#I just really love the religion in tes

[plinkosoup]

Kaidan, asking the religion question outside of a temple: Never took you for the religious type. Do you have a Patron God? Isekai'd LDB, who used to be an Atheist in our world: Uh... No. I never really believed in them, till I came to Skyrim. Now? I don't care for them. Lucien: Oh! Don't you worry about the afterlife? LDB, who's technically in their afterlife: I find it hard to care for the judgement of a god who's sins are far greater than mine.

[watchingblsnowandforever]

My (mostly regularly) updated GMMTV 2025 lineup in order of my preference: (they understood the assignment and kept only 1.5 het shows so my work is easier)

Cat for Cash: I am looking forward to this so much you have no idea. FirstKhao in a series with only fluff and found family? A literal dream come true, honestly.

Me and Thee: UNO reverse NLMG meets KinnPorsche with PondPhuwin? Consider me SEATED. I am absolutely here for this and this will become my entire personality. This is your warning <3

A Dog and A Plane: The name could use some work but it seems promising. I have a soft spot for TayNew and just getting off the high of Peaceful Property, and they have never disappointed me. The premise is a little eyebrow-raising, but it's just the pilot so lot of time for fine tuning. Also- MarcPoon.

Ticket to Heaven: This is in between Excited and Hopeful because I absolutely adore GemFourth, and they are brilliant actors, especially Fourth, but no angst for me, thanks. I do understand religious guilt, but I'm not Catholic and I didn't grow up very religious (I mean don't get me wrong my mom is super religious but my dad is agnostic at best so I grew up in this weird middle ground and now I don't believe in God, not really. As it is, my religion is polytheistic.) So I can't wait to see this but I'm also gonna gently poke at it like it's a wild bear first.

Dare You to Death: I love a good mystery, but that's not what drew me to this. JoongDunk did. From a switch in their dynamics in THK to a switch back, this got me hooked. And as I said: mystery.

Whale Store xoxo: cute slice of life fluff with MilkLove? YES. I am a tiny bit weary though, since the last time I was so excited for a MilkLove series, it turned out... well. Not as I'd expected. I still am hopeful, though.

That Summer: WinnySatang? In a Disney BL. Hmm. I wanna see how this turns out, especially for the side couple. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of the amnesia trope (they have three of those lined up like. why.) but I might just like this.

Memoir of Rati: GreatInn? In a historical BL/ period drama?...go on.

My Romance Scammer: Gay rights and gay wrongs all in one place. Need I say more?

Boys in Love: True high school fluff is what I live for. Okay, maybe not entirely true, but I really did like the trailer, and I do love my fluff.

My Magic Prophecy: Someone in GMMTV watched Agatha All Along, and used the theme of tarot cards and fortune telling to cope with Lillia's death. Jokes aside, I like JimmySea and Jimmy playing a doctor is just so funny to me, I might just watch it for the irony. And also, they deserve better after Last Twilight (why, P'Aof.)

Burnout: I will watch this if not for anything else, then the Not Me nostalgia. And Gun in black lipstick and a lip ring. I might stop after a few eps to wait out until it finishes airing though, cause Love Triangle is definitely not for me.

Mu-Te-Luv: Fortune telling, fate, tarots, blah blah blah. Some het, some queer, I'll see which ones I watch (hint: won't be the het ones). Gives me 7 Project vibes, honestly.

Head 2 Head: What in the Bad Buddy. For anyone who hasn't watched the trailers: this is a Bad Buddy rip off, but the parents want them to get along, and one of them has a weird clairvoyant thing going on. Oh, and everyone is studying fashion designing. And the side couple is exes to lovers.

Girl Rules: I see messy lesbians and bisexuals, but I also hear misogyny and patriarchy. Only Friends GL version. I didn't really like Only Friends so-

Only Friends: Dream On: Maybe.

Wu: I have no idea what this is, but it kinda intrigued me. Little bit.

Love You Teacher: Um.

Melody of Secrets: Horror or psychological thriller is not really my thing so I will mostly be ignoring this unless I find something that piques my interest.

[gothcsz]

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter I.

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: Javier gets acquainted with his new job and new life in small town, Texas.

WORD COUNT: 6.7k

RATING:   18+ Mature topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: Mutual pining, talks of homicide, they really wanna fuck each other, beginning of a beautiful slow burn, lots of smoking, southern gothic vibes are strong with this one, if you love worldbuilding then this is the fic for you, mentions of a religious cult, subtle slutshaming.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS:   The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized.

A/N: it’s official, i am now licensed! lol jk jk but hooray to a first chapter! i’ve been working on this thing non stop trying to get the characterization and dynamic and overall voice of the story down pat. i had so much fun writing this tbh and i hope the person reading this enjoyed… well… reading it! i’m still trying to get the hang of writing/posting a whole ass fic while also learning how AO3/Tumblr works so pls be GENTLE with me *cries* i'm not sure what the upload schedule will be yet but just know ya girl is devoting all her free time to this currently.... anyways feel free to drop any type of feedback in my ask. < 3

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Javier Peña doesn’t know if he should see this reassignment as a good thing. He had gotten himself in a pretty hairy situation down in Colombia. His involvement with a death squad and the cartel had him pulled from the biggest case of his career right as they were on the verge of catching Escobar… and only he is to blame for that. He crossed a boundary with himself, gotten innocent people killed and what exactly does he have to show for it?

A reassignment to a small, shitty town in the middle of Texas. 

At least in South America he had a great view to cope with the shitty happenings. The lush mountains of Medellín that stretched for miles and miles, the bustling of the the country’s capitol, Bogotá, or the portrait perfect skyline of Cali. 

Here, it’s just dirt roads with barbed wired fences lining the vast amounts of grassy lands. Occasional livestock litter the area; Seminary’s only lifeline is farming since most of the families that reside here own ranches or crop fields. The town is able to sustain itself with what it produces, therefore not needing many additional businesses. Just a few blocks of shops and civil buildings. No hospital but a doctor’s office with one singular clinician, a grindhouse, some boutiques, a bakery, a very small post office that shares its space with the local newspaper.

Typical spaces you’d find in a settlement like this.

He can’t change his past and all his wrongdoings. Instead, Javier can try and see the fucking silver lining of the situation; that he finally has time to catch his breath… to slow down, for once. The concept is foreign to him. He’s been fleeing from it since he was an adolescent.

A fact that his father, Chucho, had brought up when Javier told the older man of his new job.

“Seminary? ¿Donde putas es eso? (Where the fuck is that?)”

“Couple hours southwest of El Paso. A smidge on the map.”

“A smidge on the map sounds like exactly what you need, hombre (man).” His pops tells him, taking a swig from his beer as the two lean against the wooden fence that keeps the herd of horses from running amuck.

Javi doesn’t say anything, instead gazing out into the vastness of the family ranch.

“All that craziness down there in Colombia te pudre le mente. El cuerpo. (It rots your mind. Your body.) And I’ll be damned if a heart attack takes you out before me.” The men chuckle briefly, sounding just alike.

“Comes with its own shit. A damn ‘cult’.” Javi scoffs, taking a smooth drag from the cigarette between his lips. “Least that’s what the locals think. Could just be a damn serial killer.” No different from what he’s experienced with the cartel.

“Shit is goin’ to be anywhere you go, hijo (son), pero se me hace a mi (it seems to me) that the shit they got goin’ on in Seminary is much more manageable than la mierda con Escobar (the shit with Escobar).” Just hearing his name has Javier clenching his jaw subconsciously and Chucho takes notice.

“Just an old man’s opinion. Take this time to look within. Figure out the type of man you want to be after being chewed up and spat out of Colombia.” Another swig of beer, “Pero eres tan bruto, nunca me haces caso (but you’re so stubborn, you never listen to me). ”

“In a shocking turn of events, this might be the one time I do.” Javier snuffs out the finished cigarette against the wooden pole, tossing it aside carelessly and crossing his arms against his chest. “But don’t get your hopes up. ”

“As long as you don’t drink the damn kool aid, vaz a estar bien (you’re going to be fine).” The father and son share another laugh, this time much more lighthearted.

Javi blinks slowly behind the aviators that sit on the bridge of his nose, the bright and grueling Texas sun beaming down on him harshly. Finishing his cigarette, he pushes himself off the hood of his restored Ford pickup truck. He’s been sitting outside of Seminary’s Sheriff’s Department for about ten minutes now, the small building located right in the middle of town very easy to find.

Then again, it wasn’t hard to get lost in a place this small.

It is unimpressive and has the makings of any other small town government building. An American flag flown proudly above Texas’s, the lettering that labeled the building faded due to being unkept and time. 

Javier knows that the dread he feels comes from not being able to sit still. It’s why he found some kind of pleasure working down in Colombia. Things were always moving at a fast pace, albeit he had done a lot of pencil pushing and running down the clock, but the city itself was bustling with life and culture that kept him on go even when he was idle. 

Here, however, the stillness is suffocating and he wonders how the people of Seminary can breathe. 

Is this sentiment what sparked the murders? Had someone finally had enough of the mundane and decided to spruce things up?

His eyes narrow, if he continues to stand out here any longer, the sheriff will begin to wonder if the new guy had bailed before even coming in.

He jogs up the steps that lead up to the main building, taking them two at a time then pushing open the worn, glass door of the entrance; removing his sunglasses and letting them hang from the collar of the cream colored button up shirt he’s wearing. 

He takes in his surroundings and somehow he feels like he and Murphy had more space back at the embassy than what they have here. 

There’s a front desk to the immediate right being tended to by an older woman with fiery red hair that’s got reading glasses on, too engrossed in her novel to notice that he’s stepped in.

Other than that, it's everything one would expect a sheriff’s department to look like. Desks pushed together here and there, singular ceiling fan lazily spinning in the center of the room, a break room tucked to the back, the hallway that led to detaining rooms and other necessary spaces, variety of office supplies and filing cabinets.

It almost looks too normal.

“Need somethin’, dear?” He is returned to himself as the older woman finally takes notice of him with a friendly smile, her eyes not so subtly giving him a once over. “We don’t usually get hunks ‘round here. You must be lost, sugar.”

Javier smirks, even without trying he’s got women smitten.

“Fortunately for you, ma’am, seems like I’m in the right place. Javier Peña, new Deputy Sheriff.” He strolls over to her desk, leaning against it as he reaches his hand out for her to shake. 

She lets out a warm laugh and they shake hands in which Javi notices a soft pink tint of blush on the apples of her cheeks. “Fortunately for me indeed. I’m Lorraine, darlin’, I pretty much run everythin’ ‘round here but don’t you go tellin’ Romeo that.” She winks at him.

“Don’t go tellin’ Romeo what now, Lorraine? That you’re gunnin’ for my job?” A boisterous voice interrupts them and Javier immediately recognizes it to be the sheriff. 

“Oh, I thought that was somethin’ we all already knew?”

