#I needed a title for religious community leaders

[valtsv]

This is related to nothing but ur like the TSV confessional/Themes Discusser imo. Thinking abt Shrue always makes me think abt the wacky government in TSV and how it's so wildly unclear what these positions are or what anyone is really doing specifically. Why is the Press Secretary seemingly the boss of these 'senators'? Why is their title 'adjudicator'? Why does it feel like this is some kind of mesopotamian priesthood that got retrofitted to look like a parliament? WHY IS A 'PRESS SECRETARY' IN CHARGE OF THEM? (well you know why thematically but what the hell is the justification in their constitution??) but more importantly HOW do these weird systems relate to the constant existential threat of godhood and are they influenced by some need to curb idolatry and politician-worship? It's great

okay so the carson thing i can explain; the press secretary is NOT in charge of the adjudicators or the country, he's just running a shadow dictator scheme by acting as the mouthpiece of the high adjudicator, who is in a coma and thus can't contradict him (also being in possession of a reality-rewriting saint, even though she's in reality actually actively ignoring him, is demonstrably a pretty effective threat against any meaningful resistance, as proven when he gaslights shrue in front of the entire house of representatives. like if a guy walks onto the floor and literally shows you evidence of his power to erase anyone he likes from reality, and then tells you he wants you to kiss his boots, you're probably gonna kiss those boots unless you KNOW you have a clear and definite shot and/or nothing to lose). he's scamming. he's fucking with everyone including the audience.

but yeah the tsv political/judicial system is WACKY. this can partly be justified by the fact that the world of tsv is established to be very factional and split into a multitude of minor territories united under a single banner pretty much in name only, so the entire system is very much a symbolic concept that most people outside of the central sphere of influence can and do get away with only paying lip service to. given the context that there have been previous religious wars in which certain faiths were legalised or outlawed, it seems to be a rather ineffective effort to unite the nation in order to prevent society from splintering into a multitude of idolatrous sects that are more difficult to control, and having official political representatives would theoretically curb the influence of wannabe cult leaders forming their own communities outside of the influence of the state, as you suggested. that the government isn't meaningfully different from the gods that eat people, and as much of an existential threat as they are, is very much intentional - much like our own world, this is a society that's eating itself alive to stay warm!

it's all but explicitly stated to be very much reliant on people being familiar with and accepting the status quo, though (as we see particularly with hayward in s1, when he faces significant resistance to his supposed authority outside of glottage - where his position as a police officer is a real and tangible one to the average citizen - and cannot meaningfully enforce it without resorting to unethical and violent methods that contradict his entire concept of what an officer of the law is supposed to be and the values they're meant to uphold), and on them failing or being unwilling to recognise this symbolic order as a false reality enforced by a combination of censorship, lies, corporate hegemony branded as religious devotion, and carceral/capital punishment, which is why it has to be propped up by (and ultimately falls to) saints like VAL in the first place, and why the actual effectiveness of individual public figures isn't especially significant - its primary purpose is maintaining an illusion of authority and control, and for the most part being able to rely on people policing themselves unquestioningly.

[illusioninfnty]

The Taste of the Divine

જ⁀➴ Cult Leader & Worshipper : Day 23

feat. Alicent Hightower ᯓ★ Alicent is your most devoted follower. You offer her another way to prove to you why she deserves that title.

warnings! : NSFW 18+, dub-con, sub!Alicent, religious connotations, worship, praise, cunnilingus, fingering, masturbation, ruined orgasm

ᯓ★ kinktober m.list || read on ao3

The doors to your offering room opens, heels clacking behind you as they enter. Your back is turned to the entrance; instead you choose to look out of the large window, down at your commune. Everyone is going about their day, looking content and joyful. Just as you intend for them to be.

You don’t turn to greet the figure who entered—you already know who it is. Alicent is always the first to come visit you when your offering room is opened. Such a good woman. A good follower. You were lucky to have her with you, spreading your message to all that could hear.

“My Great Lady, I humbly thank you for your time.” Her greeting is the same every time. You wonder if she’ll ever switch it up for once.

“It’s good to see you, Alicent.”

You finally turn to face her. She kneels before you, head bent towards the ground. Her clothes reflect her humbleness, a modest blue cloak over a tan dress hanging around her shoulders. Her long curls cover her face from your view, something that displeased you. You liked seeing her wide, expressive eyes when they shined up at you.

Perhaps you can request her to wear her hair up, braided and out of her face, more often.

“What are you offering me today?” You ask, yet you have a feeling on exactly what she’ll say.

“I offer to you my deepest gratitude, and my greatest loyalty—”

“Enough.” You roll your eyes. You can hear the way her breath hitches. Her hands falter in their clasped position, and you can see the way her fingertips twitch against each other.

“How are the kids?” Her eyebrows furrow slightly, as if she’s surprised you’re bringing them up. Each of her four kids were a bit of wild cards within your commune, knowing that Alicent’s typical passivity was not enough to keep them in check. Out of the four, you had only been visited by one of them, and neither time it seemed like it was of his own volition.

“They are…doing well. Aemond and Daeron are excelling in his studies, Helaena has picked up some new hobbies. I have…introduced Aegon to your teachings, My Great Lady. He is more receptive to it than from his youth.” 

“And now that Viserys is gone?”

You knew that Alicent’s late husband was a sore subject for her. When you matched them together, it was the first time that she had actually begged you, going against your wishes.

It was the first, and only, time you had to punish her.

The next time she saw you, she thanked you for giving her to such a kind and passive man.

“I-I suppose I’m still getting used to being without him.”

You hum, taking in her answer. “Have you been feeling lonely, Alicent?”

Without skipping a beat, she replies. “I can never feel lonely when I know you are here to guide me.”

You almost snort at her generic words. You’ve heard it all before. “I don’t believe you.”

Alicent sputters in a panic. Her hands drop to the ground, and she bows even lower. “M-my Great Lady, whatever have I done, please tell me so I can reverse it!”

“Shh, shh.” You lean over, placing the palm of your hand onto her cheek. She finally looks up at you, and you’re met with those beautiful eyes, now filled with tears that look like they are about to spill over. “You are my most adored, Alicent. I will not deny that. But I do have another request from you. One that will keep you in my good graces.”

“Whatever you need, I will have it done for you.” Her words are spoken with conviction, and you smirk.

You take a seat at your ornate table, decorating with the finest clothes and gems. You motion a finger over to Alicent to follow, and she obeys. Without even having to tell her, she drops back down to her knees in front of you.

You spread your legs, hiking up the dress you wear to reveal your bare cunt underneath it. Alicent gasps, averting her gaze until you use your thumb and forefinger to move her head back to your direction.

“For my most devoted girl, I have a very special treat for you. You wouldn’t deny me, would you?”

Alicent kisses the thumb that rests upon her lips. “If it pleases you, I will do it with no question, My Great Lady.”

