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inventors-fair · 1 year

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It’s Time to D-D-D-Dual Land Commentary

Hey everyone! A couple week’s back, I ran the contest for dual lands made for specific decks. I finally got around to the commentary for the non-winners and runners after finishing my finals, so let’s jump into it!

Infest Station by @wolkemesser

First of all, *love* the pun in the name. The card’s definitely really good in -1/-1 counter decks and not all that great outside of them, so good job there. Though the floor is still just Savage Lands. And the potential of this land to come down untapped and add 3 mana is *really* strong. I think if this is getting played, it’s getting abused. As much as I do love jund -1/-1 counters, I think this may do better as a dual land- either BG or BR. (Personally, I’d go BR just cause green has stronger existing -1/-1 counter synergies so this pushes the rakdos and jund angles more). That way the floor of the card is lower, rather than being an already playable land, and it’s only a sol land instead of a Mishra’s Workshop. Even a sol land is abusable, but I think this may have enough restrictions to be okay. You might even be able to afford to lower the counter thresholds like this.

Deepwater Grove by @dimestoretajic

Oooh this is interesting. I do love the idea of a land that can be a shrine for the shrine deck. I think you could even take this a step further and have it always be an enchantment land- shrine. But I don’t think this was quite the contest for it. Shrines are a five color deck, so it probably wants a 5 color land. Now if this was part of a cycle, that would probably be fine, but then that leads to the question of is there really a set that wants a whole cycle of shrine lands? And… maybe? But shrines tend to be pretty self contained- each set that’s had them has basically just been a cycle, they’re hard to do as a bigger theme, so a cycle like this wouldn’t really be doing a ton. But they are still dual lands that anyone could use, but then that means the shrine decks who really need them won’t get them. Basically, this card is mostly fine, but the things it implies about whatever set its in don’t quite work as well. And there are a few tweaks i’d make here too. Make it always an enchantment land- shrine, like i mentioned, and I’d see if there’s any way you could make a Shrine tribal effect to make it feel more like a shrine.

Salt Road Bulwark by @railway-covidae

Normally I’m skeptical of sol lands, but outlast costs are a pretty safe outlet for them. Outlast creatures a bit less so. Not by a ton, I doubt it would be broken, per se, but it really affects how outlast creatures are costed in an environment, and usually that kind of thing isn’t worth it for one card, it’s better to let the outlast cards themselves be costed more aggressively.

Wizard’s Tower by @misterstingyjack

This just seems way too good a scry engine. I know you mentioned Path of Ancestry as a point of comparison, but there’s two things there- one, commander lands are *weird* powerlevel wise so they don’t make great points of comparison. And two, the addition of instants and sorceries really changes things. This would maybe be okay if it just worked with wizards, but this is a *powerful* control card when it works for instants and sorceries. Its so little investment, on a dual land

Meltwater Tributary by @demimonde-semigoddess

So the intention is clearly some kind of draw-go esque land that lets you play it on your opponent’s turn. That’s a cool idea, though I question whether red is the best second color for that. I would put any of the others ahead of it, though UW the most. You missed a very important clause though- this really needs a limitation to only let you activate it on your opponent’s turn. As is, you could activate that ability on your own turn, and then play a land, and double up on the lands. That’s no good. I’m also not sure that activated ability works- it activates from a hidden zone, but doesn’t reveal information to reveal that you have this card in your hand. (Not while this is on the stack anyway). So you’d need additional clauses to account for that. I think this is a cool idea, but takes too much to get it to work that it just comes out extremely clunky.

Soul’s Monastery by @abzanhero

This is just wayy too busto. Sol lands are always dangerous, and this does not have the precautions it needs to prevent that. I see you were trying to stop this a little with the “if ~ is untapped” clause, but you can still just tap this for mana afterwords. So it doesn’t stop you from using this as a sol land, it just makes it more funky and confusing to do so, and I’m not sure that’s an improvement.

Alchemist’s Retreat by @hiygamer

I like this card, I really do, but it probably shouldn’t exist. It’s just asking for abuse, particularly by dredge. If you want to make a land to help out GU self mill, maybe something like “you may play ~ from your graveyard as long as there are seven or more other cards in your graveyard” or something more along those lines would be a safer way to do it.

Lithomancer’s Forge by @hypexion

This looks remarkably safe, as sol lands go. It’s extremely restricted in what you can use it for, and it enters tapped so you can’t just turbo out equipment quite as easily. Two potential additional balancing techniques would be to make the sol mana colorless, CC instead of RW, or to only let it pay equip costs but not equipment. I’m not sure those are necessary; I’d just want to playtest those versions to compare. I think equipment are a good candidate for a sol land though, since they’re quite mana hungry. Nice work.

Multicultural Fair by @reaperfromtheabyss

This is a pretty decent card, all things considered. It just feels a tad boring, I suppose. It gives you a generically useful benefit if you’ve jumped through the hoop, and enters untapped if you jump through that hoop, but it doesn’t really play into that deck’s playstyle at all. This doesn’t feel like the exciting reward for a theft deck it seems like it wants to be. I wonder if you could do some kind of sac outlet to work well with red’s temporary act of treason theft. That’s more of a black/red thing for sure, but I think it could work here, maybe a fling effect of some kind. UR, T, Sacrifice a creature you control but don’t own: ~ deals damage to each opponent equal to that creature’s power. This card certainly isn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, it just feels like it could be more.

Warren Opening by @shakeszx

The biggest issue with this card is that Auntie’s Hovel exists. If you wanted to go for another goblin dual land, by all means go for it, but I would have tried to differentiate this more. Maybe go in a bit of a more utility direction, with an ability either letting you sac goblins or creating goblin tokens. And on top of that, this has an issue that Hovel doesn’t- Goblins are a very cheap, low-to-the-ground tribe, but this doesn’t colorfix you to get your goblins out until you already have a goblin out.

Lorehold Dig Site by @deg99

I see two main issues with this card. The first is that I think its ability to produce colored mana is just too inconsistent. I’d rather this be something like “T, Exile a card from your graveyard: Add R or W” or maybe nonland card specifically if it needs to tone down a little. You’re still encouraged to do instants and sorceries cause of the activated ability, but I think the flexibility to have it exile anything in a pinch is important. And secondly, I’d simplify the activated ability. Instead of having X be equal to the number of exiled cards, just put an X in the cost to activate the ability and readjust the costs as needed

Personal Sudatory by @snugz

Looks great! Very simple and to the point, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to. It helps you colorfix for graveyard spells. It seems a tad on the weak side, it could probably afford some additional utility- probably some weak but serviceable in a pinch way to fill your graveyard. Like 3, T: Mill two cards or something.

Alpine Lake by @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes

Art direction: A calm lake is on a relatively large and flat part of a mountain. Around it are a lot of trees, flowers, bushes. A river feeds the lake, coming down the side of the mountain that continues up. On the other side of the lake, where the mountains starts to go down, another river drains the lake waters. There are no animals nor humans or other species in sight.

That downside just seems way too negligible for an untapped three color dual. There’s so much you can do to avoid it- play mainly creatures, play mainly noncreatures, only play one spell each turn, make sure you use this mana for the last spell each turn. It’s just way too easy to avoid.

Kessig, Wild and Pure // Kessig, Forever Free by @piccadilly-blue

You really didn’t need to make this card legendary. That’s rarely a great balancing choice unless it’s super problematic when there are multiple out, cause you don’t want to leave it stranded in players’ hands, and I don’t think this is strong enough that it needs that extra balancing factor anyway. A land that introduces day/night is pretty risky- there’s a reason we didn’t see any one drops that do so and a land is even a step farther. If you play this turn one, you can skip casting any spell and it will be night, and even if your opponent is able to get a one drop off they still won’t be able to cast two. It gives you a massive advantage of all your werewolves coming down flipped. The difference between games where you draw this land in your opener and games where you don’t are huge. I also wonder if this can afford a little more power in the activated ability, especially on the backside.

Silent Mangrove by @izzet-always-r-versus-u

This card is interesting, cause there’s a lot of color combos it could be, and they’d tell you something different. If this was UW or UB, it would indicate more of a draw-go controlly deck. If it was UR, I’d expect something a bit more spellslingery. UG is gonna be draw-go-ish as well, but with a lot more flash creatures. More of a midrange than a control. And I do think that’s the most interesting place for this particular card, so I’m glad you went with this version. This card doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, it doesn’t have any utility function and I don’t think it really needs it. An activated ability could be useful, since it gives you something to do with mana that you hold up, but this might be strong enough as is; it’s quite good at fixing in the right deck.

Stillriver Cemetery by @squeezyboi

This just seems too strong. Functionally cantripping on entry is *a lot* of value for any land, let alone a dual land. This does have a restriction on what decks can use it, yes, but I still think it’s just too much value for those decks. And undead batching mechanics like this always have weird edge cases. This includes Kami and any other nature-spirit-types, but excludes a lot of other traditional undead. So I’m just not sure there’s an intuitive set of what creature types should be undead, you’d get different answers from different people (though these are a pretty decent group, I will say).

Scorched Front by @bandswithblog

There’s no fair use for this card. If you’re using it fairly, it’s bad, it’s just way too slow. If you’re playing this, it’s cause you’re looking to kill lots and lots of creatures to get a decent chunk of mana all at once. “Useless or broken” is just not all that fun of a place to be.

Thanks, y’all for your entries! Have a happy new year!

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventors' fair #entries #weird dual land contest

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saintacephale · 3 years

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hey i read some of your tips for beginner witchcraft, and i was wondering if you had any advice on how to get started? im really new to this and i dont know literally anything about it other than some things about crystals that i read about, and incense, since i grew up with it.

have a good day!

hi love!

firstly, welcome to the witchy community! it's so nice to see a lot of new people interested in witchcraft.

as for beginners, the best thing i can recommend is learning and studying everything you can!

i recommend not jumping into spells or deity work first thing, since you will definitely need protection and knowledge on how to ward and banish.

things i recommend studying before jumping into spells:

- banishing spells

- warding spells

- protection spells

- how to cast a circle

- how to ground yourself

- meditation

- how to undo a hex/curse

- how to cleanse your space properly

after you have learnt these, i recommend writing them in a book of shadows/grimoire. that book will help you annotate anything you learn about witchcraft and where later you can write spells or correspondences.

after that, it's always helpful to study how energies work and different correspondences and symbolism (ex. candle color meaning, flame meaning, herbs correspondences, crystal correspondences, etc.)

whenever you are ready to do spells or using any form of divination (tarot, pendulum, scrying..) remember to protect yourself beforehand.

also, remember witchcraft is about beliefs, not material. you don't need to have a fancy altar, lots of witchy books, tons of candles, or any type of tarot cards to be a witch. intention is the best witchy tool <3

i will leave you some websites i find accurate:

occult-world.com

witchipedia.com

thewhitegoddess.co.uk/

darkbooks.org (to download witchy books)

thehoodwitch.com/

i hope this helped!! good luck with your craft :D

#witchcraft #witchblr #baby witch #witch tips #answered

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raveninnight · 4 years

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Scrying Mirrors

Im literally in the worst fucking mood today so i decided to chill the fuck out by making you guys another tutorial. Today we’ll be learning how to make and use a scrying mirror.