“Hate to say it but she’s right. Works circles around me that one. Romeo Leighton. Great to have you here, Javier.” The sheriff now speaks to Javier directly, and he takes this as a sign to straighten his posture and formally introduce himself as well.

The man has a good fifteen years on Javi, standing a few inches taller with a much more worn look to him. He’s a bit skinny yet built, except for the typical beer belly most southern men tend to have. A scruffy and short beard with unruly hair that’s a mix of grays and dark browns.

“Thanks for having me.” The two share a brief handshake, “M’sure you two could handle the town all on your own, so I appreciate you making room for a plus one.” Javier decides to turn on the good ‘ol southern charm and it seems to land as intended as the atmosphere in the room remains friendly and the sheriff chuckles.

“Look at him catchin’ on so quick. We just might not let you go, amigo.” Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes and reaches over to pass the older man a stack of files. “These just came in from Rankin County.”

“You got here just in time. We got some new developments on the murders.” And just like that, the lively talk is over and they get right into the job. 

“Heard there were mentions of a group of some sorts?” Javier brings it up, wanting to get a gauge on the sheriff’s reaction instead of just reading about it through reports.

“Just rumors. Nothing concrete to back it up.”

The two men now find themselves in Romeo’s office, each smoking a cigarette with multiple files sprawled across the wooden desk.

Here’s what they know: three woman murdered along the highway that these towns share all within a year. They sustained multiple stab wounds, yet the fatal insertion was that of a sharp blade going straight through the heart. The men don’t know if that was intentional or accidental due to the amount of times their chests had been punctured.

It is gruesome, to say the least, but nothing that Javier hasn’t seen before, unfortunately. The way the cartel got creative with their murders just to send a message to their rivals had him exposed to many atrocities; he was desensitized to most forms of violence. Yet, the passion behind these crimes and unclear motive has piqued Javi’s interest the more they discussed it. 

“Then again… it could be nothin’. Just a giant, fucked up coincidence.” The sheriff grumbles, clearly frustrated by the lack of information.

“No, I don’t think so. Too similar of a killing method. Any clue what weapon was used?” Javier leans forward in the uncomfortable, leather chair to ash his cigarette and sifting through the papers, trying to find the coroner’s reports for all three victims.

“Some kind of dagger or knife. Thought it might have been a huntin’ knife but all the wounds were clean cut. No serrated edges on the weapon.”

Javi hums, going over the details in his head for the millionth time trying to see the picture that was so clearly painted in front of him.

There was just simply not enough evidence to make anything out of it. On top of that, the assailant hasn’t struck again in months. A good thing for the general public but not for them if they have any intention of bringing justice to the families of the victims and catching whoever was behind these heinous crimes.

Javier also realizes that while these murders were tame to him, they were most certainly not tame to the people around here. Atrocities as these simply didn’t happen in places like Seminary and surrounding areas. Now that they were dealing with the aggressive reality of humanity, it was shaking them to their core.

So much so that the God fearing townsfolk began spreading rumors that the devil had its eye on the town and already infiltrated the progressive minds of the local youth.

“There’s always some truth to rumors, you know.” Javi begins, gray smoke flooding out from his mouth and nostrils as he puffs out from the nicotine stick, “Someone must’ve seen or heard somethin’ to implicate the younger crowd. ”

The sheriff leans back in his chair, using his thumb to rub out the concentrated frown that had etched itself between his brows, “People ‘round here are pretty stuck in their ways, myself included at times, they don’t like the way this new generation is comin’ up. Barely goin’ to church, spendin’ more time at the bar than at work. How sexual music’s gotten. Small shit like that gets people talkin’. It’s annoyin’ but it’s just talk.”

Javier is going to have to polish his interpersonal skills. Something larger could be at play here so he makes a mental note to go out and talk to these people himself to get a better feeling for what the general sentiment is.

Hell, he might even start going back to church. He can’t remember the last time he step foot in one. With what all had transpired further south; he’d lost his faith entirely. There was so much evil and greed in the world, he felt helpless at the realization that even religion became aversive to him. 

“M’sure somethin’ll come up eventually.” Javier decides to be optimistic, struggling to do so but also wanting to turn over a new leaf, “In the meantime we’ll just have to make do with what we got. It’s been a while since the fucker struck so maybe they're done. Got a taste for it and decided they didn’t like it.” He finishes off his cigarette, stubbing it out and leaning back against the chair.

“A fresh set of eyes will really help with that. Appreciate you comin’ here, Peña. Don’t know much about your time down in Colombia but I can imagine it was rough. This is a massive change for you. Goin’ from damn drug traffickers to a coupla girls gettin’ stabbed on the side of a highway.” The older man continues to puff on his cigarette, his statement falling flat and almost in bad taste but Javier doesn’t say anything, instead shrugging. 

“I got a job— M’not complaining’.” That was almost not the case, and a nasty feeling at the pit of his gut stirs at the remembrance of his meeting with the board in D.C. in a few weeks to get his official reprimanding for his ties with Los Pepes. 

Javi is surprised that the Sheriff doesn’t bring up Judy Moncada’s quotes from the Miami Herald. Either he wasn’t informed or he simply did not care.

“That’s the spirit. What do you have goin’ on tonight?” Romeo begins, changing the subject entirely, and Javier can sense an invitation incoming. “‘Cause I’d love to have ya over for dinner. Give you a proper introduction to Seminary. You can meet my daughter, Paloma, too.” The sheriff then picks up one of the framed photos on his desk, turning it over for Javier to see.

A portrait of a stunning young woman sporting a cowboy hat, smiling brightly at the camera.

“Ain’t she a beaut?” He pulls the picture back, asking rhetorically and Javier clears his throat. 

For a moment he contemplates the dinner invitation, part of him wanting to be alone in the comfort of his new space but the other part wanting to just throw himself into this to keep his mind occupied and away from the grueling memories of the lengthy time he’d spent in Colombia.

“Sure, I’ll come by.” He decides. If he thought about it for a second longer, he’d talk himself out of going.

A large, friendly grin spreads on Romeo’s face and he nods, finally finishing off his cigarette. “Alright now, you can stop by ‘round 7.” He moves some of the files aside revealing a notepad and he digs in his shirt pocket to pull out a pen. Scribbling down his address messily onto the blank piece of paper, he tears it off and leans over to hand it to Javier.

“Not that hard to get to.” Javier nods curtly and takes the paper, folding it and stuffing it into his back pocket.

It’s later in the day, the sun cascading into the distance; its hues of deep oranges and reds softening as the night sky begins to take over.

Paloma sits on the rocking chair that matches her father’s out on the porch. A guitar nestled in her lap and personal booklet resting on the arm of the chair as she strums lightly, building the chorus of her new song out loud. She takes the pencil from behind her ear and jots down something quickly and messily, returning to strumming and humming simultaneously.

“Paloma!” She hears the loud voice of her father practically making the walls shake as he calls out for her from his bedroom that was on the other side of the house. They often opened all the doors and windows to allow the soft breeze to flow throughout their space. 

She groans, stopping her actions as the melody she was on the brink of figuring out leaves her entirely.

“What, daddy?!” She yells back, waiting for his reply which never comes.

He does this all the time.

Cursing quietly, Paloma stands from her comfortable spot, gently leaning her guitar against the wall then walking in to the house.

She finds Romeo exiting his bedroom and walking towards her, bottle of his good scotch in hand with a relieved look on his face. “Couldn’t find the goddamn liquor. Thought you had nabbed it from me.” He pinches her nose as he walks by her, in which she scrunches her face at the action. It's something he’s done since she was a little girl. It can be endearing but most of the time; it was just annoying.

“That’s the good stuff, daddy. I would never.” She follows behind him as they enter the kitchen, “Man must’ve left quite an impression for ya to be bustin’ out the crown jewel.” She watches as he begins to set out the dinnerware for tonight, and that’s when she realizes how late it has gotten.

It’s easy for Paloma to lose herself in her music. She has been able to since she was a child. Her mother had nursed the hobby the moment she saw how truly talented her daughter was. In return, Paloma became skillful in being able to play damn near any instrument put in front of her. And she could sing, too.

Beautifully.

“Javier’s got a sharp mind that I can use ‘round here. Thinkin’ I can finally start makin’ some damn progress. That deserves a special drink, don’t ya think? Come help me set the table.” She obliges, thinking her father’s words over.

The murders have been weighing heavily on his shoulders since they began. All the time and effort he’s put in to make the puzzle pieces fit only to come up empty handed. Paloma doesn’t know the specifics of it, just what he rants to her here and there. He doesn’t like to bring his work home.

Romeo has been away a lot since putting his entire focus on the cases. Many nights spent at the office but he at least tries to share one meal with his daughter throughout the week. Paloma understands this, and like always she gives him his space and doesn’t complain about it. 

The only reason she’s stuck around Seminary for so long is for him. He wouldn’t know what to do without her.

“Well I’m glad things are lookin’ up, finally. Can’t wait to meet this sharp thinkin’ Javier.” They finish setting up and Paloma excuses herself to go get changed into something a little more dressy seeing as her father was looking more put together than usual.

He must really be trying to make an impression.

Her room is on the second floor, alongside her childhood playroom and the empty room that contained some miscellaneous items.

Like her mother’s things.

Paloma always has a habit of letting her gaze linger at the closed, white wooden door of the room every time she passes it. In a strange way, she feels like her mother is standing behind that door; just waiting for her to open it and greet her like her daughter wishes she could.

But she hardly ever does, the sorrow feeling in her chest too heavy for her to bear being in there for longer than a few minutes.

She passes it with a quick glance, now entering her bedroom and throwing open her wardrobe doors. It’s a mess, like it usually is, but it’s an organized chaos that only Paloma Leighton could decipher. 

After eyeing some outfits, she decides on a cream toned, linen romper with shorts. It has a deep V cut in the front that tastefully exposed some of the tanned skin between her breasts. However, she puts on a matching lace bralette underneath to soften the risqué of the outfit.

Her hair is the brown of aged mahogany. Long and thick, it falls almost to her waist and she does nothing but brush it out. It naturally falls the way she likes. A beautifully sculpted cross necklace hangs from her neck; it was her mother’s and she’d given it to Paloma shortly before passing. She finishes getting ready by spritzing some of her perfume and applying lip gloss before sauntering down the steps.

She hears the soft sound of her father’s record playing some old school country tune, the song sounding throughout the house and she smiles gently. She crosses the threshold and is out on the porch to gather her things from earlier when she catches the headlights of a vehicle coming down the elongated driveway of the property.

That must be him.

“Daddy, your friend’s here!”

Javier got a chance to get to get acquainted with the town before his dinner with the sheriff. He wandered around the shops and establishments that littered the main street of Seminary, drove the backroads then up and down the highway a few times to get a feel for how he would approach his new job. 

The conclusion he’s come to is that the town, for the most part, is harmless. But he’s only been here one afternoon so what the hell does he know?