You run a hand through her curls as Alicent leans into you, her mouth upon your cunt with no hesitation. You hum in satisfaction as she begins to lick your folds, the heat of her tongue sending pleasure through your body.

“With more conviction, Alicent,” you command.

“Of course, My Great Lady.” Alicent begins to feast on you; one of her digs into your bare thigh for support as she allows herself to get lost in your cunt. You push her hair out of her face as she does so, and she hums against you, slurping at your juices.

She eats you like she’s starved, and you have no doubt that she hasn’t been receiving the sexual satisfaction that she is now. 

You bite your lip to hold in your moans as you throw your head back, petting her hair as her tongue passes over your clit, which she nibbles at.

“Does this please you?” you start, looking back down on her, “to know that you are satisfying me?”

“Y-yes,” Alicent slurs out, “I’ll do whatever I can to satisfy you.”

A pause passes as she awaits your next command. “Then touch yourself.”

For the first time since she started, Alicent stops in her movements and looks up at you. “P-pardon?”

You narrow your eyes at her hesitation. “Finger your cunt the way that you wish for me to do to you.”

Her eyes widen and she nods. You can see a blush making an appearance across her cheeks. As she dives back into your cunt, you see a hand slowly reach down her body. She gasps into your cunt, and you know that she’s starting to touch herself.

“Show your fingers up your cunt, just like how your tongue is in me.” You guide her with your words, spreading your legs wider to allow more room for her to feast on you.

“I want to hear your moans. Let them out for me,” you croon.

“O-oh!” Alicent lets out the faintest gasps, her body jolting as she fingers herself. The vibrations from her sounds of pleasure are felt through your cunt, and you sigh as you let yourself indulge in the euphoria of it all.

Alicent is much more deft with her mouth than you imagined though, because you can already feel yourself approaching your orgasm, a familiar tightening occurring within your core. The hand you have in her deep auburn tresses tightens and she moans.

“Keep going,” you urge, and Alicent’s tongue moves even faster than before inside of you.

The tightness in your core finally releases, like a spring uncoiling from itself. You contain your moans to the best of your ability, but it feels impossible when Alicent is licking up all the juices that spill out of your cunt.

Her whines grow more high pitched and frequent. Sensing that she’s about to cum from her fingers, you stop her. You reach down, grasping onto the arm that is tucked between her thighs and reaching down between her own cunt. She gasps, and you pull her arm up.

She looks up at you confused, panting unsteadily as she recovers from her ruined orgasm.

“I’ll give you your reward the next time you come see me,” you say as you cup her cheek in your hand.

Alicent nestles her cheek into your hand looking up at you with a shy smile. “I will be looking forward to it, My Great Lady. Nothing in the world can compare to being by your side.”

You smile at her words. She truly is your most faithful follower. The others would do good by following in her example.

[beefrobeefcal]

Vicinia part 1

Summary: Confusion, pheromones, and primal nature take hold.

Joel Miller / Dave York / f!reader | Rating: 18+ MDNII | Word Count: 6,000

Content Warnings: no official smut between parties in this part but... loads of loads (cum), kissing, jerking off, multiple orgasms, lots of scents and scenting, a/b/o talk and dynamics, getting horny on work time (Dave!), confusion about who's the omega, crying, cum-soaked sheets, poor spelling on FaceBook, FaceBook (it needs its own warning), cumming in pants, distracted driving, neighbours who don't like each other for no particular reason, everyone is just horny on main... JUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION OKAY?

Author's Notes: this is dedicated to my beloved prinny @xdaddysprincessxx - without you, i wouldn't have found this absolute unit of a genre + become enraptured to an alarming degree. So much so that I made + presented a PowerPoint on the Omegaverse. thank you 💜🥩💜 Welp. I got into the omegaverse + shit got weird. This was meant to be a one shot, but at 6k, it seemed to be a part 1 of at least 2. Next part will drop soon[ish]! Thanks to @strang3lov3, @noxturnalnymph , @bitchesuntitled + @ace-turned-confused for their eyes, minds, thots + love. Thanks also to @saradika-graphics for the dividers.

No more tag lists - follow @beefnotes + turn on notifications for fic updates!

vīcīnia f (genitive vīcīniae); Latin.  - neighborhood - nearness, proximity, vicinity

Dave was never the type to hide himself. Whether you liked him or not, he made it clear he was the alpha in every room he entered, every conversation he encountered and every interaction he had. Since puberty Dave had given off such a strong alpha aura, even a mere beta knew better than to mess with him. 

He’d never taken suppressants and his disdain for those who did did not go unnoticed. Dave held no sympathy - regardless of personal issues - for those who fell in line like sheep and conformed to what ‘society’ was demanding. He was above that, never feeling the need to hide who he was in order to satisfy the puritanical cowards that thought they were in charge. He was alpha enough to control himself when he felt it necessary and that was that. 

There was never a time - that Dave would admit out loud anyway - that he ever doubted or felt insecure in his steadfast approach to being an alpha. But he knew his polarizing approach had cost him a long term companion and many, many friends. Outwardly, he proudly wore the title of ‘lone wolf’.

Joel hadn’t felt this clear headed in god knows how long. Why did he wait? He knew the answer, but it didn’t make the surge of instinct and biology - which washed away the dulled senses and lowered libido - any easier to swallow. For the first time in over 30 years, Joel Miller wasn’t on suppressants. 

He’d started them because there was a societal requirement to hide his second gender - alpha. The betas, which made up the majority of the population, were brainwashed by their leaders - religious and political - to believe that their communities were in danger from the aggressive and uncontrollable alpha nature. And given that alphas were “triggered” by omegas, both alphas and omegas were expected to suppress their natural urges in the name of safety and the greater good. 

But it wasn’t the middle ages, it was the early 1990’s, therefore culling entire pockets of the population was thankfully out of the question. The options became taking a chemical suppressant offered by the government or risk being outed and outcast by your friends and neighbors, which often led to discrimination and violence. Joel made the easy choice to take the pills and be “normal”.

So Joel suppressed his nature, knocked up his beta girlfriend, and became a single father all in one year. And now, 30-odd years later, with the changing and more accepting times (and after joining a suppressed alpha & omega support group on Facebook), he decided to go “sant-free” and enjoy who he truly was.

And who he truly was, was a lot. 

Dave and Joel had lived on the same street for close to twenty years. There was a house between them, and they had watched owners and tenants come and go throughout the almost-two decades, and kept things as pleasant as they could between them despite their animosity for one another.

It was one evening as Dave was scrolling through Facebook - something he would never admit to doing - and he came across a support group for alphas and omegas who currently were - or had been - suppressed.

He smirked. “Fuckin’ pussies.”

He clicked on the group and joined, his interest solely in solidifying his fragile ego’s belief that he was better never having been tainted by a ‘sant’ in his life. Scrolling through the page, he got a kick out of the sob stories posted about ‘trying to gain back the time lost being suppressed’ and ‘feeling like being reconnected with my ancestors for the first time at a group howling’. He rolled his eyes and chuckled like an asshole, but stopped at a post with a familiar name:

Joel Miller Anyone else feeling like there smelling better? Not my own cent, but everything and other people around me smells bigger and more smellier. 6mths sant-free.

