#( the passage of words ) / * int .

[zephyrchama]

(Obey Me! Belphegor and MC. The problem with naps.)

You were in trouble.

It had been several hours since you were able to move. Your legs were heavy, most likely numb. You wanted nothing more than to kick and stretch out your neglected muscles. The battery on your D.D.D. was running low.

Belphegor was deaf to the world, his nose buried in your naval with arms coiled around your waist. He was the world's clingiest lap blanket. Despite bending his knees, Belphegor's feet stuck out over the edge of the couch. You had tried fruitlessly over the hours to wake him, but things were getting dire.

You poked at his cheek. Slow and soft at first, but with increasing intensity until you reached a point where Leviathan himself would have recruited you for a button-mashing game.

"Belphie. Belphegor. Belphegor. Belphie. Belph. Belphegor. Hey!!"

You whacked his forehead with your D.D.D. There was no response. You sunk back into the couch cushions to create a bit of distance between your stomach and the demon's face. The next plan was to pinch his nose.

This was also futile. Belphegor clearly stopped inhaling and appeared fine, but such a length of time without breathing would cause brain damage in humans. It disturbed you. He was probably fine, being a demon and all. It was still concerning. You squeezed his nostrils until the excessive passage of time made you uncomfortable and let go. A couple of seconds went by before Belphegor breathed in with a loud snore. Any sense of relief was quickly and easily washed away by annoyance.

You groaned and leaned forward over the demon's head, placing your elbows on the edge of your knees to better cradle your face in your hands with despair. You balled your hands into fists, pressing them against your forehead, and let out a wail.

"Belphie, I'm begging you. Wake up."

Silence. You felt like you were going to explode.

"I have to pee."

You might as well have been talking to a large rock. The demon's weight on your lower stomach was not helping the situation. In an ideal world, you would have reached the bathroom over an hour ago. You leaned back once more and stared dismally at the sleeping figure in your lap. You were running out of options.

"Hear me, Denizens of Darkness. I am Master of Belphegor, Avatar of Sloth. Heed my call and do as I command. Get off of me!"

Wisps of magic curled up your arms, dancing across your neck and face. Its light made everything brighter. Traces of powerful energy - Belphegor's own energy - blew through your hair, whooshing past your ears. Belphegor was forcefully shifted into his demon form and rolled off the couch with all the grace of a baby chick learning to fly.

A deep rumble escaped his throat at the rude awakening. Belphegor lifted himself up in a daze. The fluff on his tail stood on edge as it swung turbulently from side to side. He clenched his jaw, barring his teeth menacingly. "What are you doing?"

You had already seized the chance to leap up. Only, your legs betrayed you. There was no strength to stand and you fumbled over onto Belphegor, colliding with his back. You both momentarily flailed on the ground.

"Explain yourself," he growled while you struggled to stand. Blips of magic were evaporating off your clothes, adding to the disorientation.

"Carry me!" you demanded. "That'll be faster, you've gotta carry me."

Even if you buckled your legs together to hold things in, you worried that wobbling down the hallway with jelly legs would be an impossible endeavor.

Belphegor looked at you the same way he would look at a diseased toad. With no context, he was wholly confused.

"I need the bathroom, now!" It was all you could think of. Magic started swirling at your wrists again as you began to chant, "Heed my words, in the name of the sorcerer..."

"Ok, ok! Wait!" Belphegor scrambled to his feet. He winced at the thought of being commanded again. His chest tightened, already afflicted by the start of your spell.

You had your knees locked together, digging your nails into your palm in a desperate attempt to hold your bladder in. It wasn't the best pose for being picked up. Belphegor did his best. He couldn't carry you in the elegant, suave manner he liked to dream about. Instead, he held you with both arms like an oversized bag of potatoes.

"Go, go, go!" Time was of the essence. He was slow to get a move on, so you beat on his shoulder with your fist. "This is all your fault!"

Belphegor blew a strand of hair out of his face. His expression was a sour frown. He was still cranky from being woken up. "Fine. Just hang on."

You don't get to see the demons use their abilities often. They like to play human in front of you. Unfortunately, with your head buried in Belphegor's hoodie and your mind occupied with other worries, you did not have the luxury to admire the way he bounded through the house with hardly perceptible speed. In just a few quick steps, not even five seconds later, you had arrived at your long-awaited destination.

You rolled out of Belphegor's arms and hastily slammed the door shut in the confused demon's face.

The Avatar of Sloth skulked across the hall to lean against the wall opposite the bathroom door. Now alone with his thoughts, he had ample time to get his mind in order and plan out exactly how to get revenge when you came back out.

[goobtopia]

crime and punishment [farleigh start]

!! 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT !!

based on this request

summary: after a dinner party at saltburn you confront your long time friend, farleigh, about his odd behavior surrounding felix’s new friend from oxford.

warnings: 18+, SMUT, f!reader, (kinda) p*rn without plot, kissing, praise kink, mentions of p in v sex, thigh riding, nipple play, dom!farleigh, wealthy reader, mention of bullying, swearing, farleigh is both mean and whiny you’ve been warned

[requests are open]

☆ masterlist ☆

-

“Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong or keep giving me the silent treatment?” You crossed your arms in the entryway of Farleigh’s room. He refused to look up from his Dostoevsky summer reading or give you any kind of acknowledgment.

You sighed, finally entering the room so you could sit at the edge of his bed making sure to shut the door behind you. With you facing him and your legs tucked under your body, he obviously couldn’t focus on the passage enough to continue reading so he sighed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” This was classic Farleigh, so upset or so angry that he’d just shut it down instead. It was something of a compliment you guessed, when Farleigh didn’t care to hurt anyone with his words informed by his loathing his insults were quick and harsh. I once watched him send Gavey crying in the quad after spilling coffee on his lecture notes and heard he was in and out of the school counseler’s office after that.

“If this is about earlier…” You trailed off, unknowingly hitting the nail on the head for Farleigh and you jumped when his hard cover book made a deafening crack as it closed. “No, why would I be upset about earlier? It’s not like everyone has been up Oliver’s ass all semester, so much so that you take his side and make me look like a jackass in front of everybody.” He was calm, spoke in a sickly sweet voice as the book was discarded near his pillows.

You never pulled punches with Farleigh, he knew this, which is why he shouldn’t have been so surprised when you defended your actions, “Farleigh you made yourself look like an ass, like when everyone stopped laughing because it was literally painful to watch.” He ran a hand over his khaki colored corduroy pants, his fingers adorned with expensive silver rings, as he rested his ear against his shoulder. A sign he was licking his wounds after you walked out to check on Oliver leaving him alone to sing the rest of his shitty song.

“You get so… prideful around him, like you’re trying to prove something. I’ve never seen you like this.” The way Farleigh kept attacking Oliver was far from his usual pettiness, no Farleigh was always quick but even the butt of his jokes would find themselves laughing about it eventually. Here it was like he was taking everything just a step too far, you didn’t understand how Oliver got under his skin so badly.

Sure, he didn’t come from your world but it wasn’t like he was being a nuisance, there was no reason in your mind to embarrass him by picking a song for him that Farleigh was sure Oliver didn’t know. “Well, he’s a fucking creep. He’s sneaking around with Venetia and he’s cozying up to you lately, he had you using his lap as a couch coushin in there.” He looked disgusted by the thought.

You hadn’t thought anything of it honestly, if Venetia was settled in her brother’s lap in a platonic fashion you figured it was all in the spirit of the night. The closeness and camaraderie we found amongst yourselves in these nights, that was like tradition to you. “Farleigh…” You trailed in a tone reeking of disappointment in one of your best friends, “What? You don’t think so?” He quipped.

Your silence spoke for itself and he scoffed, “Well then you’re a fucking idiot.” Your voice, while not loud, cut through the air like a knife, “Hey. You do not speak to me like that.” You pointed your finger, straightening your back out. Next thing you know he’s pinning you down by your thighs, using this new leverage to lean into your face.

“What are you gonna do about it? Run and tell poor little orphan Ollie?” He nodded, silently coaxing an answer from you. “You’re being mean Farleigh.” You whisper, showing weakness for a moment not even thinking about the fact your friend doesn’t ever touch you like this. Somehow, it’s the least of your worries.

With a heaving chest he looks down at your lips, focusing in on them as they draw into a tight line with the silence. “I wouldn’t be so mean if you hadn’t been,” His tongue runs over his bottom lip. “…misbehaving.” You lost the ability to breathe for a moment, suddenly forced to face the lines that were most definitely being crossed. This was uncharted territory for the both of you.

One hand came up to your face, pressing his thumb lightly into the center of your chin making sure to slowly bring it up and gauge your reaction. His knuckle hooked over your bottom lip until the pad of his thumb grazed the wetness of your tongue. You closed your mouth around it instantly, earning a groan from the tall boy towering over you.