Scrying mirrors serve a few purposes for witches. At its core it’s used for divination. The scrying mirror is a tool used to receive messages from spirits, powers, and even our own subconscious minds.

Again, it is just a tool. Scrying mirrors can be made and used in a ton of different ways, so don’t think that this is a one-size-fits-all recipe. Change whatever you need so that your tool serves you best. This is just how i made mine.

The only real requirement for making a scrying mirror is that the end product gives you a (usually dark) reflective surface. You can use literal mirrors, a bowl filled with water, stones, glass- anything. For this tutorial tho, I recommend using a picture frame. I made mine using a used one that i picked up from the local thrift store. It looked super old and aesthetic, and even better, it was only a dollar fifty. Any size will work.

Next get the rest of your materials. Youll need black paint, a paintbrush, something to clean your frame with, and old newspapers for the frame to dry on. You don’t need anything fancy, I used like ten of these tiny ass paint containers from my mom’s daycare.

Take the glass out of the picture frame. Paint over one side of the glass. Leave the other side alone.

Youll need a couple layers, especially if youre not working with great paint. To see if you need more, wait for the paint to dry and hold the glass up to the light. Take note of spots where the light shines through and put another coat of paint on. I ended up doing about four layers.

After its dried, place the glass back in the frame with the painted side facing in. The glass facing you should be smooth and dark.

Dont forget to cleanse and consecrate your mirror! I like doing it after this step because i feel like ive connected with it, but some people do it at the very beginning. Either works as long as it’s cleansed and consecrated before it’s used.

Once you’ve charged the mirror, you’re ready to try scrying. Find a dark place where you can focus. Stand the mirror up and place a lit candle on each side. Position the candles so that you can see their light flickering in the mirror, but you can’t see your own reflection. Get into a meditative state and gaze deep into the mirror, almost as if you’re looking past the surface, into the darkness within. Let your consciousness drift, opening yourself to receive messages. When you’re done- which could be after a few hours or a few minutes- write down what you saw. You can keep these notes in your book of shadows.

I of course CANT since my BOS was stolen. I also wasnt in the right headspace for scrying today so i didnt see shit but i hope this tutorial works better for you guys.

Sorry if any of this is incorrect. My notes are all in my BOS and who the FUCK knows where that’s at.

Let me know if you want more tutorials. Stay witchy.

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justalittlebluetiefling · 3 years

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Do you think Essek will rush away from his post given its been a few days since he's heard from the Nein? And seeing how serious Jester was in her message had to give him quite a bit of pause.

Since we don’t really know why he’s in Eiselcross, except for being in charge of the outpost, it’s hard to say whether or not he’d leave. That being said, we know he doesn’t have a ton of loyalty to the Dynasty, but he does have loyalty to the Nein. So, if they didn’t show up for a couple days and didn’t answer a Sending, I’d be he would Scry on them (if he knows the spell).

Eh. What am I saying. I do think that, if the circumstances seemed dire enough, he would probably abandon his post to go find them. He feels like he owes them more than he owes the Dynasty. They’re his first real friends and he cares about them. But I do think it would take a pretty monumental occasion for him to actually leave without permission.

#i do think it would extra funny if he were really dramatic about it and just left #like hey guys you didn't call me back #essek thelyss #critical role #the mighty nein #jackalman18 #erin answers things

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flurry-of-beaus-pop-pop · 3 years

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Critical Role 2x84 Thoughts:

Two more episodes until Yasha/Ashley returns for good 😱

Jester asking Yussa, this powerful mage, if he knows what scrying is lol

Ew, these people take their eyes out to show their faith to their devil god

My biggest hope is that one day, they find out who is on the Tal’dori Counsel lol

While the reveal of Artie as Sprinkles was great, I also just love the idea of Sprinkle being an incredibly hearty weasel who just wants to die but never will lol

“Trent seems just creepy” - Yussa knows what’s up

Nott just trying to get answers, let her be

Caduceus... he knows like, everyone’s names lol

Caduceus needs to allow some characters to have some agency instead of just silencing them 🙄

Just taking dust from Yussa

I always get sad for Yasha when the Mighty Nein get a shit ton of money and she doesn’t because she’s not there lol

I’m always like 🤔 at Beau’s decision to get a tattoo honoring Molly.

I love Fjord, Caleb, and Caduceus talking about their need to rescue Yasha. I especially love Caleb recognizing that them talking to Oremid Hass could potentially ruin all the work he has done to stay out of Trent’s grasp, but that getting Yasha back is more important. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love Caleb and Yasha’s little introvert, outcast friendship they have.

Zeenoth apologizing to the Mighty Nein is what I like to see lol

The entire party being SHOOK when Beau apologizes to Zeenoth 😂

Beau gets promoted to Expositor (officially) and the entire Nein are like “this is our promotion too”

Jester trying to convince Caleb to speak like Fjord’s old self

Beau: Do you think she’s confiding in him? (Jester confiding in Fjord) Nott: I mean, she confided in everyone. Just kind of says what she wants all the time to anyone

Beau having a breakthrough with Therapist Nott 😂

Jester and Nott always attempt to speak for the group when meeting with someone important and it never goes well lol

Oremid Hass really coming through with the information

Caduceus, you can’t just tell people you’re relying on for information that you can’t trust them, especially when they’re correctly connected to the bad people you don’t want to know about you

Oremid Hass’s love for cats is the best

Hass knowing literally everything about weasel care 😂😂😂

Why is Caduceus in pain? 👀

Damn, Caduceus just got stabbed in the back by some bitch

#critical role #beauregard lionett #yasha nydoorin #beauyasha #fjord stone #jester lavorre #caduceus clay #caleb widogast #nott the brave #oremid hass #obann #the laughing hand #the inevitable end #the mighty nein #critical role 2x84

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phytolacca-a · 3 years

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A Review; @Lailoken

Like others, I would like to write a review for @lailoken‘s beautiful divination service. Their skill as a Seer is something I’d like to express as absolutely incredible. Their ability to pinpoint such specific, evocative personal imagery and meaning is shocking, and they are someone who deserves every ounce of respect and support.

Before delving into specifics, I’d like to mention the kind and caring tone that Lailoken had taken with me when coming to them for my reading. They are understanding, genuine and direct in what they’d like to say both in planning and in communication of the reading. It’s incredibly appreciated.

When coming to Lailoken for this reading, I was in a bit of a crisis regarding myself and the path I’m headed on. I needed a grounding force outside of myself, someone who knew little to nothing about me, to help me see that I am in fact standing on my own feet after falling into a blinding fog. What they did for me was just that. Lailoken was able to bring out messages, ideas and images that corresponded to my own specific feelings and deliberations I was making in the recent past that I had not expressed outwardly. They were able to communicate these ideas, effectively giving me the reassurance that I do know where I’m standing. They gave me the aid I needed at this moment, and for that I’m grateful.

On a more technical sense, their way of streamlining information was effective and interactive. We talked through images first, then went onto interpretations- talking through a mix of scrying and card reading, for reference.

~ Regarding some specifics. ~

Even out the gate, their first vision was incredibly evocative and deeply resonating within me. An idea that I feel deeply, put into words that I’d like to express. The state of being unsure whether you’re falling or flying, terrified or exhilarated. Like two sides of the same coin, flipped in the air.

Each of these visions, described very well, were beautiful and very personal. Lailoken was able to pick up on various details surrounding me given in these visions- ones that obviously they wouldn’t have known ahead of time. They were able to pinpoint specific spirits who are playing important roles in my life making appearances in the reading without prior knowledge of who I’ve been running around with.

They were even able to go so far as recount visions that I myself have had previously. Which is something that took both of us by complete surprise; I had illustrated these images at earlier times in the past year and was able to create a shared link between us in support of the authenticity of the reading. When they began describing certain things, I was shot back to memory of these visions and my decision to replicate them. It’s one thing to be able to hear someone describing things you’ve seen, which is shocking to begin with, but it’s another to be able to say “...Is this what you saw?”, pop out an illustration and see a physical representation of a shared experience between two people who don’t know one another. That is especially interesting, in my opinion at least.

Their messages for me were clear.

This was the type of question where I, without giving any information to the Seer, hopefully will hear things that I already have some knowledge of. Obviously this is not true for the entirety of the reading, but for where it matters. I mention this, because I was able to say something to the effect of “Considering the themes of the reading you mentioned earlier, I assume you know where I am currently with this”, to which the answer was undoubtedly yes as they told me the answer with accuracy. I find that a mark of authentic skill- to see and know so accurately what only one party knows. I also thought it was legitimately very cool to be able to say that during a reading. :}

With this reading, Lailoken was able to give me the aid that I very much so needed. I’ve been thinking a ton about it and what it meant for me, replaying each of the images and messages given over and over in my head. I’m back again, considering my options, my beliefs, my actions forward. It was an absolutely refreshing experience. Like I said before, they are someone that I believe deserves all the support they can get. Such a kind, talented, skilled person.

Thank you very much.

#personal text #lailoken #divination #divination services #testimonials #divination review #divination testimonial #review

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2019grimoirecchallenge · 5 years

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October Week 2: Gemstone/ Mineral Research, Uses and More

Hey there witches! This week is going to be similar to last week, except with the focus on gems and minerals as opposed to plants. Those glorious and beautiful little stones we all love to collect and use so much. They have so many uses, both magical, practical and mundane. There are tricks and tips to discerning which you need, which ones you possess and how to use them.

Monday: Science and Magic: Proper Research

Research- There’s more to gems than magical and spiritual uses. There always has been. Look into these uses, in general or as individuals. Different gems are made of different materials and form in different ways. For these, like plants, there are a plethora of scientific studies and research resources to help you look into each individual stone. This side of research is all about the physical state of the gem. How it looks, feels, tastes (don’t recommend licking them though) and so on.

Science - When looking at gems from a scientific perspective, it’s important to note how they form, where they form, what the individual stones are made of (which determines things like strength, color, etc) and this can also be a way to get into their uses in technology and other material goods. I’ll bet most of you have no idea that gemstones and their byproducts are use in a great many of the products all around you.