Dave just about choked on the gasp he sucked in reading this. He had been around Joel countless times and never once scented anything but his Old Spice from him. This didn’t make any sense, but the picture on the profile he clicked on was definitely Joel. He thought Joel was a beta. According to his own alpha group, even a suppressed alpha could be scented out by others. It clicked for him then. Joel must be an omega; his scent getting better now that he was going au natural. 

“Joel fuckin’ Miller’s an omega bitch.”, Dave murmured with a chuckle. 

After his Facebook discovery, Dave thought so much less of Joel, not that he thought much of him to begin with. He made a point to throw Joel cool glares and the occasional middle finger as he passed him while pulling out of his driveway each morning to go to work. Even if Joel never saw the gesture, it was irrelevant for Dave; he just felt better doing it.

Joel knew Dave was an asshole, plain and simple. He always figured he was just overcompensating for something. He’d always gotten a bad feeling about him, and he just kept a polite distance and had advised the neighbourhood mothers to have their daughters skip his house when they sell Girl Scout cookies. It meant more for Joel anyway -  at least that’s what he hoped for.

A silent, volatile accord had existed between the men, and you were about to come along and destroy it.

You’d moved into the house between them, having just left a tumultuous relationship mired in a power struggle with a beta man. According to the opinion of your friends, he was threatened by your ‘sacred omega energy’ and wasn’t worth your time or your tears. Even if you didn’t 100% believe that, the thought of it being true did make you feel better. 

During your first viewing and the walkthrough with the home inspector, you’d noted that you had an older, sober-looking male neighbour on one side, and a clean cut man with a predatory stare on the other. 

Neither seemed to be wiser to your omega-ness, despite the fact that you were no longer suppressed as heavily. You moved here to get a clean start now that you were taking back your innate nature, and relied on a different combination of medications to help ease your heats and allow you to be in public without being potentially accosted by overly aggressive alphas.

Your boxes were about 75% unpacked and for that alone, you decided that you deserved a break. Opening the back door, you stepped out onto the porch and then down to the patio, sitting on the back steps. The breeze was cool and sweet, causing your skin to prickle in goosebumps under the warm spring sun. Closing your eyes, you breathed in and enjoyed the peace and smells of cut grass and someone’s garden blooming downwind. It was complete tranquility. 

Until it wasn’t. 

You could smell him approaching his fence. The harsh, wet-metal tint of his scent dulling every other scent around you. He didn’t smell nice. He smelled brash, aggressive, bold, proud, stubborn… like a headache that wouldn’t go away in a rusted can. He was definitely one of those alpha-male alphas.

You turned your head to see the clean shaven neighbour, learing at you from over his fence. 

“Nice day we’re having,” his voice cutting through the gentle birdsongs.

You nodded politely with a small, tight smile on your face. “Quite.”

Another scent drifted through to you, a softer, smokier scent, like that of worn leather with copper rivets. You turned your head and saw the older neighbour watching you from his porch out back, sipping a glass of some amber liquid. He was also an alpha, but far less brash, according to scent anyway, and it made your scent glands at the crux of your neck and shoulders throb. His eyes occasionally darted to the other man then back to you. 

It felt like you were in the crossfires of a long brewing feud and given that these men both smelled like alphas, you weren’t too keen on getting caught in-between them.

The older man gave you a polite nod and took another sip. The younger man grimaced a smile as his eyes darted between you and the older man, then paused, seemingly smelling the air. You watched, growing curious as he looked away, brows furrowed and mouth tightening, as if he was trying to decipher something before his face relaxed and his eyes widened in realization. His scent changed, heedier notes crawling out from under his already sharp scent, and it made your blood run cold. He’d picked up on your omega scent and his own was responding. You moved to get up and run into your house, but stopped when you took one last look at him, seeing just his eyes glaring not at you, but past you. You turned and realized his ire was directed at your other neighbour, the older man on the other side of your other fence.

You turned back to the younger man and watched as his head sunk down behind the fence again. Then you heard a door slam and whipped your head around to find your older neighbour was now gone, too. 

What the fuck?

Dave was furious. 

He had a hot neighbour that he very much would like to get to know better, but Joel was so fucking distracting! How the hell can he look so unattractively old yet smell that good??

Pacing back and forth in his kitchen, Dave debated on going back out into the yard to try and get another whiff. Maybe this time, it would repulse him. Maybe this time, he would catch Joel’s scent again, and then, because it’s Joel, he would be so turned off, Joel’s scent wouldn’t cause his cock to twitch… his scent wouldn’t smell so good… so good and warm and earthy and comforting… like an arboreal paradise after a rainfall… and cinnamon… and a winter hearth… and…

“Get your shit together, York!”, Dave barked out, clenching his eyes closed.

Willing his body to purge anything that would positively reinforce how good Joel smelled, he braced himself on the kitchen counter, head hanging between his outstretched arms, and took some deep breaths. His mind told him over and over that there was no way that fuckmook of an old man could smell that perfect, but his body - his instincts - told him otherwise. 

He tried to distract himself for the next few hours with his row machine, his bow flex, his tread climber, his stairmaster, anything to drive him to physical exhaustion, but no matter what, he could not get that smell out of his head or stop his body from reacting to the mere memory of it. Just that small whiff was enough for it to be embossed into his brain and tugged on every muscle remotely connected to his cock.

As he laid on his back on a yoga mat, sprawled out on the floor and breathing hard, he heard Joel’s deep chuckle careen through the open window. 

FUCK. 

He pushed himself up off the floor and stormed out the back door to his deck, and scowled as he whipped his head in the direction of Joel’s house, only to lock eyes with the older man as he spoke to you, the new pretty neighbour. Again, the scent wafted towards him and began to embed itself under his skin. 

Oh fuck. The scent was stronger this time. Concentrated. Oh Fuck. Joel was going into heat. Oh fuck fuck fuck! This would probably be his first, and he’d need to be cared for and guided and helped, and the neediness he would have for an alpha, and -

Dave was shocked with himself, at how quickly he was succumbing to Joel’s scent, and he was even angrier when he realized he was fully hard. The seam in the front of his pants put pressure at just the right angle on the head of his engorged cock, making him involuntarily buck his hips as he sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. 

Joel just stared at him, brows furrowed and you had turned around by that point, too. Both of you were watching Dave, and both of you were looking equally unsure and concerned.

Dave’s eyes were wide and his nostrils flared, his mouth turned down in a furious frown. His breaths came out in frantic, sharp puffs and his clenched fists did a quick one-two punch in the air as he yelled, “FUCK!”, before turning around and storming back inside his house. 

With each step, his pant’s front seam shifted just so, and by the time he was in his living room, he had cum in his pants. 