Swiftly he removed himself, pocketing his hands under your thighs and throwing your weight on top of his so you were open for him across the thick muscle of his leg. “You gonna be good for me?” You nodded, bracing yourself on his shoulders. “Yes, I am.” You said without hesitation, some new fire ignited you craved to fuel.

You were pulled by the nape of your neck to meet his lips in a fervent kiss pressing your whole body against his. Lips slid against each other as they danced in harmony, tongues exploring one another as you began grinding your hips against him hoping to relieve some of the pressure building in your core.

His free hand locked onto your hip to stall any movement as he pulled away from you, “Take it easy babe, just let me touch you.” You could’ve melted right there, his hand traveled up your nightgown and grazed over the seam on the side of your panties. “Oh really?” He sounded almost proud in his surprise at your lack of pants.

He explored further, reaching up to your right breast and grazing his nail against your nipple. Your hips stuttered involuntarily, amusement written on his face as he watched your face screw in pleasure. “F-fuck” Your voice cracked, feeling that stimulation go straight to your core.

“You gonna let me have a taste?” He pouted, twisting the nipple in between his fingers leaving you breathless and desperate for more. “Yes, fuck, please just put your mouth on me.” You whined, and Farleigh didn’t need to be asked twice. Your gown was ripped from your body leaving you in just a little pair of panties and nothing aside from your stark nakedness.

Of course, he had to take a moment to admire your body, so soft and beautiful, like unwrapping a gift he’s always yearned for. “Farleigh, please.” Your voice sounded pathetic almost, but you were worried if either one of you paused for too long you’d come to your senses and stop. And empty fear seeing as it would probably take an act of god to seperate the two of you at this moment.

“Shut up, I wanna see what you’ve been hiding from me all these years.” His hands explored practically every inch of you, his eyes grazing against your stomach, your breasts, you thighs. He couldn’t stop imagining what your hips might look like settled on top of his own, stuffed to the brim with his cock.

He couldn’t wait anymore, he unbuckled his silver and black belt, letting it hit the floor somewhere before jimmying them halfway off all with you in his lap. Now your sex was making indirect contact with a small sliver of his skin between his boxers and pants. “I’m gonna spend some time with these,” He began to explain, giving each breast a squeeze. “But you’re gonna get off on my thigh before I do anything else. Understand?” You nodded with confidence, hiding your dissapointment in him. All you wanted was for him to be inside you, tending to that most sensitive part of you and he was making you do it yourself.

But you could give him a show, make him so insatiable he’d have no choice but to turn you over and fuck you after seeing the way you grind into that muscle. “Yes, I understand. I’ll be good for you.” You cooed in your most sultry voice. It must’ve been an effective plan because his head dipped to tend to you almost instantly.

With lips and teeth scratching against the sensitive skin of your nipple, you felt like you were going crazy. You didn’t need to be reminded of you task because your hips did all the work for you at the feeling he provided. It was like your breasts had a direct line to your clit, making any friction against it double in intensity.

Your hips weren’t thrashing against him by any means but you were still racing to reach that high, something Farleigh helped along by bouncing his thigh against you. Farleigh switched breasts, leaving a free hand to guide your motions along him in frustration. “God I can’t wait to fuck you.” He humbled against your chest, “Been so good for me, haven’t you? My good girl.”

You barely registered the words, not that it would’ve changed anything. If being Farleigh’s good girl meant pleasure like this you didn’t care.

You were getting closer, mumbling harder as you threw your head back in pleasure. Farleigh could barely make out any of your words besides: fuck, please, so close; he guessed he didn’t need the details. He grabbed the middle fabric of your panties, pulling them to the side so your clit was bare and began to catch onto Farleigh’s boxers, creating a new devilish form of friction against that bundle of nerves.

“I’m gonna cum.” Your voice was light and broken. It had come embarrassingly fast but with Farleigh’s tongue flicking against the second most sensitive bundle of nerves, there was no way you could’ve helped it. No doubt it was boosting Farleigh’s ego, something that was far from necessary.

He lifted his head, keeping one hand aimed at the pleasure points on your chest, “Look at me. I wanna see that look in your eyes.” You sped up, keeping eyes contact with him as your jaw felt slack and that impossibly tight knot in your core finally broke, letting pleasure avalanche over your senses. Farleigh kept on you with that look of amusement at how quickly you came undone through his own manipulation.

You sadly clenched around nothing as your legs shook a bit and you slowly rode out the high, not wanting to keep the same pace now that you were so sensitive. Farleigh pulled you into another kiss, this one deeper but more sensual than before. There was no rush now, neither of was going anywhere.

“Fuck you’re never leaving this bed.” He confessed between kisses, promising you this wasn’t just a one-off thing. “Not until I’m finished with you.”

[12amphantasm]

People always meet you with reverence, “Father Andrew!”, they greet when you walk past, admiration heavy in their voices. They love you for how pious you are, friendly and loving, your patience and generosity.

And you love them, too. Just like the place you have stayed in for nearly twenty years, the huge complex composed of a humble yet luxurious church, the boarding school for troubled youths, the small but very warm house for the elderly, and the nearby university of theology - together known as The Hillset Private Conservatory.

God loves it all, every flower, every human, and whatever it might be that’s walking through these halls. __

The game is 18+ and meant for an adult audience.

Although the romance is strictly MxM, sexuality is relevant only for the romantic routes and the game can be played without engaging in intimate relationships, but at the expense of background information the player won’t be able to get in other ways. __

The game will be uploaded in parts, starting at least with 10k words. Planed release: Late April/early May 2024 ___

Written by a gay man, the romance is MxM only and stays true to reality, portraying genuine gay relationships, without stereotypes and harmful tropes.

“We Are God’s Most Beloved” is an old-school text-heavy interactive fiction novel and recommended to those who love reading.

Choices are meaningful instead of flavour and used only when they have an actual impact, this means there are long passages of text, which requires the reader to keep track of the story – just like they would with a novel. There is a lot to explore, attentive readers might find more game in this interactive fiction than one would expect.

The main genre is horror, even if nothing is outrageously explicit and often handled with a focus on the absurd, it contains horror-typical themes and tropes such as blood, body horror, surreal imaginary, and other commonly used elements.

In addition, mental illness, dysfunctional familial relationships, and physical assault play an important role depending on which route is chosen.

Hillset Private Conservatory, build in 1802, despite its long history, is a name few people know or have ever heard, and if one is aware of its existence, it’s rarely for good reasons.

Rumours have it that the owner was a paranoid man and the gigantic complex created solely to have a spacious cage for his family, namely his eight children, only for all of them to find an untimely death on this very property.

"It's haunted!", some say. "It's evil!", some claim.

Of course, nothing of that is true, the many teachers, counsellors, nuns, and priest can attest to that, and so would many of their students. At least a good portion of them. Maybe some, at least.

Now summer vacation has ended, and a new batch of fosterlings is about to arrive; frightened, misguided, and troubled teens in need of loving care, education, and a new chance at life.

Father Andrew, the only acting priest, will do his best, like always, to show them God’s brilliance and create a warm home out of these century old walls.

No railroading, no hand-holding

Life is full of choices, you have to make your own and live with them, ultimately missing out on certain things, or ending up utterly regretting what you did. There is no right or wrong, no road I, more or less sneakily, force you to take, choices are all equally valid and accounted for. ___

A fixed protagonist

Father Andrew is a fixed character, with his own likes, dislikes, appearance, and convictions. But how he navigates the world, how he reacts, who he becomes fond of or rather avoids, his interactions and how he lives his life, and, of course, what you learn about him, is up to you. ___

One end to rule them all

There are no bad endings or early finishes, all choices lead to the same endpoint, but how it looks like… is on you alone. ___

No stats

“We Are God’s Most Beloved” doesn’t require you to master stats, the story changes based on your choices, how you interact with the world and characters determines the options you will have, who likes or hates you, and how the story will play out. ___

Explicit - Yes or No?

You can choose to either read explicit sexual interactions or go for fade-to-black. ___

Romance

Three romantic interests are waiting to meet you, but you can play the whole story without romancing anyone, at the expense of sexual moments, additional plot-points centred around these characters, and potentially interesting background information.

No indicators are used, you have to find your own way, going by what you know about a character, evaluating the current situation, and acting accordingly.

Use the relationship stats to figure out what you did right or wrong, you have successfully entered a romantic route with a RO when the percentage reaches 50% and will deepen, or lessen, the relationship from then on.

There are no poly routes, entering one will lock you out of the others, and while you can’t lose a route once entered, how the couple ends up is based on your actions.

Keep in mind that “love” comes in many forms and players might find it worthwhile to forge bonds with other characters.

