#I don’t experience zeal I don’t experience much of anything

[feytouchedtwilight]

“There was a time, Becket knew, when holy people were not safe. When they were not tame. When they were not the gentle shepherds, but the keepers of mysteries and the guardians of fire. As a priest, he turned wine into blood and bread into flesh—why had that ever become a tame thing, a safe thing? God was not safe. The numinous was not safe. So why then had he hemmed in his faith with safety? His hunger with rules? His zeal with bloodless, methodical praxis? He loved rituals, rites, and liturgies, that was unchanged. He loved the motions of them, the ancient words, the less-than-ancient words made to sound older than they were. But he’d been reduced by them, he saw now. Or perhaps not him personally, but his understanding, his relationship with God and belief. He’d hoped to wrestle it into submission, that relationship, and make it something that matched the way other people believed. He’d hoped to hide his zeal, stuff it into the corners of himself, bind it and lash it to his heart so it could never make it to his mouth to his hands and deeds. So that it could never make itself known. All he’d wanted, all he’d ever wanted, was to believe like other people did. Communally and pleasantly, and with glad hearts that could easily bear the distance between themselves and God. Not wild and alone. Chasing after God like an abandoned bridegroom. … Yes, the zeal was dangerous. Yes, it could consume him if he wasn’t strong enough. But he was tired of fighting it. Tired of pushing away love and sex and feral fun, tired of keeping his hunger for God locked in a box because he felt like he had to.”

~ Door of Bruises by Sierra Simone

[shannonsketches]

I noticed that the element of the triforce that the individual characters are supposed to represent, is also their weakness. Zelda's wisdom is being stifled by doubt and lack of experience; she's eager to learn, but her zeal is not enough and relies on faith and Link to save the day. I'm not implying that wisdom and faith cannot go hand in hand, but she needs to be able to represent her element more. Maybe her wisdom is knowing when to wait and allow someone else to bear the task? But it takes away too much initiative from her. Ganon's element is power but he's the one who ends up losing almost every time. And Ganondorf on his own, isn't powerless! He's a king, he knows magic, he can wield almost any weapon, he's patient, conniving and intelligent and knows how to make best with what he has. He isn't weak! And yet, the whole split happened, because he was feeling powerless.

They locked themselves in a self-sabotaging cycle that's powered by doubt.

Yeah! So one of the reasons I really love the Triforce lore is that it’s a three-way mirror that reflects both what the user has and also what they need (very wizard of oz).

Ganondorf is a very powerful man, physically, and magically.

Politically, though, he’s next to helpless, which is an awful thing for a king to be. He’s a king of thieves in OoT, because the Gerudo are not a wealthy or thriving nation there. In-Game they don’t have a local living area like the other regions (or even a store — just one floating bombchu salesman in the middle of the desert) — they’ve got a post-war fortress full of guards, and a temple that is being used as a secret base Hylians can’t get to.

Consider also, Ganondorf is the most highly decorated of the Gerudo, and he’s not decked out in gold. He’s wearing mostly iron and topaz. Nabooru and Twinrova are the only ones who have gold fixtures/jewelry along with the higher ranked guards for their protective elements (which is why I think it could arguably be pale bronze or yellow brass, which is a common and highly durable gold alternative).

The Gerudo are implicitly just surviving in OoT, and Hyrule speaks of them like they’re monsters (except for the one guy in town who has a fetish). More than that, WW establishes that his real grief comes from the weather, which any mortal is powerless to control.

So Ganondorf is powerful as a person, but powerless as a king, which is literally the only thing he was born to be.

Be that as it may, though, he is a well-loved king, and a survivor, and a thief, so he also has to embody both wisdom and courage too!

Zelda is the most obvious mirror to Ganondorf. She is a very powerful woman politically and magically, but physically-- compared to Ganondorf -- she's terribly meek. That's the obvious read, that they're 1:1 Parallels, but her real weakness lies in her courage.

Zelda (in OoT) leans on her massive political power -- In the child timeline, she literally sees a foreign dignitary executed before he does anything wrong, based on a recurring dream she has.

Do you know how insane that is? Do you realize how powerful she is?

Ganondorf is not just some guy -- he's a foreign KING. He's a KING that a TEN YEAR OLD had EXECUTED based on VIBES.

And we think she embodies wisdom because her vibes were (as we, the audience know) correct. But it's actually because as an adult, she understands that none of it needed to happen that way. That the only reason Ganondorf was able to pull off his stunt and get the Triforce at all was because she tried to control the situation, sending Link to gather everything Ganondorf couldn't get himself and put it all precisely where Ganondorf needed it to be.

Despite being a child at the time, by the end of the story, by the time she's Sheik, Zelda is taking full responsibility for what happened, and is doing everything in her now extremely limited power to fix it. She's so sorry to need Link, and at the end of it all is desperate to give him another chance to be a kid, and to be innocent, and to be happy, because she realized so quickly that she never should've involved him, visions be damned. She knows none of it was his fault or his business, and she's mortified that she dragged him into it in her own attempt to control the weather.

These other two items shift in other games -- WW and Twilight Princess show us a Zelda with tremendous courage and very little power, physical or political. And then the Wild's era, despite removing the Triforce narrative, shows us a Zelda with immense power and terrible guilt and insecurity -- her power locked behind her fear, and she is only able to access both when she embraces courage.

Which brings us to Link.

Link, on the surface, is a third wheel in a chess game between ancients. But the reality is that he's the base of the prism. He's the foundation that reflects both of the others.

There are MANY different personalities for Link, and personally my favorite gag is that Link is simply too stupid to be scared, but that's just a gag -- because something I've come to really enjoy and respect about him is that he consistently displays fear. Link embodies courage because he is full of fear and chooses to fight anyway. Link leads a good life. He is comfortable, he has family, he has friends, he knows peace. What makes Link courageous is that he is willing to give up his access to all of that if it means that everyone else keeps theirs.

Link will lock himself in a room with the apocalypse if it means he's the only one who gets hurt, and it's not because he believes this is his sacred duty, or his life's purpose -- he'd much rather be at home chasing chickens around or riding his pony through some pretty scenic route -- it's because he is so full of love for other people that he's willing to give up anything to keep them safe.

Link's not very powerful, but he is also unburdened by any desire to be powerful. Link's not very wise, but he is unburdened by any desire to be wise. Link is content in who he is, Link is happy to keep things simple. But Link is so brave that he becomes a leader, which actually makes him the most dangerous of the three.

Courage, unburdened, is fucking terrifying. To both Wisdom and Power. Because, unlike Wisdom and Power, Courage is contagious.

Link can empower and inspire and reveal truths others might not have been able to find on their own. Link doesn't need charisma or brutality. Link can build armies just by being observed.

"But Sketches, you haven't really said anything about how Link reflects the other two." It's subtle! But he does. I see it like this:

• Ganondorf reflects Link's relentless determination, refusing to stand down in the face of impossible odds. In this way, they're connected by their power and courage. • Zelda reflects Ganondorf's burden of being born in a crown, forcing them to learn leadership, and how to use their recklessness strategically, as children. In this way, they're connected by their power and wisdom. • Link reflects Zelda's sense of love for the faceless innocent, and her dedication to protecting all who can't protect themselves. In this way, they're connected by their courage and wisdom.

Because the inherent configuration of the triforce requires those connections to be balanced -- Separately they are overwhelmed by their traits. Ganondorf is willing to sacrifice everything he is in order to reach his goals, Zelda is so pre-occupied with preventing prophecy she ends up instigating it, and Link is so ready to step in and help that he never considers the consequences.

Every single one of them, left to their own devices, would rather see themselves destroyed than fail those who may or may not be relying on their success. They're all very similar, highly reflective characters who all represent compelling foils for each other and yes, display how their unfettered strengths are also the thing that damage them most.

[ourolite2]

ᨳິ petites idées!　　nsfw, smut. various genshin characters.　different animal alignments *round of applause* themes — gn!reader (w/ barely any specified anatomical context), hinted backshots/riding, obsessive/servile behavior, overstimulation/edging, cock warming, edging, brat taming (on both ends), subtle manipulation, restraints, usage of toys, immense dirty talk, slight corruption, mentions of going unconscious, mentions of straps, somnophilia (written consensually), + thigh humping- GYATT, there’s a lot… ༄

✦ 𝒟om doggo personalities who are experimental softies and pleasers who would do anything to ensure your satisfaction if you cajole them with the correct treats. Because these loyal little things desires will go miles for your recognition, it’s safe to assume that they’re a couple of sycophantic servants with their minds hellbent on quaffing down whatever is between your plush thighs, their poochie eyes soused with zeal as they lick you until your cum dissipates on their taste buds. They would be unduly stimulating, considering that you’d reach the pinnacle of pleasure once their tongue adulates your body as a reward for treating them with such kindness. Though it’s needless to say that they’re not all sunshines and rainbows, for some could be punishingly desperate if you haven’t returned the adoration, feeling a sense of regret pile onto their heart. They’d question your love for them, tears embellishing their miffed expressions as your walls fail to grasp around them considering how possessively they’ll pound inside of you, not caring about you being on your sixth orgasm — they’d just fuck you through another again and again and again. As long as you sincerely understand how much your attention means to them.

✧ “Feels good? Want more? C’mon, puppy.. do a trick for me? Shake? That’s a good pup.. Now, cum?” CHONGYUN, Neuvillette, CHILDE, Amber, ITTO, Navia, KAVEH, Yoimiya, EI, Furina, Kokomi, Candace, GOROU, + Thoma ordered you breathlessly and hopelessly as they watched your ass shake and undulate on their strap/dick, a spate of breathless moans eluding your lips during the process. Once the command has been established, your body would had practically collapsed onto the silk-infused duvets if it wasn’t from them holding you upwards so you could cum cooperatively and sequentially.

✦ 𝒮ub puppy personalities who will give their viability in order to retreat such amorous praises from you, so it’s safe to conclude that they’re just as obsequious as their dominant counterparts. Their adulation, overprotection and servile attributes deserve high-quality treats that would leave them compliant for the rest of the seasons. Although they’re practically brainwashed into maintaining your pleasure, whether it's with lecherous experiments that leave their vulnerabilities exposed for you to exploit and taint or smothering you with amaranthine gifts that they know you’d relish in, a puppy is still a puppy. It’s your job to give them more attention than anticipated, otherwise they’ll rebelliously defy you, purposely cumming without permission merely because you’ve demanded them to hold it. Their devotional minds are easily tempted into disorder, but they’re also prone to correction since their primary goal in life is to make you happy. Spewing panty apologies as you fuck them relentlesly, their whines and blabbers far from comprehensible, but you knew that this was more than enough to make them capitulate.

✧ “Mmnh- No, don’t wanna sit. Aren’t I your pretty puppy? M’ I a good puppy? I wanna- wanna.. up? Up, please? Please?” GOROU, Ayaka, Kokomi, NEUVILLETTE, Xingqiu, ITTO, Charlotte, + Ganyu implored somewhat comprehensively as spittle cascaded from the corner of their mouth, frantically grinding their hips against your crotch since they’re completely tempted to begin bouncing on your dick/strap like before. However, it would take much more than just polished, dewy, pleading eyes gleaming down at you to convince you to make them cum, let alone repetitive begging that should’ve been muted hours ago.