After his exploration, he finally made it to the place he would be calling home until further notice. A dingy yet quaint trailer home located on about two acres of land. It has everything he requires. Furnished neatly and stocked with all the cooking utensils he could ever need but ultimately never use. Javier found himself more comfortable after unpacking the few items he’d brought along with him.

Maybe his father was right. Maybe he can finally slip into some normalcy.

But he’s only been here one afternoon so what the hell does he know?

After a stop at the local bakery, an ‘if you blink you’ll miss it’ type of establishment, and the purchase of some homemade banana pudding; the man is driving up a dirt path to Romeo’s home.

The sheriff lives on an impressive mount of land, his house looking like something plucked straight out of an old southern painting. A large, two story home with a wraparound porch. A typical white picket fence surrounds the immediate area. The landscaping is beautiful, it looks very well tended to and he can hear Chucho’s voice ringing in the back of his head.

“¿Vez? Que te dije (see? what did I tell you)— peaceful.” 

He cuts the engine of his Ford, checking his appearance in the rearview mirror before grabbing the tinfoil container from the passenger’s seat and getting out.

The first thing he sees as he approaches the front door are long, tan legs that lead up to some full and soft looking thighs that instantly have him licking his lips.

And who is this?

“Good evening, ma’am.” His deep voice cuts through the sound of the summer evening, his Texan accent thick. The sounds of toads croaking in the distance and different insects chirping about set a pleasant ambiance for the southern night.

The woman stands alert at the sound of his voice and turns to face him, which causes Javi to damn near lose his breath at the sight of the beauty in front of him.

It is the same woman that Romeo had shown him earlier, except the picture didn’t do her natural beauty any justice. She’s got the most gorgeous features he’s ever seen on a woman, and he’s been around a lot of beautiful women. 

Her lips are pouty and pink, the gloss she’s wearing accentuates their plushness so well. Honey colored brown eyes that even from where he stands can see twinkle with curiosity beneath the soft porch lights. Freckles sprinkle across her nose and the tops of her cheeks complimented by her natural blush. 

Damn.

“You must be Javier. I’m Paloma, Romeo’s daughter.” She smiles at him in which he can’t help but mirror as she sets down the guitar in her possession and he slowly walks up the porch steps.

Well, this certainly is a pleasant surprise. When Paloma’s father had told her about the new guy that was joining the department, she just pictured some run of the mill, old looking man. One that looked like every other one of his colleagues. 

She most definitely wasn’t expecting such a handsome man like the one that’s in front of her.

“Paloma.” The way her name falls from his lips with a Spanish accent has her stomach erupting in butterflies.

She’s never heard anyone say it like that.

“Beautiful name. Very fitting.” The flirtatious compliment is one she’s heard too many times to count, but hearing it come from him makes it feel like the sweetest thing she’s ever heard. Their close proximity has her catching a whiff of his cologne mixed with.. cigarettes?

Her thighs clench involuntarily.

Javier takes her hand in his as she extends it to greet him. Instead of going in for a handshake, he brings it up to his lips and places a soft kiss against her knuckles. It has her tingling all over; electricity sprouting from the spot where the kiss is planted. She can’t help the way her blush deepens at the action, and she almost wants to slap herself for reacting so easily.

Dating isn't a priority in Paloma’s life. Any man worth having in this town is already taken and the rest are nothing but a waste of time. Just some fun for her to have, hooking up with a handful of them whenever her fingers couldn’t get the job done. 

It is rare when there's an eligible newcomer and even then she is too preoccupied with keeping the family home in shape and her music to even think about dating. She is aware of the way the gossips in town talk about her, disliking that she is a single and childless twenty-six year old woman.

“She should be married by now. At her age I already had three kids.”

“It’s so sad, really.”

“I’ve heard she’s given it up to about half the boys in town.”

They gasp and glance over at her over their shoulders. Paloma pretends she doesn’t see them do this.

Her true love, aside from music, is that of traveling. She wants nothing more than to leave Seminary all together and head west, see what the rest of the world has to offer. Take a chance on her music... make a name for herself.

Unfortunately for her, she’s got some heavy family ties here in Texas (her father) and after the death of her mother— she wouldn’t dare leave him. The guilt would eat her alive.

Was it fair for her to give up her aspirations just to keep one person happy? No… but things aren���t always fair and she has a decent life here in Seminary. She doesn't have to worry about paying any bills or surviving on her own; though she knows she’s more than capable of doing so if she really had to. She only has that job at the library to help pass the time whenever she’s not buried in a book or playing her day away on the piano. Any money she receives is stashed away in an old jewelry box in the back of her closet in case one day she finally decides to leave.

All that to say that romantically, men aren't something she focuses on. However, this man in particular, she could spare some of her attention to. Something about his swagger is attractive. He shifts his weight onto one foot and pokes his hip out slightly; giving her a good view of his built figure.

“Clever and charming. Guess daddy was right about you.” Paloma cocks her head to the side slightly, taking in his appearance better now that he was closer and damn, is he handsome. The type of handsome that you only see on TV. 

He’s clad in a long sleeve, forest colored shirt with a few buttons undone at the top; a gold chain teasing her against his brown skin. He’s rolled the sleeves up on the shirt up to his elbows and she notices how rugged he looks, veins on his forearms flexing ever so slightly. Tight cowboy jeans are paired with some expensive looking brown leather boots and a nice belt to tie it all in together.

Her eyes travel up from his body to his countenance, noticing how truly handsome and mature he is. Like he’s experienced things she’d never come close to imagining. She wants to know it all. The full 70s looking pornstache above his lip somehow very appealing to Paloma, whose ‘type’ up until this moment has been clean cut, military boys.

He is anything but clean cut, and she likes that. 

His lips full, nose very distinguished with a devilish curve and… stable looking. A perfect seat for her to perch herself on. She can practically feel it nudging against her clit before he completely devours her.

A lazy yet cocky lopsided smile tugs at his lips, as if he can see the filthy thoughts in her head. “Already talking me up, I see.” he greets Romeo, whom Paloma hadn’t realized had stepped outside since she was too preoccupied eye fucking the stranger in front of her. 

“Didn’t tell her nothin’ that wasn’t true. What’s that you got there?” The older man gestures to the container.

“I could spot Betty’s homemade banana puddin’ with my eyes closed.” Paloma speaks up, trying to recover from the slight embarrassment she feels for thinking so sinfully about him.

Javier’s onyx colored eyes meet hers again and she looks away almost bashfully, occupying herself by finally gathering her things.

“I couldn’t show up empty handed. Ma woulda slapped me right upside the head. Where are your manners, niño (boy) ?” He does what she would assume is an impression of his mother and this gets a giggle out of her.

She is utterly interested in getting to know him better.

“On behalf of us, you can thank your mother for instilling manners into ya. Come on in, we cleaned for once.” He jokes, ushering his company in and she just rolls her eyes playfully at her father’s antics.

The night turns out to be very enjoyable for Javi. He is in good company and the dinner provided, cooked by Paloma since she didn’t let her father take credit for any of it, definitely helped soothe over some of the smaller, sore spots left by Colombia. 

They laugh and swap stories, Javier shares some of his more lighthearted moments in the country down south while Paloma and Romeo try to out-embarrass each other with different family tales.

It helps to have some eye candy, though, as he finds it difficult to keep his eyes away from her longer than a few seconds. Even while the sheriff is in direct conversation with him, Javier can see her from his peripheral and how she also can’t seem to peel her gaze from him.

Murphy always gave him a ‘hard time’ about his effect on women and how Javier used it to his advantage. It’s the only way he got shit rollin’ down in Colombia. The only people that approached him willingly were the working ladies that resided in the city.

And who was he to turn down a good, even great time?

Quickly enough, word had spread amongst the girls and next thing he knew; he had a list of ‘informants’ so long that even he began to lose track.

It was simple, getting information from them then taking them back to his place… his car… or the bar restroom. Whatever was most convenient.

Most of the time they would come to him with bullshit leads just to see him again, and most of the time he would just give them what they wanted, which was just another blissful night with Agent Peña.

Something about Paloma, however, gives him the impression that he wouldn’t fuck her how he did those girls down south. Not unless she asked… begged him to, at least.

He’d make sure to kiss every inch of her golden skin, make her feel good and satisfied before burying himself deep inside her. What’d he do to see those pretty lips parted with his name falling from them like a prayer.

“You should sing him somethin’. ”

Romeo’s suggestion has Javier raising his brows and snapping him out of his thoughts.

They’ve moved out onto the porch, taking in the peacefulness of the night and the clear view of all stars the littered the unobscured sky. The banana pudding long gone.

“I am not some show pony you can just make do tricks whenever you like, old man.” She retorts playfully from her spot on the top of the porch steps, meddling with the rings on her fingers.

From this angle, Javier is able to get a better look at those thighs he’s been fantasizing about all night. Is it a terrible move to go after your quote un quote ‘bosses’ daughter after just meeting her? Probably, but Javi’s done worse and he’s picked up that she seems to be very keen to his subtle advances. Or not subtle, depending on how well he is able to hide any type of direct flirtation with his natural charisma.

“You shy to?” Javi asks her, lighting the cigarette that rests between his lips. He is a pro at chain smoking, this making it the fourth one he’s smoked in the last hour that they’ve been out here. 

She snorts, shaking her head and looking over at him. When their gazes meet, he can’t help the shadow of a smirk hover his lips and she slightly narrows her eyes at him.

“That one? Shy? The last damn word I’d use to describe her.” Romeo takes a swig from the scotch he’s poured, pointing at his daughter. “Sometimes I can’t get her to shut up.”

“Wow, and father of the year goes to…” She replies sarcastically, standing which allows Javier to let his eyes linger over her body, taking a long drag from the cigarette to keep his perverted thoughts at bay.

Like how he wanted to feel her thighs wrapped around his waist. Or better, his head.

“I’m just teasin’. She’s got such an angelic voice, I never get tired of hearin’ her sing.” The sincerity in Romeo’s tone pulls Javier out of his ogling, attention now over to the older man. 

“You should come see her at The Whiskey Fox weekend nights. Puts on one hell of a show.” She leans back against the railing, crossing one foot over the other. This causes the shorts of her romper to rise up slightly, exposing more of her skin.

Like a moth to a flame, he’s eyeing her once more but doesn’t make it as obvious. He wouldn't want to be chased out of here by a shotgun wielding, overprotective father.

“Is The Whiskey Fox the spot to go to in town?” Javier asks to no one in particular, ashing his cigarette on the small plate that sits on the small table between him and the sheriff.

“More like the only spot in town. It’s a bar with a stage, n’they have the best loaded fries. Swear.” She informs him, once again commanding his undivided attention.

No matter how many times he looks at her, he’s still taken aback by how breathtakingly beautiful she is.

“Well if you swear then I guess I’ll have to stop by some time.” He nods his head towards her and she smiles softly, pushing herself off the railing.

