#Christian virtues and hospitality

[mindfulldsliving]

Exploring Unity and Faithfulness in Clement's First Epistle: Lessons from Early Church Fathers

Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians offers a striking look into the early Christian church’s struggles and priorities. Written as a response to division and discord in the Corinthian congregation, it emphasizes unity, obedience, and service—principles that still resonate today. These early teachings encourage believers to live in harmony and remain faithful to Christ’s example. Exploring…

[theinwardlight]

Unlike almost every other contested idea in early Christianity, including the nature of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity, the unanimous witness of the ancient fathers and mothers was that hospitality was the primary Christian virtue.

Diana Butler Bass, A People's History of Christianity

[spale-vosver]

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A CHAPPELL ROAN HATE POST. I LOVE HER MUSIC AND HOPE SHE KEEPS MAKING IT

With that said, what sticks out to me most in her "I hate both sides, I'm so embarrassed" statement is that the communities who would be most harmed by a second Trump presidency -- queer people and POC -- are the same people from whom she takes creative inspiration, but she refuses to recognize or even acknowledge the real danger they are in.

It's obvious to the trained eye, but much of her stylistic choices are derived from drag , specifically drag queens (who are typically and who historically have been queer people of color, in particular Black people.)

Not convinced? Here's a picture of the famous drag queen Divine

And here's a picture of Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan is also incredibly successful; her album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess was the #1 best selling vinyl album in August, and she plays for massive crowds.

Meanwhile, the communities she takes inspiration from often aren't as lucky. Nearly half of Latino transgender adults live in poverty, and about 40% of Black transgender adults live in poverty . Of the 59 transgender people murdered in hate crimes in 2022, 83% of them were people of color, and 54% were Black transgender women.

(This is absolutely not to deny that white cis queer people face harassment -- on the contrary, Roan herself has faced catcalling, stalking, and now has to employ a security team; in her own words, "so lame*. I'm incredibly glad she has security, but also recognize that being able to have security against stalking is in itself a privilege. I digress.)

Now, back to the dangers of a Trump presidency for these communities: I'm sure many of you have heard of Project 2025/whatever they're calling it now, but the tl;dr is that it's a several hundred page document that outlines how Trump should use his second presidency to transform America into an autocratic Christian nationalist state. Not good. You can read it for yourself here. Trump has, multiple times, claimed that he has no idea what it is, but he's very close with several of the key organizers, and, given his track record, is probably lying out his ass.

Among the many horrifying things included in this document (total abortion bans, mass deportation, etc) are plans to completely gut trans rights in the United States, including cutting Medicare funding from hospitals who provide gender-affirming care to adolescents. It would also outlaw "transgender ideology" and provide federal funding for research on anti-trans conversion therapy.

Anyone, anyone could see that a Trump presidency would be absolutely disastrous for trans rights if any of these policies are passed.

But Chappell Roan, the well-off, white, cis Midwesterner?

She's "so embarrassed" by what's going on and "doesn't have a side", effectively throwing the very people whose labor she built her career on under the bus for...what? Leftist virtue signaling? Self-soothing?

Sure, she dedicated her VMA win to them for "fueling pop" , but a dedication won't protect them from hate crimes, or put food on the table, or prevent anti-trans legislation.

And maybe I'm not the right person to say all this, as I'm a white trans man, but it feels very transactional -- I take your culture and get famous, then you don't get my material support because I'm, like, so embarrassed by the neolibs.

Idk. Much to think about.

[noneatnonedotcom]

the meaning of Jaune's heraldry

so this one will be a short add on to the penndragon campaign I'm doing with jaune continuing on from his father's story of becoming the king scar. Some minor things will come up later. jaune's manor is in Pitton, I rolled random attachments to it to see just what it would start with and how it would effect the arc family in it's development.

the manor started with an abbey and a twenty foot statue made of stone with the caption I am forever. (they got the roll twice and take both option on the table) I'm flavoring the statue to be a giant cross that no one really knows the origin of. The important thing is that these two buildings increase the humility and spirituality of the people who live there. secondarily I rolled for random weird things on the property and got pilgrimage sight. this will come up later but it basically reduces the upkeep of the abbey because people keep showing up and leaving offerings. during Roland Arc's time as lord of the manor, he expanded the abbey to include an almshouse(to increase the generosity of the residents), a hospital (for merciful increases), and some Mellisarium (bee-keeping villages that increase the energetic trait of the people who live there) since Roland wanted to avoid dangerous situations I did limit the number of things he could build (not getting ransoms for building things like walls or anything like that.) but I did let him roll the random adventures table a couple of times before I sent him off to pasture. he, I kid you not, rolled "your manor becomes a pilgrimage sight" four fucking times! so I just decided that Pitton Abbey became an extremely important holy sight for British Christianity.

British Christianity btw holds that Jesus came to Britain as a boy and taught the druids thus adding the druidic knowledge to the logos. ie it's Christianity but Druidism is its base of knowledge, not Rome.

so the Abbey pays for itself through pilgrimage, no idea what for if anyone has any ideas let me know. the almshouse is paid for with the honey from the Mellisarium and all these things together mean that jaune's getting a check to almost every virtue in British Christianity. so that's neat

now then his heraldry actually adds into this because his standard is a rainbow in gold with argent background.

rainbow: luck and peacefulness, also mean that you were present for some mythical feat.

gold:

Symbolizes, Wisdom, Constancy, Faithfulness, Glory, Great generosity Often used to signify nobility, honor, and prestige

White (Argent) Symbolizes: Truth, Innocence, Purity, Sincerity, Peace

argent and Or shields are often used with holy connotations so jaune is basically heir to an extremely holy place and it's reflected in his personality and the personality of his entire family. any daughters are given to the Abbey to be nuns and often placed in charge of the lands (brittish christanity had the lords who owned the churches assign leadership to them) if anyone has any ideas on what exactly happened at Pitton to make it a mecca for Brittish Christianity let me know. but the core take away from this should be that Arcs are famous not for their skill at arms but for their strength of faith and character. also for being naturally loveable (it was their random trait gives a +10 to flirting meaning jaune's sitting at a 25 out of twenty on flirting) any ideas for what miracle happened to the Arcs? because literally everything about them points to something extremely important for the entire brittish isles, maybe something to do with the giant cross statue? @howlingday @thatorigamiguy @heliosthegriffin @weatherman667

[dailyanarchistposts]

“One Bowl”: The Communal Economy of the Rotinonshón:ni

Illustration by Lewis Henry Morgan [21]

“They still possess virtues which might cause shame to most Christians. No hospitals are needed among them, because there are neither mendicants nor paupers as long as there are any rich people among them. Their kindness, humanity, and courtesy not only make them liberal with what they have, but cause them to possess hardly anything except in common. A whole village must be without corn before any individual can be obliged to endure privation. They divide the produce of their fisheries equally with all who come” Father Simon Le Moyne, 1657 [22]

In the 17th century, the Rotinonshón:ni lived in settled towns of as many as two thousand people, surrounded by palisades. Population density averaged two hundred people per acre. These were the densest communities in the Northeast, including those of European settlers, until the 19th century. [23] The communal fields surrounding Rotinonshón:ni villages extended for up to six miles in radius. Even after the Rotinonshón:ni population had been greatly reduced by war and disease, they were still very productive farmers.

One indicator of quantity of Rotinonshón:ni production is taken from a military campaign against them under the orders of U.S. President George Washington, who the Rotinonshón:ni have named Ranatakárias—“Town Destroyer”. [24] During the American Revolutionary War, in 1779 the Sullivan-Clark military expedition attacked the villages of all Rotinonshón:ni nations except the Oneniote’á:ka. The alliance of the Oneniote’á:ka with the United States against the rest of the Rotinonshón:ni broke the peace between the Rotinonshón:ni nations that had stretched back to Tekanawí:ta’s foundation, and resulted in profound consequences for all. According to Sullivan’s official report, the U.S. army burned forty towns and their surrounding fields, destroying 160,000 bushels of corn; Anthony F.C. Wallace estimated “500... dwellings in two dozen settlements... and nearly 1 million bushels of corn” were destroyed [25]; and Allan Eckert estimated at least fifty towns and nearly 1,200 houses were burned. The American Revolution was more an economic disaster for the Rotinonshón:ni than a military defeat.