✦ 𝒟om feline personalities who innately presided over you once you’ve confirmed that you were theirs, therefore are outwardly self-possessed and assertive. While also experimentalists due to their insatiable curiosity, they’ll selfishly coax you into trying new things with them, their dilated, tantalizing eyes enrapturing you during the process. It would be a crime to tell such a guileless plea no, but your chafed wrists and desiccated throat wished you ruminated your words with healthier care. They expect to be lionized incessantly, even when your vocal cords lack the capability to produce anything that doesn’t resemble streams of whimper-like moans, even when they fail to grant you a millisecond of their time, even when you’re stuffed with a bullet vibrator that was on the highest setting available. You’d think that these personalities were insouciant towards your well-being, which discloses an intense suggestion of narcissism, but there’s an impending punishment awaiting for you if you were to speak of someone who isn’t nearly as important as them. Beseech them with mewls if you desire forgiveness, or else your skin will go pallid with the amount of cum suffusing with it, whether it’s theirs, which likely isn’t, or yours.

✧ “You call that apologizing? You’re still too comprehensible… Prove yourself better than that, little dove. Give me what I want, then I’ll have my pretty fingers in your pretty hole.” SCARAMOUCHE, Yelan, AL-HAITHAM, Wanderer, ZHONGLI, Lumine, Lynette, ROSARIA, Ayato, Beidou, YAE MIKO, CYNO, Tighnari, NINGGUANG, + Lisa retorts tauntingly as the vibrations of the toy intensified causing your legs to quake incessantly, your lips spew with squeaks, and your tears to prick harsher than the prickles of cacti. Instead of providing for any necessary comfort, they simply assisted your upcoming, and rather forced, orgasm by fucking you thoughtlessly with the cum-drenched bullet.

✦ 𝒮ub kitty personalities whose imprudence is genetically unbearable since these brats tend to overstep your boundaries solely because you told them not to do such. However, if you overlook their overbearing arrogance and overwhelming urges to poke at your wrong nerves, they’re simply adorable little things who wish to be doted on and coddled by you every second of their day, hence the excessive need to go overboard just for a lick of your attention. From innumerably rutting against silk-infused pillows with their doors ajar, their mewls disrupting your ability to focus on your work, to embellishing your tip/clit with taunting kitten licks before leaving you exasperated and needy. Have you considered teaching them a thing or two about patience? Forcefully shoving your dick/strap inside of them and ensuring that their moments are limited in order for you to tend to your work, disregarding the meaningless, ironic puppy-like whines against your shoulder, or the simmering sensations on your back as the regretful kitty in question excavated their claws into your back?

✧ “Mm-Master, let me cum... M’ a good kitty, right? I don’t… can’t- mmuh, pleaseplease.. C’mon? C’mon.. come on!” SCARAMOUCHE, Venti, LYNEY, Childe, Hu Tao, WANDERER, Venti, Eula, Zhongli, Wriothesley, HEIZOU, Mona, + Kaeya pleaded impatiently as your dick/strap fucked into them relentlessly resulting in them losing balance to the point where the only stability available is your hands which were grasping needily onto their waist. Each and every time cum threatened to spill from them, you’d halt your actions, which induced the blubbers and writhes significantly from the toy in desperate need of fulfillment as much as they’re deprived of punishment.

✦ 𝒟om rabbit personalities who are the clingiest when it comes to you and only you. Even with their timidity, they would bury it under the fabric of your shirt by hiding their heads underneath it, desiring to kiss along your mesmerizing skin without looking up at your puckish expression. Although they’re also willing to please and learn, they’re lack of understanding in certain fields causes hesitation, so you’re like guiding these poor souls. You’ve managed to misconstrue their brain into believing a plethora of artless ideals defines something rather lecherous, such as binkying in their lap as you ride/scissor them for ages, cum spluttering from your pretty pussy/tip as they spittle broken apologies and pleas due to understimulation. Meanwhile you’re the one that should be dying of thirst with the way those rabid sweethearts fuck you dry, whispering degrading nothings you’ve taught them to use in hopes they’ll eventually remmeber that it’s merely apart of foreplay. There’s not enough aftercare in the world to assist them, considering your first time with one of these individuals led to being fucked unconscious.

✧ “Mmmph- conejito… pl-please don’t sleep n-now, need you… want inside! Jusa lil’ more? Can’t.. just so mesmerizing when you cum all over my dick/strap..” VENTI, Chongyun (on them damn chilis), Hu Tao, XIAO, Lyney, + HEIZOU cried out subconsciously as they proceeded to weakly rut against your inanimate body, their mind muffled and muddled with a hazy lechery that could only be described as voracious. Even around the moment they were gradually comprehending your state, they had yet to snap out of it, even while the back of their mind is squealing to stop.

✦ 𝒮ub bunnies whose excitement and impatience is unbridled once you’ve mentioned that you were willing to please them when it’s needed, which ends up being hourly considering a rabbit’s inconceivable libido. In general, they need loads of attention considering how snoopy and energetic they are, let alone a tad brattish if they don’t receive what they want instantaneously. Though, when it came to it, much like their dominant counterparts, they were extremely modest during the first few weeks of training. Determining their favorite positions, beloved spots they adore being pleased with, or even going as far as coaxing them into behaving uncharacteristically if they want to make you proud. However, while being harebrained and impatient, they would bypass the preliminaries completely and lead as if they’ve invented foreplay, sloppily and selfishly binkying and grinding their hips against the surface of your thigh while you’re asleep. The overwhelming idea of you awakening and abasing them, which they weren’t even fond of before meeting you, was arousing them to the point where they brainlessly spittled their desires like forbidden affirmations.

✧ “A-And then—hmah! Sssh.. So much cum will be stuffed inside my mm-mouth. You’ll f-fuck my mouth, lips… c-call me mean names like.. b-boring bunny…” KABUKIMONO, Aether, Sucrose, Kazuha, Freminet, KAVEH, Shenhe, Nilou, LADY FURINA, Ei, + Layla + Xiao spluttered mindlessly as they humped the slight arch in your back considering that they’re straddling you, and yet you have yet to wake up, or so they assumed. With every grasp of your waist and aggressive thrust sent to your back, which was adorned by a series of rhythmic, sharp whines, your body jerked along with the bed, causing you to smile sadistically to yourself.

⑅ ourolite productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.

[pouroverpaloma]

7 Rolan+Tav? please ❤️

Sure thing!! Here you go @rizzikale ❤️‍🔥 I used the drow barbarian Tav from true love is the devil’s crowbar, because I figured that was your vibe.

Here’s the thing. Tav loved Rolan. She’d loved Rolan for, oh, two or three tendays? And the way things were looking, she was going to continue to love him well into her rapidly-stabilizing future. She loved his drive, and his sense of justice, and the way he applied his boundless mental energy to making magical education accessible to anyone.

She did not, however, love that his zeal for arcane education extended so far into their private time. Especially when he frequently seemed to forget she was nowhere fucking close to magical. Honestly, even the little flames and tricks of light that every drow child learned had always escaped her—

“Again!” Rolan called from the other side of the library, beckoning with a clawed hand. “You came quite close that time. Remember, glacies.”

He his the middle syllable hard, with an arch in his palate. That must have been where she’d fucked up. Possibly. Somehow.

Stifling a sigh, Tav raised her hands and repeated the wrist-flicking motion he’d spent all morning teaching her. A faint, but promising, hum of magic buzzed in her palms for the split second before she opened her stupid mouth and said,

“Glachies!”

A limp stream of sleet splattered from her hands and onto the polished wood floor near her feet. Another spike of frustrated, embarrassed anger surged up her throat, and she swallowed it back down just like every one before it. Her hands curled into fists as she dropped them at her sides. For him, she was doing this for him, she reminded herself.

“It may be your accent,” Rolan mused, totally unperturbed by yet another failure on her part. He vanished the puddle of icy slush with a casual wave. “I have also done some reading on the differences between high elvish and drow magic that may provide a more complete perspective—”

“Or maybe I just can’t do magic!” she interjected, forcefully cheerful but still loud enough that he startled. Fuck, of course. She knew better than to—in here, of all places—gods damn it this was going so fucking badly. Surely he could see that? Surely he’d drop this whole farce of an experiment and just take her out for lunch or something. Take her over the couch, even. She wasn’t picky. Anything but this.

“Nonsense,” he said dismissively. “Even the most facile learner can cast a cantrip; and you, my dear, are not facile. It merely takes superior instruction. Again.”

Tav tried. She did. She stuffed down her feelings again, and raised her arms, and even got most of the way through the somatic component, before a much more familiar power ripped through her. Mindless, incandescent rage overtook her completely. Her vision went red and blurred, and the rest of her brain could only watch in horror as her hands picked up an armillary sphere and heaved it over the railing of the reading room with a deafening roar.

Satisfied, her rage drained away as quickly as it appeared. The heavy brass fixture crashed to earth somewhere in the basement. Echoes of its demise reverberated throughout the tower.

Chest heaving, eyes enormous, she slowly turned to face Rolan. His noble face was frozen in shock as he looked back at her. A flicker of fear passed over his expression as his gaze met hers. Again, she remembered that they were standing in the very same room where Lorroakan had beaten him senseless, and guilt crashed into her like a runaway cart.

“Rolan,” she breathed. “Rolan, I’m so sorry. Please don’t be scared of me, please, fuck, I’m so sorry—”

He took a step toward her from across the room, then another, slow and deliberate. Grief nearly choked her. This was it, wasn’t it. She’d ruined it.

“You don’t have to—I can just go, I understand, you don’t have to worry,” she rushed out, holding her palms up beseechingly. He was halfway to her now and quickly closing the gap. “You shouldn’t have to deal with me like that; it’s my own fault that I let it get so bad, I just got so frustrated but that’s not something that should be your problem—”

In an instant, he pulled her flat against the broad wall of his chest and slotted his mouth to hers, warm and insistent. Her protests died in her throat. Wait, but—she’d just—and now—

“I can hear you thinking,” he murmured. “It’s all right. Everything’s all right.”

“But—”

“Shh.” He snaked a hand around the back of her head and crushed her into another, deeper kiss. She swayed on her feet and he caught her, one strong arm wrapped firmly around her waist. When he slipped his clever tongue past her lips, she finally let her eyes slide closed. He hummed encouragingly.

“There we are,” he said. “Much better.”

Tav pulled back to look at him, grabbing the front of his robes to get his attention. “Do you have any idea how badly I could have hurt you just now?” she asked bluntly.

“Non movere.”

His amber eyes flared with humor as every joint in her body locked in place. Threads of pulsing violet light wrapped her like vines; barely leaving enough room for her to breathe. Rolan leaned in close.