“Just give me a heads up when you decide to make your first appearance.” He hears a hint of flirtatiousness in her statement, as if she’s rolling the ball in his court to make the first move. 

As badly as he wants to take her up on that, thinking on a whim like he always has; Javier stops from doing so. This was a chance for him to start anew, amend for all the mistakes he made in Colombia.

But she’s making it very difficult for him to.

Did he really have any intention of changing if all it takes to throw caution in the wind is one pretty girl?

“As much as I’d love to stay in the pleasure of y’alls company….” She runs her hands down the front of her outfit and begins to head inside, “I have to be up early to open the library. You still takin’ me, daddy?” She asks the sheriff softly, stopping by the front door and Javier looks away, glancing out into the distance.

The older man grumbles out, “Yeah. We gotta get that car of yours up and runnin’ though. Don’t know how many free rides I got left in me.” The statement piques Javier’s interest and he can’t help but to rejoin the conversation.

“Got car problems?” He looks between them two, gaze lingering over her as she speaks up. 

“Yeah, my Darla quit on me ‘bout a month ago. Mechanic in town can’t seem to fix the problem.” Paloma seems annoyed by that fact and that has him offering to help before his own brain can stop him from doing so.

“I restored my truck. Had some help from my pops but I pretty much got her up and runnin’ all by myself.” Javier takes another puff of his cigarette, keeping a small smirk at bay as he catches Paloma’s attention drift over to his vehicle in interest. “I wouldn’t mind takin’ a look at yours. If that’s okay. ”

Her father also lets out a sign of content, “That’d be fuckin’ great, Javi. Godsend this guy, poppin’ into town and helpin’ me solve all my goddamn problems. What’s it been— not even a day? Shiiit.” Romeo lets out a laugh, finishing off the contents in his short glass.

Javier would usually find this amount of praise annoying–– ass kissing to keep him content in the shitty position he’s been put it in. However, in this instance, he doesn’t really mind it. It would also give him an opportunity to get to know Paloma better without it crossing over into more nefarious territory.

“Yeah, very sweet of you. I’d really appreciate that.” Yet another glimpse of her enchanting smile. She bends down to place a kiss on her father’s cheek and then waves at him. “Good night y’all. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Peña.” Even though Javi had already told her to call him by his first name earlier, he can’t help but enjoy the way his surname pushes past her lips. That sweet voice of hers sounding like pure honey.

“Pleasure’s all mine, Miss Leighton.”

[absolutebl]

i've just started watching 'saw you in my dream' and i was surprised by how prominently christianity features - as curious how the family's religiosity will respond to the leads' queerness as i am about the dream power stuff. i've watched 'your name engraved herein' (always makes me sob but i love it) but are there any other ql where christianity is central to the plot? i'm a queer person with cosmic levels of religious trauma so i find nonwestern media that explores these themes vv cathartic <3

Hum, it doesn't show up often and when it does it's kinda casual dealt with. (All religion in Thai BL, actually.)

The lights are a Thing and they show up in shows like Until We Meet Again and a few other Thai BLs, but not in a particularly religious way.

Never forget #BroccoliNation

Ingredients uses Christmas as part of its coziness.

There's a screaming gay Xmas moment in The Director Who Buys Me Dinner but that BL is Tragic so I don't recommend it.

There's a LOT of Christianity dealt with in The Boy Foretold by the Stars, but it's kinda traumatic. In general, you'll find it repped in a lot of Pinoy BLs for obvious reasons.

Christianity is an oddly key plot player in my favorite Kdrama, Hospital Playlist, but that's sadly not queer.

That's all I got. Despite the fact that I keep getting asked about it I don't really track religious themes in BLs. Not my jam. Here's an old post I did that touched on it, but it hasn't been updated.

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Hi 🍋

I know you're busy with your rewatch but I was wondering cause I miss your rec lists: do you have a rec list for fics that heavily feature the 126's different religions? Them celebrating different holidays or discussing stuff or such?

Would love to see such a list, I feel like the fandom should have a general list where these fics are featured 💙

Hi anon!! Thank you so much for this lovely ask! Perfect timing, actually, because the fic I’m writing now, which I’ve affectionately been calling Eid Fic, centers around Marjan’s relationship with her faith and her family. It will heavily feature Marjan & TK discussing their own faiths, and sharing memories of holidays, fasting and family. And also how they grow together over the years and form their own found family.

I’m sorry my rec lists have fallen to the side lately! You are not the only person who’s asked me about them, and I promise they’re coming back! I’ve just been feeling a little overwhelmed lately (can you just be whelmed?). But I love any excuse to rec some of the amazing fics in this fandom. And this theme in particular is really exciting to me because we don’t have nearly enough of it! I have scoured by memory and my bookmarks for you, and here’s what I’ve found. Unsurprisingly, it mostly focuses on Carlos and TK’s faiths.

Disclaimer: this is by no means a comprehensive list, it is just what I remembered and what I found. If you know of other fics that feature religion, especially other characters, please reply/reblog with the links!

Carlos - Catholicism

The Line I'd Walk (For You) by TearsThisSideofHeaven Carlos lights a candle and says a prayer to St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters when TK returns to work after being shot. TK asks him where he goes, so Carlos brings him to church one morning.

What is Sown, What is Grown by @never-blooms Carlos character study, beautiful glimpse into Carlos’s experience growing up Tejano and how his family shaped him.

I Swear I Love You (Te Juro Que Te Amo) by @never-blooms Nochebuena fic!! Beth gives us a really beautiful look at Nochebuena, which is the Christmas Eve holiday in Latinx cultures! This fic is full of everything you would expect from a good Nochebuena party: family, nosy siblings and aunties, chisme, delicious food and so much music.

to build a home by @freneticfloetry Carlos Begins, this fic follows Carlos from childhood through present day. Courtney gives us a lot of beautiful insight into Carlos’s background and culture, and there is some exploration of religious aspects especially in the last chapter.

And if you will allow a couple from me 🤭

I'm Not A Fortress, But I Will Try To Protect You TK & Marjan get together for pie after Marj breaks up with Salim and before TK goes back to Carlos. Marjan voices her fear of disappointing her parents with the news of the breakup, and TK offers to be there for her when she makes the phone call. Marjan also gives TK some perspective on what it was probably like for Carlos growing up in a conservative religious home.

The Greatest Gift I’ve Found, The Sweetest Thing I’ve Known My Nochebuena fic!! It’s got some holiday traditions and a lot of family love.

TK - Judaism

knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door by rakketyrivertam Five prayers TK sang for other people, and one he sang for himself

a case of cruel to be kind by @maxbegone This is a really lovely AU based on the movie About Time. The plot is that TK discovers he can travel back in time to events in his past, and that he inherited the gift from Gwyn. But at the heart of the story is a really beautiful examination of Gwyn and TK’s relationship. This includes a look at some traditional Jewish funeral and grieving practices, through the eyes of TK after Gwyn’s passing.

The last day of Hanukkah by @ladytessa74 A very sweet little Hanukkah fic set in Tessa’s Elijah verse, in the future where Tarlos has a four-year-old named Elijah. This story gives us a glimpse of Hanukkah in the Strand-Reyes house, the little traditions and the food.

Looking at it now, it all seems so simple by @liminalmemories21 Enzo and Jonah come to town, set between seasons 3 & 4 (though S4 kinda makes it an AU now 😖). Explores TK’s relationship with his faith through Carlos’s eyes, they celebrate Hanukkah and have a Shabbos dinner, and there are a few conversations about what parts of their own cultures and religions they want to bring into the family they’re forming, and how they want to raise any future kids.

Rosa Mundi by fiddlersgreen TK, Carlos and Owen go to New York for Gwyneth's funeral. I must admit it’s been a minute since I read this, but this author gives a really lovely perspective of what Gwyn’s funeral might have been like with the Jewish traditions and customs.

[horizon-verizon]

Daenerys is the Prince that was Promised. When she visits the House of the Undying, she is told she is the child of three, which relates to the three heads of the Dragon. And the child of three/three heads of the Dragon means she is the Prince that was Promised, the Stallion who Mounts the World, Azor Ahai. They are all myths retelling the same story, just in a different cultural lens.

People forget that Martin’s subversion of the Chosen One trope is based on 90s fantasy...which was overwhelmingly male characters and candidates, perhaps the most significant at the time being Rand al’Thor of the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. No one would expect, at the time, that the Prince that was Promised would be a princess. Most would have argued, as a significant portion of the fandom does till this day, that it is Jon, the standard male hero character. Jon being the Prince that was Promise would be a trope in of itself. Since we have gone beyond 90s fantasies, there have been more female chosen ones (Daenerys paved the way), but she still resides in that 90’s concept of a female Chosen One. (Also ignoring the obvious Jesus parallels such as her walk through the desert, her being born of fire, Bonfier Hasty worshiping the Maiden because of his love for Rhaella, etc).

I note as much ("They are all myths retelling the same story, just in a different cultural lens.") HERE. branwyn-the-half-witch has an interesting thought that that particular title accidentally developed from Aegon seeing a Targ from his own blood ("prince") be needed ("promised") for a future fight HERE.

Which justifies how the TPTWP title/meaning exists in Westeros; no other Westerosi (maester or otherwise) really spoke of it before Stannis, who of course received such from Melisandre and more a restored-but-half-realized knowledge of the original Essoi mythic body of a savior. Said "restored" because the Targs have been isolated from or cut themselves from Essos but were still magically/by blood connected to it...bc their very blood is that source for those dragon dreams.

(Ironically, the Seven faith--meant to mimic Catholicsm and the Catholic Church in its:

dogma

that dogma's rigidity's influence over the whole of Westeros' society (chivalry/warriordom; mores on hierarchy and obedience, childrearing/corporal punishment, the self-mortification of the carving stars in one's forehead [though this is present in many real-world religions and sects, in the West its immediately recognized and associated with Christian self flagellation])

the multiplicity of many aspects of one god, the aesthetics of stained windows or multicolored glass/translucent substances inlaid or making up part of a geometric, architectural structure [not just buildings but crowns of the high Septon and Aenys I]

the structure of High Septon, septons, and septas mirroring Pope, priests/deacons/measters-monks/nuns

the HS/Pope's relationship with monarchs as to sometimes affirm and sometimes condemn and be some sort of religious "check" but also support for the monarchy

"holy days"

the Knights Templar (who were aka "The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon") & crusaders inspiring the Poor Fellows & the Warrior's Sons

*EDIT* some rituals, as well

has no element of a Christ-like or a generally mythic savior figure in its mythos. The none Catholic/Seven faiths [except the old gods, but even here there is a hint of a need for saving against the Long night but its just so decreased bc of te nearly lost greenseers and twstsote and the giants] all have this focus on a savior figure instead.)

[short-black-diamond]

Hi, I read Toman and Muslim Reader a while ago and I like it So since Eid al-Adha is near, can you write a second part with the addition of Tenjiku and Yuzuha?