Magic - Similarly, in magic, gemstones have various meanings and uses. This varies from place to place and culture to culture, but generally I believe these uses are the same. This changes per area and culture for many reasons, mostly being the myths behind how they came to be. Questions to ask yourself when researching the magical properties are things like “What are its associations, What energies does it have, How does it relate to and fit into my practice.”

Putting them together - Now think about the above ideas. Science and magic and physical properties. How do they interweave with each other? How does a germ’s taste or how it works with our bodies influence its magical properties? Most often an objects physical properties have a lot to do with its metaphysical properties.How does the way it forms and reflect/ refract light and generate/ direct/ hold energy relate to both science and magic? There’s never too much to learn or too many dots to connect.

Gem Study - Again, make a new page or a new note about a specific gemstone. What is it used for in magic? What is it used for in non magical applications? Is it associated with any myths, legends, or deities? Where on earth is it found? What are its other associations? What element and zodiac relations does it have?

Tuesday: Identification, Classification, Apps

Research/ Identification - What are some of the common ways to identify and classify gems? Coloration, shape, size etc. How do these help us determine not only what gem we are looking at and holding, but where this gem comes from?

Apps/ Websites - While perhaps not as readily available as the plant apps that I am aware of at least, there are a ton of not only apps and websites, but books, pamphlets and general informational pieces to help you identify gems and minerals, and their uses. Look some up! Download them or buy them, and keep them readily available, so that the next time you’re unsure about that glorious little gemstone in your hand, you can identify it and how to use it.

Herb Study - Make a new page or note about an herb you have not studied yet. Look up its origins, how to grow it, its culinary, mundane and magical uses, along with its various associations. How was this herb used and thought of throughout history? Does it have any relation to myths and legends? What elemental relationships?

Wednesday: Uses, Associations, Correspondences

Research - Once you’ve identified what the gem is, you’ll be able to figure out how and why to use it, what to use it for, and what not to use it for. You don’t always have to use the prescribed associations and correspondences that others label gems with. If you feel that a plant has a certain association, and you feel it strongly, then that association will hold more true to your use of it than someone else’s. Some people believe that certain gems bring strength while others believe that same gem is simply one that calms and balances energies. When you know what the gem can be used for, traditionally, you’ll be able to think of other ways and reasons to use it.

Deity/ Power Study - Look up a deity or source of power you work with. What are some ways to show devotion to that deity/ thanks to the power source? What offerings do they prefer? How and where are they generally worshiped? What are this deity’s associations?

Thursday: History, Lore, Safety

Research - Gemss have as much of a history on their own as they do being used by us. Look into ways to tell where certain gems come from, where they are native to, how and when they reached different parts of the world. What kinds of lore, traditions and superstitions are associated with where they came from and how they got from place to place? Were deities involved? These are all the kinds of questions to look into when using these things for magical and religious purposes. What ways and places can you use to find this information?

Safety - This is a big one. There are a great many poisonous, and even just flat out hazardous, gems and minerals in this world. Before you dive into using any gem, even common ones, you should be aware of the hazards if there are any, of using that mineral. What are some ways to tell if a plant is poisonous? What kinds of things should you look for? What kinds of things on plants should you avoid, aside from the obvious things (like thorns).

Divination Prompt - Perform some divination! A tarot or rune draw, a scrying, anything! Find a tarot spread here or elsewhere, or just do a single card draw. Once you’ve begun, journal the entire process. From the question you ask, to the card/ rune/ etc that you pull or see in your scrying, and the result of it all. That includes your feelings and thoughts on what the reading reveals.

Friday: Local Minerals

Research - This one is going to be easy, and difficult. Think about the area you live in. What kinds of minerals are native to the area? What kinds of stones? What kinds of gems? metals? Soil? Look it up, make a list, and study them. How were they used in the past? How common are they now? Is there still an abundance of these? What are some places you can go to learn about this? Parks, museums, etc. How do these connect to you and your craft?

Good luck and happy crafting witches!

-Mod Basil

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longhorn-capricat · 3 years

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I don’t think I’ve posted most of my favorite dragons in my possession, so here’s them and a little bit about them in Order :) Most outfits still WIP

Midnightsun (he/him): My Progen!! My flight works sort of in a wolf pack way, and he’s the leader (obviously). I love him very much and I adore his Black-Orange aesthetic, sadly his Tert is Ice and I don’t know what to do with it, it’ll probably stay basic until something just right gets released. Personality-wise I imagine him quite flat, a bit rude and snappy, my grump man.

Meganova (he/him): Probably the first dragon I’ve ever bought on AH, still in love with him. He’s very mushroomy!! I’m awfully attached to this guy.

Toxicity (he/him): Probably one of my visual faves, something about the coal+green. I imagine him being an nice but quiet old man. He’s also the start of my naming dragons after songs I like trend.

Fen (they/them): I fucking love Fen!! They’re my slimy goopy edge baby... Probably also very quiet, prefers observing.

Videodrom (he/him): My color-wise dreamy I spent 2 weeks hunting :)))) I fell in love with the colors immediately and I’m so glad I got him now! Not sure about personality and outfit yet since I don’t want to cover up his beautiful colors... Open to suggestions!

Monster (he/him): Name’s still not set in stone but he looks like Monster EnergyTM. He’s actually at the time of writing this a one of a kind (color-gene wise) which I really appreciate and I’m surprised at, I think he looks baller! He’s the result of me haphazardly scrying. Also not sure on outfits for him & open to suggestions that don’t cover up his sick colors! :)

Donareiche (she/her) and Waldschrein (she/her): Counting the girls as one since they only come together- They’re girlfriends !!! (Donar I think is homoromantic pansexual and Wald is Bi!) Not a lot ton say about them other than I love these fucking sapphics, their MASSIVE sizedifference and their deepwood colors, they legit look like living trees. Also both named after songs.

#fr #flight rising #flightrising #fr mirror #fr wildclaw #fr imperial #fr pearlcatcher #fr ridgeback #fr fae #fr gaoler #yes i have 2 fav wildclaws. sue me.

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faeryqueenwitch · 5 years

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💎Crystals💎

🔮 For thousands of years, humans have been drawn to crystals, rocks and stones, believing them to have magickal properties;the ancient Egyptians used turquoise, lapis lazuli and clear quartz for healing and protection. Witches use these amazing and beautiful products of our natural world to help with endless aspects for their magickal workings, healing, meditation, spell work and even for divination. Each crystal has its own individual energies and vibrational properties. In a sense, they work the same way that plants do; having plants around your house and affect your mood, your mind and your body, according to the type of plant and its properties. Having crystals throughout your home and carrying crystals around with you can affect your moods in different ways and can also help with spiritual, mental and, in some cases, physical healing.

🔮 Using Crystals In Wicca 🔮

💎 Meditating while holding specific types of crystals cannot only help focus your thoughts, but also if you have something particular that you’d like to mediate on, you can use a stone that has properties that relate to the issue. This will help to give clarity to your thoughts and to guide you. 💎 You can use crystals within spell work too, and within rituals; you can use them to create or change something or even infuse potions with them. 💎 Crystals can also be used for healing and protection. Some people choose to carry specific crystals around with them or wear them as jewelry-pendants and talismans, for mental protection or even manifesting energy towards you. For example, wearing rose quartz may gradually bring feelings of love towards you,while sunstone is perfect for summer and bringing warmth, happiness and positivity. 💎 You can also leave crystals around your home for protection. Some people use crystals for psychic healing, and use the properties within crystals to heal their bodies or minds, calming anxiety and helping balance their emotions. This can have extremely effective results; for example, to soothe a sore throat, holding fluorite against it can calm the pain, and amethyst are good for combatting sleeplessness. (Note: Even though crystals help with many ailments, do not rely on crystals as a cure; they are a tool to help but always consult a doctor if you have concerns about physical or mental well-being.) 💎 Also, crystals can be used with divination, to concentrate energies and to make divination tools such as rune stones, pendulums and scrying mirrors and crystal balls.

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💎 HOW TO CLEANSE YOUR CRYSTALS 💎

🔮 Crystals hold energy; they collect the earth’s energy (which is what makes them so magickal), but they also collect energy from people. This can be a very positive aspect when it comes to using crystals for divination,as it can make them so amazingly bonded to a specific person. However, if crystals are new to you or if they have picked up other energies, it’s probably best to cleanse them before you incorporate them into your magickal workings. You can cleanse them as frequently as you feel is necessary. Here are a few ways to cleanse them as frequently as you feel is necessary. Here are a few ways to cleanse your crystals.

🌙 Burn sage and allow the smoke to cleanse the crystal-hold the crystal and wave it around in the smoke of the sage. (You can also do the same with incense). 🌙 Hold it through running water- natural water sources are the most effective; waterfalls, lakes , streams, the sea and rivers. Some crystals are not suitable for water so do your research before proceeding. 🌙 Bury it in earth for 12 hours. 🌙 Use a bell- chime the bell near the crystal a few times and knock the vibrational energy out of it. 🌙 Quickly pass the crystal through the flame of a candle, again be careful with this method. It’s extremely effective, but not all crystals like it! 🌙 Leave the power of the moon to cleanse your crystal-lay it outside for the night in a safe place and allow the moon’s natural energies to charge it. 🌙 Some people use their breath to cleanse their crystals by gently blowing on them. 🌙 You can meditate with the crystal and use your intuition to clear it!

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🔮 CHOOSING CRYSTALS 🔮

🌙 I know when i need a new crystal as I tend to sense it. I then go and have a good look around the shops near me that sell crystals. I might see one that I have looked at before which hadn’t previously interested me, but now feel drawn to it. Likewise, I might look at a crystal that has the appropriate properties relating to something that I specifically need help with. I always handle the crystal and see if it feels right. Sometimes, I am attracted to a crystal although it doesn’t seem to relate to anything that I am thinking about at the time, but it often turns out to answer a future need that I was not aware of when I bought it. You can also get the same sense of being drawn to a crystal by looking at them online, so don’t worry if there are no crystal shops near where you live. I have bought some of my absolute favorite crystals from online shops.