“The day we met, you punched Aradin so hard that we all hoped you’d killed him. Be assured that I have a very clear idea of how badly you could hurt me. I simply will not let you.” The words could have been condescending, especially from him, but the rawness in his voice and the anxious set of his mouth made clear the promise he was making. Safety. Not just for him, but for her, too—the safety of his unconditional, complete acceptance. Even when her ironclad self-control wavered and her rage slipped its leash, he wouldn’t flinch. He wouldn’t leave.

He seemed to know exactly when she’d grasped his point, in that preternatural way he had, because he dismissed the enchantment with a flick of his fingers. Tav took a great gulp of air as her magical bindings loosened.

“As much as I believe in your arcane potential,” he intoned, taking her hands and kissing them apologetically, “it seems I have ignored that the basest component of all magical acts is will. And you, dear one, do not wish to be here at all.”

“No,” she blurted, and thank every god above and below, Rolan laughed. “I mean, magic is important! Uh, and I love that it’s important to you, but for me—I’d rather just spectate. If that’s okay.”

“In that case.” He made a complex gesture, and a bouquet of luminescent mushrooms and Underdark ferns appeared in her hands. She gasped in delight. “I’ll make you the most accomplished spectator on Toril.”

[timhatchlive]

We are Surrounded by Him

Isaiah 26:1 (ESV) In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.

There are some who suggest the phrase "in that day" refers to the millennial reign of Christ on this Earth. They may be right but I disagree. And Christians can disagree on such matters. Isaiah 24 described global devastation. Isaiah 25 described God's protection over His people through global judgment. Isaiah 26 now turns to the protective place called the Lord's Church that will exist most clearly in the last days. The reason I believe this chapter refers to that time is that people will still be coming into the city. 

Isaiah 26:2 (ESV) Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

Yes, people could still be coming to Christ in the Millenium, but would it be faith to believe in a Christ who is visibly present? I don't quite know. But lets move on. 

We see that God will protect with strong walls His people through the great trouble that comes on the Earth before His triumphant return. 

Throughout this chapter, we have picture presented of the Church age just before the ressurection. 

Isaiah 26:9 (ESV) My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

First, we see that God will bring judgments on the Earth so that people might learn to turn from sin and fear Him. Some people wonder why God judges and brings calamity. It is for the greater good of your eternal salvation. Would you rather have temporal joy and permanent suffering or temporal suffering and permanent joy? In this midst of suffering, we need to remember that ultimately all suffering ends for those surrendered to Christ. No matter how bad that present suffering feels, it is accomplishing a never-ending purpose. 

We also see a general blindness in those who refuse to believe in spite of the judgments.

Isaiah 26:11 (ESV) O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.

The "hand lifted" is a picture of judgment on the Earth. In spite of the great troubles we now experience and will one day very much more experience, some people will only grow harder in heart like Pharoah before them. 

At the same time, there will be a people belonging to God who will not take credit for their works but give Him all the glory. 

Isaiah 26:12–13 (ESV) O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. 13 O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.

Of course they will do this because in the tribulation, the works produced will have to be miraculous in nature as the world suffers trouble unlike anything before. 

After detailing more of the trouble on the Earth, Isaiah shares a powerful picture of resurrection that reminds us each morning of our ultimate future in Christ. 

Isaiah 26:19 (ESV) Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Dew shows up in the night. When the sun rises, the dew rises with it. Every morning we see dew on the ground we are reminded of our future glory in Christ.

What should we do in the meantime while we wait? We should come to the chambers God has prepared and pray. 

Isaiah 26:20–21 (ESV) Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. 21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Notice again how this chapter enumerates details of the tribulation by referencing "a little while until the fury has passed by". This cannot be the Millenium reign. For 7 years is a little while in the spectrum of the church age. But what are we admonished to do in the judgment? To get in the place of God's presence. Those places are personal prayer (prayer closets) and gatherings of believers which Hebrews admonishes us to do MORE SO as the day of judgment approaches. 

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

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[blue-wildflower]

Zhongli x Reader- Doctor My Eyes

Warnings: fem!reader, lil bit suggestive, pregnancy, birth, super fluffy

A/N: Based loosely on the song "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne. Just thought some of the ideas in the song fit someone like Zhongli. And I’m a sucker for pregnant!reader stuff.

Zhongli was always a caring, thoughtful lover. He was sometimes unreadable and never very emotional, but that didn’t really bother you. Whenever you did elicit a smile or a laugh from the man it just felt extra special. 

The geo archon had witnessed so much in his lifetime- both the sufferings and triumphs of man. His perspective was so wide and his knowledge so deep that not much surprised him or could move him to emotion. But your carefree attitude and zeal for life caught his attention and excited his heart. You made him feel things he had never felt before- joy, love. You never failed to surprise him. Especially that one day when you sat next to him in Liyue Harbor, the smell of sweet silk flowers drifting through the air as you took in the view. A couple and their toddler stood down below you on the dock, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. You sighed contentedly and rested your head against Zhongli's arm.

“Zhongli- I want to have a baby.”

The man’s golden eyes widened.  

“A baby? With me?” he sputtered out, and his animated reaction made you giggle nervously. 

“Yes, with you, silly. I know you want to experience a normal mortal life, and we’ve been married for a little while now. I’m just wondering if you might want to have children.”

Zhongli watched the way the father picked his son up, blowing raspberries on his soft little tummy emphatically and making funny faces. The little boy laughed uncontrollably and the mother laughed while admiring her own family too. It made Zhongli wonder what kind of father he would be. Could he make his children happy like that? He didn’t want to disappoint you. But for now he kept his concerns to himself and focused on your hopeful demeanor. 

“Did you want to have a baby… soon?” He questioned, his eyebrows still raised. You could only blush deeper and nod. He couldn’t help but revel in your cute nervousness as he wrapped his arm around you and brought you closer, his warm breath fanning over your ear.

“Then we will start trying tonight, my love.”

--------------------

It didn’t take very long for you to get pregnant, and as your pregnancy progressed Zhongli’s doubts over his ability to be a good father only grew. You noticed his anxiety, but figured it was normal. In fact, you had your own worries about motherhood sometimes too. But you knew Zhongli loved you and your unborn child more than anything. He already treated you with such tenderness before you were pregnant, now his care for you and his protectiveness over you had only doubled.

You snuggled closer to him in bed, but you noticed he wasn’t resting his hand on your belly like normal. He was lying on his back stiff as a board, staring at the ceiling. Your baby kicked mercilessly at your tummy, begging for some attention from their father.

“Zhongli, I think your baby needs some love from daddy before they go to sleep.” you said, gently lifting his hand to press it to your bump. Normally Zhongli was so affectionate in private, kissing and touching your pregnant stomach whenever he could. But right now, his hand remained limp against your tummy and you frowned in confusion.

“Zhongli, is everything all right? Why don’t you want to feel the baby?” 

His eyes remained fixed to the same spot on the ceiling, but his hand against your bump flexed and finally held it tenderly. 

“Do you know that I have never cried?” His voice rasped out. 

“What does that have to do with-“

“I have never cried” he continued, “like a normal human does. I think I am unable to experience emotion the same way as you. You have witnessed firsthand how all my years as a god have hardened me. I know there are times where my lack of empathy has hurt or disappointed you. And yet you have always loved me in a way that I do not deserve. But what if I hurt our child’s feelings because my expression is unreadable? If I make them feel unloved or if they think I’m boring or unhappy with them? It would hurt both of you. I have never cried, but I think, my love, I am scared.” 

He turned to you and looked deep in your eyes, his brows furrowed with worry. The great Rex Lapis, who's spears formed islands, was afraid of being a bad father. You rested one hand above his own on your stomach and reached out the other hand to brush against his forehead comfortingly. 

“Look at how concerned you are for them already. Zhongli, you have never made me feel unloved or disappointed, and I certainly don’t think you or our time together has ever been boring.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the memories of all your adventures together. You continued, “I think you underestimate how much you actually do feel. You don’t need to cry or laugh or whatever all the time to know how to love. Your not going to be exactly like other fathers. You’re going to be yourself, and our child is going to love you. See, you already comforted them to sleep.”

You patted his hand gently and kissed Zhongli on the forehead sweetly. You felt his body begin to relax and curl into you. After that you reminded him as often as you could how much you loved him for who he is and how much your baby would too. 

--------------------

Giving birth was arduous and long, but soon you were lying limp on your bed, your newborn daughter laid upon your bare chest. Her sharp cries became whimpers, and you were finally able to tear your teary eyes away from her to look at Zhongli. His face held so much love and admiration for both you and his new daughter, it made your heart feel like it would burst with happiness. The midwife picked up the baby and asked Zhongli if “dad” would like to hold the baby. He felt like he was in a daze, overwhelmed by emotion as he held the newborn in his arms. His daughter. She was so tiny and fragile and beautiful.  

“What’s happening to me?” He muttered as his eyes began to water and his vision grew blurry.  

You smiled at him reassuringly.

“Zhongli- you’re crying.”

[demigoddessqueens]

Could you write a nsfw alphabet for Arwen and Tauriel(Separately) with a male s/o please?

Sure thing!!

Links Right here 👇

Arwen

Tauriel

Author’s Note - I’ve also combined this ask with a SFW alphabet request for Castlevania Dracula

Anon asked - “Could you please write a sfw alphabet with Dracula?”

A - Activity?

Honestly, he’ll want to do anything and everything with you. Read, travel, explore. All of it!

B - beauty?

Dracula looks to you as if you hung the moon and sun and stars. You’re GORGEOUS to him and to you, he’s ethereal to look at

C - comfort?

Your comfort is his first priority. There’s not much that a vampire may/may not need, but to you he gives everything

D - dreams?

He dreams of your life together, what you both could add more to it and the legacy you’ve created

E - equal?

It’s a loving, equal relationship that he treasures

F - fight?

It’s very rare you both fight, but if you did, it’s also quick to make up (after much brooding)

G - gratitude?

Dracula is ETERNALLY grateful to have you in his life, a bright spot in the dark

H - honesty?

Honesty is what builds and strengthens your relationship together. It’s essential to him in a world of betrayal

I - inspiration?

You, and your likeness and kind nature are what push him forward

J - jealous?

Goes without saying 😆 even if it’s fellow vampires from the council

K - kiss?

Deep, loving, passionate. Leaves you breathless

L - love?

Dracula said it first to you, and he’s never been happier in his immortal years when you reciprocate

M - marriage?

It’s not the “traditional” human marriage but it’s you two together and that’s all that matters

N - nicknames?

All of the classics! “My love, dear, love of my life”, etc

O - on cloud nine?

Thought he won’t admit it outright, Dracula does daydream of his life with you and what’s next in life

P - pda?

Not too big on it but when it’s just you two? Oh it’s paradise!

Q - quirk?

I don’t see Dracula having a lot of quirks, but if you do, he just adores it all because it’s you

R - romance?

Classic romance. Old school chivalry and wooing

S - support?

He supports you in all that you do, or subjects you are curious about

T - thrill?

Learning new things from the library or traveling adds new experiences

U - understanding?

He values you immensely for how you accepted his nature

V - value?