You were so confused. 

All you had done was ask your older neighbour, who you now knew was named Joel, if he could tell you where to get a cheap lawn mower. That was it. You’d been inside and then could smell him again, and you came outside and were having a nice conversation when that asshole who smelled like water-logged metal appeared on his deck looking psychotic and also sporting a massive boner. 

As you both watched him disappear into his home, you heard Joel huff, “Jesus Christ, Dave…”

It was a lot, needless to say, and watching that whole thing was enough to abruptly end your and Joel’s conversation. You felt a bit disappointed at Joel bidding you a good evening before stepping back from the fence, eyeing the yard of the guy apparently called Dave.

Dave felt like he was going insane. His cock was hard, the tip was so sensitive that just the bedsheets grazing the boxer-covered knob was enough to make him suck his breath in through his teeth as he tossed and turned. He bit his pillow and whimpered as he laid on his side jerked himself off at the memory of the omega’s scent. 

By the time morning came, he was a sweaty mess. Instead of trying to clean all the cum out of his sheets, he threw them out. Even then, his cock was still semi-hard; his drive for that omega never quite letting up the choke hold it had him in. 

His stomach muscles were sore from tensing all night and his head was cloudy with exhaustion, and yet he still got ready for work and managed to get out the door only a few minutes behind his normal time. 

Today, he wasn’t so glad to be an alpha.

Joel was sweating. Good Christ, you smelled good. Even though he was rusty and somewhat out of touch with his alpha side, he knew what you were and he knew you were getting close to your heat. Smelling like a goddammed forest in a rainstorm and the warmed stones and embers of a hearth was already catching his attention, but adding the sweet, warm honey scent of your heat made you almost irresistible. 

After going back inside once Dave had put on that performance, he frantically hustled up the stairs to his office and fired up his desktop, logged into Facebook. He needed help figuring out how to let you know he was interested as an alpha and not as a regular man. He felt completely out of his element and wasn’t sure what his instincts were screaming at him to do to you were very gentlemanly or wise. He clumsily typed his question, not caring whether his fingers were hitting the right keys or not - anonymously this time because he was too embarrassed to have his face attached to this - into his suppressed alpha & omega support group:

smelled a omaha. smelled good real gopd. how i get her attention. 

He waited, but it was late. He needed to go to bed. He logged out of his FB account and shut the computer down, then jerked off under the stream of a cold shower. Joel too barely slept a wink, but managed to hold off on checking if his questions received any answers until the first inkling of dawn crept across the sky. 

Wow! Must be a good smell to make you type that bad!😜 Hey there, bud - maybe tell her how good she smells Been there. Give her food. If she’s close to heat, she needs iron.  Yeah! Give her some meat then give her your meat! These alphas need to grow up! Just tell her you're interested. And the idea about bringing her food is sweet.  Drink some cold water and check your spelling you wild hog Can tell she’s throwing you into a rut with your spelling - be careful!  Yeah, take her some food. 

Joel read through the responses, deciding that food and talking were going to be what he needed to do, neither of which he had in great supply. Sure, he had food, but it wasn’t anything that he could use to woo anyone, and his conversation skills were lacking beyond giving instructions on how to properly install drywall.

He spent the majority of the morning worrying about what to give you and fighting with the clingwrap. He settled on a plate of protein leftovers.

You were already up, in the front room of your new home and unpacking your boxes. You watched Dave back up and the speed off, swerving to get control of the steering wheel as he did. Weirdo.

Even your heat coming on didn’t make him or his scent appealing. But Joel - now there was the one you had to be careful with. His scent and deep timber of a voice were calling out to your baser instincts. If they had their way, you’d be on the front lawn like a cat in heat, yowling and begging for him.

You tried to push the thoughts of him out of your head as you puttered away throughout the morning. It wasn’t until a familiar scent pulling at you followed by a knock at the door pulled you out of your focus that you realized it was after 12 noon.

“Oh, hey Joel.”, you greeted him sweetly upon opening the door. You tried to sound as cool and collected as possible.

He smiled back, subtly trying to take a deep inhale through his nose. “Hey - uh… Did-didn’t know if you needed anything foodwise or if you were hungry or…”

He held out a plate covered in clingwrap that seemed to be pulled and torn badly. You could see some cold, breaded chicken wings and a few cold cuts of ham. You took it from him, unsure of what it symbolized if anything at all, and offered him a small, slightly bewildered smile. 

“Thanks… it’s -”

“Protein.”, Joel nodded, hands shoved into his pockets. 

You looked at him, brows raised and nodded back. “Pr-protein. Yeah. Perfect…”

“Iron.”

You stared back at him, realizing he was silently pleading for you to like his gift. 

“Iron.”, you repeated back to him, responding with a reassuring smile. “Want to come in?”

Joel looked like he was trying not to grin so damn hard and nodded, walking in your front door. His scent had a proud glint to it. 

Dave pulled into his driveway, and sat in his car waiting for the stupidly slow garage door to lift up. He had the day from hell; nothing seemed to make sense and he couldn’t get Joel fucking Miller out of his head all day. During a meeting in which he should have been paying attention, his mind wandered to what he hoped Joel would sound like as he was in heat, begging and needy on the floor in his living room as Dave imagined himself standing over him, relishing in the scent and the power… 

The whole meeting had paused, everyone turning their attention to Dave, as he was lost in the lusty daydream, eyes closed and sucking in air loudly through his nose then releasing his breath out his mouth with a groan over and over. It wasn’t until one of his superiors cleared their throat that Dave realized what he had been doing. The only saving grace he had was that his boss and most of the men in his department were also alphas and knew what the precursors to a rut looked like. 

He spent the rest of the day holed up in his office with a headache and a semi-hard dick. 

And now, he sat in his car with the windows down, waiting for that stupid fucking door to finally open all the way. He was so close to being in the confines of his own home, able to jerk off and be mad about who he was jerking off to, when he smelled it. That sweet, tangy, musky, spicy scent of an omega begging to be bred and fucked. Dave inhaled and his whole body shuddered. His sore stomach muscles tensed up and he swore he heard faint mewls coming from the direction of Joel’s house. Just as soon as they started, the scent began to fade a bit and the sounds seemed to vanish. He put his car in drive just as Joel came out of the front door of his home, walking towards yours and Dave began to sweat badly. He bit his fist as Joel paused and looked at him, and then slammed his foot on the gas and plowed right into his garage. 

If it wasn’t for the fact that Dave had a basement, there wouldn’t have been a cement wall in the garage and he would have been parked in his kitchen.  

But he still would have cum in his pants. 

Joel’s afternoon visit was nice, albeit short. He stayed long enough to permeate your home with his scent by just standing in the front entryway. Not only that, you could see your own scent was affecting him. He stood, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet, hands jammed deep in his pockets and eyes looking anywhere but your face.

“I-uh… I hope you like… chi-chicken.”, he stuttered in a low voice.

