves you too. We all do. It’s gonna be okay, we can do this.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded trying to cut the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, “get some sleep.”

He released her hand and she laid it on Dean’s knee. He needed more time but Dean’s was running out and that was not a chance he could take.

They may not have been the trio from the legend but they were a part of making sure it happened. Even Danny had sacrificed for it and he had been so angry that Danny had dropped it after one of them had died. He thought he had run and hid out of fear but he hadn’t dropped anything. Danny had played his part no matter what he had to give up and now it was his turn.

I was lighter when I came to, almost weightless as I lifted my head from Dean’s thigh. I still didn’t feel him here but I could sense him nearby. I stood and walked around the bed, around Sam, following that pull. I stepped out into the hall with my eyes closed as an intense wave crashed over me. I stumbled into the hall agony ripping through me but the pain was different, no bones or muscles aching and pulling, no this was… soul shattering.

The smell weaved around me, slight but potent. It was so slight I might've missed it had the stench not been burned into my memory at such a young age; sulfur. I gagged and rushed down the hallway not caring who stared but hoped no one tried to stop me because they wouldn't be able to. I was afraid what I might do to keep them from trying because nothing would stop me from getting to him.

I ran blindly, following that invisible line and the heavy song playing. I slowed as it got clearer and I focused on the emotions flowing through the bond. Indecision, fear, and guilt. I thought the agony that had crashed over me was from whatever the demon could be doing to him but now that didn't seem right.

I stopped beside a doorway to a dark room and glanced inside. A private room with one, still perfectly made except for the two people sitting on it. Dean faced away from the door with his back to the dark-haired woman sitting beside him, she was staring at the back of his head as she brushed her fingers through his short hair.

I clutched the doorframe wondering what game the demon was playing but I couldn't even smell the sulfur anymore. I had gone in the opposite direction.

“It’s time to put the pain behind you.”

“What about her? Do you even know what it will do to her? I can't do that to her. To them.”

“Once your soul departs… it will have an effect on her but she’s strong…”

“You don’t even know, do you?” His shoulders hunched for a moment before straightening again.

“I’ve been around a long time, Dean. I’ve seen my share of bonds. There is a reason why they aren’t common anymore but do you think it won’t hurt her to watch you hang around? That she won’t be worrying what will happen when she dies and you’re still stuck here?”

“I won’t let her suffer just so I can go wherever you need to take me. I won’t leave my family to a fate twisted by demons while you people act like your job is just to stand by and let nature take its course! This isn’t nature! They’re…” He froze and turned his head looking straight at me, the look in his eye, the hope singing through the bond, “Y/n.”

He stood from the bed and in the blink of an eye, he had me crushed against him. What are you doing here?

“I had to find you, I felt your pain.” I squeezed him, relishing the feel of his warmth. I hadn't realized how cold I was.

“Do you really want him to stay behind and suffer for you?” The woman asked with such softness but I couldn’t feel any genuine emotion from her.

The lights in the hallway started flickering and heat licked against me, the stench of sulfur seeping into the room.

Dean looked over his shoulder, “what are you doing that for?”

“I’m not doing it.”

“It’s a demon,” I choked out against the heat enveloping me. Dean looked down at me with wide eyes, “the demon.”

The woman spun to the side and we watched the black oily smoke shoot out of the vent. Dean pushed me out of the room and blocked the doorway but the smoke went straight for the woman as she screamed at it.

Dean turned to me and shouted for me to go but I couldn’t move. How could I stop the demon from taking him? How could I do anything at all?

“Y/n! Go!”

I slammed into him locking my arms around him, “I’m not leaving you!”

“Damnit, woman,” he growled as his inflamed emotions crashed over me swirling and combining with my own.

Without warning, we were yanked around as the woman’s voice barked out, “today’s your lucky day, kid.”

I didn’t need to open my eyes to know who was controlling her. I held on tight wishing I could remember that damned chant that had stopped the reaper at La Grange’s.

A tight band snapped with a resounding twang in my head. The wind whistled by creating an overwhelming feeling that we were flying through the air until I slammed into something hard.

Someone was choking and gasping as I lifted my heavy head, pain ricocheting through my body. Millions of pinpricks stabbed my eyes and nausea welled.

Someone was screaming, someone else choking, and another talking with a forced calm.

Finally, my vision cleared. Sam was on the other side of the bed and Jess was at the doorway calling for a nurse. I turned my head with a wince and Dean was gagging on the tube down his throat. On instinct, I pulled it carefully from his mouth biting back my own gag reflex.