Teiowí:sonte Thomas Deer describes the economics of the traditional Rotinonshón:ni as synonymous with contemporary concepts of communalism or socialism: “an emphasis is placed upon the survival and welfare of the collective as opposed to the success and comfort of the individual. Such societies are composed of a group who voluntarily participate in a cooperative livelihood that shares the burden of labor and as well the fruit of such labor. This concept is reinforced by the Kaianere’kó:wa in its analogy of the bowl from which all Haudenosaunee would share from.” [26] Hunter Gray has referred to tribal communalism and the Rotinonshón:ni ethos of tribal (mutual) responsibility as “strawberry socialism.” [27]

In 1977, when Rotinonshón:ni delegates addressed the United Nations with their economic ideas, they argued against permanent private property and excluding others from the means of production. They suggested that the concept of alienated property results in slavery. They stated that their rejection of a commodity economy, their rejection of conspicuous consumption, and their ideas of eminently fair distribution would result in all people sharing in material wealth. Their concepts of economy and labor would require an entire community of involvement, rather than isolated nuclear families. All people, they declared, have a right to food, clothing and shelter. No one should have a position of economic power over anyone else, and there should be no artificial scarcity created by property ownership.[28]

Did the Rotinonshón:ni have private property historically? Historian Daniel Richter has argued that the Rotinonshón:ni economics only superficially resembled communalism. Property ownership, however, derived from need and use, while abandoned property was free for the use by anyone. Further, that in times of shortage, all was shared communally. [29] This is an example of a usufruct (use rights) system of ownership, which many anarchists would approve of, including Bookchin: “an individual appropriation of goods, a personal claim to tools, land, and other resources ... is fairly common in organic [i.e. aboriginal] societies... co-operative work and the sharing of resources on a scale that could be called communistic is also fairly common... But primary to both of these seemingly contrasting relationships is the practice of usufruct.” [30]

It bears mentioning that wampum, beads made of shell and strung together, was used as currency among cash-poor European settlers in the Northeast. Wampum, in addition to European-manufactured goods, was exchanged for beaver pelts with the Rotinonshón:ni. Among the Rotinonshón:ni, however, it was not used as currency. A hallmark of their diplomacy and gift exchange, wampum functioned almost exclusively as a political and social aid, used in the condolence ceremonies, in the requickening of newly selected leaders, and as a mnemonic device for agreements and treaties. [31]

While the Rotinonshón:ni mode of production was collective, it was divided by gender. Men engaged in clearing the forest, hunting, fishing, diplomacy, trade and warfare. Women focused on extensive horticulture, childcare and village life [32]. Collective effort and communal ownership of the land did not, however, preclude individuals from working separately. To this extent, the communism of the Rotinonshón:ni can be regarded as voluntary.

“Women worked in family unites in fields cleared by their clan brothers. So long as each did her share of the labor, she also shared in the communal harvest. Individual women might also keep private plots, but they shared in the communal harvest only if they also did their parts in the fields of the ohwachira. An ad hoc mutual aid society was sometimes formed by these women so that they could bring collective effort even to fields not supervised by clan matrons“[33]

[artandthebible]

Christ at the Home of Mary and Martha

Artist: Alessandro Allori  (Italian, 1535–1607)

Genre: Religious Art

Date: 1605

Medium: Oil on Poplar Wood

Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

Mary and Martha are often portrayed as being in conflict with one another during Christ’s visit to their home. Martha is traditionally depicted hurrying around preparing food and drink to make Christ comfortable while Mary sits at the feet of Christ learning. But in this painting by the Florentine artist Alessandro Allori, dated 1603, both women are attentive to Christ and are in harmony. Allori, a second-generation Mannerist who was known for his brilliant color palette, elegant profiles and elaborately stylized garments, identifies the roles of the women. Martha has a tray with glasses, ready to quench the thirst of Christ. She represents, in the history of interpretation, the vita activa. Mary, representing the vita contemplativa, is kneeling and leans toward Christ as she steadies herself on a book (presumably the Bible), emblematic of her studious devotion. St. Ambrose observed: “Virtue does not have a single form. In the example of Martha and Mary, there is added the busy devotion of the one and the pious attention of the other to the Word of God” (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke). Still, Christ gestures toward Mary, a reminder that Mary’s is “the better part,” because actions—even acts of Christian charity and hospitality—if they are to be sustained, follow being. What we do flows naturally from who we are.

Luke 10:38-42, New International Version "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

[anastpaul]

“I shall reflect the image of God in that I feed on love; grow certain on faith and hope; strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience; grow tranquil by humility; grow beautiful by chastity; am sober by abstention; am made happy by tranquillity and am ready for death, by practising hospitality.” ACW – Ancient Christian Writer Incomplete Work on Matthew

(via Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – I shall reflect the image of God … – AnaStpaul)

[scotianostra]

18th January 1782 marks the death of the Scottish Physician and philosopher John Pringle,

Sir John Pringle is one of three men who are named the "father of military medicine"

John Pringle led a varied life. Though a career in commerce beckoned, his life would lead a different path, he went first to be educated at St Andrews University and then to Edinburgh for a year before being sent to acquire commercial experience in Amsterdam.

One day, when visiting Leiden, chance and an inquisitive mind led Pringle to the lecture room of Herman Boerhaave, it inspired him to abandon his future in commerce and become a medical student. Compared with today, medical education was then extremely brief and, two years later, in 1730 Pringle qualified MD and returned to Scotland to set up practice in Edinburgh.

As well as practising medicine Pringle was known for his interest in moral philosophy and in 1734 was appointed Professor of Pneumatics and Moral Philosophy. However it was his medical abilities that earned Pringle his in history. In 1742 he was appointed as hpersonal physician to the Earl of Stair at Fladres who put him in charge of the military hospital.

Pringle was a careful and methodical man who believed that prevention was better than cure. He insisted on sanitary measures that reduced the rate of typhus and dysentery, diseases which killed more soldiers than actual battle, and pioneered the concept of hospitals in the field as neutral territory. In 1745 his services were recognized by the Duke of Cumberland who appointed him 'Physician General to His Majesty's Forces in the Low Countries and beyond the seas'. Pringle was subsequently elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He had resigned his chair at Edinburgh but returned to Scotland where he witnessed the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and compared the varying degrees of morbidity in the forts which had been built to subdue the Highlands.

After another sojourn overseas with the army he settled in London in 1749 and carried out various experiments on putrefaction, recommending the use of ammonia whenever it occurred. He continued his interest in typhus (or 'gaol' or 'putrid' fever) and wrote the work for which he is primarily remembered, Observations on the diseases of the Army. This was first published in 1752 but ran to several editions. He was appointed physician to both King George III and Queen Charlotte, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and, in 1772, President of the Royal Society. The King acknowledged his work by awarding him a baronetcy in 1766. In 1778 Pringle retired as PRS because of declining health and returned to Edinburgh but, feeling that the city had deteriorated since his youth, returned to London where he died a year later.

There is a monument to Pringle in Westminster Abbey, as seen in the pics, it reads;

Sacred to the memory of Sir JOHN PRINGLE, Baronet, who was at an early period of life Professor of Moral Philosophy in the university of EDINBURGH: afterward physician to the ARMY, to the PRINCESS OF WALES, to the QUEEN and to KING GEORGE III. President of the ROYAL Society; member of the ROYAL Academy of SCIENCES at Paris etc.etc. His medical and philosophical knowledge, his inviolable integrity, and truely Christian virtues rendered him an honour to his age and country. He was born in SCOTLAND in April 1707 and died in LONDON in January 1782.

[kathyprior4200]

Heavenly Boss: Pilot (updated)

Heaven was a marvelous paradise that sat proudly atop fluffy clouds of blue, orange, pink and white. It was located on a white planet surrounded by a large glowing halo like a planetary ring. It was located above Earth and Hell. The denizens of Heaven included God, His Archangels (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, etc.), Adina, Metatron, Jesus Christ, Mary, and many others. Lucifer used to live there until he was banished for disobeying God. The royal Seraphim Sisters, Sera and Emily, were in charge of Adam and his Exorcists, just under the Speaker of God. Although Heaven seemed like perfection, the elite angels were ignorant to the suffering demons in Hell. To them, the demons were diseased foreigners who didn’t deserve to go to Heaven. Humans weren’t much better…they had to meet near impossible standards of the Seven Virtues to go to Heaven. The majority of humanity was flawed in their eyes, only destined for doom, death, and destruction. In addition, white straight Christian men always got front row seats in terms of privilege.