Profiles - Here

Father Andrew

Thirty-three years old, he was admitted to Hillset boarding school for troubled youths at the tender age of fourteen and hasn’t left the complex since. He’s very out of touch with the outside, basing his worldview, manners and morals on the old nuns and priests that raised him, often colliding with the new students’ modern ways. Friendly, polite and helpful, he’s easy to get along with on first glance but hard to truly get to know, which leaves him without friends and often rather lonely. __

Sister Lucia

Thirty-five years old, she’s one of the younger nuns but the strictness with which she loves doesn’t pale in comparison. She’s very fond of Father Andrew, who is her inspiration and has warped the image of how a priest should be until it became unrecognisable. Her hobbies are flower-arrangements, cooking things no one who loves their life should eat, taking care of the children in their school, and writing in her journal. __

Ẻ̶̛̬̲̀͋͑v̷̟̫̌̄͂ẻ̵͙̆̎͐l̸̨̙̠̻̜̐͌̓̂ͅͅy̵̡̲̼̔̑̾̀̀͐n̶̻̰̬͛͂͊̏̕͜͠

They might or might not be human. --

Moby

They definitely aren’t human, but God loves them anyway.

The love interests

Ryan Harris

Twenty-four years old and a student of Theology, he’s a graduate from the boarding school for troubled youths. While not overly intelligent, he’s diligent, curious, and not afraid of hardships. Father Andrew’s liturgy is his favourite part of the week and helping out something he takes pride in, as he does in his paintings that are full of creative flair and appreciated only by those with strong artistic sense. __

Connor Price

Thirty-one years old, he has been teaching English for eight years at a famous school and will do so from now on at Hillset - even if only because other schools refused to take him. He doesn’t like the enormous complex, dated appearance, long, dark halls, how everyone is just too nice, and Father Andrew, who somehow gives him the creeps. Connor spends his time reading, avoiding coworkers, and having long talks with the elderly in their care. __

?

You have to find that out on your own.

[komelrebi-san]

songs without words

was in band practice yesterday daydreaming about inumaki toge and it gave me ideas

synopsis: in which, you! the concert pianist in the school orchestra, caught their eyes... feat.: (my husband)gojo satoru, suguru geto, inumaki toge, itadori yuji, fushiguro toji

don't like, don't read.

when they walk into the room, carrying their music sheets and instrument, their eyes land on you. eh, wait, you're new! they haven't seen you before, have they? are you even supposed to be here?

but you don't take any notice of them as you played transcendental passages on the piano, dextrous fingers dancing over the keys, beautiful melodies resonating from the strings of the piano. smiling bashfully, you stop playing and walk over to talk to the proud-looking conductor, yaga masamichi.

---

gojo satoru - principal flautist

jeez, you cannot, cannot tell me this man is not the principal flautist

bags any and all solos he can, may or may not be competing for attention with a certain principal violinist

quote: 'what do you mean the violin gets to be concert master??? i'm also a principal musician! the flute is a solo instrument too!!!'

always always always be flaunting his skills - insane scales and arpeggios, fingers pressing and releasing the keys faster than one can comprehend - wait, how can he even tongue the notes that fast??

never never tunes to the principal violinist nor the oboist though it's normal orchestral procedure to tune to one of the two

bro skips to the piano to ask you for a tuning note, doesn't forget to add that he doesn't care which note it is because he's that skilled that he can tune to anything

(it's normal orchestral procedure to tune to concert-pitched A, frequency 440 or 442)

refuses to use a tuner/tuner app, bro has perfect pitch

goodness, he's such a menace, he's always belting out high notes

conductor yaga has never regretted anything more than giving satoru the piccolo part

(for those of you that don't know, the piccolo is basically a mini flute, same fingerings but just higher pitched)

i think everyone's ears died, oh god

wait, don't blame him though, he just wanted you to notice him

(oh, the little giggle that came out of your pretty lips when he belched high notes on his piccolo)

suguru geto - the said principal violinist

the said principal violinist satoru tries to take solos from

oof he always looks so good, sitting up straight int he front of his chair, hair swept to the side as he sits his violin on his shoulder

the little smirks he sends you as he plays, god damn

quite literally enchants everyone with his playing, fingers effortlessly reaching across the violin fingerboard

was so so so tempted to ask the principal percussionist to chuck the huge gong mallet at satoru's head

does this thing where he nods at you with a confident smile before rehearsal officially starts, and that's his signal for you to play the concert-pitched A so he can tune, then the rest of the string players will follow, and then the rest of the orchestra

relishes the fact that he's the closest to you in terms of seating and never forgets to rub it in satoru's face

has given your piano part a few tries on his violin just to spend more time with you, ends up laughing at satoru once again because whilst the violin can play multiple notes at the same time, the flute cannot

always brings hand cream with him! he doesn't use it but he makes you use it (trust me playing piano after massaging your hands slightly with hand cream feels infinitely better)

bonus! offers you his jacket if you get cold hands easily

inumaki toge - the principal oboist

somehow always gets dehydrated? like

needs to have water with him at rehearsals

probably started following you around like a lost puppy a little bit after that one time you gave him water and told him very nonchalantly that you aren't saliva conscious when he forgot to bring his bottle

well i mean, in his mind he probably was like 'wait, they understand me!!!'

welllllll, there was supposed to be another oboist but they always skip rehearsals lmfao

have i told you that this boy has the prettiest lips??? they look so kissable

partially the instrument's fault bc the reed is so small, so oboists really have to preserve their lips

loves loves loves loves onigiri, like, you never see him without onigiri during rehearsal breaks

and he look so cute when he eats!! does this thing where he puffs his cheeks out as he chews, bro probably just stuffed his mouth full of onigiri bc of his love for them 😭😭😭

started bringing extra onigiri with him so he can offer you one

actl speaks quite little, so he settles for actions instead

always comes to rehearsal 10 min early just so he can warm up and tune his oboe but in reality is just an excuse to sit with you

itadori yuji - actually supposed to be first trumpet, but ends up substituting as a percussion player a lot of the times

loud

have i told you that he's loud???

i swear, music classrooms are soundproof af but you can hear his laughter down the corridor even as you warmed up on the piano

okay, the principal trumpet is great, but wait, how does itadori's sound always manage to overpower their's???

please, yaga doesn't even know 😭😭😭

okay, itadori is great, but the problem is he always manages to somehow come in at the wrong time or play the wrong note, on top of being really super loud

welp, so he started subbing for the percussion

oh no oh no, everyone's ears

but hey, his crash-cymbal part is done ON POINT, so might as well keep him there

always comes early to set up his percussion stuff, so when you joined as the concert pianist, he also sets the grand piano lid for you, it's so damn heavy

bro's always hungry, so he always carries candy or sweet stuff with him, and he tries super hard to hide them from the sweet-toothed principal flautist

but uses them as on opportunity to start conversations with you and offer you some, and deny satoru in his face

and he's always rushing off to some kind of sports training session afterwards, lmfao

toji fushiguro - guest saxophone player

badboy upperclassman fr 😩😩😩

saxophone is a side job, but bro looks so fucking sexy while playing, and he makes sure he perfects every solo bit he can get his hands on

actl in like a band with his classmates or something, pretty sure you saw him playing drums with his friends at the school concert once

probs knows how to play guitar and bass too, so he helps his friends rearrange the parts and teach them parts they cant play

but! mediocre at the keyboard

so when he saw you?

thought 1: oooof she's so hot, i wanna ask her out

thought 2: hey, she can join my band!

so he used idea number two as an excuse to talk to you lmfao, but wasn't gonna give up when you told him that you were busy so you had to think about it

made a point right then and there to talk to you every single rehearsal he can come to

either to show you videos of them/solo cams of him playing, or to complain they cant find a good keyboardist and they are suffering lmfao

literally almost started fighting satoru for your attention lmfao, and my bro right here actl went ahead to wack satoru's head with a drumstick

oof arm muscles flexing oof so hot

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

Stranded and The Sonomancer tied. These are the 10 stories that were closest to making it through and so have been given a second chance

ROUND 2 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

Stranded

Synopsis

The TARDIS is gone. Stranded in one time and place, the Doctor, Liv and Helen seek refuge in Baker Street. But the house has changed: they now have neighbours – not all of them welcoming. And someone has a dire warning for the future.

The Doctor and friends face their greatest challenge yet: living one day after another, in 2020 London.

Propaganda

The Doctor stranded on earth done right! First time I cried about a Big Finish story. Stellar Cast! Liv and Tania, Lovestory for the ages!   (anonymous)

The Sonomancer

Synopsis

On the other side of the galaxy a mining company is exploiting the already unstable planet of Syra for every precious mineral it contains. River Song is attempting to save the native people. She needs the Doctor's help, but she also knows he mustn't yet discover her true identity. The final confrontation sees the Doctor once again face his enemy the Eleven in an attempt to prevent the destruction of Syra and the genocide of its inhabitants.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Inside Every Warrior

Synopsis

The Great Detective, Madame Vastra, aided by her resourceful spouse, Jenny Flint, and loyal valet, Strax, is looking into a series of mysterious break-ins.