And I wonder what their reaction will be when they discover that a reader cannot marry a person who is not a Muslim unless he converts to Islam and performs all the religious duties as it should.(It was funny when reading Mitsuya and Draken's reaction when they found out that Muslims don't get tattoos 😂😂)

Of course love! Also please tell me how you want to be called. Someone claimed the 🍰nom as an anonymous, you can have a name too!

I think Imma convert to Islam to be honest 'cuz it's such a cool and peaceful and beautiful religion and I honestly hate anyone who thinks of them as terrorists or some other bad thing.

Is what you said 'Eid al-Adha' this festival where you kill/sacrifice a goat or sheep or something? My friend told me that she would do it this wednesday or thursday, as in the festival being two days long or something...? Also she said that she'd fast on the 27th...oh well

Anyways, I actually laughed my ass off when I thought about their shocked faces and then also thinking of each other like 'damn, Draken/Mitsuya has one too!' and then the first one calling the other and berating each other about getting their tattoos removed lol

Also, I'm going to write stuff which is sadly not happening canonly, and I'm only at chapter 139, so please bear with me. Also you didn't tell me which ones, so I just did these below plus your precious Yuzuha.

Also sorry for only posting it now...

Characters: Izana Kurokawa, Kakucho, Ran Haitani, Yuzuha Shiba

I did not proofread.

---

Tokyo revengers with a muslim friend :D , part two

part one , tr with a muslim wife

Izana Kurokawa

Nah bruh, that's not it.

he saw you for the first time when he craved some food in the convenience store

didn't really think much of you at first, but he didn't really see you before

you also didn't really look like a japanese woman, more like a foreigner

so, he just watched you for a bit

you were actually having a pretty good life, and he was a little jealous

but then, one day, you were quickly making your way to a bigger shop, while talking to somebody in a stressed manner, you were sweating and looking around fevereshly

over the time he watched you, he grew somwehat protective of you

and when he saw you like this? He didn't like it

he thought that somebody was after you, and what would be the best way to introduce himself to you?

After all, many people here knew him and also not to mess with him

"my name is Izana Kurokawa, and I noticed that you didn't look very well. Are you alright?"

and when you noticed him, like really staring into his eyes, he lost it

you were the most beautiful woman he's ever met actually, and he felt his breath hitch

"Huh? Oh no, it's alright love, just preparing for a festival is all!"

Festival? But there were no Japanese festivals announced yet-

"Oh, let me introcuce myself first. My name is ____ ______ and I'm from ______. I'm a muslim, as in my religion is Islam, and in a week, a day called Eid-Adha will come and there we will sacrifice a sheep/goat and share some meat with our aquaintances and eat it along with friends and families."

This was too much input, but he managed to understand

"Do you guys have a sheep yet?"

"Sadly no, we also can't buy slughtered meat from the meathouse because it's not halal."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that the sheep is not slaughtered by a muslim."

"...and what if I bring you an alive sheep? would that be okay?"

"What? Oh, no. No no, please, you don't have to stress yourself, Kurokawa, it's alright!"

Nah, it was not. Your parents were in dire need of a sheep actually

And safe to say, you were secretely happy that the friend you made the day prior did not only help you with your groceries, he also brought you a sheep the next day

...but where did he get that animal from?

after your confrontation, Izana had no choice but to tell you the truth.

He told you about everything that happened and expected you to give him a scared expression and then run away

but you gave him a sad look.

"I can somewhat relate to what you're going through right now. But doing all this because you're holding a grudge against his little brother is not going to lift your spirit, you know?"

You poured him a cup of tea and he thanked you silently.

Izana was surprised that you still talked to him. He really expected you to run away

"would Shinichiro be okay with you trying to hurt his brother? You're Emma's brother, after all. Have you gotten in contact with her yet? I'm sure she'd love to see her sibling again."

Emma...?

Tears spilled from his eyes. His shoulders shook.

"Izana...it's okay. let it all out. God knows what you're going through. He is testing you."

"why..? Why is god doing that to me...?", the leader croaked, and you could see a spark in his eyes.

"Because he loves you. God loves every single living form in this planet. He created us, after all. And he is also the most forgiving of us all.

Talk to Mikey, talk to Emma. Talk to everyone you don't like and see what happens. Hope for the best, pray for the best thing to happen. Imagine how happy Shinichiro would be if he saw his two brothers getting along! Imagine how happy Emma would be to see you again!"

He thought about it, but he was not so sure.

But he tried.

He asked you to accompany him, and you said yes with a smile. you were glad to aid as emotional support.

What you didn't tell him though, was that you already knew Mikey and Toman.

Izana didn't.

And so, Izana met with Mikey, who firstly greeted you, and then also greeted Izana, but with a little less respect.

"Listen, Manjiro Sano, I'm sorry. Surely, you must've read my letters by now,", he started as he noticed a carton boy with opened letters that looked an awful lot like the ones he and Shin sent each other.

"I...was jealous of you. That you were his...real brother. I wanted to be his brother too, but well..."

Mikey understood. "then let's be brothers, Izana."

Izana looked at him with more widened eyes, then he looked at you. You smiled at him.

From that day on, Tenjiku and Toman were good with each other, thanks to a little help of yours.

Izana also felt closer to you. He felt at ease with you. He wanted to know more about you.

Izana wasn't really a religious person, so it gave him a little whiplash when you told him that you could only marry a muslim or a converted muslim.

He never knew that he'd want to try to become or do something for someone

but if it was you, then he'd for sure try.

and it was actually the best experience he had

praying fives times a day was no problem, as you and him frequented a mosque that wasn't too far away from you

he was a little sad by the fact that he couldn't pray with you, but the brothers on the other side welcomed him with open arms

Izana would've actually liked to stay there longer and listen to the men, but he remembered that he had to meet up with you in two minutes

like an excited puppy did he tell you about everything he knew, and only after a second did he realize that you knew most of it already

still, you gave him a smile and encouraged him to learn more

Kakucho

That guy is just as stupid as the others.

He also just noticed you recently, but he found you to be a pretty foreigner

He actually wanted to hang out with you, and so he also introduced himself

"Name's Kakucho, may I know your's, pretty lady?", he was actually quite the charmer (my headcannon)

you smiled, his heart pounded, and you said your name as well

still, you asked him about his scar, which was...very visible

"Ah, just a little accident!"

"Really? Poor you ...Oh, it's time for me to go, it was nice hanging out with you! See you soon!"

and with that, you left.

like Izana, Kakucho felt the strong need to look after you.

I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't want to protect a pretty girl like you?

Kakucho also hoped that he'd have a chance with you, but we'll come to that later

Safe to say, you two saw each other very soon

some nameless delinquents were cornering you and you had no other choice but to scream

Out of curiosity, Izana's "brother", looked at the source

and he saw red.

you were holding your purse close to your chest and pressed yourself against the wall, and in front of you were three guys with knifes in their hands

"give us you-" *CRUNCH*

the first one fell down, two more to go

You stared at the body on the ground, he must've given the guy a concussion

then you looked at your savior, who just punched the other two away and came to you

"Are you alright, ____?" "Yeah, I'm fine. But you didn't have to beat them up like that. but...but still, thank you."

he smiled and blushed and felt so happy that he saved you

"It was no big deal, but hey-; what were you doing at this hour? It's already past six!"

"I had to pick up my little brother from his friend's house. um, would you like to accompany me? I don't want to get attacked again, you know? I mean, if you're free at the moment...!"

Could this day get any better?

"Sure! You know where he lives?"

"Yup!"

and so, you two talked and laughed along the way here.

the topics lead to religion, and how you loved doing your prayers, spending money for charities, to your ideal type of husband,...somehow

"...and, well, my husband has to be a muslim as well!"

"Really? So...uh, if we're speaking of a friend, and he really likes that girl, but she is muslim, but they are close friends, and the guy thinks he has a chance with her...then...should he just-- convert to Islam?"

You felt your cheeks heat up. Why? guess we'll never know

"Uh, yeah! Y-yeah, sure! But! I-it shouldn't be taken lightly! Fulfilling the five prayers is not easy, or reading the Quran, or learning arabic, or doing your best at all times. Of course, the religion is beautiful and makes a better human out of you, but it is not to be taken lightly, and shouldn't be accepted because out of love to a person, but to Allah.

He created us after all. And the only thing he wants from us is to believe in him, to look for him when times get rough, to search assurements from him when you do not feel well, to thank him for having such a life as yours, even if it's bad. It could always get worse, so always be grateful for your creator."

Kakucho then started thinking more of the religion than of you

mans never had such a peaceful feeling when he was listening to podcasts of converted muslims and men or sheikhs talking about things that can or shouldn't be done

Kakucho thought that he'd never see heaven, but he prayed

"dear god, sorry for only talking to you now, but there's this girl I like-no, I love her! And well, it's kinda stupid of me to say this, because you know, 'cuz you created us and shit, but...could you maybe bring us together? I'll also try my best in becoming a muslim!"

He just hopes his prayers were heard

Eid-Adha came and you were busy as heck

you didn't have time to pick up kakucho's phone (let's imagine they have phones in that timeline) because of making all the food and cleaning up the house

boy did he get worried

he was already by your door and ready to know when his phone rang

it was you

he didn't even let it ring the second time and picked up the call

"Y-yeah?"

"Kakucho? Are you alright? Why did you call me so often? Did something happen?"

Again, he relished the fact that you were worried about him

"Ah, it's nothing, I was just asking you if you'd like to hang out with me today?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm still preparing the food for our holiday!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I totally forgot about it-"

"Hey boy, stop standing in the way!", a male interrupted

the man was carrying a cut sheep

Kakucho thought about punching the man but started helping him when he remembered in front of who's house he stood

'if that guy is her father, then I have to leave the best first impressions!'

Kakucho. You were still in your gang uniform. YOU HAVE A SCAR ON YOUR FACE.

But the man didn't let a single emotion be noticed than hard work and fatigue, so he didn't really fight the delinquent who shockingly offered his help in a sweet tone and nice smile

"Dad, you're late- Kakucho?!", you yelped.

"You two know each other?", your mother chimed in as she examined the boy who was now standing with the cut sheep, your father let himself fall on a leathered chair

"Yeah, he's the one who saved me from the bad guys!"

'YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT ME?!?!?'

his day couldn't get any better

"Hello, my name is Kakucho, and I'm glad I could help, I'll be taking my leave now-"

"Stay."

Kakucho and you looked at your dad with surprised faces

"Who'll help me cut it into smaller pieces? My wife is tired and my daughter is not strong enough"

of course you objected because well, you're a girlboss/feminist

but eh

let the men do something for a change

and that's how kakucho ended up laughing at your parents stories of you being the clumsiest baby they had, with you dying out of embarrassment of course

your dad took him out for a moment

"Do you like me daughter?"