Heaven and Hell each had different hierarchies parallel to each other, plus seven districts or levels, corresponding to the sins and virtues.

The seven Archdemons ruled the Seven Rings of Hell.

Lucifer, the fallen angel king of Hell, ruled the first Ring of Pride, the location of I.M.P. Headquarters, and the Hazbin Hotel. It was the only place where sinners could dwell. The sky was crimson red.

Satan, a red goat-like muscular bodybuilder, ruled the second Ring of Wrath. It was a desert under an orange sky where Millie and lots of rough and tough country imps lived.

Beelzebub, a party animal female with a fox/canine-like appearance ruled the third Gluttony Ring. Under a honey-colored sky, it was a place of parties, feasts, honey, and hellhounds.

Mammon, a giant green greedy jester, ruled the fourth Ring of Greed. Under a money-green sky, it wasthe location of the Loo-Loo Land theme park and many mafia crime-ridden hideouts.

Asmodeus a.k.a. ”Ozzie” ruled the fifth Ring of Lust. Three-headed Asmodeus provided sex products, shows and services to the denizens. It was a popular place for incubi and succubi to strip, dance and demonstrate their sexual prowess at clubs. The sky was dark blue and raining.

Leviathan, the sea serpent, ruled the sixth Ring of Envy. It wasthe location of underwater Mal-antis (Hell Alantis) and where the von Eldritch family may have come from. Under an indigo sky, suburban marine-demons lived in luxury.

Belphegor, a female drug addict, ruled the seventh Ring of Sloth. Under a pink sky, the denizens were often goats with candles on their heads, hooked on drugs and medicine. The St. Ann’s hospital was located there.

In contrast, the seven Archangels ruled the Seven Halos of Heaven. The skies corresponded to the colors of the Archangels. They were called the Virtues in contrast to the Archdemon Sins. Lordships were the counterparts of the Overlords.

The Humility Halo was the lowest, largest, and most populated Halo in Heaven, opposite of the Pride Ring. It was the Halo where a majority of the saints/former good humans lived in Holy City. In opposition to Sinners in Hell, the saints/former humans were often called “Winners.” The Born-Again Council of Lordships was Heaven’s equivalent of the Overlords and spirits were the currency instead of souls. Since human souls first had to go through purification and judgement for full admittance to Heaven, the Halo was closest to Earth and Hell. The sky was a light blue color, opposite of the red sky color in Hell’s Pride Ring. The Humility Halo had different sections called the Nine Spheres as opposed to Hell’s Nine Circles. The Heavenly Virtue ruler of this Halo was Archangel Michael, rival brother of the Sin king Lucifer, representing the Sun. In a separate section of Heaven, the Exorcists trained for their annual killing of demons. Former humans could traverse the Halos only with permission from the rulers. Like the Sinners, the Winners were immortal. Winners needed special permission to go to the other Halos. Archangel Metatron frequently worked with Michael to counter any outside threats imposed by the Ars Goetia, succubi, sinners, and other demon types. The Shem HaMephorash often kept watch on the Ars Goetia.

The Charity Halo, the second lowest Halo, was ruled by the messenger Archangel Gabriel. The sky was white, symbolizing purity as well as Gabriel’s luminary, the Moon. Gabriel was one of the more popular archangels and could travel to any Halo and any world with ease. He was the inventor of many communication technologies. Unlike Mammon, Gabriel displayed all the virtue traits and was very generous. His Woo-Hoo Land theme park was unique and had crystal structures and a water park added to it. Letting out his justice side, Gabriel had strong police forces and the city was clean, safe and one of the best in Heaven. Gabriel, like Mammon, was incredibly popular and powerful. Many denizens loved musicals and often entertained people with songs and hymns. Gabriel’s Truth-Telling-Trumpet Toys ™ remained a popular item throughout the Halos. Gabriel was often seen surrounded by elite angels blowing trumpets and carrying white lilies on branches. He is destined to blow his main trumpet on Judgement Day. This Halo was a popular luxurious vacation spot, and many royal angels went there.

The Chasity Halo was the third lowest Halo, opposite of the Lust Ring. The sky was light pink in color and the Heavenly Virtue was Archangel Camael, the stern but loving ruler of the Powers, representing the planet Mars. Camael was the opposite to Asmodeus on the Tree of Life. Denizens in this realm were forbidden to practice unmarried and casual sex, and to only be in married relationships to procreate. The sky was always sunny and bright. Camael oversaw a group of cherubs and angels sent to Earth to counter the effects of Asmodeus’ succubus demons tempting humans to sin on Earth.

The Diligence Halo was the fourth lowest Halo, opposite of the Sloth Ring. The sky was light green, and the Heavenly Virtue ruler was Archangel Raphael, representing the planet Mercury. Being a busy healer, Raphael kept a close eye to ensure that plague demons and drugs weren’t distributed to mortals on Earth. He oversaw the hospitals and medicines in Heaven. Raphael was the opposite of Belphegor in the Tree of Life. Hard-working beaver angels, bee angels and other beings lived there, focusing on good health in all aspects.

The Patience Halo was the fifth lowest Halo, ruled by Archangel Uriel, the Seraphim genderless angel of wisdom. It was the opposite of the Wrath Ring. The sky was light red. Uriel was stern, studious, meditative, and created the education systems. Uriel was revered as a guru figure, like Satan was revered in Hell. The Halo was full of peace, nature and tranquility as opposed to the orange sky, fiery violent culture in Wrath.

The Temperance Halo was ruled by Archangel Jophiel, representing the planet Venus. It was the opposite of the Gluttony Ring. The sky was yellow and the denizens there had no big parties or heaps of food. Many denizens were heavencats, heavenhounds, sea creatures and the like. Everything was done in balance and moderation. Sisters Haniel and Jophiel worked to spread love, beauty, creativity, and joy to the Halos.

The Kindness Halo was the highest Halo, opposite of the Envy Ring and ruled by the Archangel of mercy, Zadkiel. The sky was light purple, and the city was up in the clouds. Zadkiel’s violet flame had the power to redeem Sinners.

Other locations included the Empyrean where God’s throne was, the Panangelium building (opposite of the Pandemonium building), Cherub Towne, Holy City in the Humility Halo, Yeshua City, Elysian-Elysium, Summer-town, Deva City, Generosity in Charity, Aaru, Abstinence in Chasity, Seraph Central, among many others.

Currency: spirits (opposed to souls).

Divisions: Spheres (opposed to Circles).

Rulers: Virtues (opposed to Sins)

Former humans: Winners (opposed to Sinners)

Districts: Halos (opposed to Rings)

Powerful figures: Lordships (opposed to Overlords.)

Phone apps/Technology: Chastinder (Chasity), Gracebook (Facebook), Uriel Meditations, Gabriel-Messenger, Good News Channel, Metatronics (Metatron), MichaelSecurity, YHWH +, Prime Nine, Rap-heal-Care (Rapheal), JophiArt (Jophiel)

Radios: “Michael’s Music,” “Station 777,” “Heavenly Tunes,” “God’s Covenant Choir” “Evangelical Harmonies,” “Patience’s #1 Church Hits.”

Food and drink: Holy Spirit, Holy Water, Cloud Nine Wine (100 CE), Pharoh Platter, Angel Hair Pasta, Angel Food Cake, Elysian Elixir, Ambrosia Delight, Ichthys Elixir, Eden Extract, Holy Cow, Lotus Juice, Green Sensu Beans, Apple Pie of Life, Garden of Eden Salad, Iced Holy Water, Jesus Bread and Wine, Crystal Concoction (Atlantis)

Heaven consisted of the ethereal alien-like Heavenborn angels and the animal-like Winners (mortal souls gone to Heaven, opposite of Sinners). Both the Heavenborn and Hellborn were of higher class than the former humans. Like in Hell, everyone could transform into higher forms at will. God, Michael, and Lucifer alike had inner circles of officials. Heaven had archangels but no Overlords, instead consisting of the Born-Again Council of Lordship Winners. Territory was shared but Winners most often resided in Holy City in the Halo of Humility. They were free to have children, pursue jobs and be themselves within limits. They could even transverse Halos with permission. The Exorcist weapons could kill demons but not angels unless they were supercharged. Like Hell, Heaven also had mythological creatures that resided. Cherubs, little angels that looked like bees, deer, and sheep, helped save human lives and blessed them with love. They resided in the cloudy Cherub Towne.