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🔮CRYSTALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES🔮

🌙 There are tons of different crystals,stones and rocks that you can use for your magickal workings. Over time, you will discover more and more about which crystals assist you best for which purpose. To begin with, we will start with the common crystals used for spellwork, meditation and divination. Here are a few guidelines about stones and their relevant uses:

A-F

💎 Abalone shell- calming and stress-reducing

💎 Agate- healing, soothing and concentration

💎 Amazonite- truth and harmony

💎 Amber- protection, healing and soothing

💎 Amethyst- calming, aids sleep and physical and emotional healing

💎 Angel Aura Quartz- harmony, peace and spirituality

💎 Apatite- success and clarity

💎 Apophyllite- instinct and intuition

💎 Aquamarine- reflection,meditation and wisdom

💎 Azurite- intuition, clarity, relaxation

💎 Black Tourmaline- balance and positivity

💎 Bloodstone- energy and well-being

💎 Blue Agate- healing, calming and communication

💎 Blue Quartz- calming and organization

💎 Carnelian- creativity and confidence

💎 Celestite- reduce stress

💎 Chrysoprase- happiness and mental well-being

💎 Citrine- concentration, positivity and success

💎 Clear Quartz- health, healing and clarity

💎 Diamond- creativity,energizing,self-confidence and commitment

💎 Dumortierite- physical healing,cerebral power, spirituality and positivity

💎 Emerald- healing,love, faithfulness and frienship

💎 Fluorite- concentration, balance and cleansing

💎 Fuchsite- communication, strenght and recovery

G-K

💎 Garnet- energizing,protection and courage

💎 Goldstone- detoxification, intuition and inner strength

💎 Haematite- positivity,balance,concentration and stress-reducing

💎 Jade- protection,positivity,good fortune and independence

💎 Jasper- strength, healing and sexual energy

L-P

💎 Labradorite- determination and intuition

💎 Lapis Lazuli- learning, strength and prosperity

💎 Malachite- peace, empathy and energy

💎 Mookaite- nurturing, peace and confidence

💎 Moonstone- stability,clam,insight and creativity

💎 Obsidian- protection,truth and forward-thinking

💎 Onyx- constancy, balance and resilience

💎 Opal- creativity, positivity and soothing

💎 Pearl- calming, stability and purity

💎 Peridot- optimism and attracting love

💎 Pyrite- protection,health and well-being

Q-U

💎 Rhodochrosite- positivity ,calming and encourage love

💎 Rhyolite- healing and moving forwards

💎 Rose Quartz- love and forgiveness

💎 Ruby- protection,courage and happiness

💎 Sapphire- wisdom and mental well-being

💎 Selenite- healing,protection and luck

💎 Serpentine- soothing, confidence and cleansing

💎 Smokey quartz- protection and converts negative energy

💎 Sodalite- communication,calming and self-esteem

💎 Spirit Quartz- detoxification,spiritual growth and connecting to others

💎 Sunstone- cleansing,healing and creativity

💎 Tiger’s eye- decisiveness, luck and mental well-being

💎 Topaz- healing,happiness,truth and joy

💎 Tourmaline- balance and healing

💎 Turquoise- healing,protection and good luck

V-Z

💎 Zircon- healing, wisdom, protection and spirituality

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Art by : @poliip on instagram <3

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unklarity · 4 years

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Critical Role: Jester

“I use Thaumaturgy to open all the windows.”

“Click “keep reading” for more photos and a description of my Jester magic box! :)

First of all, I adore Jester, because who doesn’t? Second, I’ve been wanting to fill a box with glitter and rhinestones and unicorns for ages, so of course I was waiting for the opportunity to make a Jester box. This box was a bit different for me as I usually work with darker wood, and I had to fight my instincts the entire time to sand the whole box and stain it darker, even though I knew that the lighter wood color would fit better.

I decided to try wood burning for the first time on the lid, which was a bit nerve-wracking, but I love how it came out. I wanted it to look a bit unpolished, so I fought my instincts (again) to go over it and make it look perfect. I decided to go with the Traveler symbol because, while it’s not the entirety of her character, her relationship with the Traveler shaped who Jester is in a big way. (Also, the gems are inset, which was another thing I learned for this box and can’t wait to do again!)

The inside lid is definitely a contrast to the simplicity of the outside, with Jester’s spiritual weapon and guardians, plus loads of pink and sparkles.

Three of the big things I knew I wanted to include were Jester’s sketchbook, her Haversack, and a little Traveler statue like the ones she’d made with her paints. The sketchbook, of course, is green, and filled with some of the sketches Jester has done, the Moon tarot card, and a tiny Traveler pamphlet; The tiny Traveler mini has been hand-painted my me, his face hidden as always by his signature green cloak.

The haversack is full of donuts, gold coins, pastries, and perhaps a romance novel, among other things, such as her pearl of power, a charm for Kiri with a black feather, dagger and heart (stamped with “I am very sweet”), a green ribbon from Calianna, and the sapphire necklace from her Mom.

As far as stones go, there aren’t as many in this box as in some of the others. Like Caduceus, I ended up with barely enough room to fit in all the things I wanted, so I left the crystals for last and worked with the tiny amount of space I had remaining. There’s an aqua aura quartz tower (for help processing emotional disturbances, grief and trauma) and a rose quartz tower (for unconditional love), as well as prehnite, a healing stone that focuses on people who heal others, moonstone for mischievousness and illusion, and kunzite for help processing emotional trauma, releasing fear and grief and promoting peace. There’s also pink tourmaline and a rhodonite heart for healing, support, and joy, chalcedony for nurturing and trying to bring harmony to others, amazonite for using creativity and art as a communication device and to help with emotional difficulties.

Now for the potions! These were a ton of fun, and also an interesting challenge. Initially, I came up with themes super quickly (which was blessedly a contrast from Fjord and Caleb, who took FOREVER) but as I worked with them a bit, the things I wanted to convey shifted and I changed directions a few times. Potions 1-3 are in the first photo and potions 4-6 are in the second photo (in order from left to right).

The first potion is meant to signify Jester’s origins. Her loneliness as a child, having to remain hidden as the daughter of a courtesan, and the Traveler or adults being her only “friends.” She was definitely sheltered, but made the best of it and still viewed her childhood as a positive experience that led to her becoming an agent of chaos via the traveler. There’s heather for solitude and loneliness, rosebud for youth, a mix of sea salt & black salt for being sheltered/overprotected, nutmeg for having to stay hidden, bluebell for mischief and laughter/trickery, calendula for joy, and a daisy for innocence, loyal love, faith, and cheer. There’s also forsythia for anticipation/waiting for adventure, peony for happiness in childhood, and purple carnation for whimsy/capriciousness. It is sealed with the symbol of the Traveler.

Potion number two deals with who Jester is as a person and what is important to her. She is many things: a cleric, an artist, an agent of chaos, a follower of the Traveler, but there’s so much we still don’t know about her despite how open she seems to be. In this potion is acorn for power and wisdom despite youth, cinquefoil for wisdom and being on a journey or quest, olive leaf for searching for a home or family, sage for healing, cedar for strength and confidence in abilities, and goldenrod for magic/divination/scrying. There’s also rose for attracting friends, violet and vervain for creativity, sweet pea for attracting adventure and chaos into one’s life, and buttercup, which has a lot of meanings: naivete, cheerfulness, charm, directness, beauty, and “big things come in small packages.” Sealed with a donut stamp and silver wax.

The third potion is about Jester’s struggle with feeling like she has to be happy all the time and smile her sadness away, or always be available to comfort others. It seems to me like she constantly doubts the validity of her negative feelings even though she doesn’t do the same with others - especially when she’s dealing with fear of being alone/abandoned after being kidnapped and after being in the HFB. On the contrary, though, she’s quick to soothe that doubt in others, whether it’s doubt in her god or the M9’s doubt in themselves. This potion contains pansy for love and spreading happiness (which, to me, is Jester’s love language), chrysanthemum for optimism, baby’s breath for comfort and hiding behind simplicity, yarrow for fear and doubt in oneself, amethyst for fear of abandonment. It also contains chamomile for difficulty dealing with trauma, cypress for grief and loss, and rosemary for protection (specifically, trying to protect and heal her friends in battle and prevent any more loss from happening). Sealed with a crystal heart stamp, silver wax and blue pigment.

The fourth potion represents Jester’s experience with love and life as almost an outsider. She is unfamiliar with life outside of the Lavish Chateau, and her experience with romance is almost entirely from books and stories. This obviously creates a pretty large disconnect between her and others, as well as leaving her with a lot of doubts in herself, as well as the motivations and actions of others. For example, she doesn’t know how to deal with her feelings for Fjord when he doesn’t react like storybook characters - and she argues with Caleb because she can’t understand that not everyone grew up as privileged as she did. This potion includes hibiscus for romantic love, red rose for storybook ideas of romance, and vervain for wealth, not having to worry about money, and growing up with “culture.” There’s also basil for confusion, and lilac for for growth, representing her journey from ignorance to knowledge and naivete to wisdom. Sealed with a unicorn stamp and silver wax.

Potion number five deals with Jester’s relationship with her mother. her mom, relationship with mom as a child vs as an adult. As a child, Jester didn’t have much companionship beyond her Mother and the Traveler, so she definitely put her mother up on a pedestal (and still does) and saw her as someone who could do no wrong, but now that she’s an adult and has left home, she starts, bit by bit, to see her mother as a whole person. She compares herself to her mother, and definitely seems to feel inferior to someone she’s held up as an ideal of beauty, grace, talent and kindness - but we see her just beginning to acknowledge Marion’s shortcomings and mistakes as part of her character and accept them, as well as have hopes and dreams for her mother as well as herself. There’s pink carnation for mother’s love, red carnation for admiration and “I miss you,” rose quartz for love, pink sea salt for protection and soothing, and lavender for her mom’s perfume. There’s also gold coins for Marion wanting Jester to be comfortable financially, and mugwort for Jester beginning to worry about her mom as an adult and wanting the best for her/wanting her to not have to work anymore. Written in the bottle is “I send a message to my mama,” for all the messages Jester has sent to Marion. Sealed with a ruby stamp and silver wax with red pigment.

Finally, the sixth potion is about her friends. Jester has always shown incredible loyalty and love for her friends. When she says to her mom, “These are some really good people I’m with,” it’s clear she believes in the rest of the Mighty Nein and their goodness even when they don’t. There’s jasmine for amiability, magnolia for loyalty, zinnia for remembering absent friends (Molly, and Yasha), agrimony for thankfulness, cloves for camaraderie (one for each member of the M9 including Molly). Also included is dogwood for devotion, garnet for familial bonds, and delphinium for levity, fun, big-heartedness, ardent attachment, and joy. Sealed with lollipop stamp and silver wax.