"Y-yes sir."

"You know that you have to be a muslim to marry her, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Tomorrow. 1. at this address, and don't you dare come late."

It was the address to a mosque

what could happen next?

Ran Haitani

That twisted mf

he actually couldn't have cared less about who you were

he actually was just strolling around Roppongi, looking for trouble to deal with

then he saw you

sweet, in your own little world, happily walking your way

bro nah

of course he followed you and made himself known

"Oh, hello? can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh...tell me. What's a sweet little thing like you doing here? And all alone?"

Please I'd punch that guy

"Well, I just had to do my groceries, and I just can't seem to find this store...do you know where it is? It's one of the only stores here that sell halal food"

he didn't know what halal meant but he'd for sure ask you later

And of course he knew every single shop here

he and Rindou owned Roppongi after all

when I tell you that he's been through the five stages of confusion

1. staring at the name, then the shop

2. then smiling reassuringly at you

3. looking at the shop's name again with a frown this time

4. calling one of his allies

5. telling you the truth

you being down, him feeling unwell

ran could've been a little dissappointed in himself for not knowing that shop, but oh well

"according to google maps, I should cross this road!"

'she has a phone? It looks rather new too-'

"Aw, man...there's so much traffic...how am I going to cross it?"

this 'gentleman' told you to follow him

all the damn cars stopped

you were shocked but also happy

ran's pride flared up

and you guys actually made it to the shop

this is the second part of five stages of confusion

1. why is there a different smell in every direction he breathes?

2. why is there such a wide variety of tea??

3. why are there sausages, onions and fish hanging from the ceiling?

4. why was there a cat on the cash register?

5. what did you need from here?

an elder man came to view and you bowed politely

ran felt somewhat out of place when you talked to the grandpa in a foreign language

the man studied your paper and put everything you needed in a bag

then he said something which made you mad

you quickly fished out your money and slammed it on the counter

the man yelled something

you yelled something

you pushed ran out of the shop

you ran out

but not before petting the sweet cat, which purred in return

and you sighed angrily

"uhm...what was that??"

"he didn't want to accept the money."

"so? good for you."

"wha- no! I was the first customer there. He had this shop only opened recently. and I felt pity on him, so I gave him thrice from the actual price I had to pay."

"why?"

"Because that's what people from my family do!"

He didn't understand you

but he wanted to get to know you more

so he tried to accompany you as much as possible

and well, you two became friends

and you talked about your religion a lot

ran liked that about you

that you were a kind young lady, who only wanted the best for everybody

but he froze when you once spilled the tea about one od your cousins from your dad's side

"and she wants to marry an American, I mean, can you believe it?!"

"wait, what's so special about it? I mean, if she loves him, then...you know...?"

"Yes, but he is not muslim. And he doesn't want to convert to Islam. That's the problem."

"...I don't- I don't understand-"

"A muslim woman has to marry a muslim man. This is tradition and religion."

"Oh.", that's when he froze.

Ran also came to terms that he really liked you from that moment.

Like, he really really liked you.

that...that might be a problem.

"So...marriages between a muslim woman and a non-muslim man are not allowed?"

"Nope."

"And what about you? would you marry a non-muslim man?"

And you laughed. Was this a joke to you?

"Why would I marry a non-muslim man? I don't need a person who hasn't got the same beliefs as I do. Also, I don't need a man even half as much as I need Allah, Ran."

'Huh'

Guess he'll convert to Islam then.

Yuzuha Shiba

This precious baby girl

She actually knew you from Emma and Hina (let's pretend they know each other)

she loves how modest you dress and how mature you act

she loves how you can cook sweet oriental food and also tell the craziest stories which you had with your cousins

this girl

however

doesn't get

why you don't have a boyfriend yet

like

the first option would be her brother, because Yuzuha thinks that you would be the best wife for him

and uh, well, she doesn't really know anybody else

but

she doesn't like that you have to marry a muslim guy

like c'mon

"why can't you just marry Hakkai, ____?"

"Aren't you christians? And Hakkai always freezes up when I'm near-"

"sheesh, he'll get over it. And he can convert."

"Yuzuha, no. I don't want him to accept another religion because of a girl. He has to accept it himself. and why are you so mad about the fact that I have to marry a muslim? I wouldn't want to marry any of these guys here. every single boy in our age is a delinquent."

"But...does that mean that you'll go back to your country? What if we never see each other again?"

"....Are you guilt-tripping me right now?"

"...is it working?"

You two cried after a few seconds while hugging each other

your precious holiday came near where you sadly had to kill one of your goats

you didn't kill, your father and his friends, but still

you cried when you saw the head

you wanted to irk your bestie out

"look what they did to him...!", you said over the phone.

"What do you- EEEEEWWWW, ____! Why'd you show me that?! Euehzfg....Heuvghghg, I think I'm gonna puke-"

You heard puking sounds and you gagged as well, but you also chuckled.

"I c r i e d when I saw the head. I don't wanna suffer alone, love."

"But why me though?!"

"Cuz you're my bestieeeee <3"

please just pretend they all have phones.

"Also do you wanna eat? I made food. It's our holiday after all!!!"

of course she came over

But she was mad surprised when she saw the amount of food there

she's never seen so different looking stuff

she wanted to eat something from every plate

and she did

little by little

you two gained at least two pounds

you two were not happy

but full.

and that's all that matters. :D

---

guys I wrote stuff that might not suit your expectations or what is not correct, because again, it is all from the knowledge my muslim friend gave me.

but also please feel free to correct me if I made a mistake!

[moonlight-tmd]

how would the cons, bots, and elite bots react to the fact bee's parents are basically their gods

how would sari react too????

I love this au so much <3333 (it's funny af and has great potential for chaos)

Well, the others wouldn't really know they are gods since Primus and Unicron are not allowed to reveal themselves- hence the disguises and alias'. Bee knows they're gods but he's not allowed to speak about it either, he only refers to them as Sire and Papa anyway.

While Prisma and Unis know they are the gods, they speak about their god-names as if they were separate beings(mostly when they're arguing) to keep their covers- religion is a minority on Cybertron since the war began so it's rare to see someone speak about the gods so much. They are seen as religious to say the least.

When Unis shows up in earth he's wrecking shit up for fun and the autobots come to stop him- he does his gig with "you have no chance against me! I will destroy you!" before he notices the tiny yellow bot standing in the group and changes his attitude to happy-go-lucky, The others are very confused and alarmed when Bee runs towards te colossus, even more so but add shocked when he picks Bee up and starts baby-talking to him and Bee yells; "Meet my Creator!"

They are sceptical and wary of Unis cuz this mech just threatened to kill them and now he's acting all friendly and good. He straight up says he was gonna destroy the planet for fun but he can't do that since his beloved sparkling (and his friends) live here.

And so Unis is a "guest" in the plant for few weeks. He's like gremlin-mode Bumblebee but worse- he dubbed Sari an abomination when Bee introduced her to him, Unis was quick to clarify he likes her very much and insults are his way of showing affection(in a way). She was hurt at first but quickly got used ot this weird affection Bee's dad gave her. She likes to go messing around with them in the middle of nowhere sometimes.

He doesn'd do shit when there's something bad happening and the team has to go take care of it. In fact, half of the calls happen cuz he's causing trouble. He's also encouraging Bee causing mischieft and doing pranks and saying he's "going in his Creator's pedesteps".

Unis had bragged about being the strongest warrior in the entire reality known, he's detroyed planets single-handedly and wrecked thousands of soldiers that happened to get in his way. Team Prime has a reason to be wary of him, not just because he's a giant.

The Decepticons straight up skidaddle on the sight of him- he's triple the size of Blitzwing AND wielding a giant double-sided axe. One time Megatron got his servos on Bee and threatened the other Autobots that he'll hurt him, Unis seemed to just materialize out of thin air behind him and politely got his attention before he suplexed him with one servo. The 'cons are straight up avoiding the yellow mini now in both fear of what other fucked up abilities he has and because they don't wanna be pavement on the courtesy of his apparently Creator.

Sentinel is giving Bee all the respect and praise he "held back on" the moment Unis approaches him from behind while Sentinel is trash-talking Bee and excuses them both so they can go on the promised treasure hunt.

While Unis does seem like the strongest in the universe, he's not on either side of the war. He calls it stupid and says that he "spreads the chaos equally".

Then Prisma shows up. He drops from the sky and seizes Unis by his horn. He says few things to his "little sunray" and promises to visit soon before leaving thru a "space bridge" with his husband.

Bee then tells them that was his Sire.

If Ratchet was questioning how this colossus Unis managed to take care of such tiny Sparkling like Bee then now he's questioning how the frag Bee is so small if he got 2 literal giants for Creators- and he doesn't look like he was adopted by them.

And yeah, Prisma does show up unexpectedly like a week later- they find him sitting in the main room with Bee, he was recovering from an injury so they left him in base for the call and when they come back- oop, there's a fucking huge airplane just sitting in the plant. How did he fit in the room? None of them know!

Surprisingly, Prisma is very likeable and they actually get to be kinda friends with him instead of being afraid- well, they're still scared cuz he does clarify he'll send Unis to wreck chaos if something happened to Bee but he's not as aggressive as Unis. He's not even violent- physically at least. He's also on neither side of the war- he says it's a pointless tragedy and he's giving help to anyone in need.

Prisma is similar to Prowl actually, he's calm, respectful and the responsible parent- he doesn't let Bee cause any trouble (most of the time). He actually made Bee apologize when he called Prowl's documentaries boring; "Just because his interests don't align with yours, it doesn't mean they are any less than what you enjoy." He has said.

Now, the 'cons and Elite Guard are still scared shitless from Unis' visit so they also avoid him. Bee and Sari have the fun flying together in his cockpit and seeing stars and galaxies from the "projector"- it's like they were actually in space!

Prisma leaves and things have quieted down. But all of the eath transformers were traumatized enough to treat Bee with respect. His team still bosses him around a bit cuz he is a teammate but they certainly are worried of what might happen if they so much as insulted him. But the tension shrinks the further Bee's parents' visits were in the calendar.

Now i have few funny ideas with BlitzBee and "meeting the in-laws" that i vaguely mentioned in this post. But i also think ProwlBee would fit. Feel free to send questions about whichever you want.

[mswyrr]

I love this scene from Homicide: Life on the Street (from 2x04, "A Many Splendored Thing") and the surge in puritanical thought and purity policing language online keeps making me think about it.