Holy City was the main capital of Heaven like Pentagram City in Hell. The Pride Ring was divided into nine Circles and the Humility Halo was divided into nine Spheres. Shining buildings of gold, silver, marble, and other materials glinted in the sunlight. At night, the sky was filled with brilliant bright stars and the glowing teal blue Christian Cross hovering over Holy City. The Exorcists, brainwashed angels fitted with body-fitting vulture-like suits, would be busy training in a lower part of Heaven, separate from the rest of society like the military. The denizens of Heaven were both humanoid and had animal-like traits. They were often sheep, dogs, cats, doves, swans, and other sacred animals (much like the bi-pedal individuals in Zoophobia). The lesser human/animal denizens had physical features of gems, harps, trumpets, wheels, chalices, and other holy instruments. They could take on many-eyed Biblical angelic forms, forms that were ethereal and not human-like at all.  

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Not too far away from Cherub Towne in the second sphere lay a beautiful area within the clouds of Heaven. A floating white sign read “Welcome to Elf City: est. 1981.”  The sky was blue and the buildings and streets immaculate. The elves were considered to be of a lower class, acting in service roles like the cherubs. Do-gooders (humans who died and went to Heaven) were slightly above them, while the Heaven-Born Angels were considered the upper class.

Elves of various colors and sizes were chatting among themselves, while others walked around with their families. Many of them were hard at work: wrapping presents for Christmas, saving food to give to the homeless, cleaning a nearby park, and caring for the ill. Some of them liked to volunteer just for something to do. Some elves went around saving people’s lives, spreading love, or healing their wounds.

The most well-known miracle bestowing company was located in a tall white office building surrounded by a golden halo of clouds. The building was decorated with golden wing structures arching off to the sides. The double doors had harp designs on them. Posted on a door were the words “E.L.F. Headquarters” and on a taped piece of paper, “Meeting in progress” was scribbled on it.

On a white board was a line graph and a bar graph, the line slowly moving downwards from a blue happy face with a halo to a red sad face. “Docile loves you, by Docile” was written off to the side. A white Christian Cross was drawn in the center of the wooden table surrounded by black leather chairs.

Up front, a black, white, and dark teal colored elf paced back and forth. He had large pointed dark teal ears that jutted off between the sides and top of his bald head. He had large eyes of light blue irises, white pupils, and blue sclera. The left portion of his face was black, and the right side of his face was dark teal. He wore a long white business suit with light blue buttons and purple circles on the sleeves with little white crosses in the centers. White boots with blue outlines covered his feet while white fingerless gloves covered his hands. A white heart-shaped mark lay on his forehead like a birthmark. A little green pin attached to his undershirt had a happy face on it. A white halo with little spikes on it hovered over his head. He also had white feathery wings folded behind him.

The elf was Docile, a serious asexual individual.

Docile looked toward his audience of two elves and a humanoid cat sitting in chairs around the table.

“All right, now I know business has been…a bit stressful lately. We’ve had to keep up demands and during the rush, not everyone can be saved.” He pointed toward the graph. “It seems that more and more people aren’t counting on miracles from angels and God to help themselves feel better. I don’t know how our company will fare if this keeps sloping down. Now it’s no one’s fault, okay? I just think that some of us could…benefit from improving their attitude…like Tirred.”

Tirred raised his eyebrows. The elf had a dark teal face, dark blue eyes, and black hair framing his face on the sides. Black freckles were present under his eyes. He also had white wings and a white spiked halo that hovered above his head. He wore a light blue bow tie and a white business suit similar to Docile’s. Tirred was often grumpy and well…tired, but he took his job as a healer seriously.

Docile continued. “Now does anyone have any bright ideas on how we can get business drumming up again?”

The woman elf, Timmid had short white hair with a black flower spot on it and displayed a row of sharp white teeth. She wore white gloves and a white blouse over a long white skirt. Her eyelashes extended past her face. Like the others, she had a dark teal face, pointed elf ears, dark blue eyes, white wings, and a white wiry halo over her head. Timmid was often timid and was the negotiator between humans and elves. Tirred and Timmid were an on-again-off-again couple and were from the Halo of Patience in Heaven.

Timmid thought for a moment and spoke softly, “What…about…a billboard?”

“That’s a thought, Timmid, but there are advertisements everywhere in Heaven,” Docile mentioned. Then his eyes brightened, and he waved his hands. “Oh. How about a car wash?”

Timmid spoke up. “Um, this is Heaven, sir. Cars are already clean here.”

“Good point,” Docile said. “Any other ideas?”

“We can’t just stick to what we’ve been doing before?” Tirred asked with a yawn, adjusting his large bow tie. “Why not just prove those people wrong?”

“So helpful, Tirred, really glad you’re in the room right now,” Docile spoke fast, rolling his eyes. “Have you guys forgotten what service we provide?”

Docile turned on the TV and a series of clips showed up on screen: Docile bandaging an angel’s wings, Tirred helping a man walk, Sunna, the cat purring at a crying girl, Timmid saving someone using CPR.

Docile held a bowl of popcorn for everyone to eat. Sunna, the brown furred, black striped cat, wore a white sun dress with a sun on it. She wore a gold cross necklace around her neck. Her mane of hair was lion-like, almost like a hipster’s hairdo. She was purring contently while sniffing the last leaf of catnip she brought. Her eyes were sky blue and large. A nearby poster showed Docile and his bald elf sister Holly Wata with an award for being the best performers in a choir. A banner read “The Holy Elf Duo” above them.

“Ah, those were the good times,” Docile smiled.

Timmid ate a piece of popcorn on the table, lost in thought.

Timmid sighed. “Yes indeed,” she said to Docile. “But Tirred seems upset about some of your mistakes.”

“Don’t need any reminding, sir,” Tirred grumbled to his boss, “considering you blew most of our salaries to help a rival pharmaceutical company with their advertisement, one that you additionally paid to have us hold their hands and sing for three whole weeks on a channel, everybody watches!”

“Hey, uh excuse me?” Docile looked back, insulted. He stood up. “What’s so “obnoxious” about generosity and a super fun song, alright? It’s a fun distraction when an advertisement’s spitting lies.” He walked across the room.

“People love musicals, sir,” added Timmid with a small smile.

“Exactly, Timmid,” Docile smiled, “and we’re basically doing a musical.” Docile did jazz hands before turning to Tirred. “Are you gonna criticize my musical theater dreams like my dad did?”

“Sir…” Tirred began, but Docile cut him off.

“Because all I see right now is my dad and his angry eyes glaring at me, criticizing my dreams of being who I truly am inside.” He turned his head away.

Timmid leaned in toward Tirred. “Please don’t make him angry, Tirred,” she begged.

“I’m just stating how it is,” Tirred replied, arms folded.

“I thought I knew you,” Timmid said, making a face at him. “No need to be a grumpy pants, dear.” Tirred rolled his eyes in response.

Docile turned back to Tirred, tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe you, Tirred. And after I made you Employee of the Month.” He held up a picture of Tirred with a large grin of sharp teeth.

Tirred threw up his hands. “Okay, sir! I’m sorry, but a commercial jingle and a cheesy song are not comparable to musical theater. Nobody actually likes the jingles.”

“But…I liked it!” Timmid popped up.

Tirred turned to her, arms crossed. “Yeah, sure, take his side, why don’t you?”

0 0 0

In a commercial, Docile spoke in front of purple curtains. “Hi, I’m Docile, the “e” is silent and I’m the founder of E.L.F.”  On an icon, Docile leaned against the L in the logo, with figures of Timmid and Tirred posing on either side with their hands in prayer. The E.L.F. logo appeared over his hand. Docile continued, “Are you a ray of light that got yourself sent to Heaven?” The picture showed Docile dressed in a superhero outfit with a red cape. “Or are you a conflicted convict who just happened to have your life cut short by someone else?” The next picture showed Docile dressed in a red devil costume choosing whether or not to quit smoking and drugs.

A nearby sign read the angel’s name that hired E.L.F. A winged angel carrying a lamb baby with a male lion’s head spoke with a 333 News billboard in the background, “After defending myself against my psycho brother and preaching about God, you could imagine my surprise when I wound up here, after the coronavirus killed me. I really wish I could help my sick grieving sister and advise my family to kick my brother out.”