Thanks for reading! Jester had sold. You can check my “magic boxes” tag to see the rest of my CR magic boxes or see them on my website at unklarity (dot) com! <3

#jester lavorre #Critical Role #magic boxes #critical role art #mighty nein #magic box #cr jester #long post #text heavy

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aquarianwisp · 5 years

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Everyday things you can do to build your witchy supplies and cheap ways to do it

Burning to get your witchy supplies started but have no idea where to start? My suggestion- start anywhere and with everyday things! Herbs To get a herb collection started, you do not have to have homegrown herbs or herbs from metaphysical stores which can be pricey. You can start a simple herb collection with just herbs available from your grocery store. If you are not a green thumb or you live in an apartment with no space for a garden, this is a really good option for getting a collection started. Just because something came from the grocery store doesn’t make it any less magical, and many people are under the impression that due to the mundane nature of how the herbs were obtained they are therefore less effective. This is not true at all! If you like doing the whole drying process yourself, you can go to the fresh food sections and pick up bunches of basil, parsley, mint, peppermint, rosemary, sage, dill, lemongrass, coriander, tarragon, oregano etc very cheap and usually already in a perfect bundle ready to be dried! You just need to take them home and hang them up somewhere dry for a few days to a week or so before they will be all dried and ready to use. If you are lazy and can’t be bothered or don’t have time to do the drying process, you can go to the spice section and find many of these same herbs already chopped up and dried out. If the packaging on the product makes you feel a bit “meh”, just take them home and place them in a jar or other similar container where they can remain dry, and the look of the container makes you feel inspired.

Gathering herbs and flowers is another really great option. Of course, if you are not experienced in recognizing wild herbs and flowers, I recommend you practice gathering a bit differently. Try gathering with the help of your community. Some of your neighbours might be green thumbs and be willing to share some of their plants with you. I used to live near someone who hedged their garden with basil, and every time their basil hedges grew out of control they would trim them. They were happy to give me the trimmings of their basil plants. They also gave me the rosehips that they had on their rose bushes, and if they had roses or lavender growing I would always ask for some trimmings if they were willing to share. People are actually more generous with their gardens than you think! A lot of avid gardeners are always willing to share cuttings as well, so if you know how to grow from a cutting this is a really good way to also build a herb collection. Any dandelions I see around my home I like to gather for drying, and any other flowers I can easily recognize such as hibiscus, daisies, frangipani, marigolds, chrysanthemum, cherry blossom, magnolia etc I will always try to gather a bit here and there. Another really cool option is to go to community gardens and gather the plants there that you can use, where they are labelled and everyone is free to take what they need! Save your orange or citrus peels for drying as well, as you can use these to emit the smell of their essential oils when placed over a heat source! Herbal teas are another really great option to safely consume herbs. Of course, check with your medical practitioner as some herbs contained in teas may cause issues with medications etc, (You can never be too safe when it comes to things you choose to eat/drink) however, herbal teas are a really great way to enjoy the benefits of the herbs in a safer manner than say, walking onto the street, picking up what you think is a certain type of herb and then making a tea out of it. Jars Jars are simple to obtain, and you do not have to start buying a million jars from your local dollar store just to have that witchy aesthetic that everyone seems to want. Recycle the jars from your food to store herbs or to use in spells. Pasta sauces, mayonnaise, anchovies, preserved foods, peanut butter, etc etc, anything that comes in a jar. Not only is this a great way to reduce waste, but glass is a safer option for storing things as you will not have the nasty toxins from plastic leaching into your herbs, oils, moon water, floral waters etc, and they look so much more attractive than plastic. And having all sorts of types of jars in different sizes and shapes makes for a very rustic witchy aesthetic look anyway. Collect natural objects Homeware stores have started selling bits of driftwood, false flowers, shells, pinecones, pebbles etc for ridiculous prices so that rich people can look fashionable and “rustic”. There is no point in buying these things when you can go to the beach and pick up a piece of driftwood or some shells for free. Objects picked up in their natural environment also seem to retain their energies more so than those objects that have been commercialised. Scour your local nature strips or parks for pretty looking dried leaves, pine cones, nice shaped rocks and anything else that inspires your witchiness. Make sure that you respect the spirits of these areas. Do not take more than what you need, and ensure that you ask permission from the spirits before taking. It is always good to leave an offering in its place- usually something organic such as fruit, seeds or nuts which can feed the local ants or birds.

Collect ribbons and coloured paper Every time it’s Christmas or you are given a gift, save the ribbons or wrapping. String has so many uses in witchcraft, and different colours have different meanings that can be used in all sorts of rituals. You can reuse them as well if you don’t end up burning them. Coloured paper can also take on meanings if you will it so. Tell people you want candles for Christmas Tell everyone who asks what you want for Christmas or your birthday that you really want to decorate your space and you love candles and you are dying to get some. Then watch as all your friends and family give you tons of different types of candles. Trust me, you can never go wrong with this. Candles are often so cheap that people will buy heaps of them for you in different colours and fragrances. The other good thing about this is that if people know you are a witch and they want to buy you a witchy type present they will often have no idea what to get you and will default to a candle. Buy candles from the lighting/electrical/barbeque section of a grocery store. Buying candles from a speciality metaphysical store, a homewares store, or even a dollar store can be expensive. But many grocery stores sell candles to be used in emergency blackouts or power outages, and some have started selling these types of candles in different colours as well. They often come in bulk packs and work just as well for half the price. You can also buy birthday candles and use those for your spells, especially if you need to do a quick spell. If you are after some really beautiful white candles, buy candles listed as “church candles”. These are sold cheaper than other white candles, probably because churches get all sorts of discounts. But they often are moulded in a really classical shape so they can look sometimes more beautiful than just your plain ol’ white candle. You do not have to burn your entire candle down for a spell to be effective. If you don’t write your own spells you will often see spell instructions telling you to allow the candle to completely finish burning. This is a waste of time and a waste of the precious candles that you conned every one of your family members into buying you last Christmas. It is also ridiculous- some candles burn for 18 hours or more, and it is totally unsafe to leave candles unattended. Do you have 18 hours to monitor a candle? Nope. You can cheaply make your own specialised spell candles, you do not have to waste 20 dollars on one from a metaphysical store. Yes, that’s right, with a microwave and a cheap candle you can carefully melt the wax down, add a wick in one of those jars you saved and then add all the herbs and fragrant oils, flowers, or whatever you want to the melted wax before allowing it to dry. There is a lot of tutorials for this on the internet, but please make sure you go for candles that do not have a foil or aluminium wick holder on the bottom as these will catch fire in your microwave. Candlesticks with nothing but wax and a wick at the top are best for this. Please take precautions with hot wax. Otherwise, there is no reason why you need that fancy candle for triple the price. You do not need a fancy obsidian scrying bowl, a kitchen bowl with water works fine! That’s right! Those metaphysical stores who try and make you buy an expensive obsidian plate for scrying seem to have forgotten that water scrying is an art that has existed for centuries! Any reflective surface can be used for scrying, it doesn’t have to be a fancy looking crystal object. Learn to read playing cards for divination You do not need to spend on tarot if you cannot afford it. Pick up some playing cards and use the power of the internet to learn how to read them for divination! If you are a closet witch as well, no one will suspect a deck of playing cards either. Print pictures of deities at a photo store. Never before has it been cheaper to print pictures now that digital has taken over. My local department store has a photo printing station where you can buy photo prints for 5 cents. I take a USB of pictures I like of my deities that I found online and print them off as photos. Then I frame them in dollar store frames. BAM! You have an altar set up for a few dollars.

Buy festive decorations after the season has passed If it’s yule time and you are dying to decorate your house with holly, red and green, pine etc, wait until the next year to decorate (I know, it sucks, but if you’re frugal you can dig this). Go to a dollar store and buy up big after the Christmas period has ended in preparation for the next year. Holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween have become so commercialised that there is a serious overproduction of decorations each year and after the season has passed the stores just want to get rid of stuff as fast as possible. This is when you can jump in and get some witchy looking objects for a really cheap price. What’s great is that a lot of dollar stores sell some very witchy looking decorations during these typically Christian festivals- Bunnies, eggs, chickens, skeletons, pine branches, holly, cauldrons, etc without realising. Splurge on expensive incense when you can. 20 dollar packet on incense? Get it. My advice here is- quality really shows when it comes to incense. I am a massive incense fan, but whenever I can afford it (which is not always, sometimes I too have to go for the two dollar packets) and I find a really nice packet of pricey incense I go for it. Why? The cheaper the incense, the faster the burn time and the less resin it contains. One of the reasons that incense gets that burnt smell is because it contains sawdust to help it burn. Cheaper incenses smell less fragrant and burn faster because most of the resins coating the sticks are substituted with more sawdust. That way, the manufacturer keeps the costs of production down. More expensive incense sticks often have a ton more resin in their coating, smell more potent, and burn slower with a more beautiful smoke colour. They are well worth their price, and when you experience it you will want to always try and get the pricier sticks. The more expensive sticks also tend to have more of the real resins in them. Sandalwood, for example, is actually an endangered species and has become very expensive to buy. So manufacturers who create cheap incenses often substitute with sandalwood smelling substances but never really use the real thing. If you can afford it, go for incense sticks manufactured with real Australian sandalwood. Australian sandalwood smells extremely similar to Indian sandalwood and is specifically farmed for incense production. Thus you are getting the real thing but you are not contributing to the endangerment of Indian sandalwood which is a culturally sacred species that needs to be protected. That being said, my point here is quality and a long lasting product will save money over time when it comes to incense.

Anyway, that’s all for my witchy money saving tips for now! I hope this helped you!

#witchcraft #witch #spells #spellcraft

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maxfieldparrishes · 4 years

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intro to genevieve, pt. 1

So I saw this post about ABCs of OCs and decided to do it for my OC, Genevieve. I regret nothing. @ocelotsflatass, maybe this might interest you???

A: Aptitude 1. Viv is very verbal, so she’s good with words, texts, communication, writing, analysis--all of that. She studied Foreign Languages and Literature in the DMC world’s equivalent of college or university, so her main role at the DMC shop is primarily research. She was also pretty decent at biology. Loves plants, would have been a good botanist. EDIT, because I can’t believe I forgot to add this: Viv is a witch, and her strongest areas are plant magic and divination. 2. Um... piano? 3. Viv worked hard to be able to play piano as well as she does. Also chemistry and physics kicked her ass in school, but she genuinely enjoys them as subjects because she does like science, so she worked hard to pass them. Especially since they were mandatory subjects. She works on her magic as well. 4. Please don’t ask her to do anything except basic math. Or draw anything, either, but she loves art. 5. Her most impressive talent is being fluent in like 3 languages, especially because one of those three has a different grammatical system and alphabet. She’s conversational in at least 2 more besides those. Also, making plants grow, scrying, cartomancy. She’s pretty handy.

B: Basics 1. Viv is blonde. I’m still deciding on an exact shade. 2. She has blue eyes, darker than Dante and Vergil’s. Pretty dark, actually. Not very pale. Has a dark limbal ring. 3. Viv is 5′4″, or says she is, at least. She’s kind of fine-boned as well. 4. She’s in her mid-to-late 20′s. 5. Don’t you know better than to ask someone how much they weigh? (for the record, though, the answer is “not that much.”)