BAYLISS: Tell me that you don't find all of this porno stuff, all this phone sex and S&M stuff, disgusting. PEMBLETON: Well, Bayliss, that's just the way of the world. It's been this way forever. When they dug through the ruins of Pompeii, they found, written on the walls: 'An vere fama susrrat grandia te medii tenta vorare viri.' It's a long, roundabout way of saying 'fellatio.' St. Ignatius High, New York City. Yeah, I had to do something to make Latin class interesting. BAYLISS: Granted, listen, perversion has existed since the beginning of time. Alright, we see it everywhere, but that doesn't mean that I am willing to accept that. PEMBLETON: Well, in any given ten square feet of this great country, there are people who think it's perverted for a person of your color and my color to sleep together. BAYLISS: No, Frank. I'm not talking about prejudice. What I'm talking about is kinky sexual acts. Dehumanizing acts between two human beings, alright. Sex is love. Period. This I believe. PEMBLETON: Oh, yeah right. So if a beautiful woman passes you on the street, you smile at her. Ooh, she smiles back. You're not thinking about marriage, you're thinking of her in a French maid's outfit. Bent over a straight back chair – BAYLISS: No, no, I don't. I don't think that way, Frank. PEMBLETON: Oh, well you're either a liar or you're a moron. If you're a liar, then fine. At least you've got a chance. But if you're a moron, then you're just a bore, y'know. I'm gonna have to take you out back and shoot you just to put you out of your misery. BAYLISS: Wait a minute. I don't think dirty so I can't understand the criminal mind. Is that it, huh? I mean….I…I…I don't want to kill someone, so I can't get into the killer's head, is that it Frank? I don't think about molesting some child so I don't how to investigate Adena Watson's murder, is that what you're saying? PEMBLETON: Then you really are a moron, aren't you!? BAYLISS: No, I'm not a moron, Frank! PEMBLETON: OK, let me tell you something. We're all guilty of something. Cruelty, or greed, or going 65 in a 55-mile-per-hour zone. But you know what? You want to think about yourself as the fair-haired choirboy, you go ahead. BAYLISS: Alright. OK, so, what're you saying, huh? PEMBLETON: I'm saying you got a darkness. You, Tim Bayliss, you got a darkness inside of you. You gotta know the uglier, darker sides of yourself. You gotta recognize them so they're not constantly sneaking up on you. You gotta love them 'cause they're part of you. Because along with your virtues, they make you who you are. Virtue isn't virtue until it slams up against vice. So consequently, your virtue's not real virtue, until it's been tested. Tempted.

Being terrified of one's own darkness/sins and eagerly seeking to live in denial about their existence is actually one of the ways that extremes of politics and religion capture people. (That and the disgust based morality Bayliss displays in this scene). That kind of obsessive purity is something I was raised with in fundamentalist Christianity. It doesn't lead to goodness; it leads to hypocrisy, lies, hiding and concealing and cultures of fear. It motivates people to actively prevent rather than support real goodness and sincerity and truth. It leads to people displacing and projecting their own darkness on others instead of having a healthy relationship with it.

[thearcanecat]

hello! how has your day been?

Okay! This weeks been a little heavier than usual (cough cough politics) but overall doing good. I did. just lock myself out of dorm so after I do my dishes I gotta go figure that out.

Talking about school because that what I did. Classical mythology we compared Acteon and Penthus as both mortal who saw something they shouldn’t have and get killed by things that don’t understand what they are doing. Acteon accidentally saw Diane bathing and got turning into a deer and eaten by his own hounds. Ovid lists all the dog’s names it actually very cute if they were not hunting their own master. Penthus (if I’ve misspelled a name oops I’m not double checking right now) went to see the rites if Bacchus and got dismembered by his own mother and aunts.

Japanese was Japanese. We are starting dictionary form (te form is Friday and I really need to brush up on that) as well as past adjectives. It’s fun but the hardest to describe to other people.

Writing we read a Gladwell essay on cte in football. Very routine close reading stuff what he did and things. I don’t know how to make this sound interesting.

I also started writing my religious studies paper. The professor let’s us chose between a traditional essay and a creative writing piece that includes ideas from our readings. I’m doing the later and I am making it about Holloway because I can. I do need to shorten it a lot though because it’s 2-3 pages and I already have like 8. Currently working with: Abraham and Isaac (first death as a sacrifice in the church of starry children), how ordinary people can commit atrocities and turn on their neighbors (Hatchetmen vs those with the gift), how violence can be justices by religion (lords cults and stuff but also Holly justifying her own death as death of body not soul), how obedience does not always get you a happy ending (dying is not fun and honestly makes everything worse). That last one is based on a reading we did from a trans Christian minister, Junia Joplin and was an interesting read. I grew up in the Christian church and don’t have any ill will toward my specific churches but I know the general consensus on Christianity is more negative, so I always love hearing stories where queerness is holy, rather than deemed a sin.

How’s your day been?

[sanza-17]

1, 3, and 6 from the TES OC asks! :^)

thank you for the asks!!🥰 my brain isn’t as fried now I hope

What class do they fall under - Irene is more of a warrior/spell sword I guess, but long story short she likes to attack ppl with a long sharp piece of metal (a pretty looking sword as well) she’s been learning to use a sword since she was like ten alongside her friend and my other oc Layla from her father because Redguards obviously make the best teachers but she’s also a bit self taught and maybe might even be considered a bit of a prodigy. But then she joins the mages guild some times after being sacrificed and after joined the fighters guild, mostly because she wants the double neutrality both guilds provide so it’s not as awkward when she’s doing stuff for all three alliances. She doesn’t really learn magic at first because she tells herself that she’s not interested but eventually she does, maybe even learning under vanus’s and Vastaries tutelage at some point after the plainmeld so she becomes more of a spellsword using magic and her sword when she remembers that she can used magic 🥴

3. Which Aedra/Daedra do they worship - absolutely none lol, deadra are definitely off the table but when it comes to the divines she’s just not that religious like you won’t ever catch her saying “by the divines!” if she sees some scary shit you know what I mean? Like maybe she had prayed a small handful of times but that’s about it because she just doesn’t understand how people can be so devoted to religion/religious figures but she definitely doesn’t hate the divines. I think she would probably be a bit agnostic I think🤷🏽‍♀️ but she does like dibella (and Mara) and her sphere quite a lot, especially the whole beauty thing, love and seeing friendship as something to be treasured. She even wears an amulet of dibella sometimes but more so as a fashion statement in a way but she would definitely not consider herself a devout follower.

6. What’s their social class - well she’s definitely a commoner but in terms of social class I think she and her family fits into the middle class, mostly because her family (in my canon) own the rosy lion inn for generations and since it’s the only inn/tavern in the city I imagine that it makes a lot of steady income meaning Irene gets to live a pretty stable and good life especially when she gets her own money to spend from adventuring 😗

[secretagentfan]

Some attempted, painful, words of hope:

I've been thinking a lot about how I felt when reading Parable of the Sower. Octavia Butler wrote this book in 1993, and it takes place in 2024.

Before Parable of the Sower, I prided myself on finishing "good books" and putting down "bad books". Sower was the exception. It is one of the best books I've ever read, and I never finished it. I'm going to talk about it anyway. I think I need to.

I read a good chunk of it on a plane ride, where there was no escape. I was looking for books that look at religion in a nuanced way and I knew empathy was a main theme, which, fuck yeah.

I was not prepared.

Parable has your standard pre-apocalypse set-up. It's a small town in a horrible world (ours) surrounded by a wall. There are signs that the wall is going to come down, and the young protagonist picks up on these signs.

Early on she tells her friend about it, tells her that they need to prepare to learn to survive. Her friend cries to her parents, and her friend's parents then proceed to get mad at the protagonist's parents for teaching their daughter to fearmonger.

The scene that occurs after this, between main character and her pastor father, punched me in the chest. He basically tells her she's right about the wall falling-- he tells her that the adults in the town all know, and are doing their best to prepare for it. Most young people, he argues, can't handle carrying the knowledge the wall is going to fall. He says that when they discover it for the first time, all they want to do is point at the void-- just point at the big scary thing that needs correcting. But, he insists, that just breeds extremism.

Instead, he advises her to point NEXT to the void. Start learning survival stuff on her own, work it into her life and the lives of others in sneaky subtle ways. Ways that won't scare people-- but ways that they'll have when they need it.

It doesn't sit well with her, but she loves her father, and she tries.

The wall falls anyway.

When it does, it's awful. Like, whatever horrible thing you can imagine happening to people (especially women) happens and happens so much.

When my plane ride was over. I set the book down and googled. Childishly, I wanted to make sure there was a 'happy ending' before continuing. I learned there was, more or less, and that there was a sequel book too. Parable of the Talents, in which a political leader embarks on a crusade to cleanse America of non-Christian faiths. His slogan? "Make America Great Again".

Nope. No way. I thought. Too close. Oh God, how did Octavia Butler manage to get his slogan back in 1993!?

On top of that, I also learned that Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents were intended to be part of trilogy, but Octavia Butler passed away before writing the third book.

So, knowing this I picked the book up again, read until I reached a spot I determined was hopeful enough and I set it down.

I wasn't ready to start a book that ended up in Trump times, and didn't have a known ending.

I told myself I wasn't quitting, just taking a mental break. I promised to come back to Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents when I was in a better mental place and more ready to handle the themes.

(Lol. Lmao even. )

Well guys, here we are. Trump 2024. Guess who's not in a better mental place, and guess who can't stop thinking about Parable of the Sower.

Crazy thing is, I've been thinking of it in a completely different way than I did back then. I'm honestly really grateful I read what I did, when I did. Octavia Butler was a brave and incredible woman and writer. Braver than me, for being able to sit on those complex horrific feelings and parse them down into something swallowable.

I love that scene between the protagonist and her father. I've tossed it around in my head a lot, I think about "pointing at the void" and the debate of whether that's something we should do, or not do.

I think that's something a lot of people can relate to now. It's tempting to talk about how bad things are-- but does that unite us? However, does pointing NEXT to the void really actually solve the problem?

The wall still falls, regardless. Change is coming.

I'm not looking to point at the void or point next to the void right now. Right now, I just want to be exactly where I'm at, and I'm amazed to find that what I read of Parable of the Sower gives me hope now too.

Another core theme of the book is the agony and strength that comes with being an empathetic person in destructive times.

The protagonist ends up making her own religion, Earthseed. She argues that God is Change, and we shape God. God is not kind. Change is not kind. It's partially out of our reach, but we do shape it and it is our responsibility to shape it for the better.

We decide how we act on a microlevel with each other and that means everything.

We are not living the worst of Parable of the Sower right now. The world hasn't entirely turned toward violence, yet. This is a terrifying, terrifying time, and I don't know what's going to happen.

We are not powerless though. We shape God, we shape Change, even as it shapes us.

Parable of the Sower is a book about surviving. It's a book about sitting in the discomfort and agony of being an empathetic person and continuing to fight to be kind, even when things are at their absolute worst.

We can't give into nihilism, but we can't just look away from the void either. The wall is falling. The wall has fallen. Things are bad right now, and we all just need to sit in it, and offer a hand to each other at every chance we get.

If there's one thing survival stories have taught me it's no matter how bad things get-- people can never truly get ground to dust.