Docile continued, standing in a church with Timmid and Tirred in white robes nearby.

“Well, luckily for you, thanks to our company’s special access to the living world, we can help you take care of your unfinished business by blessing anyone who may have helped you out when you were alive!” Docile happily climbed up a flight of golden stairs.

Then the jingle began:

“When your loved one has to die

Does it hurt to say goodbye?

Do you wish they were alive?

So you could watch them thrive?”

“Through the grief and deceased

We can bring you peace

When you feel alone

Know they’re safe at home”

“When you want somebody blessed

And you don’t wanna get all stressed

Call the Efficient Lifesaving Fellows!”

 “Whether First Aid or CPR

We’ll make sure you all go far

Efficient Lifesaving Fellows!”

“We do our job so fine

‘Cause we come straight from Cloud Nine!”

“When you’re consumed by grief

We help you find relief

Miracles beyond your belief!”

“We’ll save your husband or your wife

We’ll even help extend your life

The Efficient Lifesaving Fellows!”

“Pets and children live for freeee!”

At the bottom it read: “This company is not to be confused with C.H.E.R.U.B. in the canon parallel Heaven dimension next door. Although nobody really knows too much about E.L.F., it was founded way before C.H.E.R.U.B. in question. Mary had some little lambs and overstayed her welcome.”

Various clips showed E.L.F. saving people: lifting a boulder from a human, comforting a crying human after a car accident, passing out Bibles and food to the homeless, giving money to a school in Africa, humans, and angels dancing in a circle…

A brown-haired woman stole a guy’s wallet and kicked him in the groin. She ran off and then got shot by police. Yet she only went unconscious. The doctors took her to the emergency room while the elves waited. A doctor walked in on the elves in the waiting room.

“She’s in stable condition, but she’ll need rest and an arrest warrant. Now what kind of insurance do you freaks have?”

“God’s chosen don’t need insurance,” Tirred stated coldly. Docile glared at him.

The elves and the woman were promptly kicked out of the hospital and sent back to Heaven.

0 0 0

Back at the office, Tirred spoke up, hands in front of him. “I’d like to go on record and say that incident was Sunna’s fault. Dispatch is supposed to give the right info on the client. It’s a very simple process.”

“I’m sorry, Tirred, I did the best I could,” Sunna said, unfazed.

Tirred fumed. “ ‘Sorry’ doesn’t cover it…do your job!”

“Hey, now we don’t blame screw-ups on Sunna, okay?” Docile said. “She didn’t do anything wrong.” Sunna happily walked over and embraced Docile in a tight hug, Docile straining to break free.

“Are you kidding me, sir? She’s awful!”

0 0 0

Sunna thought back to the time when she was a receptionist at a desk. The old rotary phone rang, sounding like cats meowing. She picked up the fish-shaped phone.

“Thank you for calling E.L.F. How may we bless you?” Sunna asked, smiling.

Timmid was on the other end, concern in her voice. “There’s a customer ranting about Satan. He wants to commit suicide…”

“Tell him that suicide will not make things better.”

“He wants to rant and curse you; it will be the end of our company for sure!”

Then Tirred added in a harsh voice next to Timmid: “She’s right. We’re all doomed if we don’t enforce harsh discipline on that scum of a…”

“Just got a call on the other line, apologies, worry warts.” Sunna trilled, hanging up the phone. She read her Fancy Feast Feline magazine.

0 0 0

Another memory came back to Sunna, which took place at her house.

“Happy Adoption Anniversary, Sunny,” said Docile. “I got a little something for you.” He showed her a gift in his hands.

Sunna smiled. “Is it a cure for Covid?”

“I…uh…”

“Then I want it!” she exclaimed happily, tearing open the gift and dropping it on the floor. A flock of white butterflies flew around the room and landed all over her.

“I’m sorry, it was butterflies!” Docile looked on in concern. But Sunna happily batted and played with them, her mouth open in a grin.  “God bless you…”

0 0 0

There was one other time when Sunna watched Princess Coercia singing/screaming “Inside of Every Angel is a Sinner.” She was in her full Angel form, with black feathery wings and a black spiked halo. Tirred walked over, holding a piece of paper in his hands that read “Moxie 4 U.” His black eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Excuse me um, did you just fax me an ad for weight loss and muscle growth?”

“Yes,” Sunna replied.

“Is it because I’m so handsome already? Better than many of the wimps around here?”

“Come on,” Sunna teased. “Just the opposite.”

0 0 0

Later, Sunna rummaged around, looking for something in the kitchen.

“Who left this tuna salad in the fridge?”

“Wasn’t me,” said Timmid. “It was there from yesterday.”

“Is this yours, Tirred?”

No answer.

“Well, I’m taking it because I have the best feeling right now.”

She closed the door and gulped down the food.

“Now why would you get hyper on a workday?” Timmid asked, nearby.

“I’m happy from this morning, Timmy Tim,” she giggled.

“Don’t call me that,” Timmid said. “I’m not a guy.”

Tirred walked inside. “Isn’t that my lunch? You stole it, you crazy cat!”

“I’m so sorry!” Sunna said, then brightened. “You know what? I’ll just go get you another one before work! Time to enjoy my tenth life!”

Sunna raced outside with a “Wheeee!” and helped an elderly elf cross the street.

0 0 0

“Docile!” Sunna called in the office, “Your privileged authoritarian’s on the phone! Says it’s urgent and wants to talk to you. Sounds a little DTP-y.” (Down to Punish)

“Oh Lord that was one time!” Docile yelled, splashing water on himself in front of Tirred. “We wouldn’t have access to the living world if I hadn’t let myself get punished by that privileged jerk face.”

“You what?” Tirred asked, concerned.

“I stole a Bible after getting whipped for the sins I did. Figured I had nothing else to lose.”

“Docile!” Sunna cried.

“I heard you already!” Docile yelled before stomping into his office to play with bobble heads of himself, Timmid and Tirred.

“So… what can I do you for, Samael?” Docile asked nervously on his cell phone in his office. Inside his office were circus posters and advertisements for church gatherings and “Docile in Choir of Light: one time only!”

The Angel of Divine Retribution lounged in his palace on a golden sofa. He was dressed in a royal red robe, had white skin and golden short hair. His eyes were golden. On the walls were pictures of him wielding a flaming sword and casting demons into fiery lakes below. Several medals of Honor were attached to his clothing. His wings were fiery colors, starting with red orange at the top going to a white-blue at the feathery tips.

Samael was a companion to Azrael, the dark-haired Angel of Death. Samael and Adina were generals to the Exterminators/Exorcists who killed demons once every year in Hell. The founders of the Exorcists were God and the merciless Zoophobia angel Adina. Both Samael and Adina loved to punish demons, the former using physical torture and the latter using their deepest psychological fears.

 “There’s a politician who’s causing lots of trouble on Earth for a few of my associates. He wants to convince people that the coronavirus isn’t dangerous.”

“Isn’t it?” Docile asked.

“Well, it is, and more people die when no extra precautions are taken. And it gets crowded here.” Samael sighed, his hand on his chin.

“Well, that makes sense.”

“You know what happens when I’m stressed, Docy?”

“Oh lord no…” Docile began, flinched away from his phone.

Samael’s hair and wings ignited the more he talked.

“When I’m stressed, I become angry. And when I become angry, I have to whip your back and **** strike your **** with a flaming sword, cast you into a windy dessert, freeze you into ice in the lowest level, make you swim in the lake of fire for 1 million ******hours, hang you on a wooden cross for sins you didn’t commit and leave you begging for His mercy ******* like an imperfect mortal!”

Docile hung up the phone, with a look of fear, broke it in half and tossed the pieces to Sunna. “Here play with these.”

Sunna patted the pieces with her paws in fascination. 

 “And you know after you put them in your mouth?”

“Yeah?” she asked, eating them.

“Vomit it off a bridge.”

“Ew, no!”

0 0 0

Back at the meeting, Docile continued, “Look, the point is, Sunna is a valued member of our family, and we don’t get rid of families.”

“We aren’t a family, sir,” Tirred pointed out. “You are the boss. We are the employees. You treat her like she’s some hyperactive teenager. She’s more like a catnip addicted spoiled woman you let man the phones.”

Sunna hissed at him.

“That is offensive,” Docile said. “Without spoiled people, I wouldn’t have half the joy and laughter I do in this life.” Docile opened the blinds and saw an angel dressed in a golden suit getting his picture taken by a crowd of people. Docile waved at a lovely white-haired, teal-faced elf woman wearing a white dress with little white feathery wings on them before closing the blinds.