Everything that is your relationship with Dracula is treated with the utmost sincerity

W - wild card? random fluff

You were surprised one random afternoon with a portrait commission by him. The artist being one of the few humans he trusted

X - xoxo?

Extremely affectionate 🤗 he lives and longs for deep kisses

Y - yearning?

Lord of Shadows and King of Vampires is always full of yearn 💕 for you

Z - zeal?

There’s a lot of ardor and passionate underneath the vampire’s occasional serenity

[himboskywalker]

I’ve been wanting to talk about this for awhile. At the age of 25 I finally realized that I have adhd,and discovering that has both been an immense relief and extremely difficult. I went my entire life feeling different and set apart,and knowing that I wasn’t like my peers and there was something about me unique. And a struggle of realizing that I am neurodivergent is putting aside that feeling of lifelong difference in the face of understanding with a diagnosis comes the realization that what I thought was uniqueness is in fact a shared experience that many many people have. Labels I understood myself by and was proud of for so long (creative,chronic daydreamer,intelligent,reader,academic) are in fact not quite so unique. And then creative and academic and smart morphed into burnt out and depressed and clinically anxious seemingly out of nowhere in grad school.

What I thought was determination and zeal became despair and exhaustion and indifference. And without deadlines and goals and the intense stress and nonstop overload of school I realized I can’t stay on task and what I thought was procrastination became executive dysfunction. And it’s been such a weird mourning for myself the last two years,of who I thought I was my entire life and what I thought I would do with my life. I’ve had to come to terms that I don’t want to go into academia and get my PhD or do all of things incredible things,that I simply want to be happy and live my life. And that’s been hard when my entire identity was being extremely smart and becoming a professor.

And healing and self realization aren’t linear. I oscillate between relief and despair when I realize that I’m not a piece of shit and lazy,that there a reasons I struggle to function and be productive some days. Sometimes it’s a benediction and act of forgiveness to myself,to realize that I can’t write or create or do the things I love,not because I’m worthless but because I can’t concentrate and stay on task. And some days my anxiety gets the better of me and I hate myself for not being who I thought I was,and it’s easy to be angry or apathetic towards myself for not sticking to a routine I know I need.

But if anyone else has been going through anything similar I just wanted to say you’re not alone. And it’s hard to start learning as an adult,and to shift your entire world view and adapt the way you understand and take care of yourself. And as a writer I do get mad at myself for not being able to create when I want to,and it can be easy to direct negativeness and frustration inward. But be kind to yourselves,and forgive yourself for not being what you think you should be.

I’ve learned so so much the last two years of what actually gives me joy and what I do want in life. I’ve learned that peace and friends and family will always be the priority in my life. I’ve learned I’m aloud to be happy even if I consider myself a failure,that the people I love don’t view me that way. And even when it’s been a hard week and I struggle to create and engage with what makes me happy,I have to forgive myself for that too,and for falling off my routines. All of us deserve and need to take care of ourselves and love ourselves.

[dootdootwriting]

AHHH CONGRATS ON 600!!! I hope you're doing well heehoo and if its okay can i ask for the whole alphabet with scaramouche?:3 (also pls don't overwork yourself jdjajdkdlfmmeis)

600+ event!!

this is my first time writing for scara so i hope i did okay aha,, under the cut for length!

fluff alphabet with scaramouche, gn reader, warning for inazuma quest/scaramouche backstory spoilers!!

why is his name so long

A-Activities (what do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

- scaramouche isn't super knowledgeable about relationships, so he'll just sort of tentatively ask what you want to do and go along with it (though he might act like it's a stupid idea the whole time). really he doesn't care what he spends his free time on as long as you're a part of it.

B-Beauty (what do they admire about their s/o? what do they think is beautiful about them?)

- well first of all, he admires the courage you've got to have to be with him in the first place. other than that, he also loves your smile (but you won't hear him tell you that out loud, unless you're not really asleep when he thinks you are)

C-Comfort (how would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?)

- another thing he's alien to. at first just starts telling you to calm down and is pretty harsh about it. when he realizes this isn't working, he'll reluctantly take you into his arms and start awkwardly patting your head. it's funny how awkward it is and you end up laughing at him about it, which makes him annoyed, but at least now you feel better.

D-Dreams (how do they picture the future with their s/o?)

- scaramouche... either wants you to be by his side as he conquers everything and shows the world just how strong he is, or he wants to do it alone. though it would be much better if you were with him and it makes him sad to think about you not being there in the end.

E-Equal (are they the dominant one in the relationship or rather passive?)

- surprisingly passive, actually. he doesn't really know what he's doing so he lets you make most of the decisions about dates and spending time together. other than that though, he likes to drag you around to do whatever he wants.

F-Fun (what do they do for fun with their s/o? what’s their idea of a fun day out?)

- what's fun? on a day off, scaramouche will wander around and ponder his own existence. you'll have to take him to a market or a park or something so he can actually experience things first - once you do, you'll find he enjoys being alone with you somewhere quiet, where he doesn't have to listen to other people.

G-Gratitude (how grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)

- doesn't show it, but is definitely grateful, though he also doesn't know just how much of a hassle he can be. scaramouche just sort of assumed love was supposed to be unconditional... but he can tell when he's crossed a line, and he's grateful for you sticking by him despite everything.

H-Honesty (do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?)

- obviously the one big secret is how he came into being in the first place, but once he trusts you enough to tell you about his being a puppet and a test, he's in all the way. he hides little things from you before that but once he's told you, you're in it with him forever whether you like it or not, and that means he doesn't keep anything else from you.

I-Inspiration (did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?)

- he's a lot more tolerable around you! you've been approached by fatui officers asking you "how do you do it?" and saying things like "thank you so much i totally thought i was gonna be yelled at today!" somehow you cool off his temper a bit.

J-Jealousy (do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

- JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS man. he gets jealous so so easily and WILL confront you about it. after a while and once he knows he can trust you he gets jealous less frequently, because he knows you're with him for the long run.

K-Kisses (are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?).

- bad kisser at first because he's probably never been in love before. he gets the hang of it quickly though! your first kiss was because he had to shut you up and he couldn't figure out another way how so he just kissed you. you yelled at him after that.

L-Love confession (how would they confess to their s/o?)

- scaramouche confesses on purpose but in a really weird way. he plans it and everything - he takes you out to see the sunset and brings food (almost like a picnic) but then once he gets to the actual confession it's just like "how dare you do this to me? i stay awake at night thinking of you and somehow you're the most tolerable person i've ever met. childe had the audacity to call it love and to laugh at me so he got what he deserved. if you don't feel the same way i'll punch you too." but he doesn't end up having to punch you, which you're both very glad about.

M-Mornings (what’s it like waking up with them? do they sleep late or wake up before the sun rises?)

- he didn't have a reason to sleep in late until he started sleeping next to you. now he's stuck in his ridiculous sleep schedule so he always wakes up before you. but hey! bonus! now he gets to look at you while you sleep, which for some reason makes him extremely flustered (which is really cute to wake up to).

N-Nicknames (what do they call their s/o?)

- just calls you your name 🧍

O-On cloud nine (what are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

- when he discovered he was in love he got angry at you. then he realized it wasn't your fault, and, actually, this wasn't such a bad thing. man were you confused though. for a solid week he just yelled at you for no reason. childe guessed correctly when he realized scaramouche's more-unusual-than-usual behavior, but he had the decency to hold his tongue around you.

P-PDA (how are they with PDA? is it fun to them or are they more reserved with their affection?)

- hates pda. will hold your hand and that's it if you try to kiss him in public his face will scrunch up and his ears will pull back instinctively. then he'll avoid you for the rest of the day.

Q-Quirk (some random thing they do when they’re with you for no reason in particular)

- gently taps you at random moments, almost as if he's trying to remind himself that you're here with him.

R-Romance (how romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?)

- scaramouche tries to be romantic? he's doing his best. he tries all the gooey stuff to make you happy like buying you chocolate and giving you stuffed animals but in reality he has little to no tolerance for this kind of thing and you have to reassure him you love him, not the classic romantic things he forces himself to do. after that he stops, which is a huge relief.

S-Support (are they helping their s/o achieve their goals do they believe in them?)

- he's more focused on his own goals and climbing the fatui ladder, but he's also very invested in anything you're attempting to do. wholeheartedly believes in you, whether he outwardly expresses it or not.

T-Thrill (do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship or do they prefer certain routine?)

- scaramouche likes the security of his routine and the place your relationship is at. he gets embarrassed at pretty much any new milestone and needs some time to get to them, and he gets cranky when things change suddenly, so uh. no, he likes it better the way it is with little to no changes.

U-Understanding (how good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

- not very empathetic, but is very understanding. scaramouche lacks the ability to feel how you're feeling (is it because he isn't quite human?), but he does understand how you work and function, and the best ways to treat you depending on your mood.

V-Value (how important is the relationship to them? What is its worth in comparison to other things in their life?).

- since you're so important to him, you're about number two on his list of priorities, maybe almost tied with his work in the fatui. he can't stand people, but you've wormed your way into his heart, so he's not letting you go anytime soon.

W-Wild card (a random fluff headcanon?)

- any time you give him affection he's a little startled at first, but he comes to love it and eventually will ask you for hugs.

X-XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

- yes but ONLY behind closed doors. he's afraid if he so much as looks at you lovingly his underlings will laugh at him, and he definitely can't have that. when you two are alone, however, he absolutely cannot get enough of your touch.

Y- Yearning (how will they cope when they are missing their partner?)

- angry angry angry and makes it everyone's problem. when you get back from your trip the mood is dark and agents are running up to you like you're their savior "OH GOD YOU'RE BACK THANK EVERYTHING PLEASE SAVE US."

Z-Zeal (are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind?)

- he would literally kill for you (please tell him not to)

[qitwrites]

⬅ Previous || 16 || Next ➡

To the person that baby-sits Eri,

Let me start off by saying that the only reason someone other than me is looking after her right now is because I am either a) literally saving lives, b) hospitalized because I was literally saving people’s lives or c) I’m dead.

Because, and I cannot stress this enough, if I’m leaving Eri with you, you are the luckiest person alive. I trust you enough to leave the light of my life with you, and if you hurt her, if she comes back to me in not the exact state and condition I left her in, I want you to remember this- I am an underground hero. I know a thing or two about hiding a body.

And if I’m dead already, I have connections and an updated will.

The other reason I’m writing this is because I have gotten to know Eri quite well. There is still much to learn about her, and it’s a process for the both of us, but since the adoption, we’ve been getting closer and closer. So, I want to share some of that knowledge with you, to make it easier for you both.

First things first, Eri is still shy. It’s difficult for her to voice her needs, to ask for something, even if it’s food. This is especially true if you guys don’t know each other too well, so pay attention to her body language. If she chews on her lip for more than 3 minutes, she’s hungry. If she’s holding on to her clothes with tight fists and keeps clenching and unclenching, she’s hungry. If she keeps looking in the direction of the kitchen, if she’s a bit skittish or extremely distracted, she’s hungry.