An eccentric scientist and his put-upon assistant are the latest victims. Evidence mounts, with animal footprints and a trail of destruction.

Propaganda

The first audio adventure for the Paternoster Gang that involves SO, SO much lesbian flirting??? And werewolves! First of all Jenny makes Vastra fluster at least twice in this thing, they fight werewolves together after Strax got kidnapped and try to get him back. A maid struggles with her rich employer's abusive behaviour and seeks revenge, and she wrongly assumes Jenny must be in a similar situation. In the final showdown, Vastra uses what she fears to be her last breaths on telling Jenny that she loves her. Also, Vastra actually gets to kill in this audio! Always fun! Overall jumps between the inherent humour that comes with Jenny, Vastra, and Strax, so much fluffy gay flirting, and intense, emotional action-packed scenes. 10000% recommend, I swear to god. (@jennyandvastraflint )

Blood of the Daleks

Synopsis

"People of Red Rocket Rising, my fellow citizens. Our long night is over. I've been contacted by a benevolent people. They too have known great trials, but they have overcome them and made it their mission to help others do the same. They have offered us refuge, and passage to the nearest human worlds. They have the resources, and the patience and compassion, to evacuate every one of us. My fellow citizens, my friends, rescue is at hand!"

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Side of the Angels

Synopsis

Cardinal Ollistra has plans for New York, plans which involve the Deputy Mayor and her sponsor, one 'Reverend Mortimer' – better known to the Doctor as the Meddling Monk. The Eleven arrives to stamp out the resistance, but that isn't the only danger the Doctor finds lurking in the shadows – for New York is a city of Weeping Angels.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Phobos

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands on Phobos, moon of Mars — where extreme sports nuts of the future indulge their passion for gravity-boarding and wormhole-jumping. But there's something lurking in the shadows, something infinitely old and infinitely dangerous. It's not for nothing that "Phobos" is the ancient word for "fear"...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Love Vampires

Synopsis

Regret can follow people everywhere - even out into deep space, in the shadow of a dying star.

When the Doctor, Liv and Helen meet the terrified crew of a space station, all are haunted by faces from the past. But these lost loves are more than mere memories - and they want to feed...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Widow’s Assassin

Synopsis

Once, long ago, in a land of monsters and corridors, a fair maiden was captured, and placed in a deep sleep.

She was used to being captured, and she had a hero who rescued her on just such occasions. But this time the hero never came.

And the fair maiden slept on.

Eventually, a King rescued the maiden, and made her his bride, which many wise old women might tell you is just another way of capturing fair maidens.

And still the fair maiden slept on.

Then, the hero had another stab at rescuing the maiden from her prison, but he was too late. And, more importantly, he had forgotten the rules of fairy tales.

He didn't slay the dragon.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Companion Piece

Synopsis

When the evil Time Lord known as the Nine comes across a rare and valuable item floating in the space-time vortex, his acquisitive nature means he can't resist the urge to complete the set.

Soon a wicked scheme is underway. Only the Doctor's friends – past, present and future – will be able to stop him.

But without the Doctor around will even the combined skills of Liv, Helen, River Song, Bliss and Charley be enough to save the day?

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Doomsday Chronometer

Synopsis

While River Song takes Helen on an archaeological expedition like no other, the Doctor finds himself enlisted by an alien Queen to save her people.

Trapped and alone, Liv stares death in the face as she meets the enemy who's been dogging the TARDIS travellers' footsteps throughout Earth's history.

The Doomsday Chronometer has been protected for five centuries: secret cults and societies jealously guarding its mystery. But what is their real purpose? The Doctor is about to discover the truth...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

[graceisinthelibrary]

Would you like to do the kissing prompt 41, because the world is saved?

That's one lovely prompts, though I fear I mixed prompt 40 (A kiss because the world ends) and prompt 41 with this one 😂🙈

Darrowby, April 1943 

When Audrey rushed back into the house through the back door it was after seven o’clock. She had spent a long afternoon at Pumphrey Hall with other women who worked for the Women’s Institute, actually the whole meeting had taken far longer than expected and now she was running late. Her head was still spinning from the chatter and - she had to admit it - from the three glasses of sherry. 

The kitchen was empty though, not even the dogs had been waiting for her.

She called out for Siegfried and Helen, but neither of them appeared. Then she yelled after the dogs and they didn’t show up either. Her irritation about the deafening silence grew, but she decided to get on with supper anyway. Usually the smell of food lured them all back into the kitchen sooner or later. She quickly took off her coat and hat and fetched her apron. Thanks to her meticulous planning she only had to warm up some leftovers from the evening before. After she had turned on the radio, she went into the pantry to get out the pots and bowls. With a cheerful tune on her lips she collected everything she needed and almost dropped everything when she turned around and saw Siegfried standing in the doorway. 

“Goodness!” She exclaimed. “You startled me…” She frowned when she noticed the crumpled page in his shaking hand. Travelling up to his face confirmed her hunch that something terrible had happened. His bloodshot eyes and his open waistcoat spoke volumes about his state of mind. He looked like a man who was facing the abyss. The end of his existence. It had been ages since she had seen him in a state like this. When she had first started working for him she had sometimes found him like this in his study in the middle of the night.

Drunk, hopeless, alone, scared. 

In those days she had sometimes not just feared for his sanity, but his life. 

She quickly put the food away and rushed towards him. Fearing for the worst, she tried to free the piece of paper he was holding, but his grip was tight, almost desperate. 

“Is it James?” She asked, her voice thin and shaking. “Don’t tell me it’s Tris…” She cupped his face with both hands and stroked it with all the tenderness her heart harboured for him. “Please, love, talk to me!” She begged. Finally he handed her the letter and she snatched it greedily and scanned the lines as quickly as she could…

“...Shoulder blade…military hospital…passage…Loss of blood…” When she looked up, tears, hot and overwhelming, were swimming in her eyes. “He’s coming home,” she uttered and her fingers were clawing into the back of his neck when she pulled him against her. “He’s alive and he’s coming home, Siegfried.” 

“I know,” he croaked and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His hot tears wetted her skin as he desperately clung to her as if his life depended on it. 

Violent sobs, emerging from the depths of his strong body shook her, but she could take it. He used to call her his stalwart and she drew the strength she needed from that. 

Tris had been heavily injured and soon he would be home, where they could take care of him and love him. They could have lost him, but they didn't. Siegfried's biggest nightmare and his biggest hope combined in one. 

She gently caressed his neck and his back, trying to ease the tension in his muscles while her own tears of relief rolled over her face. 

“If something happened to you, it would be the end of me.” She had never forgotten these words, they had haunted her for the years to come, because if they lost Tris, she would lose Siegfried too. And now it had almost happened and she inwardly cried out her thanks to the Lord, because she had been spared the worst. The end of her little world. 

“I love you,” he whispered into her hair and later against her lips, before he involved her into a long, possessive kiss that sucked the air out of her lungs. She tasted his desperation as well as his deep love for her and kissed him back with everything she had to give. Life affirming fire spread through her veins as he pushed her against the shelf and pulled up her skirt, and the door fell shut behind them. 

Now that one of their boys was coming home again, wounded, scarred and possibly broken, their world felt a bit safer. Not whole, not entirely, because the wounds the war had caused were too deep to be mended, but it was enough to go on in hope. 

[adamsvanrhijn]

this still makes me. so insane

(transcript under cut)

33 INT. PASSAGE/ARMADA ROOM. DOWNTON. DAY.

Ethel is outside an open door. Inside, Thomas is with Bryant.

THOMAS: We can narrow this sling, sir, for more arm movement. And I’ll ask Major Clarkson to reduce the pills.

BRYANT: Killjoy.

They are both distracted by a little laugh from Ethel.

THOMAS: Ethel? What are you doing there?

ETHEL: Lady Mary wanted a word with Anna. I’m waiting ’til they’ve finished.

BRYANT: And in the meantime, she’s come to cheer me up, haven’t you?

THOMAS: I hope not.

ETHEL: ’Course not.

But she giggles, and catches Bryant’s eye as she goes.