Tirred crossed his arms and did air quotes with his fingers. “While we’re on the subject of ‘family,’ can you stop finding Timmid and me outside of work?”

“Come on, it’s not that big a deal,” Timmid said.

Tirred’s eyes grew wide. “Excuse me…what?!”

0 0 0

Tirred remembered cooking at their house.

“Hey Timmie, could you grab me some lemons?” he called.

“Sure, sweetie,” Timmid said, grabbing a few lemons and heading to the table.

Docile suddenly appeared from the ceiling, landing gracefully in front of the woman elf. “When life gives you lemons…”

He squashed a lemon, letting the juice fall into a glass. “…the best aide is lemonade.”

Timmid giggled, her smile matching her short white hair.

“What’s so funny, Timmie?” Tirred asked his girlfriend.

“The impressive wordplay,” Docile said, serving angel’s food cake on the table. (Devil’s food cake wasn’t allowed.)

“What the…where did you even come from?!” Tirred asked Docile in shock.

0 0 0

In their bedroom in their luxury sapphire-walled apartment (a sign above read, “Need a heaven-cat?”) Tirred was woken up by Docile praying for good luck for him.

“What’re you dreaming about?” he asked.

Tirred moaned, “I was dreaming of me lording over my coworkers and...I’d like to get back to that.”

0 0 0

Timmid and Tirred remembered the song they sang, while Timmid played on an angelic guitar shaped like a swan:

“Of all the perfect elves,

It’s with him, I’m myself

Oh Timmid.”

They noticed Docile glancing off to the side and Timmid told him, “Film us already!”

“Are you bucking serious?” Tirred roared in anger.

0 0 0

Back in the present, Tirred seethed. “Just. Stop. Doing that.”

“I don’t see what the issue is,” Docile said. “Just love good classic romance, future holy matrimony…and the honeymoon bonus scenes. Timmid wanted me to, anyway.”

Sunna rolled her eyes, while Tirred fumed.

“Sir, what you say and how you act is totally inappropriate!” Tirred stood up.

“Calm down, Tir,” Timmid said, pulling him back down. “You’re gonna have another panic attack.”

“I am calm!” Tirred yelled before Timmid rubbed his black head. “Shh there, there,” she said, while Tirred whimpered.

Docile spoke again. “Look I don’t judge what you do outside of working hours, so don’t judge me.”

Veins popped out of Tirred’s eyes. “Oh, I do judge you, sir. Quite a lot, actually.”

He crossed his arms while Timmid gasped in fear.

“Tir, he’s our boss!”

“No, it’s fine, Timmid,” Docile mentioned. “Your boyfriend is just…how do I say this without being offensive…bossy.”

“Does overly criticizing me make you feel better about your sad single life?” Tirred asked.

“Not really, but it’s still fun,” Docile admitted.

Sunna added to Tirred, “Even though you can be a grump sometimes, I still appreciate your company.”

“P-Please don’t call him a grump, pussy cat!” Timmid protested. “You know I don’t like him when he gets mad…”

“Do not criticize my assistant that way,” Docile said. “She’s sensitive.”

“Yes I am,” meowed Sunna.

 “You guys are all freaking weird!”

Everyone turned to look. A pale spirit of a brown-haired teen girl floated nearby, wearing a prisoner uniform.

“Oh, uh…thank you, kid,” said Docile. “It’s something for you to witness this.”

“Ugh, this company’s such a mess,” Tirred exclaimed. “All that paperwork is bad enough without you guys being a pain in my…”

“Alright, let’s get back to talking about our friendship!” Docile said out of nowhere.

“Nobody was talking about that,” Sunna mentioned.

“Which is why I’m trying to get that ball rolling, so, I think we’re off to a great start, right?”

The spirit pointed her finger at Docile, “It was heaven being able to rest after being shot by police for mugging a guy, but now…I miss my family. I want life!”

“You,” she said pointing to Docile, “I don’t know who you are, but you look like one of Santa’s helpers, if Santa were God. No offence.”

Docile held in laughter. “None taken, miss.”

The spirit added to Tirred, “I see you’re a handsome fellow. If I were to feel comfortable, I’d look you in the eye and ask, ‘How in the world did I get here?’ so…how in the world did I get here?”

“You died,” he deadpanned. The spirit looked taken aback.

“That’s my boyfriend you’re talking to,” Timmid said, apologetic.

“Oh? He’s your boyfriend?” the spirit chuckled. “I figured him for an athlete, but I didn’t know he’d get even luckier.”

Timmid giggled in response.

 And you.” The spirit pointed at Sunna.

“Yeah, what about me?” Sunna asked.

“You’re just purrfect. I was never a dog person.”

Sunna purred.

“Wow you really are an amazing ray of sunshine,” Docile said.

Tirred rolled his eyes. “Such a flirt trying to make herself innocent.”

Sunna spoke up. “Hey guys, I just got a text from our client, says she’s the right one to bless after all.”

“Who?” Docile asked.

“Her.”

“Me?” asked the spirit.

“Yep.”

“They wanted us to help an actual convict?” Docile asked.

“That’s what they’re saying.”

Docile frowned. “Well Satan in a heater, I guess there is a Devil.”

He pointed a golden rod at her, and she was transported to her other family members in Heaven.

Docile spoke about E.L.F.: “You know folks, with this company, I really wanted to prove that we’re capable of doing the same things anyone else can, like blessing people. So, from us here at the Efficient Lifesaving Fellows group, we promise to settle your unfinished business, or your money is…given to charity and you’re never getting it back and you can write us a bad review, but we’ll be oblivious to it because it’s Heaven and business is business no matter where you are.”

Everyone wrapped Docile in a hug, while he rolled his eyes. Then he said, “Even though the kid was a convict, she’s still a just a human...or was. It’s important that we’ve handled this going forward, respectfully.” Everyone smiled in the hug.

Back on Earth, Docile dropped a heartfelt message from the convict Ellie for the surviving family members to read. It was about how guilty she felt after stealing some money…she had been trying to feed a nearby homeless family she knew well. They wanted her back, but they were finally able to see her body and get a sense of closure. The family members looked up to see the elves looking down at them.

“You’re welcome!” Docile called with a wave before the portal closed. 

[artist-tyrant]

The most magnificent example of this is offered by Indian morality, and is sanctioned religiously as the “Law of Manu.” In this book the task is set of rearing no less than four races at once: a priestly race, a warrior race, a merchant and agricultural race, and finally a race of servants—the Sudras. It is quite obvious that we are no longer in a circus watching tamers of wild animals in this book. To have conceived even the plan of such a breeding scheme, presupposes the existence of a man who is a hundred times milder and more reasonable than the mere lion-tamer. One breathes more freely, after stepping out of the Christian atmosphere of hospitals and prisons, into this more salubrious, loftier and more spacious world. What a wretched thing the New Testament is beside Manu, what an evil odour hangs around it! But even this organisation found it necessary to be terrible,—not this time in a struggle with the animal-man, but with his opposite, the non-caste man, the hotch-potch man, the Chandala. And once again it had no other means of making him weak and harmless, than by making him sick,—it was the struggle with the greatest “number.” Nothing perhaps is more offensive to our feelings than these measures of security on the part of Indian morality. The third edict, for instance (Avadana-Sastra I.), which treats “of impure vegetables,” ordains that the only nourishment that the Chandala should be allowed must consist of garlic and onions, as the holy scriptures forbid their being given corn or grain-bearing fruit, water and fire. The same edict declares that the water which they need must be drawn neither out of rivers, wells or ponds, but only out of the ditches leading to swamps and out of the holes left by the footprints of animals. They are likewise forbidden to wash either their linen or themselves since the water which is graciously granted to them must only be used for quenching their thirst. Finally Sudra women are forbidden to assist Chandala women at their confinements, while Chandala women are also forbidden to assist each other at such times. The results of sanitary regulations of this kind could not fail to make themselves felt; deadly epidemics and the most ghastly venereal diseases soon appeared, and in consequence of these again “the Law of the Knife,”—that is to say circumcision, was prescribed for male children and the removal of the small labia from the females. Manu himself says: “the Chandala are the fruit of adultery, incest, and crime (—this is the necessary consequence of the idea of breeding). Their clothes shall consist only of the rags torn from corpses, their vessels shall be the fragments of broken pottery, their ornaments shall be made of old iron, and their religion shall be the worship of evil spirits; without rest they shall wander from place to place. They are forbidden to write from left to right or to use their right hand in writing: the use of the right hand and writing from left to right are reserved to people of virtue, to people of race.”

– Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols

[cheerfullycatholic]

Angelus, 12/3/2023

Today, first Sunday of Advent, in the brief Gospel the liturgy offers us (cf. Mk 13: 33-37), Jesus addresses a simple and direct exhortation to us, three times: “Watch” (vv. 33, 35, 37).

Thus, the theme is vigilance. How should we understand it? Sometimes we think of this virtue as an attitude motivated by fear of impending doom, as if a meteorite were about to plunge from the sky and threaten, if we do not avoid it in time, to overwhelm us. But this is certainly not what Christian vigilance is all about!

Jesus illustrates it with a parable, speaking about a master who will return, and about his servants who await him (cf. v. 34). The servant in the Bible is the “trusted person” of the master, which whom there is often a relationship of collaboration and affection. Think, for example, that Moses is defined as the servant of God (cf. Nm 12: 7), and that even Mary says of herself, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1: 38). So, the servants’ vigilance is not one of fear, but of longing, of waiting to go forth to meet their Lord who is coming. They remain in readiness for his return because they care for him, because they have in mind that when he returns, they will make him find a welcoming and orderly home; they are happy to see him, to the point that they look forward to his return as a feast for the whole great family of which they are a part.

It is with this expectation filled with affection that we also want to prepare ourselves to welcome Jesus: at Christmas, which we will celebrate in a few weeks; at the end of time, when He will return in glory; every day, as He comes to meet us in the Eucharist, in His Word, in our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need.

So, in a special way during these weeks, let us prepare the house of the heart with care, so that it is orderly and hospitable. In fact, keeping watch means keeping the heart ready. It is the attitude of the sentinel, who in the night is not tempted by weariness, does not fall asleep, but remains awake awaiting the coming light. The Lord is our light and it is good to dispose the heart to welcome him with prayer and to host him with charity, the two preparations that, so to speak, make him comfortable. In this regard, the story goes that Saint Martin of Tours, a man of prayer, after giving half of his cloak to a poor man, dreamed of Jesus clad in that very part of the cloak he had given. Here is a good program for Advent: to encounter Jesus coming in every brother and sister who needs us and to share with them what we can: listening, time, concrete assistance.

Dear friends, it will be good for us today to ask ourselves how we can prepare a welcoming heart for the Lord. We can do so by approaching His forgiveness, His Word, His Table, finding space for prayer, welcoming those in need. Let us cultivate His expectation without letting ourselves be distracted by so many pointless things, and without complaining all the time, but keeping our hearts alert, that is, eager for Him, awake and ready, impatient to meet Him.

May the Virgin Mary, woman of expectation, help us to receive her coming Son.

[acridtongue]

GOT MY DEMONS BACK, WATCHING MY BACK ...　　

* ◟ : 〔 CHRISTIAN YU , CISMALE + HE / HIM〕  eun-ha, song, some say you’re a thirty-two year old lost soul among the neon lights. known for being both passionate and obstinate, one can’t help but think of houdini by aviva when you walk by. are you still an enforcer / dancer for executioners / gravity nightclub, even with your reputation as the boogeyman? i think we’ll be seeing more of you and REMEMBER THE TALL AND DARK HANDSOME STRANGER YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU ABOUT? HE'S STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU / THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED BUT NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THE EYES ARE COMING FROM OR EVEN IF THEY ARE EYES / DISSONANT WHISPERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OFTEN HUM A TUNES RATHER THAN THREATS, although we can’t help but think of wraith ( apex legends ) + john constantine ( dc comics ) + the outsider ( dishonored ) whenever we see you down these rainy streets.

... I HEAR THEM HUMMING.

TW: MENTIONS OF MENTAL HOSPITAL / EXPERIMENTATIONS, DISASSOCIATION/HEARING VOICES.

BASICS

full name. eun-ha, song nicknames. boogeyman. date of birth. november 18th. zodiac. scorpio. age. 32 gender. cismale. pronouns. he/him. sexuality. graysexual . occupation. enforcer for the executioners, dancer at the gravity nightclub.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

height. 5'9. hair color. black. eye color. left eye is a fake all white prosthetic, right is a russet brown. build. thicker at his middle and broad shoulders, sturdily built. tattoos.   various tattoos all over his chest / arms / back: ref01. ref02. ref03. ref04. ref05. ref06.

PSYCHE

stability. fluctuating. intelligence.  average. positive traits. passionate. empathetic. adaptable. negative traits. obstinate. paranoid. disoriented. alignment. chaotic good. temperment. melancholy-sanguine. sins.  lust / greed / gluttony / sloth / pride / envy / wrath. virtues.  chasity / charity / temperance / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice.

AESTHETICS

shadowy figure at the end of the alley. glimpse of someone in your peripherals ; were they real? you can't help but feel a sadness in him that runs deep. are the voices in your head your own or just the wind. violent delights do not mean violent desires.

FACTS DUMP - WIP.

much of this man's early life and name is a misty memory --- foggy at best thanks to the wonderful hands at the sacramento mental asylum. what he remembers is dissonant voices discussing his condition and mental state ; how to use a fractured mind for investment. how to procure a perfectly aware soldier. during his early teens into his twenties he was kept as an authorized experiment for an augmentation project called 'WHISPERS'. it took years of experimentation and trial and error --- cutting and rewriting to fully operate as a 'second psyche'. unbeknownst to him, he was the twenty-third unwilling participant. he vaguely remembers the pain and disorientation, the drugs and monitoring. at most, he attempts to keep the memories at bay.

this augmentation exists in his head as a microchip, directly linked to his false eye. it's function is simple: usage of ones own paranoia and intrusive monologue for positive results. once finally concluded and functional, the man was able to have two trains of thought. one moment he could be thinking of his next meal and then interjects the warning "someone is behind you" and often times it would be correct. there was someone behind him. this secondary voice is that of his own, but murky and distant, his own whisper. the voice isn't always correct, but it positively arouses his constant state of paranoia.

around his late twenties, he was given the pass to be taken into a training program. the result was meant to be a functioning scouter --- someone who held an inept ability to stalk out even the most hidden operatives ; feel the slightest shift in the air. however before this deployment and relocation the hospital was attacked by an unknown group of antis, driving the entire operation into disarray. the man had taken this opportunity to disappear.

eun-ha, song doesn't exist. not on paper, not really. he holds just a name and a conviction to find out what the fuck he's suppose to do with his life. he waded through multiple cities and wondered about who the mysterious attackers where. somehow, he found it lit a fire in his chest to take the same route: fight for a sense of justice, be a thorn in the side of criminals of all corners from the obvious to the shy. still, he wasn't sure how to do it or where to start. however, once he found a hitch-hike to new york and began his own sort of push for justice ---- he eventually found his home in the executioners. THE BOOGEYMAN BEGINS TO HAUNT THE STREETS.

eun-ha uses his job as a dancer at the gravity nightclub for two reasons: profiling and a means to escape. the loud, thrumming rhythm of the music a calming cancelation to his running mind. nonetheless, when dancing with others, the extra information provided by the whisper tend to make him an appealing partner. he seems to easily know what customers are into and how they're taking things.

[ MORE TBA W/ PLOTTING + BRAINSTORMING WHEN IM NOT TIRED ]

[stromuprisahat]

Ačkoli však nenávist křesťanského jména a kvas pověr byly u Ránů nad všecky Slovany mocnější, přece byli opatřeni mnohými přirozenými dobry. Byla zajisté u nich plnost pohostinství a rodičům povinnou prokazují čest. Neboť nikdy nebyl u nich nalezen někdo nuzný nebo aby žebral. Neboť hned jak někoho mezi nimi buď nemoc učiní slabým nebo věk sešlým, bývá svěřován péči dědicově, aby byl chován se vší laskavostí. Prokazování zajisté pohostinství a péče o rodiče mají u Slovanů první místo mezi ctnostmi. ~ However, although the hatred of the Christian name and the leaven of superstition were stronger among the Rani than all the Slavs, they were nevertheless endowed with many natural virtues. They certainly had the fullness of hospitality, and they were obliged to honour their parents. For no one was ever found with them needy or begging. For as soon as any one of them is made weak by disease or decrepit by age, he is entrusted to the care of an heir, to be treated with all kindness. Showing hospitality and taking care of one's parents are among the first virtues among the Slavs.