She likes most foods, and she’ll eat all the vegetables in the curry. She loves peas the most though, thinks they’re super cute. She’s not great with spice, but she loves sour, so sweet and sour pork is a favorite. She can use adult size chopsticks now, and she’s usually a very clean, neat eater.

Eri’s sweet tooth is insatiable and her love for apples knows no bounds. She will give you these doe eyes that will pierce right through you, but you must resist. You’re a hero in training or a pro-hero already, so think of it as a test of strength and resilience. She’s allowed one sweet a day, and you have to make sure she gargles right after.

If you’re watching TV, you cannot watch anything gory, horror-like or violent. Nothing with blood and guts and weapons. She still flinches at the sight of needles, and if you ever have the misfortune of witnessing that, know that you’re not alone when you feel the need to burn down a building because of how angry you are with the world. She’s better now, safe and warm and loved. She adores animated movies and music videos, and she gets surprisingly invested in nature documentaries, particularly the ones about butterflies and birds.

She doesn’t talk much unless spoken to, but she’s really smart and well-spoken for her age. She’ll probably kick your ass at scrabble, and she’s great at chess, especially for a young beginner. Always give her white, she thinks they look like they’ve been snowed on, and it makes her smile every time.

Eri is touch starved. She did not experience positive touch for a long period of time, and physical contact usually meant pain when she was with that-asshole-that-isn’t-worth-naming. She doesn’t come close to people very easily, she usually sticks to me and she has a big soft spot for Midoriya and Togata, so don’t be worried if she keeps a polite distance, at least initially. But she craves physical affection, just like any child her age, and responds well to positive touch.

Her hair is a safe zone. She loves it when people play with her hair or gently pat her head, even strangers. If you run your fingers through the whole length or scratch her scalp, she mellows out and relaxes completely. Feel free to braid her hair and have fun with it, I guarantee she’ll have a good time.

The longer she’s with you, the more comfortable she’ll get. She does this thing where, if you’re on the couch watching TV, she’ll start off sitting on the opposite end. And when she thinks you aren’t looking, she’ll inch her way closer and closer, like a curious cat. It’s painstakingly slow and heartbreakingly sweet, and my cold, dead heart melts every time.

When she’s close but not too close, casually raise the arm towards her and drape it over the couch. If you’re insanely lucky, she’ll curl into your side and steal some of your body heat, holding the very bottom of your shirt in her tiny, tiny first.

Play it by ear. Don’t force affection on her and don’t be over enthusiastic. Just make sure that she knows you’re there, and that she can come to you for anything at any time. Sometimes, that’s all you really need.

Now, Eri’s quirk. It’s an amazing and complicated thing, and the potential so far is limitless. We cannot fathom the extremities of her quirk yet, and the priority right now is to ensure her safety. I want her to grow up knowing her quirk is not destructive or bad or meant for pain. I don’t want her to grow up and hate her quirk or herself. So, keep an eye on her horn, but I’m not too worried- she’s been exhibiting exceptional control in the last few months.

In the absolute worst-case scenario, I have placed a quirk cancelling bracelet in her bag. I don’t want her to wear it all the time because I don’t want to send this message of needing to subdue or tame this quirk so aggressively; I don’t want to damage the already fragile relationship she has with her quirk. But I’ve explained what it is to her, and she understands that if she’s ever too scared, overwhelmed or thinks she can’t control it, she can just put the bracelet on, and she’ll be okay.

Eri is warm and brilliant. She’s kind to a fault. If you go out on a walk with her and see a puppy walking down the street, her eyes will sparkle. She loves the park; she can play on the swings for hours. She’s energetic and filled with a zeal for life. She likes wearing full sleeved clothing because of the scars on her arms and a part of me breaks every time I think about that. You will feel awed by her, you will be brimming with love, and you will want to protect her at all costs. I don’t have to ask you to take care of her or keep her safe; I know she’ll instigate those feelings within you herself. She’s just that special.

Bedtime is 8:30, don’t let her talk you into reading more than 3 bedtime stories. Tuck her in nice and tight but not too tight and leave a bed lamp on. Offer her your hand when you’re walking in public. And know that when she smiles at you, she means it from the bottom of her heart. So, cherish it.

I look forward to hearing her recount all of your adventures together when I’m back. Until then.

(Your worst nightmare if anything happens to her)

Her dad,  Eraserhead

[in-my-feels-probably]

INEFFABLE - Kaz Brekker

Chapter Eleven

If you would like to read this on Wattpad, it’s on there as well, my @ is in_my_feels_probably and there’s a few visuals and better descriptions and stuff on there. otherwise, enjoy, let me know what you think, and you can check out my masterlist for updates and more. don’t forget to read the prologue, it’s important to the story!

INEFFABLE – Kaz Brekker

ineffable (adj.) too great to be expressed in words, utterly indescribable; too sacred to speak of. 

Chapter Eleven

It was early that morning, and the Crows had stopped the carriage. Elham had quickly changed back into her regular clothes, glad to be out of the dress. The Crows piled out and moved to stand behind the trunk Alina was stowed away in. They stood ready to defend themselves, Jesper with his hand on his pistol.

Elham put her hand on top of Jesper’s, reholstering his pistol. “Saints Jesper, we didn’t go through all that trouble just for you to shoot her.” “Relax, love, it’s just a precaution. Besides, I don’t think a bullet is going to do much damage against the literal sun.”

Noises came from inside the trunk, and the lid popped open, Alina slowly emerging. She cautiously climbed out and jumped down in front of the Crows, holding her hands up in surrender.

“We don’t want any trouble.”

Alina’s voice was shaky. “Neither do I, so I’ll just be on my way.”

Kaz swiftly drew up his cane, blocking her from getting away on his side. Jesper stepped forward hesitantly. “Clearly, you want out of East Ravka. We can help you. We have a secure route through the Fold.”

Inej was gripping Elham’s hand tightly, and Elham was almost having to hold Inej up to keep her from collapsing. She knew this must have been a lot for a believer. Hell, it was a lot for her too.

Alina glanced at them warily, and Inej nodded at her, Elham offering a reassuring smile.

“I prefer to travel alone.”

Elham quipped up. “Baghra wouldn’t want you to. She told me about you. You’re safe with us, I promise. He’s not going to get you, not while I’m still standing.”

Elham knew her attempt was futile, but it was worth a shot. Alina’s face contorted with hesitation, like she wanted to trust her, but she knew she couldn’t.

“No, I can’t. Like I said, I prefer travelling alone.”

Jesper raised a hand towards her, signalling he meant no harm. “Don’t be rash. You stick with us, and everybody gets what they want.”

“I’m not being anyone’s captive ever again. So step aside, and let me pass.”

Elham almost felt guilty. She remembered the fear she felt escaping the Little Palace, and she knew there was nothing she could say or do to ease Alina. She looked to Kaz, who still hadn’t moved his cane, blocking Alina in.

Kaz relented. “I’m afraid we can’t let that happen.”

Jesper put his hand back on his pistol, and Alina’s eyes caught it. She moved her hands together, and Elham quickly dropped Inej’s hand, raising hers. She sparked a flame, ready to defend the Crows, when she was blinded by a searing light.

Inej had blocked it, and Elham had turned away before she got the full force of it, so she recovered quickly enough to see Jesper and Kaz ducked away, groaning, and Inej’s hands raised in surrender.

Elham had two options. Raise her hands and fight, cornerining Alina, or, she could let her go. She could get her kruge, ensure the safety of the Crow Club and Inej’s indenture, or, she could betray Kaz, and end up indentured to Heleen at the Menagerie.

But when she saw Alina’s hands raised in defense, the look in her eye matching a scared and defenseless animal, she dropped her hands to her side, stepping back towards Inej.

She’d accepted her fate the second she offered herself up in Inej’s place, and she knew she’d do anything to ensure the safety and security of the Crows, her family. There was no point in capturing Alina, not when she had been in the exact same position all those years ago.

Alina was scanning her eyes between Inej and Elham, slowly lowering her hands when Inej had slightly bowed her head to her. She looked at Elham, who just gave her a quick nod. Alina nodded her head back in thanks, and dashed around the side of the carriage and away from the Crows.

Jesper and Kaz had recovered now, slightly rubbing at their eyes, looking around. Elham sighed. She was in for it, and she knew it.

---

The Crows had trudged into one of the bars in the city, and were all seated around a table, silent. Jesper was scouting, and Inej had come in and taken a seat next to Elham, who had already downed a shot or two, and was still eyeing Kaz’s drink.

“There’s no horses missing at the stable, so…”

Kaz was slumped in his seat, gripping his cane. “So? What? Are you two going to tell me how the target got away?”

At that question, Elham had seemed to sober up a bit, now sitting up straighter.

Inej tilted her head, taking a deep breath. “I let her go.”

“You let her go? Elham, what were you doing during all of this? Fiddling with your thumbs?”

Elham stared Kaz down. “Well first, I was making sure my retinas were still intact. When I finally recovered, I sparked a flame, but then I realized the Sun Summoner would do us no good if I burnt her to a crisp...and I also realized Inej was right. So I surrendered, and she ran.”

Kaz leaned closer, and his tone was menacing, one of the worst he had ever used to speak to her.

“You both were hired to do a job.”

Elham scoffed. “Oh, is that right? I’m an employee, now? Not the one person who’s made sure your ass didn’t end up dumped in the harbour every night for the past few years? Got it.”

She slumped in her chair, turning away from him, missing how his face fell. Inej cut Kaz off before he could speak.

“The job was to pick up a fake for an easy million kruge. We found a living Saint who can summon the sun.”

Kaz pulled a coin from his pocket, twirling it between his gloved fingers. “A good magician is a good con artist. The trick is to make it look real.”

He opened his palms to reveal the coin was missing. Elham, slightly more intoxicated than she needed to be, almost laughed, muttering. “That was a good one, Kaz, you should do parties.”

Inej ignored her. “This is different. You saw her summon with your own eyes.”

“The best illusions are the most convincing. That’s the game.”

“You can hide behind your cynicism, but I believe she’s the real thing.”

Kaz turned to Elham, who was watching him with glazed eyes. “Do you?”

She took a breath, and nodded. “I do.”

He turned back to Inej, his words bitter. “I don’t see you falling to your knees to worship every Heartrender or Squaller we meet.”

Elham had heard enough. “Saints, Kaz, that’s enough. Don’t mock and belittle her faith just because you have none.”

He scoffed. “And you do?”

She hesitated. “I didn’t. Maybe I do now, I don’t know what I believe in, I’ve never found any comfort in the Saints, but I trust Inej.”

Inej was unrelenting. “This is different. Her power is a miracle. I won’t betray my faith.”

“Pious as that may be, we cannot work effectively as a crew if you’re making decisions based on religious zeal!”

Inej was seething. “Is that a threat to return me to Heleen?”

Kaz didn’t waver, leaning in, voice desperate.

“Either we get the target, or Heleen gets the Crow Club and Pekka gets whatever’s left. And if we do somehow manage to make it back, but empty handed, I’ll get to keep what’s mine, and you’ll be safe. But what does it matter if she gets my Valkyrie?”