[papirouge]

I had bad experiences with some of those trad wife accounts on IG in the past as well, mostly how many of them downplay rape and consider a rapist to be a baby’s father when I had to correct them and call those men a criminal that should be locked up for the rest of their life for harming women. I’d get called a liberal a lot (lol) with that stance (I don’t know why they’re so willing to protect rapists) despite also wanting to fight for babies unborn and born and stronger criminal prosecution for rapists, but there was this weird underlying theme of submissiveness and how women needed men (even the violent and dangerous ones) with them that made every interaction feel like a fetish. Or that maybe their boyfriend or husband (with a rape fetish?) was actually running those accounts

With that other anon that felt defeated, I’d say to pick and choose your battles. I learned that mostly for online. It’s getting harder to ignore how many false Christians there are polluting the church with their degeneracy and violence. But their apathy and clout chasing on social media will produce no good fruits. We see that already with how many false Christians are rejecting Christs teachings for being too soft now. They want to create a new false idol out of their insecurities but out of the likeness of Christ yet, their idol will be vicious and cruel towards everyone that isn’t them.

You will know your people by their works. There are true considerate pro life Christians who will never forget Palestine and are trying to do something to help those there 💕🇵🇸 god sees our hearts and your intentions

Oh girl, I've been accused of being a leftist, a communist, an islamist, a conservative tradfem pickme, countless times... I'm too left leaning for the average Christian on this hellsite, but I'm not enough progressive to be accepted by actual leftist xD I'm not a political person anyway so I don't care the slightest about whatever people put on.

Yeah that anon felt quite defeated and reading my reply, I felt like I didn't encourage them enough (girl, if you're reading this I'm sorry 🙇🏾‍♀️). But the thing is, since I don't attend church I struggle to realize the extent of feeling letdown by their own local church community, which sucks. I'm a VERY individualistic person and know that we can't save people - only God does. You perfectly said it: we have to pick and chose our battle. Profess truth wherever we are, and let go if it's rejected

I'm a very small blogger and sometimes feel discouraged by people with much bigger communities but using their influence for the worst, bewildering young Christians, etc. But years ago, God clearly told me to "do my part". That's what I do. God keeps talking to me and reassures me He's still there so I know I'm good and He's still backing me up. That's why I'm so serene whenever people attack me for my theological statement. Whenever they do I'm like "when was the last time God spoke to you?" "When was the last time that you asked God to open your eyes and see the truth in who you are, whatever you need to fix in your life, etc.?" bc if you did, God would've shown you I'm right. I know bc God shown me through dreams/visions when some Christians with a public voice were anointed by him

"They create an idol out of their own insecurities"

You are absolutely right anon. That's one of the best indicator of genuine Christians vs opportunists. Opportunists won't be changed by the Word of God, they will twist the Word of God to fit their own bias. I don't know about you, but becoming Christian changed me. It changed some my beliefs to the core. But the opportunists? they will twist the Bible in any way possible to NOT change their ideological stand because they are uncomfortable with the idea of moving thrm5. That's how you have Christians defending murder, racism, stealing (not paying owed taxes), etc. They might read the very specific passage condemning such acts, they will constantly find ways to deny them. Interestingly, they will have no problem acknowledging other passage that confirm their bias, such as those condemning homosexuality or adulterers (very handy to dunk on sex posi women/liberals they obsessively hate)

"you will know your people by their work"

Yes, yes and yes💞 I think it's interesting one of the people (who got mad at my post calling out the hypocrisy of pro lifers sleeping on what's happening on pregnant women & babies in Palestine) told me that prolifers didn't owe me to speak up about what fit my politics, when first of all, caring about the wellbeing of newborn and mothers are the staples of the prolife fight -those are not my "politics"- so it makes sense to paint out the complacency of so called prolifers regarding the struggle of said mothers and newborns in a war ridden area🤔, but also, as a Christian, I believe we do owe something, not to me, but God.

The "Saved through faith alone" slogan unfortunately deluded Christians into thinking their actions, or lack, didn't have consequences. They do. Ananias and Sapphira were Saved - God still killed them for their disobedience. Jesus talked about "fruits" and Paul about different sort of crown we earn in heaven based off our work/how we conduct while on earth.

Resisting AND denouncing evil is part of the basic lines of being Christian. We're lucky the antichrist has yet to come and we can still freely condemn evil as we see it, but it's like it was already too much to ask for some.

God definitely listen to our prayers : a few days ago, there were call to pray for the rain to come so Palestinians can drink, and rain eventually came. God is good 💜✝️

[wolint]

FRESH MANNA

THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT

Matthew 9:20-22

The compassion of Jesus was fully evident in this chapter as we see Him stopping to touch, heal, deliver and save one while on His way somewhere to help someone else, Jairus’s daughter. As his usual practice, he stopped because someone else had a need and that need was communicated to Jesus by a touch on the “hem of His garment.”

The word “hem” means “fringe, tassel, or the border of a garment” as described in Numbers 15:38-39. Various passages in the Bible refer to incidents where people who touched the “Hem” of Jesus’ garments were instantly healed.

Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God had virtue in His body, ready to flow out to heal without any act of will on His part, or any act of faith on ours because He is anointed according to Isaiah 61:1-4.

All this unnamed woman had to do was touch, and in doing so, she was careful to touch the portion of the garment called the tassel, which to a Jew was the holiest part of a garment. In Numbers 15:37, every Jewish male was required to have a tassel on the four corners of their cloak to remind them of God's commands. But since there was real faith mingled with her superstition, Jesus allowed her to be healed, only calling her back afterwards to perfect the healing of her faith.

By asking 'Who touched me?' and insisting on full disclosure, Jesus made it clear to the woman and those present that she was healed by His deliberate act and he was fully aware of all the circumstances of the case, while she thought of “taking” her healing without getting Jesus. By saying your faith has saved you, Jesus reproved her superstition. It wasn’t the touch, the holy tassel, or the supposed magic virtue that had healed her, but her faith in Jesus, the son of living God.

Jesus is telling us, even today that, there is no way one can sneak into God’s kingdom without Him, nor can one “steal” anything from the Lord, as this woman intended to do without using the principles of the kingdom of ask, seek and knock according to Matthew 7:7.

Jesus accepted her imperfect but real faith and rendered it perfect as He did with many others who came to Him and still do with us always.

This woman had spent all her money on medication, and drugs and had gone from place to place looking for help but one day she hears that Jesus is coming to town, and she finds this the perfect opportunity for her healing. She had tried every other option available and spent all she had but to no avail. This was her last hope and what better place than in a crowd?

For her to reach the hem of Jesus’s garment, she had to almost kneel or lay on the ground to touch it, that was how desperate she needed to be healed. How far would you go to get what you need from the Lord? How low are you willing to kneel to touch the hem of His garment?

Keep pushing, no matter the mountains, no matter the difficulty or challenges and the failures, keep pushing to reach the hem of Christ’s garment. The word of God and the blood of Jesus have the power to heal every issue without exception.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, deliver me from all human expectations and perceived time constraints on my situation as I stoop to touch the hem of your garment in Jesus’ name.

Shalon

WOMEN OF LIGHT INT PRAYER MIN.

[automatismoateo]

Best comeback to How do you know the Bible is not true? Ask the Christian why they beleive the Book of Mormon is not true. Or why they think the Quran is not true. All are from and workship the same God. via /r/atheism

Best comeback to “How do you know the Bible is not true?” Ask the Christian why they beleive the Book of Mormon is not true. Or why they think the Quran is not true. All are from and workship the same God. Yes the Bible says there will not be another word from God, but then we know Christians say there are parts of the Bible which are not true. So that means that passage int he Bible is not true and they should beleivve in the Quran and Book of Mormon. Submitted May 11, 2024 at 07:37PM by Impressive_Returns (From Reddit https://ift.tt/HqIkyK4)

[thatstormygeek]

The Rich Buy More Food

Some days, this shit gives me an overwhelming urge to scream.

“We’re saying because we want to have this warfare, we shouldn’t give benefit to anybody,” Masterson said. “All those arguments do — it promotes discontent, class warfare, yours is better than mine. It’s unhealthy.”

These are the words the Kansas Senate President is using to defend his push for a flat tax that overwhelmingly benefits the most wealthy.

A friendly hand on your shoulder, looking seriously into your eyes going "hey, guy - this is all just about keeping us fighting, guy! just chill, guy! it's not about who is best!" Meanwhile, his other hand is happily waving all the rich people through on their way to reaping more piles of money.

“There is absolutely no reason not to return these resources to the people we serve. This is completely sustainable,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican who was frustrated by criticism the bill tilted in favor of the wealthy. “To every tax cut you make, if you’re talking about dollar value, the rich always get more because they buy more food, they own more property, they make more money.”

Just slipping that "if you're talking about dollar value" in there like it doesn't change the context completely. He knows opponents are discussion proportional effects, but he can do this and make them look like they don't understand basic math and half his argument is already made for him. "Of course rich people save more money because they make more money!"

That was bad enough, but what really got me steaming this morning was the "buy more food" thing.

What.