Bohové dávných Slovanů ~ Gods of ancient Slavs (Martin Pitro, Petr Vokáč) quoting Helmold’s Chronica Slavorum

[hiraethhq]

Welcome to HIRAETH, Benjamin, Madeleine, & Star! Make sure to follow the checklist and send the link to your blog to the main within 24 hours.

admin sierra

name: benjamin creed

age: 40

gender & pronouns: he/him

sexual orientation: bisexual

status: resident

class: virtue

hierarchy: queen

additional: 

occupation: head of surgery/trauma

housing: st. mary’s palace

face claim: theo james

good: leader, calm, protective

bad: blunt, stoic, perfectionist

ugly: [redacted]

background: 

Life was never exactly easy for Benjamin, but that didn’t mean he would just accept defeat.

Born to Rejected parents, he was trapped in a toxic household where his father blamed his mother for their status.

Eventually, his father just walked out, somehow abandoning them and leaving Benjamin with his mother’s increasingly awful boyfriends. He endured a lot of physical abuse, preferring neglect over violence.

He escaped the house whenever possible, finding comfort in books and drawing despite hunger and exhaustion. That’s when he met Christian, who became an older brother figure and mentor.

Inspired by the other’s confidence and determination, he threw himself into academics while learning survival skills.

He had a big interest in anatomy and helping others every chance he could. He just needed an outlet.

Eventually, Christian left for Vice when Benjamin was 14 but that only pushed him to sharpen his skills further—lockpicking, pickpocketing, and first aid. He even moved out of home.

Being alone helped him look after the younger kids now. Protect them. Mend their injuries. Turns out he had a talent for it as well as an interest.

After some time, he briefly reconciled with his mother when she seemed to improve, promising him that she gave up the addictions… Only for another abusive boyfriend to ruin everything. After one final violent encounter, he left for good, never looking back.

Christian, again, took him under his wing, becoming a sort of protégé to him before Benjamin even graduated high school.

And hey, it worked. Senior year, he scored Virtue on the aptitude test but initially rejected it. He had always planned to become a Heart. It wasn't even a question. 

University professors encouraged him to go further, but he remained firm—until the only person who could change his mind did just that.

The Vice hospital was in crisis, lacking supplies, equipment, and proper staff. If Benjamin joined Virtue, he could help from within and save many more lives.

Easy choice. He entered Virtue’s medical program, working relentlessly to prove himself.

He built relationships with professors and quickly became a hotshot rookie in surgery.

That was when he started secretly trading with Hearts, securing tonics that Virtue hospitals reserved for high-status patients while he provided the Vices and Rejected with supplies and equipment.

He is now the head of surgery and trauma, known for his skill and efficiency. He is a fully trusted member of Virtue.

He also believes he has surpassed his mentor but keeps that to himself with a smile.

Still maintains ties to Vice and the Rejected, ensuring they get what they need—no matter what Virtue thinks.

admin katie

NAME: Madeleine Graves

AGE: 55

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis woman, she/her

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual

STATUS: Resident

CLASS: Virtue

HIERARCHY: Caissas

ADDITIONAL: n/a

OCCUPATION: n/a

HOUSING: St. Mary’s Palace

FACE CLAIM: Lucy Liu

GOOD: strong practical skills, strong sense of duty, very loyal

BAD: vulnerable to criticism, often too needy, too selfless

UGLY: [redacted]

BACKGROUND: 

Madeleine learned from an early age what the expectations were of her as a child of one of the Founders. Things were expected of her—how to act, behave, dress, what to wear, who to speak to… and she took to it with grace.  She became an expert at saying what she needed to say and charming people to sway them in her favor. This skill followed her into adulthood and only got easier with age. What Madeleine says and what she means aren’t often the same thing. She has a habit of spoon feeding people information with honeyed words and promises to get what she wants—or what is necessary. Madeleine isn’t officially involved in anything having to do with the government. Of course she does whatever she can do to help her best friend, Dorothy. She sees herself as more of a silent and unassuming background player, able to flit around and whisper comments in peoples’ ears to nudge them in the “right” direction.

NAME: Star (Arden Akulov)

AGE: 27

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Nonbinary, she/they

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Greysexual

STATUS: Visitor

CLASS: Vice

HIERARCHY: Club

ADDITIONAL: Slightly

OCCUPATION: Server at Richard’s

HOUSING: Dante’s Descent

FACE CLAIM: Amanda Arcuri

GOOD: curious, perceptive, enthusiastic

BAD: people-pleaser, unfocused, disorganized

UGLY: [redacted]

BACKGROUND: 

Not much is known about Star’s background. She keeps her past very close to her chest, even going as far as to go by a nickname rather than use her birth name. She arrived in Hiraeth at a bad spot in her life and clung to the chance at a new life, and saw it as a chance to reinvent herself.  They can be very eccentric, and their mood seems to fluctuate often; one moment they’re happy, the next they’re melancholy or sometimes even angry. She likes to tinker in her spare time and enjoys finding gadgets, especially old ones that don’t work anymore, to work on or take apart.

[thefishbread]

The Role of the Vice-Consul

The Vice-Consul is like a small ambassador. His work is more about diplomacy than consular tasks. He has many chances to show his intelligence and skills. Often, he is quite young and might still be thinking about playing cricket or football. Most people in his home country don’t even know he exists. Yet, he is part of a group of educated Englishmen who live in faraway countries, often in quiet houses, and remind the people around them of the strength and importance of Britain.

The Turk as a Ruler

The Virtues of the Turk

Many people say that “The Turk is the only gentleman in the Balkans.” This was a common statement I heard while traveling, usually from Englishmen. However, some also believe the Turk is not a good ruler, and that Europe should accept that the Turk cannot be easily changed into a government style others believe is good.

The Image of the Turk

Most Western people, especially women, are afraid of the Turk and think he is unclean. They believe his main quality is sensuality, thinking of him as fat, greedy, and only interested in the pleasures of his harem.

The Reality of the Turk

The Turk may not be perfect, but he is just as moral as an average Englishman, American, or Frenchman. It is rare for a Turk to have more than one wife. The harem system, which many people joke about, is actually more organized and less harmful than the promiscuity found in some Christian European cities. If you compare them, the average Muslim man is as moral as the average Christian man.

The Turk’s Faith and Morality

I don’t intend to discuss the benefits or drawbacks of the Muslim faith, but personally, I have experienced many good qualities of “real Christianity” in Muslim countries: kindness, courtesy, and hospitality. The Turk follows his faith strictly. He is usually clean and prays at the appointed times. He is not someone who gets drunk and does not skip his prayers.

[lifestylemanagement]

The Role of the Vice-Consul

The Vice-Consul is like a small ambassador. His work is more about diplomacy than consular tasks. He has many chances to show his intelligence and skills. Often, he is quite young and might still be thinking about playing cricket or football. Most people in his home country don’t even know he exists. Yet, he is part of a group of educated Englishmen who live in faraway countries, often in quiet houses, and remind the people around them of the strength and importance of Britain.

The Turk as a Ruler

The Virtues of the Turk

Many people say that “The Turk is the only gentleman in the Balkans.” This was a common statement I heard while traveling, usually from Englishmen. However, some also believe the Turk is not a good ruler, and that Europe should accept that the Turk cannot be easily changed into a government style others believe is good.

The Image of the Turk

Most Western people, especially women, are afraid of the Turk and think he is unclean. They believe his main quality is sensuality, thinking of him as fat, greedy, and only interested in the pleasures of his harem.

The Reality of the Turk

The Turk may not be perfect, but he is just as moral as an average Englishman, American, or Frenchman. It is rare for a Turk to have more than one wife. The harem system, which many people joke about, is actually more organized and less harmful than the promiscuity found in some Christian European cities. If you compare them, the average Muslim man is as moral as the average Christian man.

The Turk’s Faith and Morality

I don’t intend to discuss the benefits or drawbacks of the Muslim faith, but personally, I have experienced many good qualities of “real Christianity” in Muslim countries: kindness, courtesy, and hospitality. The Turk follows his faith strictly. He is usually clean and prays at the appointed times. He is not someone who gets drunk and does not skip his prayers.