Elham stilled in her chair, and Kaz’s eyes widened as he realized what he said. Inej’s face contorted in confusion.

“Wait. Why would Heleen get the Crow Club? Or Elham? What’s going on?”

Kaz’s jaw was clenched as he glanced at Elham, who was already staring, eyes glassy, tears threatening to spill over. He abruptly stood from the table, grabbing his cane and scampering off.

“Kaz! What did you do?”

She turned to Elham who was sunk in her seat, not meeting her gaze. “What did you do?”

Elham quickly wiped under her eyes, clearing her throat. “I, uh...something pretty stupid, I guess. But it was worth it.”

Inej gripped Elham’s hand. “Come on, you’ll have to do better than that. Please tell me.”

Elham hesitated, but finally gave in. “Well. We needed you for the heist, and Kaz knew he couldn’t pay off your indenture, which is what it would have taken for Heleen to release you. So...he gave her the deed to the Crow Club.”

Inej’s eyes widened, panicked. Elham quickly recountered.

“I didn’t let him do it! I could never let him give up something like that, it’s too big a risk. But I knew we had to free you, and I swore to myself that once we got you out of there, I wouldn’t let you go back.”

“Saints, El, what did you do?”

The tears were falling now. “Before I joined the Dregs, I off and on worked for a small place down by the harbour. I was desperate, and the owner hired me on a nightly basis. I wasn’t indentured, I did it all out of my own free will, I was lucky enough to at least have that. So, I guess you can say I have experience.”

Realization hit Inej, and she leaned her forehead against Elham’s. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.”

A sob caught in Elham’s throat. “I did. I couldn’t let you go back there, and I couldn’t let Kaz give up something he worked so hard for. So, if we don’t make it back, Heleen gets the Crow Club. If we do, and we’re empty handed...she gets me. I’ll be her little fawn.”

“Saints, Elham, why did you let me let Alina go, why would you do all that for me? I could never ask it of you.”

Elham let out a chuckle, but there was no humour in it.

“You would never have to. I would do it again a thousand times over for you, for you and for him. But Saint’s Inej, I’m scared. I don’t want to go back to that.”

Inej’s voice was determined now, as she pulled Elham into a hug. “You won’t, ok? I promise. She’s not going to take either of us.”

It was Inej’s turn to let out a watery chuckle, her hold on Elham tightening.

“You’re crazy if you think Kaz is going to let you go, you know that right? I think he’d tear down the Barrel brick by brick before he let his Valkyrie go.”

Elham hummed into Inej’s shoulder, before pulling back, wiping under her eyes.

“I hope that’s true.”

“Of course it is.”

Elham scanned the room, spotting Kaz and Jesper.

“Will you go settle our tab? I’ll go see what the plan from here is.”

Inej nodded and stood heading for the bar as Elham headed to take a seat next to Jesper.

---

A/N - hi everyone! i should have a new chapter up soon, but we're getting really close to some of the stuff i've been really excited about writing in. also, the google doc i have for this book is literally 75 pages? like huh? it's well over 20-25K words, like what? and wattpad says it takes over 2 hours to read, that's crazy, y'all are dedicated for those of you reading it all in one go. anyways, let me know what you thought, feel free to reach out, and thanks for the support?

[dameronology]

finn relationship alphabet

a - actions. what sort of things do they do to show they love their s.o?

hugs!! just hugs. also, finn has a jar that he writes sweet things on every time he has a thought about how important you are and sometimes, just sometimes, he lets you read it.

b - beginnings. how did the relationship begin? how has it changed?

it'll be probably be refreshingly simple. because of his upbringing, relationships weren't much of a worry, so in finn's mind, there's no previous bad experiences of rejection or anything. so, he just said it how it was.

c - comfortable. how comfy are they with each other? peeing with the door open close, or would they rather keep the mystery?

finn is very easy to be comfortable around. he has such a warm presence that you can't help but be yourself.

d - dates. do they consider dates to be important? what kind do they prefer?

he's like...the king of pinterest dates. and his creativity is impressive, bc pinterest doesn't even exist in the star wars universe. i'm talking pillow forts & movie nights, and scenic hikes through the forest for a picnic.

e - engagement. how would they propose? who would even pop the question?

i think it would be quite traditional, but also private? so he'd take you out for dinner and you'd have a really special evening, then when you were back in the privacy of your home, he'd pop the question - but finn is absolutely not opposed to you being the one who proposes.

f - fundamental. for them, what is the most fundamental part of a relationship?

mutual love & support - it's a simple one, but it's so fucking important. he needs someone who will love him, and someone who he can love right back. someone who won't mind being protected, but also someone who would fight his corner when he needs it.

g - gratitude. how do they show their appreciation for you?

he's an acts of service kinda guy. finn goes out his way to make sure you're okay & that you don't need anything - and if you do, he's usually on it before you even realise it

h - home. a random domestic headcanon.

his favourite past time is cooking. when he started out, he was awful, but now he's basically gordon ramsay

i - infinite. do they believe their love is endless, or is there something that could break it?

finn's love for you is just as important as his cause. you are everything to him, but so is fighting for a better galaxy. if you had fundamentally different morals, or fought on opposite sides, that would be enough for him to withdraw himself from you.

j - jokes. who's the funny one?

he actually has a really good sense of humour, so it's probably a tie

k - kiss. how do they kiss? favourite type?

finn loses it when you kiss him on the nose. he'll try to keep calm and. not completely scream, but his success rate so far is...zero.

as for his kisses, they're always warm and soft. the ones before & after missions are usually a little deeper, but when he's holding you, it feels like the safest place in the galaxy

l - longing. who's the clingy one? how are they with long distance?

finn isn't clingy, just because of how clinical the first order was, but it's a different story in the mornings. he will wrap his limps around you and hold you captive in bed til he's ready to wake up.

m - marriage. do they wanna get married?

i think finn will do whatever you want to do. he's dedicated to you no matter what, ring or no rings, vows or no vows, so if you're not that fussed about marriage, he's perfectly fine with the status quo. but, if you really do want to get married, he's also down for that too.

n - nicknames. what ones do they like?

his favourites are honey and babe.

o - over the top. are they ever ott? or are they more low-key?

finn is more low-key. he prefers intimacy & closeness between just the two of you, rather than grand events in public, or with other people.

p - picture. what's their favourite picture of them and their s.o?

there's one of the two of you sat in the cockpit of the millenium falcon that rey took - it's on his bedside table, in his wallet, and in his locker. favourite place, favourite person.

q - quintessential. what is one they would refuse to compromise in their relationship? what's a deal-breaker for them?

moral & political fundamentals. finn is extremely driven to help the resistance, and to fight for the hope and light in the galaxy - he couldn't be with someone who didn't think the same way, or someone who tried to reason with the empire of first order.

t - tattoo. would they ever get matching tattoos with their s.o, or a tattoo for them?

i think finn is too sensible for matching tattoos, tbh. he has all the faith in the world for your relationship to succeed but it's never 100% guaranteed - and if something does go wrong, he doesn't wanna be stuck with that reminder.

u - understanding. how understanding are they? or are they a little difficult?

the most understanding person ever. EVER. he is extremely empathetic & emotionally mature, so finn is amazing at reasoning and rationalising things.

v - vases. do they buy flowers?

yes!! he loves randomly surprising you with them

w - wandering. do they wanna travel? or immediately settle down?

finn has an innate desire to travel; he's seen so little of the galaxy, and the bit's he has seen, he did so through the lens of a storm trooper helmet. he'll want to see as many planets and systems as he can, with you by his side - but the minute you get tired and want to settle down, he's coming right with you

x - ex. how many exes do they have? any horror stories?

none! he's not exactly had the chance to have any.

y - you. favourite thing about their partner?

he likes your passion & your drive; it brings out his, and inspires him to work hard and put his values first in the way that you do. after being surrounded by so many other troopers who were conditioned into being docile, having someone who encourages his causes and his individuality means everything to him.

z - zeal. how excitable are they? who's the calm one?

finn is a balance of both. he's really calm when it comes to mission strategies and work - he's patient and cautious, in fact. but when it comes to holochess and intergalactic monopoly? the man's a board flipper.

[babyybitchhh]

Perona x Reader 18+

Rating: Explicit/R-18+

Words: 1,000

Warnings: cunnilingus, scissoring, first time (wlw experience)

A/N: Some of my best works were written out of spite. That's a joke, I was actually thinking about writing for Perona already but I'd REALLY like to write something for Yamato. I just ... don't know if I have the balls for it 😅

♥♥♥♥

Glossy layers of pink - a pink so soft and rich in the way sugary gumdrops that melt on the tongue are - sweep across the pillow in a delicately curling halo. The mass of it shifts and catches the light when she looks up at you. From under the petal tip fringe of her hair and through the enviable fall of luxurious lashes, her dark eyes glitter with the zeal of polished gemstones. She was somehow both coquettish and endearingly bashful at the same time; both eager and shy at being laid out on the bed like this, and you don’t try to hide your smile.

Couldn’t have even if you’d wanted to.

“Is this your first time?”

Perona arches underneath you, pushing her bare chest up in invitation. You gladly accept the offer and reach out to cradle the weight of one full breast, earning a sigh of satisfaction from her.

“Yes.” It’s little more than a whisper in the quiet hush of her bedroom, so very, very late at night.

But this was her domain. The place in which she was most comfortable and at ease so the two of you were free to explore one another here, in the plush indulgence of her bed, just as curious nymphs might out in the deep, secluded wood. It was fitting for her, this woman of perfect porcelain and cotton candy, and translucent specters. She looked every bit the part of a fairy princess and you think, idly, that such a title would be suited to Perona almost as much as her ghost princess epithet.

She coos so sweetly for you, too, when your mouth brands a hot trail of kisses down her stomach in taunting slow motion. It was obvious where you were headed and it was obvious she knew it. Her breathing shallows out, coming quick and short now while she moves against the sheets, against you, like a gently cresting wave.

Your first taste of her, an exploratory kitten lick through satin folds, is as divine as taking a bite from the ripe red apple of Eden. As intoxicating as the wine served at the last supper.

You groan into the silk cradle of her body and Perona responds with a stuttering mewl of her own. Delicate hands find their way to your hair, tugging you into action even though you could hardly deny her anything, least of all this thing that you wanted just as badly as she did.

“God, you smell so good.”

She whimpers faintly at the stilted breath you draw to savor her and truly taste her on your palate. Your cunt offers a muted throb in response, aching for her as much as you hoped she was aching for you. But your tongue still takes its time lapping at her in the same way a fine brandy is meant to be appreciated, slow relish and at a staggered pace, until she’s writhing against your mouth with muted pleas tumbling from her carefully painted lips of rose.

Perona peaks surprisingly splendidly fast.

Perona, you quickly come to find, is a sensitive pillow princess befitting of the title.

“You should do that again,” she murmurs, all sultry and blissed out once she’s caught her breath again. “You’re good at it.”

You can’t keep the grin off your face now.

“I’ve got something even better for you.”