You looked down at the plate in your hands and nodded. Finding his nervous energy bleeding into you, you felt like every nerve was hypersensitive to any changes in him. The way his breath moved in and out of his slightly parted lips, causing the slightly too long hair of his moustache to move with it. His pulse in his neck and the slight perspiration along his hairline on his forehead. Wait… this wasn’t nervous energy. Shit. 

This was your heat. Shit. Shit fuck shit. 

It was as if you both had that realization at the same time. Joel’s eyes suddenly zeroed in on yours and the depth of brown that you hadn’t noticed before robbed you of your breath briefly. 

“I…”, you started, your voice almost hoarse. 

Joel looked at you, his face taking on a sterner visage, and one hand pulled from his pocket and his right foot stepped forward like he was going to reach for you. You felt every fibre of your omega begging for his touch and your skin felt like it was on fire. But he stopped himself and pulled back. He cleared his throat.

“H-hope you like your… that.”, he nodded towards the plate in your hands and then backed up towards the door, fumbled blindly with the knob as he kept his eyes on you before finally getting it open. He stumbled back out the door and moved quickly back towards his house. 

You stared at your open front door for a moment before shoving your face into the cling wrap covered plate and inhaling deeply, trying to keep any remnants of his scent in your nose. You quickly moved forward and kicked the door closed, then ran to your bedroom. Tossing the plate on your pillow, you ripped your bedside table open and pulled out one of your silicone toys and had the bottom half of your body naked in record time. 

Laying on the bed with your head turned into the plate of now room temperature breaded chicken wings, ham slices and cling wrap, you tried to desperately quell the ache building up in your body before it got worse. It had been so long since you had a heat with an alpha in this close proximity.

Joel felt like an idiot. He knew you were in heat and yet he still got that close to you. He hadn’t been close to anything in heat, except maybe a barbeque, since going sant-free. Now that he had, he was seriously considering locking himself in the basement given the lewd and depraved thoughts he had about you. You just smelled too fucking good.

Joel was hard and he palmed himself through his jeans as he stood with his back against the inside of his front door. He opened his jeans, just in case, and plunked down on the floor. 

Would it be the worst if he jerked off to you? The way he imagined you’d be needy and whiny, your pussy puffy and wet and juicy and oh so sensitive, just begging to be fucked and knotted…

Joel’s eyes were heavy and almost crossed at the thought of knotting you. The need was so strong, it was like he was drowning and desperate for air. Knotting you, hearing that pretty voice make pretty noises, feeling you constrict around his cock, maybe even breed you-

His eyes shot open and his brows furrowed in shock at his own thought process. 

What the - no! No no no no no! Breed?? No. Nope. n-well… what if she… no. but what if?

He sat there on the floor, confused and horny and perplexed and aroused, for what felt like hours but was more like 26 minutes. His mind was brought out of that very unsettling yet tempting notion by his phone ringing. He almost jumped out of his skin and got up quickly, frantically pulling his cell phone from his pocket, answering it only to find it was a junk call. 

The only thing that call did was make Joel resolute in his need to lay claim to you before any other alpha did - though he wasn’t sure why.

He did up his pants and flung open his front door and marched down his front steps, feeling the undeserved confidence of an alpha going into a full rut. As he turned to walk towards your house, he saw Dave sitting in his driveway, looking a little worse for wear. He paused, then Dave bit his fist and drove right into and almost through his garage. 

While he was still very horny and he hated Dave, he was concerned. Joel ran over to Dave’s driveway but just as he got closer, Dave had already pressed the button to close the garage door. 

Dave was a fucking weirdo.

Even though you weren’t yet in the deep throes of your heat, this time around seemed to be exacerbated by two things: no hormonal supplements and your house was sandwiched between two alphas, both of whom had much stronger scents. Maybe there was something to the societal niceties of suppressants and creating more harmonious neighbourhoods. 

Joel’s scent had just gotten stronger and more intense. You knew without even looking out the open window when he was outside and when he arrived home. You’d quietly in your kitchen and just inhale, feeling the warmth bleed out from your core and wash over your body. Until Dave came home… 

Dave, on the other hand, did smell more intense, but it was like he was fermenting in his own pheromones. That ‘wet pennies’ and sour scent was even more overwhelming. It was everywhere and you couldn’t escape it. 

While Joel smelled like he was just waiting for an invitation, Dave smelled like he had the worst, strongest cologne you’d ever encountered, and it had gone rancid then dumped onto your carpet. 

After Joel had left you with the plate of food and you’d done everything you could with your bedside table dwelling, silicone friend and still felt like you were unable to scratch that wandering itch, you heard a loud crash! and you threw on some clothes quickly and headed out your front door. 

You looked towards Dave’s house as you came down your front steps and encountered the back of Joel and his amazingly broad shoulders as he shook his head. 

“What happened?”

Joel turned and, seemingly catching him off guard, he shrugged. “No clue. Dave was in the car in the driveway an’jus’ drove into his garage. Pretty sure he hit the foundation an’all.”

His face looked less concerned and more perplexed and suspicious.

You waited to hear more as Joel just stood in front of you, ponderous. “And?”

“And what?”, he asked, giving you a skeptical look. 

“And is he okay?”

“How in the hell should I know?? Been standin’ here almost as long as you, an-”

You scoffed, giving Joel a condescending look and walked past him quickly to check on Dave. You were just steps past him when you were jerked back against his body, colliding with him. 

You wish you were mad, oh god, do you wish you were furious at his little stunt. But the feeling of his skin on yours radiated throughout your body and dulled your mind of any sharp feelings or thoughts. 

You wanted him and that was final.

Joel wasn’t sure why you gave him such a high and mighty look and he wasn’t sure why you asked him such a stupid question. How was he supposed to know if Dave was okay? He’d only been outside about a minute or so longer than you.

But when you pushed past him, determined to make sure Dave was okay, Joel felt a disgustingly hot top-to-bottom wave of jealousy burst over him, causing his skin to redden and flush. On instinct, he shot his hand out and grabbed your arm, tugging you back to him. 

But the moment you were up against him and close enough he could count the pours on your nose and you could do the same to him, like a dog chasing its tail he had no idea what to do with you now that he caught you.

Sarah had come home when she was in sixth grade and launched into a seminar on the topic of unwanted physical contact after there was an assembly at her school about it over dinner. Both he and his brother Tommy had sat wide eyed while she spoke passionately about consent and bodily autonomy; he’d never forgotten that and every time he’s intended to touch anyone, he was reminded of that evening. The assembly’s information had probably made a bigger impact on him than it had any of the kids who had initially been required to sit through it. 

He was reminded of that moment as he stared down at you with big eyes and waited for you to shove him back or let a verbal tirade about unwanted physical touch at him. He watched your lips part and he closed his eyes and tensed up, inadvertently pulling you in tighter. Instead of feeling your hands land on him or hear the shrill side of your voice, he felt your mouth on his.