C: Comfort 1. Sits pretty normally in a chair, but will do whatever is comfortable for her at the moment, no matter what it is--criss-cross or propping her feet up. 2. Viv is a stomach or side sleeper, usually. Prefers to lie on her left side. 3. Her idea of a chill day is a day when she doesn’t have anything to do, so she can get things that she should do done. Snow day? Pajamas. Netflix. Laundry. 4. Anything starchy and salty, really, but she is fond of hot soup, especially matzoh ball. 5. Her parents are the best at cheering her up, mostly because they’ve had the most experience with her, but her best friend/ex-girlfriend Zoe is also fairly good at it. Dante will do his absolute best, even though it’s not something he’s used to, and he is getting better at it.

D: Decoration 1. Viv’s style is an eclectic mix of boho-modern with classic with crazy plant lady. 2. Viv is very much about the Aesthetic™, so any kid of hers will have a pretty kickass room. Probably green, because it’s gender-neutral. Lots of stuffed animals, and a reading nook, so she can read to her child or sing to them. 3. Her room is covered in books, her furniture is somewhat antique-looking, there are plants everywhere. It’s organized chaos. The walls are a light, neutral color, and the blinds and curtains are almost always open, because she loves natural light. 100% watches HGTV in her free time. 4. Viv is pretty boho, but she also likes a lot of structure in her outfits and her tastes do veer towards classic. It could probably be summarized as “dark academia/The Secret History groupie meets punk meets an extra from Picnic at Hanging Rock.” 5. Depends on the trend. Viv has no qualms about adopting trends, or parts of trends, that she likes and discarding whatever it is she doesn’t. She does like having short nails because they’re easier to keep clean, and does like to paint them even though they chip after two days no matter how many coats she puts on.

E: External Personality 1. There’s sometimes a split where Viv is acting like her real self, but gets really insecure about it and tries to overcompensate, versus times where she’s pretty comfortable in her own skin. It really depends on how she’s feeling, and who she’s with. 2. Viv is very good at appearing normal, at the very least. There’s a part of her that realizes compromises need to be made and that blending in can be a very useful and powerful thing. 3. She doesn’t feel obligated to follow trends, but will adopt one if it’s something she likes. She could care less if she was hip or not. 4. Viv likes memes, if nothing else? And Vines. RIP Vine. 5. She feels like her own personality changes. She initially comes across as introverted--not necessarily shy, but reserved and focused. It takes some warming up and some time for someone to discover what she’s really like.

F: Fun 1. Viv likes to read, hike, garden, and watch movies. She’s big on horror movies, especially supernatural horror movies and psychological thrillers. 2. Ideally it’s something chill and intimate, where there’s a lot of chatter and everyone is close friends. But... she is also not adverse to a rager where there are a ton of drunk people and couples making out in every corner. Something about house parties like those makes her let loose a little. She wouldn’t throw one of them herself, but doesn’t mind going to one. However, once she’s reached her max noise/stimulation threshold, she’s out. 3. Her close friends. She and Zoe, and her previous partners Sonali and Eli, all got up to some shenanigans when they were together. 4. For the most part, the fun Viv likes to have doesn’t really break any laws, but she could definitely be persuaded to do something illegal as long as 1) nobody gets hurt and 2) she doesn’t get arrested. 5. Viv is kind of a homebody, but she does go through periods of intense wanderlust and cabin fever, especially during winter. (She also has a bit of SAD, but that’s neither here nor there)

I’m breaking this up into parts because I hate reading long blocks of text, so hopefully part 2 will come soon!

#oc: genevieve #oc stuff #writeblr #my writing

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quicksilversquared · 5 years

Text

A Visit From the Future

No one can deny that an akuma with the power to pull people's future selves to the present has a ton of troublemaking potential. Even if they don't mean to, people from the future can accidentally give too much away.

How much will the Future Ladybug and Chat Noir spoil?

By the time Ladybug and Chat Noir caught up with her, the Seer had dashed halfway across the city, chasing after citizens and zapping them with her powers before they could get away.

"Her powers seem harmless enough," Chat Noir commented as they watched the akuma blast a couple more unlucky civilians caught on the street, light bursting forth out of her fingertips. As the light faded, what were clearly older versions of those same pedestrians appeared on the sidewalk as the original civilians fled. The older versions from the future gave themselves a shake, disoriented, but as soon as they spotted the akuma they just sighed, shoulders slumping in resignation.

Apparently they remembered this akuma. That shouldn't have been surprising, really, but somehow it was.

"I do wonder if Hawkmoth ever thinks his powers through," Chat Noir added as another few civilians got hit mid-escape. "As far as I can tell, if we get hit, all that would happen is that our older selves would appear, and does he really want older versions of us joining the team for the day?"

"Either she's not actually trying to hit us, there's a catch, or Hawkmoth is either an idiot or hasn't thought about that yet," Ladybug agreed. "Or he can't actually control how the akumas develop. I suppose that's a possibility, too." She leaned forward to get a better look at the Seer, focusing on the akuma's outfit. "She has a ball-shaped thing hanging from her waist. A scrying ball, maybe? I bet that's her possessed item."

"A glass ball? That's easy enough to break." Chat Noir adjusted his stance, readying himself to jump. "Ready?"

"Let's go!"

As it turned out, not all glass balls were so easy to break. The Seer was fairly agile, jumping and rolling around and running away as she avoided the superheroes' attacks, and not a single crack appeared in the glowing ball.

"So much for an easy fight," Chat Noir panted as he rolled out of the way of another flash of light. He bounced to his feet and they resumed their chase, narrowly dodging the lights the Seer sent at them. Some rushed by so closely that they ruffled the superheroes' hair. "But I haven't seen any sign of her having any sort of control powers over the people she hit or their future selves."

"There might still be different kinds of light, though, we've seen that before. Different powers coming from the same source." Ladybug frowned as she considered the Seer as she fled several streets over. It was fully possible that the akuma's powers were ultimately harmless and that they could have already taken her down by charging in and tackling her, ignoring the blasts of light hitting them, but Ladybug didn't want to risk it. It was never a good thing to get hit by an akuma's powers and after Timebreaker, Ladybug had a healthy dose of caution about any sort of time-related akumas. "I suppose we could ask one of the people from the future, but what if they don't remember? This might just have been one more akuma to them, and they might have forgotten the details of what happened."

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow at her, narrowly dodging another blast. "Time travel wouldn't be memorable? Those people seemed to not be super surprised about it. I think that they've remembered."

Ladybug flushed at the incredulous note in his voice. "Well, that part would be, yeah. But more mind control? It would be easy enough to forget which fight it went with, we've had so many." Still, Ladybug gave the now-fleeing people one last glance before returning her attention to the Seer. "What do you say- split up, you distract while I try to get the drop on her?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Ladybug dropped down and veered off as Chat Noir charged at the Seer with renewed vigor to keep her full attention, deflecting blasts of light with his baton as best he could. It almost felt like a few bits of light brushed up against him as he pushed forward, but Chat Noir couldn't spare even a moment to check.

He had no idea if even the barest brush of the light would have the same effect as a full-body hit. For all that he knew, it could. There was also no way to know for sure if the Seer was limited to future-self summoning, or if she had other powers hidden up her flowy sleeves.

Chat Noir worked his way forward, bracing himself against each hit. He was getting close when suddenly the Seer changed tactics, forgoing the light in favor of charging forward into Chat Noir and throwing him off balance. She took advantage of his surprise, flinging him over her shoulder into the space she had just occupied, just as Ladybug pounced. The two superheroes collided with a yelp and tumbled across the roof together in a tangled knot. Before they could recover, the Seer hit them with a flash of light and two more bodies appeared on top of them.

The entire pile groaned.

"Well, at least we were transformed when we were pulled back," a voice that was at once familiar and yet not said, and the younger superheroes' eyes went huge as they realized what the Seer and Hawkmoth had probably been trying to do with her powers.

If their future selves had appeared while detransformed, then Hawkmoth could have discovered who they were. Sure, they wouldn't look exactly the same now as they would in the future- especially since the people from the future tended to look about ten to fifteen years older than their present counterparts- but it would give Hawkmoth a far more solid lead to discovering their identities than either of them wanted.

"Considering that they're transformed, I'm guessing that the Seer's powers had to find a moment when we were bonded with Tikki and Plagg," a female voice added as the added weight on top of them shifted and lifted. Ladybug and Chat Noir looked up and came face to face with… well, with Ladybug and Chat Noir.

They stared, and Chat Noir's jaw dropped as he took in the sight of his older self and his partner. Older Chat snorted in amusement and reached over to close his mouth.

"Oh, that's not fair!" the Seer screeched, and all of them whipped around to see her glowering at them. "I didn't ask for more superheroes!"

With that, she gave them one more glare before whipping away and fleeing as fast as her feet could carry her.

"She didn't see that coming," Older Chat Noir joked, grinning. "Odd."

"Well, akumas never tended to be that good at planning." Older Ladybug stepped up next to her partner, close enough that their shoulders were brushing. "And she pulls people from a future, she doesn't predict the immediate outcome of certain actions.. She might have thought that it was a given that she would see our civilian selves."

"Now she has to fight us properly!" Chat Noir said triumphantly. "Unless she wants even more of us."

"I wouldn't write her off quite so quickly," his older counterpart told him. "She's going to keep going for avoidance and trying to startle us in order to get away, since I'm sure she knows that four against one isn't going to end well for her. She's not going to suddenly decide to make things easy for us."

Older Ladybug made a face. "She's going to keep stalling, then. Drag out the fight until it's more of a hunting game than a fight, maybe try to divide us up while searching for her. We might have to recharge right away, then," she added to Older Chat. "Plagg and Tikki weren't charged up enough for a drawn-out fight, just a quick run back home."

Older Chat Noir grinned. "I know just the place to buy some food for our kwamis, then," he said. "It's nearby and everything! You two will have to try to track down and contain the Seer while we're gone," he added to the younger superheroes. "We… well, we don't know how time is passing back home while we're here, and we kind of have to get back soon, so any progress would be good."

"Oh gosh, the kids are going to throw a fit make a mess of the house if we're gone for long," Older Ladybug muttered, burying her face in her hands. The comment was probably intended for the older version of her partner, but the younger superheroes exchanged started looks as their older selves both looked a bit worried at the thought of the trouble their kids could be getting into without them there.

Was...was this confirmation that they would actually end up together, then?

Surely their older counterparts knew better than to tell them something big like that, though...right? Right?

(Maybe they were talking about both of them having kids but not the same ones? Maybe their kids were friends and they were meant to be watching them? They- they shouldn't jump to conclusions, not yet.)