She looks at you in a way that would suggest she can’t imagine anything would be better than having her pretty little pussy ate. You could already see the pout forming on her mouth, practically hear the huffy demand she wanted to issue for you to continue as she’d asked, but you weren’t lying to her. It would feel good and you were going to make sure of that, for you were as devotedly loyal to her pleasure as any good subject should be.

A brief shuffle to rearrange yourself soon finds your legs intertwined with the creamy white of hers. Perona catches on quickly enough, though her baby doll face continues to reflect a certain amount of doubt even as she nudges closer to slot her pelvis into the space between your thighs. She looks at you with that same sheepish anticipation as before, fine strands of bubblegum clinging to her skin where it’s damp with sweat, and you offer her a slow grind of your hips by way of explanation.

Her puffy cunt is almost obscenely slick with the vicious mix of fluid you’ve left in your wake, making the glide of your slit against hers smooth. Your chest tightens when you see those voluminous lashes flutter at the sensation and you do it again. The drag of pudgy lips rubbing together is exquisite, the darker hair on yours a stark contrast to her pink. A true sight to behold and it only heightens all your senses to the point of delightful agony as you tip your head back with a groan, certain you’ve been bewitched somehow.

Such an ability did not seem out of the question for someone such as her.

“O - oh …”

Perona sounds surprised and it’s a charming color on her. Emboldened, you push down on her with more fervor to make those delicate thighs twitch and splay further apart for you. Still, though, she does not move to reciprocate the effort and, still, you do not mind.

She’s so drenched that you find yourself equally sticky in just a matter of moments, the excited discharge that leaks from you blending with hers to create the perfect amount of easy friction. And Perona is alive with it, desperately twisting her hips up into the pressure before finally succumbing to the throes of release yet again.

Eventually, you ease back to give her a moment's respite and the gossamer threads that stretch and snap between your cunts pulls a haggard moan out of you. She would be the end of you at this rate and you were quite certain she’d be fine with that.

[rpbetter]

Hi! How do you distinguish between a mun who has favorites but still treats their non favorites with respect, and a mun who has favorites but uses this as an excuse to disrespect everyone else? Sometimes it's hard for me to tell, and I'd love to hear what you think.

Hey, Anon! That's actually a great question.

It's also totally reasonable to have a hard time telling. When you feel like you might be a little more into the threads than the other mun is, no matter how much they're being respectful and caring, it can still feel a bit...lame. We all want to be a favorite writing partner, even as we know that's impossible, that we can't manage that ourselves. It's not a thing of logic!

I feel like I should probably preface the detailing I'm about to do - this is only my experience. There are always variables in anything dealing with other people, and any time we're already feeling down, it's really easy to see things in a way that might not be the reality.

Alright, then.

Muns who use this as an excuse or justification for what they're doing tend to be the ones that:

are likely to pair the excuse/justification with aggressively vilifying anyone who takes issue with their treatment of them for being too serious about RP/too emotionally invested in anything from friendships to ships/otherwise "not realizing it's just a hobby" - apparently, "hobby" actually means "you're not making a dollar, so, do whatever you want in whatever way you want, so long as it's making you and only you happy and comfortable," who knew?

will lead muns on, either because they're uncomfortable with telling those who are not the favorites that...well, they're not the favorites and they might wish to just drop the threads or because...

they have a bit of a habit of going through favorites/their favorites take frequent breaks or are slower to reply, and it's good to have other muns around for when either situation happens - it's okay if everyone else is bored and/or left out, but not them

become angry and defensive if you ask them about your thread(s) and/or if everything is alright after a reasonable period of inactivity only on your threads*

if they previously had OOC contact and/or a friendship with you, it's one pole or another of OOC behavior with you now - no contact/as little as they can possibly manage or they'll proceed like you also only want to have conversations about what is going on with the favorite(s), the ships, the threads, the fandom, the mun. Before anyone misconstrues this to mean that "so, no matter what they do it's sus lol," no. There is such a thing as neither insulting someone by having nothing else to talk about except the mun/muse/ship you're ignoring them for nor just stopping/avoiding conversation altogether. It's actually not normal or acceptable to treat people like disposable fixations or expect them to be thrilled or lie about it when you can't shut up about their replacement(s)

in general, if this mun just keeps making it apparent that neither you nor anyone else exists unless they're the favored mun? That's really it. That's the difference between having favorites and still treating other muns with respect - there isn't any respect, none of you exist to respect

*I'm not going to speak to what is reasonable to everyone, it's one of those things I think muns should mention to some degree in their rules, but with people taking it to mean things it doesn't, it's doubtful that's going to happen. (I encourage it, though, please, put in your rules when you'll ask about threads or if you'll assume there is no more interest and they've been dropped. "After one month of no reply and no OOC contact, I will either contact you to ask if you're still interested." No big deal!) For me, it would depend on the mun themselves, even if I've got in my rules that after x time, I will assume y. If this is a mun that has updated OOC that they're extra slow right now, and they're usually pretty slow, I'm going to just see that as them prioritizing preferred partners with what little time they have, that's not coming across as rude favoritism to me at that point. If it's a mun that has continued to reply as normal, posted no updates OOC, and they're specifically just replying to one or two favorites with that regular timing, I'm going to ask if they're still interested after a month or so.

The problem always is that, despite what the RPC likes to say for the same damn reason, we're all afraid to be acting on ridiculous suspicion and paranoia. We get treated a certain way, maybe it is once and it was just extremely bad, maybe it has happened over and over again, and we really do start seeing phantoms of ill-treatment. It becomes difficult to trust your own judgment and listen to your inner voice (one that, furthermore, is already at least a bit embattled by life on and offline).

These are only some points to help you trust yourself or disprove yourself if you already feel like there might be this problem going on.

If you have someone who could be impartial when given evidence, you might want to consider asking if they'd mind helping you identify if this is a problem or not. Don't mention mun names or even muses if you're in the same intersections of the RPC, you're not trying to smear anyone here, just get a different viewpoint that isn't touched by any negative or positive feelings about that mun!

I said "evidence," so, I want to be clear that I did not mean screenshots or direct quotes. Give situations, what the mun is and is not doing, as both are important.

Some questions that might help you identify things to present to a third party for help:

Are they replying to any of your threads, how about asks?

If/when they reply to you IC, how do they reply? Is it shorter than it used to be, unenthusiastic? Or is it the same, just fewer and farther between, or less interesting to you than what they're doing with preferred partners?

Are the plots they're doing with the favorite(s) ones that you previously had with them or that you had plotted out and were working toward? And if that answer is yes, are these common plots that can be applied anywhere or specific ones?

Is this all something that is perhaps temporary overexcitement, or has this just kept going on for months, shows no sign of stopping?

Did you speak/were friends OOC? If so, how has this changed? Frequency of messaging, topics of conversation, enthusiasm, interest in you or your muse?

Are you now left out of games on the dash in which you used to be tagged, or unwelcome in things like "dash crack?" Is it, by contrast, that you might be welcome in the latter, but either it doesn't interest you by inclusion/focus of the favorite or because you lack a base of engagement with what's going on?

Do they send you memes, has that changed at all?

The way you feel is valid, but it might also be influencing the way you're viewing a situation, including in how you relate it to someone else for help. So, try to stick to actions when doing so.

By contrast, muns who have favorites but are not using this to justify being disrespectful to others tend to:

be open and upfront about having favorites and why - they're not trying to hide anything, including what makes their favorite writing partners, threads, and ships favorites to begin with

^they are not "open and upfront" by obnoxiously reminding everyone constantly who those favorites are, they're not shit posting how @munthatisntyou is their bestie/their muse is lusting after their muse/actually my wife. They are upfront about it by stating in their rules they can, will, and do have favorites. They're open about it by not lying or acting like it's the worst accusation ever when someone asks them about it

definitely have priority threads, might have an easier, thus faster, time responding to questions/prompts regarding those threads/ships, but still respond with equal interest to memes from others*

the same is true of interest and turnaround time with thread replies, they might get the preferred ones out faster, but they're still replying to everyone and still keeping other muns updated on what's going on*

will not be hostile when approached by fair, politely put concerns about threads, but rather, will respond with honesty as to their interests - whether they have, indeed, changed or haven't alike

they still express the same interest OOC outside of messages, liking and commenting on posts, sending memes, and being concerned or congratulatory when they see OOC posts dealing with life events

in general, muns who just have favorites like everyone does remain aware of others in the same way they always have, still make efforts to respond to threads, memes, messages, etc. with the same interest they always have - they appreciate everyone they interact with, not only their favorite(s)

*Everyone has a different way that works for them, and that influences their meme answering, thread replying, and OOC response turnaround time. A very social mun might respond to OOC messages more frequently, reliably, and with more zeal than a mun who is less socially active, forgetful, or dealing with different difficulties that might prevent doing so, for example. As another example, a mun who writes lengthy, detailed novella that takes a while to finish is going to take longer with everyone than a mun who writes in a way, or just has more time to write, that allows for replies to get out faster. Please, keep expectations and observances mindful of these factors and differences! What is typical of one mun might be perceived as legitimate favoritism when contrasted with a mun who operates differently than them.

That's really the difference, there is recognition and appreciation of everyone. They might have a visibly different friendship with their favorite(s), but it doesn't come with the cost of treating everyone else either like they don't exist or like total shit. And that comes in many ways, as many ways as there are possible interactions in the RPC. From being casual mutuals who do not write together (still acknowledging posts etc.) to outright writing partners (still giving replies with as much effort and quality).

You can think of muns like this as you would people who have different sorts of friendships as opposed to people who have rather cliquey friendships in which it's often enough a clique of two in which everyone else, even if included or otherwise used by those two, only exists out of necessity. The former is a normal social situation, we get on well with the people we do for a reason, and that's perfectly alright. The latter is some immature and self-interested behavior one should have grown out of in junior high.

As you didn't ask for this, I'm putting it under the cut as additional advice for others!

If you feel like someone is being disrespectful, or worse, and is glossing it over with "it's okay for people to have favorites, calm down" (a thing that's totally true but not meant to be used to excuse shitty behavior), you really do want to just remove yourself from the situation. In a situation like that, you're not going to change their behavior, and even if you did, are you ever going to be able unsee it?

What is more likely to happen is you'll be growing the seed of upset they planted into a big tree of animosity. Every time you are on your dash and see them replying or tagging their favorite(s), you're going to be either hurt or angry. Eventually, it's impossible to separate which of those things you are, and it's increasingly likely you're going to say or do something regrettable. And I mean regrettable in how it is likely to negatively affect you. You don't deserve to be branded a terrible person for an outburst. The situation has been bad enough.

Whether you should soft block to unfollow and force an unfollow, hard block, unfollow with or without communication is all subject to too many variables for me to advise any single course of action.

If it's possible to communicate politely that you're officially dropping threads or unfollowing, I will always advise doing so. If that isn't possible because this mun has been that terrible, or has proven in the past that they will react badly to such communications, then so be it, just quietly remove yourself from their presence.