He coughed hard, rough and ragged. I grabbed the cup from the side table, lifting it to his mouth. His gaze met mine, dazed and hazy, pleading for answers. “Just sip. Easy, okay?”

I tilted the cup and he did as he was told. He coughed between each sip but it seemed to get a little easier. A nurse and doctor strode in and tried to pull me away.

Dean latched onto my forearm. “No,” he croaked.

The doctor laid a hand on the nurse trying to pull me away then looked at me, “stand right here.” He pointed to the space beside the head of the bed and I stepped into it.

Dean’s hand slid down my arm to my hand gripping it as best as he could. I set our hands down on the pillow beside his head to relieve some of the ache in his muscles but his grip never let up. The doctor and nurse checked him over and my mind slid back to the odd memory of the dark room and the dark-haired woman. No, not woman, a reaper. I leaned down and whispered, “you were going to stay for me.”

He looked up, confusion clouding his eyes and whispering along the connection. He didn’t remember. He smirked, downplaying it, “of course.” But the shadow didn’t leave his eyes and a weight settled in his stomach, matching my own. Something was wrong, very wrong.

“I can’t believe it. We need to run some tests to be sure.” The doctor looked at Dean as his surprise flickered into confusion. “This doesn’t make any sense but your vitals are good.” He shook his head, “we need a few scans and we’ll wait for the results.” He nodded to the nurse and they unlocked the wheels on his bed.

They pulled his bed away from the wall and turned it for the door. I walked alongside until I had to move behind his head to get through the door. Dean never let go of my hand. The nurse glanced at me a few times but didn’t say a word as we moved through the hallways and into a room with a large machine.

“No one can be in the room with him during the scans, I’m sure you can understand,” the doctor glanced between Dean and I as he walked to the door.

I nodded and leaned down to kiss Dean, “I’ll be right outside waiting.”

Dean’s hand dove into my hair and pulled me into a much deeper kiss than the chaste one I had in mind but I didn’t complain. I squeezed his hand before letting go and leaving the room.

“It should only be a few minutes and then we can take you both back to the room while we wait for the results.”

I nodded, “thank you.” But as he closed the door and I leaned against the wall, I knew what they would find. I just couldn’t puzzle out why the demon would save him.

My thoughts were still too scrambled, my head still light and frayed from the agony that brought me to that room where the reaper was trying to talk Dean into crossing over.

I touched my lips but still couldn’t get past the idea that Dean was going to stay just so I wouldn’t have to deal with his loss. He was willing to give up more than everything so I wouldn't have to cope with the loss of his soul.

Once again, it didn't feel like a win/win situation. The loss part just hadn't been revealed yet so it just gnawed at my stomach until I could catch it. I felt the same churning in Dean and wondered if we both truly felt it or one was just reflecting back to the other.

Do you really want him to stay behind and suffer for you?

I growled at the voice echoing in my head, that's not my cookie, I don't want it.

Twenty-one.

@duchessofwinchester , @jodyri , @jencharlan , @deanssweetheart23 @torn-and-frayed , @chrisatplay , @mogaruke, @captainemwinchester , @ashrod98 , @mrswhozeewhatsis , @caitsymichelle13 , @escabell , @thealyana , @michellethetvaddict

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teamastroyogi · 5 years

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What does being a Gemini mean to you? How does it resonate in your life? Your element is air, and air has a way of moving, changing, discovering and then moving on. You love variety. More than that, you crave it. The interchange and interplay between people and ideas excites you. Sitting for too long and stagnating spoils you. What adventures can you have? What can you learn? How can you sate that bottomless urgency for knowledge? Lending focus to your busy mind is a wonderful way to truly connect with who you are, and what your purpose is. Using that mercurial brain and putting it to work to cultivate money is a very useful and practical way to put your imagination to good use. Domestically, you are prone to quarrel, perhaps just for the mental exercise. Channel this energy elsewhere.

#Aries♈#WeeklyHoroscope

Your desire to innovate is still going strong as you learn that there is much to do in the world. Your desire to be first means that you are always willing to throw yourself into whatever needs doing. Have you stopped to think what you can add to something new in life? You have a fresh, energising perspective that has a lot to give, and you shouldn’t keep this to yourself, but you do need to be mindful of not coming on too strong. Your passion can be all-consuming, and it needs to be moderated so that it burns bright like a steady flame rather than consumes all in its path like a forest fire. Moderating your fiery energy is your life’s lesson, as well as understanding why winning is so essential to you. Does the taking part mean anything to you? What if you come second, or last? What lessons can you learn from participation alone, rather than victory?