In only a nano-second, his brain went into recovery mode and the software that booted up was pure alpha instinct. His large hand came up to cradle the back of your head and the kiss was an electric moment. His emotions ignited and the world melted away. It began with a slow, lingering touch of your lips, a deep breath shared between the two of you.

But Joel’s desire took over and he deepened the kiss. His lips parted and his tongue prodded at your mouth, pressing for entrance. Once you obliged, his tongue explored yours, seeking a rhythm of pure connection. You seemed to melt into his touch and his hand fisted your hair and his other roamed down your to your lower back. He pulled you in closer from there, knowing you would feel his hardening cock press against your lower belly. His every movement was charged with longing, a silent declaration of affection, need, and raw passion.

To Joel, time ceased to exist. He could feel your heartbeat through your body in his hold  as he pressed you against him. There was no hesitation, no restraint—just the overwhelming intensity of the moment. 

In other words, Joel desperately wanted to fuck you. 

Dave didn’t know what came over him. 

Or, he did but admitting that he’d become completely at the mercy of an omega’s scent - his fucking neighbour’s scent - was humiliating. He’d been brought to his knees by just getting a whiff and he hadn’t been able to regulate himself since. Eating was a chore, so was basic personal grooming and hygiene. The only things that came easy to him were the acts of jerking off in bed and subsequently crying into his pillow. 

Dave was in a rut and he had no omega - or other person’s orifice in general - to ride it out in. 

Was that a good reason for driving into the cement wall in his garage? How was he supposed to explain to his insurance broker if there was any major damage and he needed to file a claim? That he went into a rut and hadn’t bathed, eaten a proper meal or slept a whole night in over a week because he was hornier than a 14-peckered owl and therefore it counted as an act of god? 

He let out a deep sigh and slumped into his seat in the car, rubbing his face. He did manage to back the car up enough to pull it away from the wall without subjecting himself to more humiliation by opening the garage door. The damage wasn’t extreme but it was noticeable on his car, and it was clear that something had hit the cement wall. 

He went into the house and as he came out into the open area of the living room, looked out the front window to see you and Joel attached by the face. When it dawned on him what was happening, he dropped to the floor and crawled up to the window, peeking up over the sill to watch. With his eyes trained on the two of you with your mouths interlocked, he reached up and clumsily cracked the window open, desperate to get the scent off Joel. 

What he got instead was a faceful of old leather and musky hormonal mess clouding the sweet scent of an omega. The omega that he suddenly realized wasn’t Joel. Joel wasn’t an omega. You were. 

Dave stared wide eyed and stunned, brows furrowing in deep angles, as the revelation hit him like a rogue piano that had been dropped on him from a few stories above. 

Joel wasn’t an omega in heat. He was an alpha - just like him - and Dave didn’t know how he felt about it. He’d grown accustomed to seeing Joel’s face in his mind while he came. He’d imagined how good it would be to guide Joel through his heat and be the big spoon as he cared for him. The idea of Joel needing his knot, desperately begging for it, was one of the only things keeping him tethered to reality during this rut and now that it was not going to happen, he felt a deep hole breaking open in his chest.

He didn’t know how long he laid on his living room floor, sulking in what could only be described as a biological and hormone-fueled heartbreak, but when he finally pulled himself up, it was dark outside and he was able to see his reflection in the window. His face had the texture of the carpet he’d been lying on embossed on one half of his face.

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[help-itrappedmyself]

Liminal Jason part 6

This part feels like a lot of exposition. My bad, but the Batfam does not know how Danny and his life works.

You can find the earlier parts on my masterpost

“And in this scenario, you three count as dead?” Red asked, hoping to get some clarity on this, quite frankly, annoyingly impossible scenario playing out in front of him. Because as much as he can see that they clearly have a way to communicate that is beyond him and knows that they have all died, his brain does not seem to want to compute this information into other conclusions. A glance from Tim to Bruce shows that while he may not be struggling as much with the logistics of this situation, he is still struggling.

That may be because of all the children in front of him that- regardless of current status- all did die at some point. 

“Sort of,” Danny shrugs. “What you have to understand is there are a lot of different kinds of beings from what you would consider the land of the dead, which I call the Ghost Zone, and is more formally known as the Infinite Realms. There is a lot of diversity, and It would be a real sit-down kind of lesson to try and explain them all to you guys. The important bit for right now is that the three of us,” Danny gestures to Red Hood, then himself, then to Robin,”are three different beings, as related to the Infinite Realms, and I am the only one that technically counts as dead.”

Danny is very good at ignoring the side glances being thrown around. “But Ghost Speak can be spoken by any denizen of the Infinite Realms, who falls under any of it’s categories or rulers.” 

“Rulers?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Danny does another hand waving motion. “You know, Hades and Pluto, Lucifer and the Devil, the Ghost King, and other various religions and beliefs rulers. It's all very monarchist. The Infinite Realms are all technically under the control of the Ghost King, but the Infinite Realms are infinite and that’s a lot for one person to control. So various religious leaders all  make up what is essentially Dukes and Lords and Barons and other random titles, and they all control their little Realms and make up what could be considered a council or a parliament or Congress or what-have-you that is technically under the rule of the Ghost King. But the Ghost King really only takes care of the really big stuff most of the time. Unless there’s a tyrant on the throne, like with Pariah Dark. He was a terrible ruler, very controlling.”

Danny was rambling. He was aware of this, but the others seemed too shell-shocked to be able to stop him, and he has never really been able to talk about this with anyone so now that he is he doesn’t think he can stop himself either. 

“He’s not on the throne anymore, luckily. Technically the right to the throne is transferred through single-combat, very old-fashioned. No one could beat Pariah Dark so they locked him in the Coffin of Forever Sleep for a really long time instead. I don’t think the Infinite Realms really need a King all that much, they got by just fine for millenia without one. But now we’re getting into politics. Unimportant. Death Speak, language of the Infinite Realms, totally natural, not at all bad.”

Danny forces himself to take a very long, slow breath. By the time he is done, the others seem at least semi-recovered. 

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I would like that sit-down lesson at some point.” Red mutters, fingers twitching as he pulls out his tablet to start writing down this information. Bruce grunts in agreement.

“If it's all the same to you,” Hood snaps, “I would like to get out of this cell now.” 

“If we let you out, will you stay until we have the results from all of the tests?” Bruce asked. “They’re currently running so it won’t take long.” 

“Why the hell do we need to stay for that? You-”

“Did you take my blood?” Danny interrupted, seeming very concerned.

“It was a precaution, we had to test it. We took some of Hood’s too.” Red tried to explain. It didn’t seem to be helping, Danny’s breathing was getting kind of fast. “The tests are running now, just to look for influences of mind control or magic. And to test for dimensional distortions and integrity, if you were telling the truth about being from a different dimension. And to see if you have an alternate in this dimension that we need to be concerned about you running into.”