You owe friends, even former ones if they've not done you awfully, the decency of communicating that you're ending things. You owe mutuals who haven't done anything more than ignoring you (as awful as that is, it's not as bad as being aggressively disrespectful, lying to you, leading you on, etc.) that decency and maturity as well. You do not owe anyone who has behaved like an immature ass that decency, it's okay to just leave in those cases. As it is in situations when you feel confident that speaking to them is going to cause drama for you.

When a mun hasn't ever really interacted with you, you've become mutuals, but it never went anywhere because they were already engaged in ignoring everyone except the favorite(s), it's alright to just leave quietly, too. They clearly don't register that you exist, so...don't exist. Go exist around muns who know you're there. But the caveat to that should be that if they decide to notice your vacant spot on the dash and come to you to ask about this, you should answer them. Be honest, but polite. Tell them that you just didn't see working out with them after all, and since you hadn't interacted, you unfollowed.

You never know (you just shouldn't count on it), in that latter case especially, that mun might honestly not be aware of the effect of their actions. Like everyone else, they're just doing what they enjoy, what makes them happy is what they're concentrated on, and might genuinely just have a narrow field of vision on it until spoken to.

Whatever is right for the unique situation at hand, don't lie to someone if they message you about it. Don't just act like it was an accidental unfollow or a tumblr glitch, grit your teeth, and add them back so that there is no unpleasantness. There is already unpleasantness if you felt the need to distance yourself from them, remember that!

[timhatchlive]

We are Surrounded by Him

Isaiah 26:1 (ESV) In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.

There are some who suggest the phrase "in that day" refers to the millennial reign of Christ on this Earth. They may be right but I disagree. And Christians can disagree on such matters. Isaiah 24 described global devastation. Isaiah 25 described God's protection over His people through global judgment. Isaiah 26 now turns to the protective place called the Lord's Church that will exist most clearly in the last days. The reason I believe this chapter refers to that time is that people will still be coming into the city. 

Isaiah 26:2 (ESV) Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

Yes, people could still be coming to Christ in the Millenium, but would it be faith to believe in a Christ who is visibly present? I don't quite know. But lets move on. 

We see that God will protect with strong walls His people through the great trouble that comes on the Earth before His triumphant return. 

Throughout this chapter, we have picture presented of the Church age just before the ressurection. 

Isaiah 26:9 (ESV) My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

First, we see that God will bring judgments on the Earth so that people might learn to turn from sin and fear Him. Some people wonder why God judges and brings calamity. It is for the greater good of your eternal salvation. Would you rather have temporal joy and permanent suffering or temporal suffering and permanent joy? In this midst of suffering, we need to remember that ultimately all suffering ends for those surrendered to Christ. No matter how bad that present suffering feels, it is accomplishing a never-ending purpose. 

We also see a general blindness in those who refuse to believe in spite of the judgments.

Isaiah 26:11 (ESV) O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.

The "hand lifted" is a picture of judgment on the Earth. In spite of the great troubles we now experience and will one day very much more experience, some people will only grow harder in heart like Pharoah before them. 

At the same time, there will be a people belonging to God who will not take credit for their works but give Him all the glory. 

Isaiah 26:12–13 (ESV) O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. 13 O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.

Of course they will do this because in the tribulation, the works produced will have to be miraculous in nature as the world suffers trouble unlike anything before. 

After detailing more of the trouble on the Earth, Isaiah shares a powerful picture of resurrection that reminds us each morning of our ultimate future in Christ. 

Isaiah 26:19 (ESV) Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Dew shows up in the night. When the sun rises, the dew rises with it. Every morning we see dew on the ground we are reminded of our future glory in Christ.

What should we do in the meantime while we wait? We should come to the chambers God has prepared and pray. 

Isaiah 26:20–21 (ESV) Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. 21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Notice again how this chapter enumerates details of the tribulation by referencing "a little while until the fury has passed by". This cannot be the Millenium reign. For 7 years is a little while in the spectrum of the church age. But what are we admonished to do in the judgment? To get in the place of God's presence. Those places are personal prayer (prayer closets) and gatherings of believers which Hebrews admonishes us to do MORE SO as the day of judgment approaches. 

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

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[inscribeddiatribes]

Only If For A Night

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Summary: Steve’s decision to go back to the past has unintended consequences.

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A/N: I decided to participate in the lucid dreams challenge by one of my favorite writers, @golden-ariess. This fic has literally taken me forever to write, but it’s finally finished!

Prompt: “Then tell me how I’m supposed to be.” I was also inspired by the lyrics from Only If for a Night by Florence + the Machine.

Time travel logistics and some endgame scenes have been changed.

Warnings: Contains Angst, Endgame spoilers, Steve Rogers centric, Slightly Yandere/Obsessive, Death.

—

It was supposed to be a simple mission. A final task to put an end to the chaos that Thanos had singlehandedly caused.

As Steve prepared to say his goodbyes, he mused on his current life. He had friends, a support system, and shockingly, he had Bucky back. Losing Bucky had affected him more than he’d care to admit. The loss of Bucky had left him reeling. It seemed like he was destined to feel miserable and all alone.

However, in the five years that he had spent without Bucky, he had found you. You muddled through life the same way he did, but you continued to live your life to the best of your ability by taking the time to find and improve yourself. In many ways he envied you, but you had been utterly alone for years before The Snap, which was a reality he didn’t have to face. He had lost Bucky, and while he may have felt alone, he never truly was.

You were unique, he fondly thought. There were probably a million words that he could use to describe you, but unique was the one that fit best.

Bucky and Sam would understand his decision, but you would be a different story.

—

After leaving Sam, Steve slowly made his way over to you. You looked at him as he came to a stop next to you.

You coolly stated, “I heard they figured out how to fix everything. I’m guessing that’s not what you’re here for though.”

His blood ran cold at the thought that you already knew what he was going to do. He opened his mouth to fumble out an explanation, but you interjected, “If you want to go… then go. I won’t stop you.”

You looked away from him and stared straight ahead. Steve could tell that you were beginning to shut him out. This wasn’t how he expected this to go. How could you shut down at a time like this? He finally had a chance to live a normal life, yet you weren’t happy for him. The words flew out before he could stop himself, “This isn’t how you’re supposed to be.”

You turned towards him and fixed him with a piercing glare, “Then tell me how I’m supposed to be.”

A wave of silence passed over you two. Steve heard you sigh. He desperately wished he knew what to say to fix this, but he was left speechless for once in his life. Steve muttered an apology and made his way back to his teammates.

—

Mission. Home. Idle Chatting. Repeat.

Steve could recite his routine like clockwork. His enjoyment of being with Peggy hadn’t been preserved over the years. His weariness of life frequently clashed with Peggy’s personality. Steve had quickly realized that her zeal and unwavering optimism exhausted him. Peggy understood war better than an average Joe, but she didn’t understand what horrors the future held. By extension, she didn’t understand him either — not anymore. It was inevitable that they wouldn’t last together.

A year. A year is how long it took for Steve to realize that he didn’t belong with Peggy. She was determined, smart, and ambitious. All traits that would please most people. However, she just wasn’t right. She just wasn’t… you. The decision to end things came easy to both of them. Peggy sent him on his way with a tight lipped smiled and a knowing glance.

—

He was back. For the first time in months, he was finally excited.

Steve quickly realized that he had no idea where everyone was. He followed the path closest to him to a road and hoped that a driver would be crazy enough to give him a ride to the Avengers building. He somehow managed to cause a traffic jam as people clambered out of their cars to stare at him in disbelief. It’d definitely be a long ride.

—

Fury sharply stared at Steve, “You’ve managed to make quite the commotion with that little stunt you pulled earlier, Rogers. You disappeared for four years, how could you expect anything less? You’re lucky that we have all the witnesses under control until we can release a new statement.”

Four years? How was that even possible? He had just been gone one year.

Bucky walked through the doorway and approached Fury. Bucky directed his eyes toward a plaque on the wall. It was… your plaque? It was enough to make Fury pause. Fury took a quick glance at Steve and proceeded to leave the room with a grimace. He immediately became suspicious. Fury would never give up an opportunity to yell at someone. Where were you?

Bucky softly sighed, “Pal, I know it’s a lot to take in. A lot of things have changed since you’ve been gone. Y/N isn’t here anymore. There was an attack and we couldn’t get to them in time, I’m so sorry. I have to join Sam on his mission soon, but SHIELD gave me an apartment I never stay at. You can stay there for as long as you want. A company car can take you there.”

Steve felt himself still. You were… dead? You didn’t deserve that. You should be here with him… no, he should have never left in the first place. You were gone. Why you? Why him? This couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. He feels his chest tightening and morbidly hopes that he’ll be the next to go.

He couldn’t bear to look at the sympathetic look on Bucky’s face. Steve takes the key from Bucky’s outstretched hand. Bucky pats him on the shoulder and Steve manages to drag himself to the car awaiting him outside.

Steve had ruined his own happiness. The thought that he had messed things up this badly was enough to want to make him start sobbing. He briefly wonders if you had been in this much pain when he left.

—

He spent his nights spent holed up in Bucky’s apartment desperate for any form of interaction. He spent his days at parks during the day in hopes that some eager fan would spot him and bombard him with even something as simple as an awkward, sweaty handshake. Yet no one ever paid him any attention after his initial reappearance. His absence in The Avengers was quite apparent. Thousands of articles about his sudden departure and Sam’s new identity had easily convinced the world that he was a sham.

Even Bucky was slowly starting to give up on him. He never explicitly said that, but his lack of calls and abundance of mission said enough. He was alone.

He wanted to see you again. You were — and still are — his only escape from his loneliness and misery. He thought about you on that consequential day when he had decided to leave. The sunshine baring down on the both of you contrasted the mood of the whole affair. He wished he would have stopped to consider how you truly felt about him leaving. How your coldness towards him was only a coping method. He wished he could go back and scream at himself to stay.

Closing his eyes again, he cleared those thoughts away and willed himself to fall asleep. Dreams were his refuge. He was able to create happy memories of you that he never got to experience with you in real life. Vacations, garden tours, café dates. He did anything and everything with you. You and the whole world were at his fingertips in his dreams. You were his, only if for a night.

—

Bathroom. Eat. Dream. Repeat. Another routine that he could recite like clockwork, only he couldn’t leave this time.

Days passed by. Then weeks. Then months. Everything started blurring together. There was no point in trying to remember them. No one had any need for him anymore. He was no longer Captain America, that role was taken.

He realized he couldn’t be upset, he was the one that had caused this. It still stung to know that everyone had moved on and most importantly, that you were gone.

There was nothing he could now. It was too late. He had lost Peggy. He had lost his friends. Now, he had lost you too. No amount of dreaming would bring you back. He was alone again. He would always be alone — a man out of time.

—

Lyrics:

“And I heard your voice as clear as day. And you told me I should concentrate. It was all so strange and so surreal. That a ghost should be so practical. Only if for a night.”

I don’t own these characters, songs, or lyrics, nor did I create any of them. This work is strictly for fair use/ entertainment purposes. No money has been received from this work.

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