"Does she have any sort of control powers?" Ladybug wanted to know, reaching out before their older selves could leave. "Like, should we worry about getting hit again?"

The older Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. "No, I don't think so. She'd have been using it before if she did, I think."

"And I think the Seer will be a little more careful about her powers now," Older Ladybug added. "If she got six of us….wow."

"We'd be unbeatable in theory, but I think all of the differences in level of experience might throw us off," Older Chat pointed out. He glanced at the younger heroes. "Like, don't get offended if we sideline you for a bit during the fight or take over the planning. It's just been so long since we fought at, uh…."

The at your level went unsaid They all knew that the older superheroes had more experience and practice and would be better. They would have developed signals with each other that the younger versions wouldn't understand, but there would be no easy way to remember mid-battle which signals the younger superheroes would know. If something went unnoticed and they weren't where their older counterparts expected them to be, they could end up in trouble.

A beep from Older Chat Noir's ring caught their attention, and the older superheroes waved before quickly jumping away. The younger duo headed in the direction that the Seer had headed off in, glancing around to try to figure out where exactly she had gotten off to.

Really, the lack of screaming going on now that more people had headed inside was a bit of a hindrance. At least it was cloudy enough that they would be able to just make out the flashes from the Seer's powers when she found people to hit.

"She's gone quiet," Chat Noir commented after a couple minutes. "Maybe we should drop down, too, and see if she starts up again- oh, wait, there she goes!"

Emboldened by the knowledge that apparently the Seer's blasts held no unwanted side effects for them, Ladybug and Chat Noir went after the akuma again. She screeched when she saw them, sending a blinding flurry of blasts in their direction and using the cover of the bright light to escape.

Again. The superheroes let out twin snarls of annoyance.

This time, the Seer did a better job of hiding. The superhero duo zigzagged back and forth over the rooftops, trying to flush the akuma out. She remained stubbornly elusive, so Ladybug and Chat Noir found a good vantage point where they could see most of the city.

"I've been thinking, we could really take advantage of having our future selves here," Chat Noir said as they settled in, eyes trained on the buildings and streets below. "Like, fifteen years in the future- Hawkmoth has to be defeated by then, right? We could just ask who he is and track him down right away. Not that I don't like spending time with you or anything, but I don't want to be missing so much class all the time."

Ladybug nodded eagerly. "Yeah! We could even- if they told us, we could even go defeat him now, with their help. Once the akuma is defeated and before I do the Cure, I mean."

"Oh, that would be super cool! Getting to use Hawkmoth's akuma's powers against him? Amazing."

They fell silent for a bit, and Ladybug leaned forward as she noticed a familiar head of dark hair on the sidewalk below. Was that her older self, detransformed? She pulled out her yo-yo and zoomed in, enough to confirm that- yep, that was definitely her, hair pulled up into a distinctive braided bun. She beamed up at her companion as they sped down the street, wrapping her arm around his as they laughed together. She leaned up quickly to press a light kiss to his cheek- and oh, that was definitely an older Adrien, wow. He was stunning, with long hair tamed into a low ponytail and high cheekbones painting a picture of a fiercely handsome man. Time had definitely been kind to him.

But how had her future self ended up with future Adrien as a civilian? She was meant to be with Chat Noir, getting their kwamis recharged as fast as they could before rejoining the fight.

("Fight". Right now, it was more of a chase or a search, and that was crazy frustrating. Their older selves had asked them to try to track down and at least contain the Seer, and they hadn't done that yet.)

Unless… well, she couldn't be entirely certain that she hadn't gotten hit again, not with all of the near misses that hadn't necessarily been misses but she had just been too occupied to check. Maybe this Marinette was from another hit, and she had decided that having three of them out and transformed at once would have affected Tikki? Then Adrien must have gotten hit at some point, even though normally his bodyguard kept him far from the akuma fights if possible, and… well, maybe he didn't realize it? Maybe he had been swept up in a group of fleeing people and had left his future self behind, where his older version caught up with her future self and they decided to take advantage of their time together and do a walking cuddle down the sidewalk.

So… was she married to Adrien, then, after all? Just friends didn't act like that around each other, so that had to be it. Married to Adrien but just really good friends with Chat Noir and so their kids hung out together? That would be lovely. Ladybug had always hoped that she and Chat Noir would stay friends after Hawkmoth was defeated, since they worked together so well and got along.

Older Adrien and Marinette vanished from view around the corner, and Ladybug returned her attention to the Paris skyline. The clouds overhead were darkening, which meant that once the Seer came out of hiding and started going after people again, the light would be more obvious than ever.

"D'you think our older selves have charged up yet?" Chat Noir asked after another couple minutes had passed with no sign of the akuma. "I mean, we don't know where they were headed, I guess."

Ladybug had a pretty good guess, honestly. If they went to her parents' bakery, they could get sweets for Tikki and something with cheese in it for Plagg. They might even explain who they were- not that it would take her mom long to figure it out, not with the knowledge of the akuma out and about, and not with Older Marinette so clearly recognizable- and they would get the food for free. If the older superheroes had detransformed straight away, it would have been probably a five- or ten-minute walk to the bakery, and then time for the kwamis to actually eat.

"I'm sure they'll come soon," Ladybug offered, rather than telling Chat Noir all of that. Maybe she and Chat Noir knew each other's identities in the future, but that was years away. "And- oh, there's a flash, let's go!"

They ran, keeping low to the rooftops so that they wouldn't attract attention. They were halfway there when the older Ladybug and Chat Noir joined them, looking focused and fierce.

"We'll circle her," Older Ladybug told them. "Come in from each side. Running is her thing, but she can't escape if all of us are in the way."

"Before- before we do that, do we want to come up with a contingency plan?" Chat Noir suggested timidly. "In case she actually fights us? I mean, I know how my Lady thinks so I can figure out what her plans are, at least most of the time. But with you two, you've had more time to think of plans and, uh…"

"I believe our younger selves are calling us old, love," Older Chat Noir told Older Ladybug, grinning widely. Chat Noir spluttered.

"No! No, I was just saying that you might think of plans that we might not, and so it would be harder to communicate those plans with just looks when we're mid-fight and can't talk without the Seer overhearing us! I'm not saying you're old- you don't look old at all, you look in top condition really, you could probably take on both of us no problem-"

"Please stop tormenting your younger self," Older Ladybug told Older Chat Noir with a sigh, but the fond look that she gave him told everyone that she wasn't really exasperated. "He knows that you weren't calling him old," she added to Chat Noir. "He just enjoys tormenting himself, evidently. But I think that's a good idea."

"We wanted to ask about the future, too," Ladybug chimed in. "If you know who Hawkmoth is-"

Both of the older superheroes winced in unison at that, and Ladybug paused. After a moment, her older self spoke up.

"We do know who he is, but we can't tell you," she told Ladybug and Chat Noir. "You're not ready yet. You'll need to learn the power-ups that your Miraculous allow and how to use them effectively before you're ready to face Hawkmoth. Right now, he's learned how to access and stretch some of his powers, so a faceoff right away would not be wise."

"But if we don't do the Cure, you could help us with the fight before returning to the future," Chat Noir said earnestly. "And we could learn about the power-ups later on, and have more time to learn if we aren't having to already balance school and- and everything else with akuma attacks- no?"

Older Chat Noir was shaking his head. "You can't properly learn how to use the power-ups outside of battle. And even without Miraculous Cure, I get the feeling that the Seer's effects would dissipate pretty quickly once her crystal ball is broken. You don't want to be mid-faceoff and have us suddenly sent back. The future will change if that happens, and there's no way to tell how that would turn out."

The younger superheroes frowned. They hadn't thought of that.

"And if we let the Seer run free while we go after Hawkmoth, he could easily recall his powers and de-akumatize her. It would have the same effect as releasing the akuma, even without the Cure," Older Chat Noir added when his younger self opened his mouth to suggest something else. The younger Chat Noir made a face at that, and his older self grinned. "And yes, I did know that you were about to suggest that, because unless you've forgotten, I am you."

"We can tell you that you'll be stronger together," Ladybug told them, sending a fond glance towards her partner. "Never forget that you aren't alone. And don't let anyone else find out your identity. If you can find ways to hide your Miraculous or make it less suspicious, do that. Maybe be seen without it on occasion, but have it on your person somewhere."

Ladybug frowned. That made it sound as though Hawkmoth was someone who was close enough to them or saw them often enough to actually notice what jewelry they were or were not wearing. That was a terrifying thought, really. And it was a clue, as vague as it was.

"As for the akuma…" Older Ladybug exchanged a look with her partner. "If I'm remembering correctly, she's only been a problem because we weren't sure about the extent of her powers and then she was being really evasive. With four of us circling her and not giving her a chance to escape, we shouldn't have a problem."

"Hit before she notices us and tries to blind us, then," Older Chat added. "How about we have the Ladybugs come from behind? They can restrain her from a distance, and the two of us can be a distraction. That sound like a plan?"

They all nodded and split up, the two Ladybugs circling around to the back. The Seer was concentrated on a small, disgruntled group of citizens trapped in an alley, and she shrieked when the first yo-yo shot out and caught her arm before she could hit another person.

"I'm just showing them their futures!" the Seer yelled angrily as her other arm was caught and restrained. "I was showing the world that it is possible to see into the future, to know what's yet to come! I'm not hurting anything!"

"You're showing them a future," Older Chat Noir corrected her. "The future can change. You're just pulling people from a likely future."

"And likely isn't guaranteed," Older Ladybug added. "It never is. Things can change and shift, depending on what decisions people make."

The Seer struggled. "No! But the stars- our future is written in them-"

The older Chat Noir lunged, shadows trailing from his claws even before he hit the glass ball hanging at the Seer's waist. It disintegrated, swirly, glittery purple turning to dust and clattering to the ground. The akuma fluttered loose, and Ladybug snagged it in a heartbeat.

Before she let it go, though, she hesitated.

"Are you sure you can't give us any more clues about Hawkmoth's identity?" she asked hopefully. "Anything else at all?"

"As frustrating as I'm sure it is- no, we can't," Older Ladybug told them. "Really." She held out her fist for each of them to bump before exchanging a quick kiss with the older Chat Noir. They exchanged a quick grin before turning back to their younger selves. "Great fight, guys. Stay safe."

Chat Noir's eyes went wide as he watched. Ladybug, who had started to suspect that maybe their older counterparts weren't just friends, considering the looks they gave each other, only smiled. "You, too."

The older Ladybug grinned in return, then flung her yo-yo up into the air. They hadn't needed a Lucky Charm, but that was fine. "Miraculous Cure!"