The human will is an incredible thing, and when everything goes horribly, I think that's when the most basic interaction of "you are a human being and I see you, and I believe your worth" becomes the most important hope in the world to maintain. Even in the darkest most horrible corners of human history-- there is hope as long as there is kindness between people.

We need to learn to sit in discomfort, stare at the hurt and the violence and the hope and not put it down, even when we want to.

There is no third book in this series-- but we decide what it looks like.

-

“That’s all anybody can do right now. Live. Hold out. Survive. I don’t know whether good times are coming back again. But I know that won’t matter if we don’t survive these times.”

"All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.”

“The world is full of painful stories. Sometimes it seems as though there aren't any other kind and yet I found myself thinking how beautiful that glint of water was through the trees.”

[scalecallerpeak]

what do you think the pantheon for each akaviri races are like? Any daedric princes that might be included? And also do you think there could be a deity worshipped there but remains unknown in Tamriel? Love ur posts btw!

I haven't really thought about Daedra in Akavir yet but I imagine that daedric worship isn't as stigmatised there (ofc depending on the prince).

I definitely think there are likely gods we don't know of since ESO gave us some gods we've never heard of but could just be akaviri names for known gods.

However I think in Akavir things arn't as simple as Aedra/Daedra, as the Kamal themselves came from the Magna Ge (headcanon: That when the Magna Ge left Nirn some of the magic of the holes they made landed on the snows of Kamal creating the Kamali hence why they're called 'demons').Spiritual worship tends to be more of the main focus of Kamal. They believe in the Kamasil which if a Kamal doesn't go to rest peacefully they're going to come back as an angry snow spirit called a Kamasil. Thus a religious practice in kamal is called O-Te Kamasil which is a priest who deals with these angry spirits.

This belief is unique to the Kamal. But they do take on some Tsaesci beliefs (Tsaesci are sort of the Akavir version of imperials and by that I mean they stick their noses in everyone's business thus everyones got their religion) But the main gods in the Tsaesci religion are: Z'en, Aka, Alduin, Myn, Zisa, Nyfa and Ilni. Ironically despite being called Dragon Land, Z'en is the most profound god in the akaviri religion. And it is common to curse: 'By Z'en!' 'For Z'en's sake' etc.

In akaviri art work due to the mixed views of dragons, these gods are sometimes depicted as dragons and sometimes mortal races. In Tsaesci dragons art hunted, in Ka Po'tun Dragons are worshipped, in Kamal they generally keep away from dragons (due to their belief of spirits coming back and they don't want a spirit dragon), and Tang Mo also generally avoid them.

Tsaesci gods are also known to have demi-aedra or lesser aedra offspring such as Shinoginxhi and Xhinadorasai who are the children of Zisa + Ilni and Myn + Nyfa respectively. This can also be seen with dragons being the lesser aedra of Aka.

Other gods that are extremely important to the Tsaesci are Lorkan and Satakal. The Tsaesci believe they gained their serpentine forms as the last gift from Lorkan while he died (slain by Aka). They also believe that Satakal is the child of Lorkan and represents a side Tsaesci like to hide (the hungry serpent). This is why the vampiric strain that effects Tsaesci in particular (Note: in my headcanons Tsaesci aren't actually vampiric that's a misconception made by people from tamriel due to the importance of blood magic in their culture.) is called the Satakal strain. So along with Z'en you could say Lorkan is their most important god as they call their snake from their 'Lorkan Blessed skin'.

[fira54funko]

MEET FIRA54!!

I love animals!! I have 2 cats and would have more if I was allowed to. (I rent.)

I really love music, it's a passion of mine. These are just a few of my favorite musicians.. My tastes are all over, but just not big on country.

But what's my religion? Why, it's Ghost. 🖤

I love clothing, shoes, accessories. I have always had a more eclectic wardrobe, I love goth fashion the most!

I especially love Killstar, Dolls Kill, Too Fast and Hot Topic. (I also sell goth clothing and more on Poshmark!)

I am obsessed with Luminescence! I love collecting things that glow in the dark. I also make existing art glow like this Ghost poster.

(Looks better IRL, my camera has a hard time picking up the glow on the lighter, shaded areas.)

(BTW, This item is available for purchase on my Poshmark! More hand-painted glow in the dark art to come!!!)

I love true crime, especially serial killers. I love cop shows, detective shows.

I manage a rental property full time, I kind of fell into it. It's not my dream job but they treat me well so no plans to go anywhere.

I Love My Happy Little Family! Featuring @jasonmattesini ♥️

BONUS: FIRA54'S CURRENT 10 PLAYLIST

[profanetools]

the strange thing about having an enduring special interest is that you end up carrying it with you, this significant thing, as long - if not longer - than some of your most significant relationships. I have known Bthemetz and Kagrenac longer than two of the people I currently count as my closest friends. I sometimes drift in and out of TES - I need breaks, and it's no longer an intense, all-consuming thing, but something that simmers along gently most of the time – but the characters I've created speak to me far more than most things I can find in fiction these days. I've reflected on whether this is a bad thing, but quite frankly, while I avoid speaking of my offline life these days quite purposefully, I have other interests and hobbies and friends. I like to cook and climb and listen to experimental music and play tabletop games where I often indulge my creative muscles outside of fic. I don't feel like my relationship with fandom is one that is causing me to lose my critical faculties – I've always enjoyed fandom as an opportunity to exercise them, which I know makes me a bit of an outlier, but I just enjoy criticising texts out of a sense of love for the genre and the field. Bthemetz and Kagrenac are a creative offshoot of that criticism; they're a response to the problems I have with TES as well as an expression of various thoughts and feelings about religion, sexuality, political beliefs, love, and feeling outcast in various ways. I think the way it's entwined in some details of the source text actually makes it richer, even if I am quite loose with it – I enjoy world-building, after all. I think it's harmless and it's something that does bring me joy without really being all encompassing. The only snag is that I sometimes feel that I should have devoted more energy to original fiction (especially when I have conversations with friends about my writing), but I find myself often struggling with the pressure of what to say – what's worth actually publishing, what can I say that is new. Whereas with fandom, I feel like I do have something original to say about this source text that combines my love of weird fantasy and romance. In any case, I feel like Bthemetz and Kagrenac will probably endure for a few more years, if not longer. I sometimes wonder if they'll age with me as well. I wonder how I feel about them when I'm 40 or 50 – the ages they're supposed to be. I look forward to finding out, and looking back on it fondly.

[feykrorovaan]

Terribly sorry, but due to your post indicating that you enjoy hearing other people talk about their OCs, which was tagged with Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age, I will now use your askbox to ramble about a stupid crossover fanfiction idea I had that I will almost certainly never write but cannot get out of my head and I just need to talk about somewhere.

Anyway, there's a really common trend in DA/TES crossover fics where the premise is basically just "TES protagonist (almost invariably the Last Dragonborn) ends up in Thedas during the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition and either ends up being the Inquisitor or an additional companion to the Inquisitor." The idea is just one of those, with the TES protagonist in question being an Ohmes Nerevarine.

If you don't know, khajiit can be born into one of 16 different "furstocks" depending on the phase of the moons when they are born, ranging all the way from talking house cats (the alfiq) to 10-foot-tall tiger-men (the pahmar-raht), with the ohmes pretty much just looking like somewhat hairier-than-average elves to the point that many ohmes tattoo more feline features onto their faces in order to make it more obvious that they're khajiit. This means they'd be able to blend in relatively easily since they could just pass themself off as an elf, but would still be a member of a species completely alien to Thedas. Humans are just humans, and even mer could be thought of as basically just weird elves, but there's nothing even similar to the khajiit.

Furthermore, the moons of Nirn are extremely important to every part of khajiiti society from their government to their religion, and this would mean they'd be thrown into a world where those moons just... aren't there. The very sky of Thedas would be alien to them, and a khajiit would be the most affected by that out of all of Nirn's cultures.

On a more metaphysical level, khajiit are innately tied to the Lunar Lattice, which is basically the khajiiti name for the barrier separating Mundus from Oblivion and Aetherius. Azura is worshipped by them as Azurah, a "keeper of all gates and keys, all rims and thresholds," and it's implied that Azurah created the khajiit to help maintain the Lunar Lattice in some way. Seeing as the main plot of DA:I is heavily focused on the Veil between the mortal world and the Fade, you could probably do some very interesting stuff with a character who has an innate connection to a similar metaphysical barrier.

As for the Nerevarine part, it's for a few different reasons. Partly because (as mentioned) almost every single one of these fics has the Last Dragonborn and having a different TES protagonist would make it slightly more unique. Partly because a Khajiiti Nerevarine would likely be able to relate to an Elven Inquisitor quite a lot, being hailed as the destined savior of a people who treat most of their respective peoples as subhuman. And finally because the Nerevarine is very closely connected to Azura, with her basically being the Nerevarine's patron goddess.

I don't have a huge number of specific ideas for the plot, but the Nerevarine's presence there would definitely be a scheme by Azura. Azura is ultimately a prideful and egotistical being; not malevolent, but definitely self-centered. In Daggerfall her sphere is vanity and egotism, rather than twilight and prophecy, and those associations are very much still present even in later games. Above all else she desires to be loved and worshiped, so how could she resist a world bereft of gods, free for the taking? I imagine her plan here is two-fold: just like in Morrowind there’s her obvious and wholly altruistic goal (supporting the Nerevarine in his quest to defeat a great evil), and that goal just so happens to further her own ends. She seeks to essentially supplant the Veil; she wants to become known as a benevolent goddess who oversees the barrier between the mortal world and the Fade. Her being there to help the Nerevarine mend the Veil is partly a cover, and the person she’s really interested in is Solas, planning to gain his trust and support by presenting herself as a better alternative to his plan of simply tearing down the Veil. She/Moonshadow (since Princes pretty much are their realm of Oblivion) would serve as a twilight realm, removing the Veil without doing the damage that would result from simply tearing it down. Just like in Morrowind, she’d be a highly morally ambiguous character, never overtly doing anything sinister or malicious, but definitely manipulative and with somewhat unclear end-goals or motivations.

I imagine the Nerevarine would have a very complicated relationship with Azura. Since the Nerevarine is canonically an orphan and she’s “The Mother of All Khajiit,” he might view her as kind of a mother-figure he’s devoted to and desperate to earn the approval of, but feels more and more like he’s being used and manipulated by her (because he is). He will especially feel this way if he knows that he’s on Thedas because of another one of her plans. He probably won’t hate her or anything, and may even have faith that she is acting for the greater good, but will have something of an arc of him becoming less emotionally dependent on her and distancing himself. If he cuts ties entirely, it would probably happen right at the end, and coincide with her finally getting Solas to support her plans.

I know you said you probably won't write out a full fanfiction, but you definitely have the ground work for one. If you ever do, remember that Thedas canonically has two moons,just like Nirn. 😉

Also,I had no idea that asks could be so long, so you taught me something new. ^.^

Thank you for sharing your ideas. This was really interesting.