“I don’t really care -well, yes I do, breach of privacy, and consent, and-” Danny took a deep breath. “That is not my main concern at the moment. You were safe when handling my blood, right? You used gloves and it didn’t get on you or anything? I don’t know where we are and what you people are like, but just tell me you were safe around my blood.”

The real concern and fear in Danny was starting to get everyone else.

“Don’t worry, we are very safe here. We all have training and we know and use lab and medical safety procedures.” Damian spoke softly, aiming to calm.

“What is wrong with your blood, Danny?” Hood’s concern for him came out in underling Ghost Speak, and between him and Damian, Danny was able to calm some.

“It may be… not radioactive. Not contagious either.” Danny’s voice trailed to muttering for a moment as he figured out how to word what he said next. “My blood has a contaminant in it. Just don’t let it touch you, and definitely don’t let it get inside you somehow. It can also be dangerous if you have prolonged exposure, so make sure to get rid of any samples as soon as possible after the test and keep it away from other samples. And for the love of everything that is holy, try to keep it away from anything that will ever be ingested. Keep it away from food!”

“It can contaminate other samples?” 

“It can contaminate anything given enough time, technology included. But it spreads way more easily when it’s cold for some reason, so really anything put in a fridge with it should be tossed immediately.”

“You said it’s not contagious?” There was concern in even Red’s voice now.

“You’re not ill are you?” Damian eyes Danny warily.

“I’m fine, It’s part of me being what I am. Just,” Danny sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before cupping the back of his neck with both hands and looking towards the ceiling. “Think of it like a transforming agent. I’ve already been exposed, my DNA is altered, the harm is already done. My body actually needs that substance to survive now. Hood and… I’m sorry I don’t know what to call you.” Danny swung his hands back down to his sides as he glanced at Robin. 

“Robin.” Damian stated bluntly. 

Danny nodded and continued. “Hood and Robin have already been exposed so they’re fine for low to medium amounts of exposure. You two,” Danny pointed a finger at Red and then Batman, “Have not been exposed and therefore should avoid it as much as possible. Even a little bit can cause lifelong effects.”

[dcdreamblog]

This might be outside your area of expertise, but done know when New Gods started appearing on earth? How did they get caught up in superheroics?

The "New Gods" for those not in the know, are a race of humanoid beings from the twin worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips. Much of their broader culture is unknown to us at this time save the New Genesis defines itself as a world dedicated to prosperity and peace while Apokolips is under the rule of the tyrannical Darkseid, a being I trust needs no introduction assuming you've read the news at least once in this lifetime. The New Gods all seem to hold similar spiritual beliefs surrounding "The Source" a sort of semi-sentient expression of universal energy. One can only imagine the doctrines and dogmas surrounding the source are as complicated and labyrinthine as any human faith and one day maybe an army of theologians will take a whack at it.

The New Gods first became aware of events on Earth due to the actions of Darkseid who was kidnapping human subjects in an attempt to locate the "Anti Life Equation" which as best I can gather is another spiritual concept within their culture. Something to the tune of giving its holder the ability to overwrite free will on a universal scale. The residents of New Genesis became aware of this plan and sent an agent to Earth to root it out.

(The New God known as Orion making an appearance in New York city)

The man, calling himself Orion holds a kind of Superman-esque place in New Genesian culture. Other New Gods most often defer to his judgement in battle as an agent of "Highfather" who seems to be the leader of the New Gods either literally or in a motivational sense. Other heroes have referred to Highfather as Orion's father or parent which to my mind might means 1 of 3 things.

Literally Orion is the son of a being called Highfather who is the leader or ruler of New Genesis, making him heir to the realm in some respect.

Orion holds some responsibility or title that comes with the cultural understanding of him being Highfather's "son". Perhaps a title as the realm's appointed heir or champion

Highfather is some kind of religious or spiritual concept and Orion, as the champion of New Genesis is viewed as his progeny in a ritual sense

While Orion would be the most famous and prominent of the New Gods from their own perspective, the most well known of them in OUR world are probably the superheroic couple Mister Miracle and Big Barda who have served for many cases as members of the Justice League and Justice League International as well as working as solo heroes. We only knew that Orion holds some sort of importance over them BECAUSE they so often defer to him or speak to him with a kind of rank understanding. They talk to him like he's in charge, basically.

Other beings identified as New Gods include Lightray who is often at Orion's right hand. The...group? commune? polycule? called the Forever People and the enigmatic Metron. Basically every time they come around snippets of what they say are incorporated into some new kind of spiritualist philosophy so it's hard to find sources as to what was actually said versus what was inferred from 8 seconds of news footage.

As to how they became involved in superheroism, it's the same way a lot of what are termed "Extranormal personages" are. Something from their world or society placed Earth in the crosshairs, the "good guys" of said society came in for the save and ended up fighting alongside Earth's superheroes against said threats. Bonds are forged, alliances made, many of them serve on the Justice League here and there until eventually their presence is unquestioned and their alliance and enemies are accepted into the wider web of the superhero community. Same thing that happened to the wizards, and the Green Lanterns and god knows what else.

[heckthis-heckallofthis]

How I think things will change once Squad Leader (King Killer) retires/gets transferred/promoted to a higher position and Cross has to take his place as leader.

He BAWLS his eyes out. What do you MEAN his beloved squad leader won't be with them anymore??? He cries so hard you'd think our King Killer died but in reality he just isn't leading anymore

Once he finishes bawling (he's still sniffling and everything, he's just not crying as hard) he gives him so many gifts and apologizes for so many things.

2145 can probably visit him anytime he wants, maybe he congratulates him? He's okay with it.

Helper T is SO thankful he doesn't have to deal with that gorilla anymore (under a different helper T cell now). He hates that idiot.

HT would probably hand the title to just anyone, as long as he doesn't have to see that gorilla anymore. I think a lot of the seniors in the Squad would definitely vote for Cross to be leader (He loves training, is moderately prepared for scenarios, and also knows a lot of leading things because of how adamant he is to help King Killer)

HT finally gives them a budget. For no reason in particular. King Killer hears about it and he's so annoyed. "So the second I'm out of his hair he decides to give my squad a good budget?!"

Cross is definitely forced to be more mature now. Once he sees how much naive T cells in the squad rely on him he can't mess around anymore.

3033 once tried to start up an argument with him he just stopped in the middle of his sentence (it was calling him an idiot repetitively) and just ended it right there and then. 3033 hates it.

I think just to make him suffer more the other senior T cells are moved out of his squad to others like the Pharynx district (their Squad Leader just got transferred to the stomach and they don't have anyone experienced enough to help) so all the KT cells under him are freshly baked and got no idea how to deal with paperwork/the various conveniences around the station

At first he isn't very used to being called Squad Leader. Forgets for like 3 minutes until he's like "why isn't the squad leader responding? That guy has been calling for him for a while now… wait. IM THE SQUAD LEADER."