A cloud of sparkling red and black rushed down from the sky, whisking the older superheroes away. It rushed across the city, bringing everyone back to their own time before turning the Seer back into a willowy woman draped in stereotypical fortune teller's outfit. She seemed more resigned than anything else as she pushed herself up off the ground, picked up her repaired crystal ball, waved to the superheroes, and left.

"That was a strange fight," Chat Noir commented as he and Ladybug headed back to their part of the city, going slower than normal since they hadn't used their powers and had the time to spare. "I'm surprised that our older selves weren't willing to tell us anything about Hawkmoth, but were willing to be all cozy in front of us."

Ladybug said nothing, just worrying her lip instead.

"But then earlier in the fight, I saw my older civilian self with- with someone else," Chat Noir continued with a frown. "So I just don't know what…"

They both paused for a few moments, puzzled, before Ladybug clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Oh, they gave us the answer, didn't they?" Ladybug said, a bit exasperated that she hadn't put it together before. She had caught on that the older superheroes were romantically close earlier, but had decided to leave the figuring out how that and what she had seen with Older Marinette and Older Adrien fit together until when they weren't in the middle of an akuma battle. Looking back, it was obvious. "When we were fighting the Seer, they said that the future isn't set, and that the akuma was only pulling people from a likely future. Which means that maybe both of the futures were likely for us."

"It would be interesting to know what differed between the two futures," Chat Noir commented. He chanced a glance at Ladybug, worrying at his lip as he did. "Like, why we were with different people."

Ladybug suspected that he wanted to know what path would have them ending up together. She couldn't blame him- after all, she was wondering how she ended up with Adrien.

"I guess we'll find out?" Ladybug suggested weakly. "It's good that we did see a second version, though. Otherwise we might make decisions based on what we were told, instead of acting normally. And who knows how that would have changed the timeline?"

"True enough," Chat Noir agreed. He shrugged once, then glanced at her. "See you at the next attack?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Alya was practically bubbling with glee when Adrien came into the classroom the next morning. She grinned as he sat down, wide enough that it was slightly unnerving.

"She's been doing this ever since I came in," Marinette told him wearily. There was a touch of pink on her cheeks, as though Alya had maybe been teasing her about something before he came in. Adrien turned a bit pink as well, remembering the second version of Older Him that he had seen running around with Marinette. "Apparently she has some sort of big scoop, but she's been refusing to tell anyone until you got here. She claimed that it was vital that you be here to hear it."

Adrien's attention moved to Alya. "Oh? Well, I'm here now. What's the big scoop about?"

Alya practically bounced in her seat as she sat up straight. "Your future."

"That's… ominous," Nino commented warily. "Uh, can you elaborate, or…?"

"Funny you should ask!" Alya clapped one hand down on Marinette's shoulder, and Marinette flinched. "So, during the Seer's attack yesterday, I just happened to be out and about nearby. I didn't manage to get hit-"

"Wait, you wanted to?" Nino exclaimed, aghast. "Why?"

"I wanted to ask my future self some questions, obviously," Alya said with a nonchalant shrug. "I was trying to interview some other people's future selves, but they refused to tell me anything. Something about messing up the timeline. It was ridiculous, honestly."

Adrien let out a small sigh of relief at that. After what the older Ladybug and Chat Noir had told them about them not being ready to rush into a final fight, it would suck to have their hand forced just because the information on Hawkmoth's identity got to them early and Alya would no doubt throw a fuss if they didn't do something with what she had dug up.

(Not that he had fully accepted that right away- he had been sulky about the lack of useful information after he got home, and it wasn't until after Plagg enlightened him about some of the possible power-ups that Hawkmoth might have obtained that he admitted that yeah, their older selves were probably onto something.)

"But not being told anything doesn't mean that I didn't learn anything," Alya continued. "I still had eyes, after all. Guess who's future selves I saw out together?"

Adrien felt a strange sinking feeling in his gut. He had an inkling that he might know where this was going, and… oh, gosh. How was he meant to get out of this without offending anyone?

"Who?" Nino asked, completely oblivious to Adrien's inner turmoil. Then he brightened. "Oh, wait, let me guess- Ladybug and Chat Noir? I saw some pictures of that, I think! They look super cool as adults. I liked the changes to their outfits!"

"No- well, yeah, I saw them too, and snapped some awesome pictures! And then I got close enough to hear them talking and they were worrying about what their kids might be getting up to while they were in their past! So that's future Ladynoir confirmed! I was in the middle of writing up an entire article about it last night, but I ended up having to babysit." Alya made a face. "So I'll finish it tonight. It'll be a huge scoop, I know it already!"

Adrien blinked. How on earth had Alya gotten close enough to the older superheroes- and stayed there for more than a couple seconds- to overhear enough of the conversation to pick up what their conversation had been about? Older Ladybug and Chat Noir would have been trying to go fast to get stuff for recharging, surely. But the fact that Alya had heard so much, when the older superheroes should have been able to go overhead in a matter of seconds.

So had the older superheroes intended for Alya to overhear? It seemed like that was the only way that that could happen.

Nino was grinning. "Miniature catbugs? That's so cute!"

"Yeah, but we all knew that they would end up together. It's cool to have that confirmation, but it was obvious that it was going to happen eventually." Alya's grin got wilder. "No, guess again."

Adrien tried to look confused. "I don't know?"

"I'll give you a hint- who got caught up in the akuma attack yesterday?" Alya prompted, giving him a significant look, and Adrien muffled a sigh. He couldn't play dumb any longer.

"Me?"

Alya pointed at him. "Bingo! And the other person- Marinette, I know you know I'm talking about you, stop trying to hide."

Marinette had turned a spectacular shade of pink and buried her face in her hands. Apparently she had caught on, which suggested that she had seen their older selves together and had deduced what kind of relationship they had.

Which...well, it wasn't hard to figure it out. Their older selves had been pretty obvious with the PDA.

"Wait, what?" Nino asked, suddenly interested again. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"That these two grow up and get married and have kids? You bet." Alya's grin turned into a smirk. "I knew it was going to happen someday. So, when are you two lovebirds going to start dating?"

"Alya-" Adrien started, but he didn't know what to say. It wasn't as though he would be entirely opposed to dating Marinette- his older self had looked very happy with her, after all- but he didn't want to be pressured into dating Marinette, either. That wouldn't be very fun for either of them, not when he was still in love with Ladybug.

"Actually, I don't think any of the future selves were guaranteed," Marinette's voice knocked Adrien out of his thoughts and he blinked in surprise. It was as though she had read his mind. "I got hit twice when I was trying to get away, and ended up with two different future selves."

Oh, well, that made things easy. Thank goodness he and Marinette were in the same boat.

"Same here," Adrien spoke up. He glanced up at Marinette, remembering what she had looked like as an adult. He hadn't seen the second version of her- maybe Other Future Marinette and her other partner had gone in a different direction, as to not cause any trouble between her potential spouses- but he was super-glad that she had ended up with someone either way. Marinette was too sweet to not find love. "I guess the future isn't set in stone, which makes sense. Our choices aren't set, so why would everything that depends on our choices be set?"

Alya's expression had fallen into complete dismay. "Wait- you mean the older versions of you were with different people?"

Marinette and Adrien nodded in unison.

"Oh, come on," Alya groaned, flopping back into her seat. "But the versions I saw looked so happy! And they had at least two kids, I overheard them talking about them when I was following them around. And I wanted to be Auntie Alya."

Nino snorted at that. "Babe, you're way too young to be any sort of aunt. And if the other versions of Adrien and Marinette had them having kids with anyone, you'll still get to be honorary aunt."

"Oh, I know, but…" Alya eyed Adrien and Marinette, then let out a long sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll still hope, of course, but I suppose I'll let it develop naturally."

"That's probably for the best," Nino commented. "If you rush stuff, who knows how that could mess up the future-"

"But at least let me show you the pictures I took of your future selves," Alya cut across, waving her phone at them. "They're adorable. We have a few minutes before class starts!"

As Adrien leaned over to see the pictures, he exchanged a look with Marinette. His friend was still pink, but she managed a small smile for him. He smiled back, glad that things hadn't gotten weird between them after the akuma attack. They could stay friends and see how things turned out between them, either developing into a couple or getting together with other people. No matter way it went- if he ended up with Ladybug or with Marinette, both of whom were incredible girls, kind and sweet and warm- Adrien knew that he would be happy.

For him, the future looked bright.

Fifteen Years in the Future

Ladybug and Chat Noir grinned at each other as they reappeared in their bedroom in a flurry of red and black sparkles. They detransformed in a dual flash of light, and immediately started giggling.

"Remember how confused we were?" Marinette asked with a laugh, catching Tikki and setting her on the dresser. "We were convinced that there were two versions of us wandering around, each with a different partner!"

"I remember wondering who Ladybug's other potential husband was, and who else Marinette could have ended up with," Adrien admitted. "I spent a ridiculous amount of time obsessing about that, actually. I thought Luka, maybe, or someone in one of the other classes."

"He spent so much time talking about it, even when he was still in denial about having a crush on you," Plagg spoke up, avoiding Adrien's grabs to go perch on Marinette's shoulders. "It was all, who else do you think she could end up with? Do you think she would tell me if I asked? Plagg, who do you think-?"

"Curiosity and cats?" Adrien suggested weakly.

"I love you too, kitty." Marinette squeezed his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I can't deny that I was pretty curious, too. But I couldn't resist teasing our past selves a little."

"And you told me off for doing that. And only a little? We totally manipulated everything to be confusing as possible. Admit it, we were trolling our past selves."

Marinette laughed at that. "And your past self thanked me for stopping your teasing, don't think that I missed the look of relief on his face. Besides, if we didn't tease ourselves and Alya, we might have drawn some seriously different conclusions about what had happened in the future and tried to get into a relationship before we were really ready."

"I'll give you that." Adrien glanced at the clock on the wall. "But speaking of future- I can see some grumpy kids in our future if we don't hurry over to the bakery, because if we take much longer we're going to be late picking them up from your parents' place."

"They'll only be grumpy if Maman and Papa insisted on getting them ready to leave and they've just been sitting and waiting for us, but you know that my parents wouldn't do that. They like keeping the grandkids around for as long as possible." Regardless, Marinette headed for the door. "I'll text them if you drive."

"Sounds good." Adrien followed her out into the main area of their apartment, snagging the car keys on the wall as they headed out the door. "And Marinette?"

Marinette turned around, a small smile on her face as she looked up at him. Adrien would never get tired of that look, he knew that for sure. "Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're my future."

Marinette's smile softened, and she leaned up to exchange a kiss with him. "I'm glad you're my future, too."

#Miraculous Ladybug #My writing #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng

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