Individual rich people eat more than individual poor people? Or is it that they throw away more food (which, yes, but it's an odd argument to make in favor of your flat tax)? Rich people throw more parties so they buy more food? Or they have more kids? Or charity?

This statement was so weird.

And you know this douche looked insufferably smug making it.

But anyway.

Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican and chair of the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee, said it would be foolish for the Legislature to derail a 100% income tax exemption on Social Security benefits, passage of a zero state sales tax on groceries and indexing for inflation of the state’s standard deduction and personal exemption on income taxes. “I’m sorry, but, my colleagues, you are not sheep. Do not let perfect be the enemy of good,” she said.

That whole perfect/good thing is actually a decent guideline overall, but it's been used for nefarious purposes by so many people that it immediately raises my hackles.

But let's really look at what she's saying here. All of the good things she points to - the removal of sales tax on food, the exemption on Social Security benefits, increasing the standard deduction - were all already present in the Governor's budget proposal. So what the GOP has done is tie all the things people wanted to a flat tax that benefits the wealthy, and then declared that those calling foul are letting "the perfect be the enemy of the good."

Nah. Fuck y'all. The whole point of that aphorism is not to get caught up in the details - don't demand perfection before improvement can be made at all. It absolutely does not apply when you take the good and chain a concrete block to it and toss it in the river.

And it especially doesn't apply when you do all that behind closed doors and then tell everyone they have to accept the situation as presented when you reveal your catastrophe.

Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, said she felt uneasy about the GOP strategy of relying on procedure to fast track the legislation in a manner that sidestepped the typical committee process and opportunities for regular Kansans to comment....Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, complained about the “rushed process” that also forbid senators from offering amendments to the negotiated deal.

If we could just stop treating Republicans like they have any interest at all in actually governing, that would be great. Individual GOP members who have proved by action that they aren't just obstructionist assholes can participate in governing, I suppose, but that they are still part of the party that is actively trying to tear what remains of this nation apart is suspect all on its own.

[picturebookmakers]

Fanette Mellier

In this post, Fanette talks about the creation of her picturebook Panorama, an ingenious visual feast in which layers of ink reveal the subtle yet intricate changes which occur over the course of one particular spring day.

Visit Fanette Mellier’s website

Fanette: My book Panorama was conceived in a unique way. It reflects an event in my personal life: the acquisition, along with my husband Clément, of a small chalet not far from Paris, where we live. To us, this place represents a "dream location" nestled in the heart of "no man’s land", the one and only we own.

I wanted to build Panorama around what this place represents, both materially as well as metaphorically. For a long time, I wanted to create a truthful and exclusive colourful narrative. In reality, the story of the book isn’t really about the chalet, it’s about the colour.

As with my other works, I began by sending a letter of intent to my publisher Alexandre Chaize. This letter referred to the definition of the word panorama:

• A circular picture painted in optical illusion. • A vast landscape that can be seen from all sides. • A succession of images perceived by the mind as one complete visual experience.

It also included the following intentions: The book follows in the footsteps already explored at Éditions du livre (cycle, colour, temporality, composition in sections, title volatility, absence of words...). But the project takes on a slightly more illustrative dimension, providing a pretext for exploring the form (unchanging) through the colour (whereas in Matryoshka, the form also evolves). So it’s a more detailed and narrative experiment, but also a more radical one. The overall form (shaping) is simple, but reverses the reading, in a vertical dimension.

On the publisher’s website, you’ll find this text, which sums up the book’s intentions in retrospect: “Panorama invites us to contemplate the same landscape, printed 24 times. Page after page, the colour variations reveal the passing of the hours and micro-periods of life. From the gentle warmth of a spring afternoon to the frost of night, nature awakens and then falls asleep. Observing the details becomes a child’s play: a chalet, a clock, a cat, a balloon, a glistening green... Fanette Mellier creates a world where ink layers draw a subtle and dizzying horizon.”

While I was working on the drawing, which took several weeks, I made progress on the synopsis of the book by writing all the narrative passages in advance, hour by hour and page by page. These passages correspond to the colour changes of the various elements, which are described in detail in my notes.

This synopsis was the subject of many discussions with Alexandre, who went so far as to create illustrations in order to check that the narrative flow was consistent.

Then, once the layout of the book had been completed (which was a very tedious phase!), I was involved in the final layer setting at the Art et Caractère printing house in Lavaur. Printing the book, which was supposed to take a day, took more than three, and I thought we’d never get to the end of the final layer setting... to the point where it seems to me that it would be out of the question to reprint the book one day.

Panorama is printed in a special way, as it is a mixture of four-colours and direct shades. The four-colours, in their "standardised" aspect, are used as a realistic coloured canvas.

The entire landscape was coloured beforehand in CMY, to form a chromatic base. The CMY inks were therefore printed first during the layer setting.

The 3 Pantones, black and white were then printed in stages. The Pantones correspond to the narrative: PMS 807 brings light, PMS Green intensifies and nuances the presence of green, and PMS 072 brings the night and refreshes the landscape.

Black is only used on 6 pages, between 12.05am and 5.10am, to vividly draw in the night shadows. White takes over from black. Between 6.15am and 11.20am, it brings the colours to life with a morning frost that gets lighter over the pages.

The complexity in terms of printing comes from the intersections and overlapping of the colour zones, because printing in several steps causes the paper fibres to move and makes it difficult to reproduce these mixtures of colours on a very fine scale...

To me, the result of this book is halfway between the impressionism of Water Lilies and In Search of Lost Time on the one hand — and the pop art of Maya the Bee and Où est Charlie? (Where’s Wally?) on the other...

The book has become such an integral part of my life that I often feel like I’m walking around “in my book” when I’m at the chalet.

And a strange thing to mention is the presence of animals. The main character in the book, the cat, was completely fictional when I wrote the book. After the book was published, he arrived and settled down overnight in the same place as in the book, in front of the window. This cat, who’s called Austin and belongs to the neighbours, always comes by when we spend time in the chalet. The frog and the glow-worm have also appeared over time, in the same place as in the book. It gave us goosebumps!

This permeability between the real world and the book has a mystical resonance to me.

Illustrations © Fanette Mellier. Post translated by Gengo and edited by dPICTUS.

Buy this picturebook

Panorama

Fanette Mellier

Éditions du livre, France, 2022

Panorama is the contemplation of a single landscape printed 24 times, once for each hour of the day. Page after page, the changing colours reveal the passing hours and the little miracles that are part of any given day in a life.

[maeve-is-annoying-about-books]

House of Leaves, Chapter 9; P. 120-145

So the characters knocked a hole in my book.¹ We'll call this part the Descent, even though it happened after the literal descent down the stairs.

I... think? It's impossible to tell what the hell is going on. The side bars and this insert box are growing into ever-longer lists of nonsense. I feel very sure that people far more patient than I have gone through them and added their significance to their literary critique. I, however, choose to regard them as winding passages in a labyrinth. Useless information trying to drag me away from the goal ahead by promising something this book constantly teases you with. Understanding.

And these side-passages just keep getting worse, too. They're at all angles and intersect what little "normal text" there is left. I feel like I'm looking for Holloway in here. Hell if I know why at this point, maybe it's more accurate to say I'm looking for Jed and Wax. They haven't shot anyone in a paroxysm of panic.²

These parts with Hallway³ feel like an ongoing commentary on machismo. While Will has his eyes on him as the biggest threat in the room, it's actually Wax who kisses Karen in secret. In this same vein, Hallway is the first one to let his fears and insecurities overwhelm him. Turning it into mindless violence against his own... friends? Not friends, I feel like if they were then this wouldn't have happened and that's kind of the point.

I can imagine what this means for him. It seems that things in the house waste away when they're out of sight, out of mind.⁴ You think that there's some Minotaur running around wrecking it, but it might just be the pain of forgetting. Like words wearing away on a page. Of course... there might still be a Minotaur, I don't know for certain, but the thought of being forgotten in the endless cold is the more frightening of the two.

Slight fear of the cold here, it took a lot of work to get to a point I could deal with it normally again. Once again the house has targeted my old fears, digging them up and putting them in front of me in just the most horrific sorts of ways. But the quiet kind. It's just passages and walls and the dark. The liminal horror on display is incredible, in both concept and execution. The insane formatting only further immerses me in being lost as fuck down here.

Do I even want to talk about Johnny's interlude? It certainly adds to the visual noise of the house but I couldn't focus on it at all. Like his words are just another one of those trick paths that's keeping me from going forward. Yet it's also the last "solid ground" for the remainder of this part of the live read. Everything after begins to devolve into random asides and footnotes. there are passages about Magellan and Hudson and photograph manipulation and... It's just a wall of vaguely thematic absurdity. Even Johnny gets in on it with TNT.⁵ Even as the hole int he wall describing how un-house-like the house is fades into darkness. The only thing that it's definitely not lacking.

We'll continue our exploration, or escape, next time. I'm sorry for breaking it down to this degree but I find that I have a lot to say in these intervals.

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: The Basic Concepts of Islam: Part 3

The Concept of Life

Life is a brilliant demonstration of Gods wisdom and knowledge, a vivid reflection of His art and power. He is the Giver and Creator of life. Nothing comes to existence by chance, and nobody creates himself or anybody else. Life is a dear and cherishable asset, and no sensible or normal person would like to lose it by choice. Even those who feel so desperate and take their lives by committing slow suicide, try in the last minute to regain their existence and wish to capture a second chance to live. Life is given to man by God, and He is the only Rightful One to take it back; no one else has the right to destroy a life. This is why Islam forbids all kinds of suicide and self-destruction and recommends patience and good Faith when a dear soul passes away. When a murderer is executed in punishment, his life is taken away by the right of God and in accordance with His Law.

When God gives life to man, it is not in vain that He endows him with unique qualities and great abilities. Nor is it in vain that He charges him with certain obligations. God means to help man to fulfill the purpose of life and realize the goal of existence. He means to help him to learn the creative art of living and enjoy the good taste of life according to the Divine guidance. Life is a trust from God, and man is a trustee who should handle his trust with honesty and skill, with mindfulness of God and with the consciousness of responsibility to Him.

Life may be likened to a journey starting from a certain point and ending at a certain destination. It is a transitory stage, an introduction to the Eternal life in the Hereafter. In this journey, man is a traveler and should be concerned with only what is of use to him in the Future Life. In other words, he should do all the good he can and make himself fully prepared to move any minute to Eternity. He should consider his life on this earth as a chance provided for him to make the best of it while he can because when his time to leave comes he can never delay it for one second. If his term expires, it will be too late to do anything about it or extend it. The best use of life, therefore, is to live it according to the teachings of God and to make it safe passage to the Future Life of Eternity. Because life is so important as a means to an ultimate end, Islam has laid down a complete system of regulations and principles to show man how to live it, what to take and what to leave, what to do and what to shun, and so on. All men come from God, and there is no doubt that they shall return to Him. In one of His comprehensive statements Prophet Muhammad wisely advised man to consider himself a stranger in this life or a traveler passing by the world.

The Concept of Religion

Throughout history, religion has been abused and misunderstood. Some people use it as a means of exploitation and suppression, as a pretext for prejudice and persecution. Some other people use it as a source of power and domination over the elite and the masses alike. In the name of religion, unjustifiable wars have been launched, freedom of thought and conscience has been oppressed, science has been persecuted, the right of the individual to maturity has been denied, and man’s dignity and honor have been flagrantly debased. And in the name of religion, an injustice has been inflicted upon humanity with the result that religion itself has suffered many losses. These are historical facts which no one can deny. But is this the proper function of religion or the right approach to religion? Could this be the purpose of religion? The indisputable answer is an emphatic no. There are many religions in the world, and each one claims to be the one and only true religion. Each religion is supposed to have come from God for the right guidance of man. But these claims contradict each other and have caused dissensions among people and vehement reactions to religion – instead of welding mankind into one universal brotherhood under the One Universal Benevolent God. This situation makes any neutral observer confused and perhaps averse to all kinds of religion.

The Islamic concept of religion is unique in the broadest sense of the word. It is true that genuine religion must come from God for the right guidance of man. And it is equally true that human nature and major human needs are basically the same at all times. This conception leads to one conclusion, and that is: There is only one true religion coming from the One and the Same God, to deal with the outstanding human problems of all times. This religion is ISLAM. But it should be borne in mind that Islam was taught by Prophet Muhammad alone. On the contrary, Islam had been taught by all the prophets before Muhammad, and the true followers of Abraham and Moses, as well as those of Jesus and the rest, were all called MUSLIMS. So Islam has been and will continue to be, the true universal religion of God, because God is One and Changeless, and because human nature and major human needs are fundamentally the same, irrespective of time and place, of race and age, and of any other considerations.

Bearing this in mind, the Islamic concept maintains that religion is not only a spiritual and intellectual necessity but also a social and universal need. It is not to bewilder man but to guide him. It is not to debate him but to elevate his moral nature. It is not to deprive him of anything useful, or to burden him, or to oppress his qualities but to open for him inexhaustible treasures of sound thinking and right action. It is not confined him to narrow limits but to launch him into wide horizons of truth and goodness. In short, true religion is to acquaint man with God as well as with himself and the rest of the universe. This is by no means an oversimplification of the function of religion. Here is what it means.

When the purpose of true religion is carefully examined, it will be found that religion satisfies the spiritual and moderate material needs of man. It unties his psychological knots and complexes, sublimates his instincts and aspirations, and disciplines his desires and the whole course of life. It improves his knowledge of God – the Highest Truth in the universe, and of his own self. It teaches him about the secrets of life and the nature of man and how to treat them, about good and evil, about right and wrong. It purifies the soul from evil, clears the mind from doubts, strengthens the character and corrects the thinking and convictions of man. All this can be achieved only when man faithfully observes the spiritual duties and physical regulations introduced by religion.

On the other hand, true religion educates a man and trains him in hope and patience, in truthfulness and honesty, in love for the right and good, in courage and endurance, all of which are required for the mastery of the great art of living. Moreover, true religion ensures man against fears and spiritual losses and assures him of Gods aid and unbreakable alliance. It provides man with peace and security and makes his life meaningful.

That is what true religion can do for humanity, and that is the concept of religion in Islam. Any religion which fails to bear these fruits is not Islam or rather, is not a religion at all, and any man who fails to draw these benefits from religion is not religious or God-minded. God is absolutely true when He says in the Holy Quran: Verily the religion with God is Islam. Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of God, God is swift in calling to account (Quran, 3:19). And if anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good) (Quran, 3:85).

The Concept of Sin

One of the major troublesome areas of human existence is the problem of sin or evil in the world. It is commonly believed that sin started with Adam and Eve during their life in the Garden of Eden. That event led to the Fall and has ever since branded the human race with guilt, stigma, and bewilderment.  Islam has taken a unique position on the whole issue, a position which is not shared by any other religion we know. The Quran states that Adam and Eve were directed by God to reside in the Garden of Eden and enjoy its produce as they pleased, assured of bountiful supplies and comfort. But they were warned not to approach a particular tree so that they would not run into harm and injustice. Then Satan intrigued them to temptation and caused them to lose their joyful state. They were expelled from the Garden and brought down to earth to live, die, and taken out again at last for the Final Judgment. Having realized what they had done, they felt shame, guilt, and remorse. They prayed for Gods mercy and were forgiven (Quran, 2:35-38; 7:19-25; 20:117- 123).

This symbolic event is significantly revealing. It tells that the human being is imperfect and ever wanting even if he were to live in paradise. But committing a sin or making a mistake, as Adam and Eve did, does not necessarily deaden the human heart, prevent spiritual reform or stop moral growth. On the contrary, the human being has enough sensibility to recognize his sins and shortcomings. More importantly, he is capable of knowing where to turn and to whom he should turn for guidance. Much more important is the fact that God is ever prepared to respond to the sincere calls of those who seek His aid. He is so Gracious and Compassionate that His Forgiveness is Encompassing and His Mercy all – Inclusive (Quran, 7:156). One last revealing reading of the event is that discrimination on the basis of sex and hereditary guilt or sin is alien to the spirit of Islam.  The idea of Original Sin or hereditary criminality has no room in the teachings of Islam. Man, according to the Quran (30:30) and to the Prophet, is born in the natural state of purity or fitrah, that is, Islam or submission to the will and law of God. Whatever becomes of man after birth is the result of external influence and intruding factors. To put the matter in terms of modern thought, human nature is malleable; it is the socialization process, particularly the home environment that is crucial. It plays a decisive role in the formation of human personality and the development of moral character. This does not deny the individual the freedom of choice or exempt him from responsibility. Rather, it is a relief from that heavy burden of hereditary criminality or instinctual sin.  God, by definition, is Just, Wise, Merciful, Compassionate, and Perfect. He has created man by breathing into him of His own Spirit (Quran, 15:29; 32:9; 66:12).

Since God is the absolute infinite good and His Spirit the absolute perfect one; since man, through creation, received of the Spirit of God, then man was bound to retain at least some portion of this good Spirit of the Creator. This may account for the good dispositions of man and his spiritual longings. But, on the other hand, God created man to worship Him, not to be His equal, rival, the perfect incarnation or absolute embodiment of His goodness. This means that no matter how much good and perfect man may be, by the grace of creation, he is still far short of the goodness and perfection of the Creator. Man is not without such qualities, to be sure. But they are limited and proportionate to man’s finite nature, capacity, and responsibility. This may explain the imperfection and fallibility of man.  However, imperfection and fallibility are not the equivalents of sin or synonymous with criminality – at least not in Islam. If a man is imperfect he is not left helpless or deserted by God to fall victim to his shortcomings. He is empowered by revelations, supported by reason, fortified by the freedom of choice, and guided by various social and psychological dispositions to seek and achieve relative perfection. The constant gravitation between the forces of good and evil is the struggle of life. It gives the man something to look forward to, ideals to seek, work to do, and roles to play. It makes his life interesting and meaningful, not monotonous and stagnant. On the other hand, it pleases God to see His servants in a state of spiritual and moral victory.

According to the moral scale of Islam, it is not a sin that man is imperfect or fallible. This is part of his nature as a finite limited creature. But it is a sin if he has the ways and means of relative perfection and chooses not to seek it. A sin is any act, thought, or will that is deliberate, defies the unequivocal law of God, violates the right of God or the right of man, is harmful to the soul or body, is committed repeatedly, and is normally avoidable. These are the components of sin which are not innate or hereditary. It is true, however, that man has the potential capacity of sin latent in him; but this is not greater than his capacity of piety and goodness. If he chooses to actualize the potential of sin instead of the potential of goodness, he will be adding a new external element to his pure nature. For this added external element man alone is responsible.  In Islam, there are major and minor sins as there are sins against God and sins against both God and man. All sins against God, except one, are forgivable if the sinner sincerely seeks forgiveness.

The Quran has stated that truly God does not forgive the sin of shirk (polytheism, pantheism, trinity, etc.). But He forgives sins other than this and pardons whom He wills. Yet if the polytheist or atheist comes back to God, his sin will be forgiven. Sins against men are forgivable only if the offended pardon the offender or if the proper compensations and/or punishments are applied. In conclusion, sin is acquired not inborn, emergent not built-in, avoidable not inevitable. It is a deliberate conscious violation of the unequivocal law of God. If man does something that is truly caused by natural instincts or absolutely irresistible drives and uncontrollable urges, then such an act is not a sin in Islam. Otherwise, Gods purpose will be pointless and mans responsibility will be in vain. God demands of man what lies within the human possibilities and reaches.

[babygirlvanitas]

Buzz-word n. Colloq. Fashionable technical or specialist word; catchword.

By —prep. 1 near, beside (sit by me; path by the river). 2 through the agency or means of (by proxy; poem by donne; by bus; by cheating; divide by two; killed by robbers). 3 not later than (by next week). 4 a past, beyond (drove by the church). B through; via (went by paris). 5 during (by day; by daylight). 6 to the extent of (missed by a foot; better by far). 7 according to; using as a standard or unit (judge by appearances; paid by the hour). 8 with the succession of (worse by the minute; day by day). 9 concerning; in respect of (did our duty by them; smith by name). 10 used in mild oaths (by god). 11 expressing dimensions of an area etc. (three feet by two). 12 avoiding, ignoring (passed us by). 13 inclining to (north by north-west). —adv. 1 near (sat by). 2 aside; in reserve (put £5 by). 3 past (marched by). —n. (pl. Byes) = *bye1.  by and by before long; eventually. By and large on the whole. By the by (or bye) incidentally. By oneself 1 a unaided. B unprompted. 2 alone. [old english]

By- prefix subordinate, incidental (by-effect; byroad).

Bye1 n. 1 cricket run scored from a ball that passes the batsman without being hit. 2 status of an unpaired competitor in a sport, who proceeds to the next round by default. [from *by as a noun]

Bye2 int. (also bye-bye) colloq. = *goodbye. [abbreviation]

By-election n. Election to fill a vacancy arising between general elections.

Byelorussian (also belorussian) —n. Native or language of byelorussia in eastern europe. —adj. Of byelorussia, its people, or language. [russian from belyi white, russiya russia]

Bygone —adj. Past, antiquated. —n. (in phr. Let bygones be bygones) forgive and forget past quarrels.

By-law n. Regulation made by a local authority or corporation. [obsolete by town]

Byline n. 1 line naming the writer of a newspaper article etc. 2 secondary line of work. 3 goal-line or touch-line.

Bypass —n. 1 main road passing round a town or its centre. 2 a secondary channel or pipe etc. Used in emergencies. B alternative passage for the circulation of blood through the heart. —v. Avoid, go round (a town, difficulty, etc.).

Byplay n. Secondary action, esp. In a play.

By-product n. 1 incidental product made in the manufacture of something else. 2 secondary result.

Byre n. Cowshed. [old english]

Byroad n. Minor road. Byroad n. Minor road.

Byssinosis n. Lung disease caused by textile fibre dust. [greek bussinos made of linen]

Bystander n. Person present but not taking part; onlooker.

Byte n. Computing group of eight binary digits, often representing one character. [origin uncertain]

Byway n. 1 byroad or secluded path. 2 minor activity.

Byword n. 1 person or thing as a notable example (is a byword for luxury). 2 familiar saying.

Byzantine —adj. 1 of byzantium or the e. Roman empire. 2 of its highly decorated style of architecture. 3 (of a political situation etc.) Complex, inflexible, or underhand. —n. Citizen of byzantium or the e. Roman empire.  byzantinism n. Byzantinist n. [latin byzantium, now istanbul]

C

C1 n. (pl. Cs or c's) 1 (also c) third letter of the alphabet. 2 mus. First note of the diatonic scale of c major. 3 third hypothetical person or example. 4 third highest category etc. 5 algebra (usu. C) third known quantity. 6 (as a roman numeral) 100. 7 (also ©) copyright.

C2 symb. Carbon.

C3 abbr. (also c.) 1 celsius, centigrade. 2 coulomb(s), capacitance.

C. Abbr. 1 century. 2 cent(s).

C. Abbr. Circa.

Ca symb. Calcium.

Ca. Abbr. Circa.

Caa abbr. Civil aviation authority.

Cab n. 1 taxi. 2 driver's compartment in a lorry, train, or crane etc. [abbreviation of *cabriolet]

Cabal n. 1 secret intrigue. 2 political clique. [french from latin]

Cabaret n. Entertainment in a nightclub or restaurant. [french, = tavern]

Cabbage n. 1 vegetable with a round head and green or purple leaves. 2 = *vegetable 2. [french caboche head]

Cabbage white n. Butterfly whose caterpillars feed on cabbage leaves.

Cabby n. (also cabbie) (pl. -ies) colloq. Taxi-driver.

Caber n. Trimmed tree-trunk tossed as a sport in the scottish highlands. [gaelic]

Cabin n. 1 small shelter or house, esp. Of wood. 2 room or compartment in an aircraft or ship for passengers or crew. 3 driver's cab. [french from latin]

Cabin-boy n. Boy steward on a ship.

Cabin cruiser n. Large motor boat with accommodation.

Cabinet n. 1 a cupboard or case for storing or displaying things. B casing of a radio, television, etc. 2 (cabinet) committee of senior ministers in a government. [diminutive of *cabin]

Cabinet-maker n. Skilled joiner.

Cable —n. 1 encased group of insulated wires for transmitting electricity etc. 2 thick rope of wire or hemp. 3 cablegram. 4 (in full cable stitch) knitting stitch resembling twisted rope. —v. (-ling) transmit (a message) or inform (a person) by cablegram. [latin caplum halter, from arabic]

Cable-car n. Small cabin suspended on a looped cable, for carrying passengers up and down a mountain etc.

Cablegram n. Telegraph message sent by undersea cable.

Cable television n. Television transmission by cable to subscribers.

C!!!!!!!!!!!!

C !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT TO THE C SECTION !!!!!!!!!!

[ofsacrum]

  @ofprodigium​

         HAVING  GROWN  UP  IN  THE  FRENCH  QUARTER  ,  witches  were  all  the  brunette  knew  .  she  was  born  &  bred  to  practice  magic  alongside  her  quarter  coven  ,  their  history  running  deep   through  new  orleans  .  due  to  this  fact  ,  the  young  girl  could  spot  a  fellow  with  up  to  a  mile  away  ––––  even  here  ,  in  her  new  quaint  home  .  it  sure  did  beat  the  church  attic  she  was  living  in  previously  ,  though  .  however  ,  the  magic  that  she  sensed  was  far  difference  than  the  sort  she’d  grown  up  with  .  it  was  ...  different  .  before  she  knew  it  ,  feet  were  moving  toward  the  source  of  this  power  ,  this  walk  being  a  brief  one  due  to  how  close  she  was  to  it  .  words  were  soon  spilling  out  of  pale  pink  petals  ,  mind  not  yet  caught  up  with  mouth  .  “  what  are  you  ?  ”  luckily  ,  davina’s  voice  was  quiet  enough  not  to  draw  any  unwanted  attention  from  any  passersby  .