He worries so much about them, every time he's not at the station he checks his phone religiously and regularly messages them to see if they're alright. "Everything okay at the station? Nothing's bad happening right?"

This was enhanced 10 fold when the area the squad was tasked with protecting got a viral infection on his off-day but they didn't want to bother their squad leader so they tried dealing with it themselves. Cross head in hands and finally understands why King Killer was so strict with everything especially communication and preparation.

His situation is more or less the same to squad leader except the difference is that Cross has "emotional support" (3033) (he still makes fun of him but they're kinda friends now)

Helper T makes him clean his office and he also finally realizes why Squad leader hated his guts (Helper T doesn't really have an opinion on him, just another subordinate to him)

At first the T cells who have seen what Cross was like before being squad leader never took him that seriously, but the newer T cells are a little intimidated (because of the reputation King killer left behind)

Maybe at some point they brush him off so much he needs to call in help to get them to start taking training seriously because T cells need to be prepared everyday.

He does learn to speak in a scary and commanding tone but the things he says aren't commanding nor scary at all ("UP NAIVE T CELLS, LETS GET TRAINING!!" or "KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, HYDRATE YOURSELVES!!")

Once he finally gets that scary demeanour down it's hard for him to talk to his Naive T cells normally, thinks he's gonna be the scary squad leader like his before

Asks 3033 if he's hard to talk to (while low-key crying)

"Hard to talk to? You're flooding the room with your tears in front of me." (He is a bad person to ask because 3033 has seen him cry, MADE him cry, and seen how stupid he is)

All of King Killer's friends do take him seriously tho. IM1235 is good friends with him and thinks he's super awesome. 2145 doesn't talk to him much but he doesn't mind him at all, he's just glad he's way less awkward than his old squad leader. Eosinophil is still terrified of him, Dendritic cell doesn't trust him enough for his plushies but is willing to help him with anything else. M cell sometimes still treats him younger than he actually is, he's trying his best to remember he's technically his peer, but it's hard when he's seen what he was like as his junior.

[hearth4days]

Can you tell me some about Zoy and Franny's wedding? -twirls hair- canon or hcs. I've been meaning to ask for references for the commission

Mostly headcanons because canon is incredibly vague about everything ever as always <3

Wedding Festival for reference

Okay so all we know canonically about their wedding is that Ote is conceived here ("o semen, o origin/here you are Maryam [Mary] the god-bearer/calmly, keenly/let's exchange gasping vows"), and it's implied that it was pretty intense based on apparently everyone hoping for it to be over with quickly. Yay violent sex <3 It's also shown in Zoy1 that Zoy grew up alongside Franny to some degree, and loved her before they were married in ways beyond just animalistic lust

As for not really anything canonically but still worth noting, the Japanese title is actually 婚祭

On to headcanons, I think (being a wedding, and a very religiously important on at that) it's important to consider what their religion is about, what it is they see as holy and practice and such. Based on the perspective we get from Zoy, Ito, and Ote, it seems very focused on pleasure and indulging in more base needs and wants. We also see this in Abuse's other works about beastmen, but those aren't related here. They especially seem to focus on sex, violence, and food (esp cannibalism). Considering beastmen seem to have a higher ranking in this religion (as it is presumably a beastmen cult obv), this makes sense with Abuse establishing that beastmen tend to have more animalistic urges than standard humans

Since Zoy's wedding would be not only a standard wedding under this religion, but also a celebration of their religion as a whole with Zoy being the current leader, I think this would be amped up to the nth degree. The title designating it as a festival also implies this was a very large celebration, and probably a decently long one too. We see a lot of flowers in the PV which seem to be religiously important in general, a lot of colors which Abuse also uses as symbolism a lot. I'd assume a lot of food, but that's less relevant for Zoy and Frannie than the random side characters who probably got some yummy BBQ. The conception of Ote sticks out to me though, especially since it seems like this was also considered "vows" and "celebration". They 100% fucked in front of everybody, and nobody gets pregnant after having sex once. I'd imagine it went on for days of just like. Everybody in their little commune hanging out while Zoy's trying to fuck a baby into Frannie for three days straight lmao

He feels bad tho because he is a sopping wet malewife <3

[archonoclasm]

There's something to be said, I think, about how the perceptions of Tevinter being taboo, immoral, and wicked to the point of borderline devilry could all bleed easily with the bias against the gay community.

"Out of desperation. I wouldn’t put on a show, marry the girl, keep everything unsavory private and locked away. Selfish, I suppose, not to want to spend my entire life screaming on the inside. He was going to do a blood ritual. Alter my mind. Make me…acceptable. I found out. I left."

Dorian, a gay man himself, is obviously very much aware of how his preference for company wins only blatant disapproval. It's been framed as unacceptable, after all, for every single day under the illustrious House Pavus. Betrothed to a woman, it was the normal, the expected, to prioritize his bloodline and sire heirs. As Dorian had stated: "Every Tevinter family is intermarrying to distill the perfect mage, perfect body, perfect mind. The perfect leader. It means every perceived flaw--ever aberration--is deviant and shameful. It must be hidden."

As Dorian had no interest in marrying the girl, however, that left him to wear the title of some unfortunately regrettable anomaly -- something he took very to heart.

In the Winter Palace, Dorian jokes about this a touch, though it's easy to regard it as him speaking very explicitly on Tevinter's nasty reputation. If romanced, Dorian, when asked for a dance, will offer this:

Dorian: Dancing with the evil magister in full view of every noble in Orlais? How shocking.

There is also this line if you romance Dorian:

Inquisitor: I want us to be closer. I was hoping to get to know you better. Dorian: So… you and I? People will talk.

Furthermore, after stumbling upon an argument between Mother Giselle and Dorian, Dorian, when asked what's happening, the exchange goes as follows:

Inquisitor: What's going on here? Dorian: It seems the revered mother is concerned about my 'undue influence' over you. Mother Giselle: It is just concern. Your Worship, you must know how this looks. Dorian: You might need to spell it out, my dear. Mother Giselle: This man is of Tevinter. His presence at your side, the rumors alone... Inquisitor: What’s wrong with him being from Tevinter? Specifically. Mother Giselle: I'm fully aware that not everyone from the Imperium is the same. Dorian: How kind of you to notice. Yet, still you bow to the opinion of the masses? Mother Giselle: The opinion of the masses is based on centuries of evidence.

Together, paired with other commentary sprinkled in by Dorian himself, and you get the gist: to be seen with Dorian is a scandal that'd be the talk of every damn dinner table across all of Thedas. The reasons may range, of course, but regardless, the closeness to the stigma Dorian faces is undeniably reminiscent of all just a touch of those prejudices the gay community experience. He's seen as someone who can corrupt the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, and the beacon of mortals all a god damned miracle. Even there, I'd argue the Inquisitor's religious underpinnings only highlight the perceived 'evil' of Dorian's all the more. To Dorian, he's learned to play the 'aberrant' all too comfortably, donning his wit and his sarcasm like a mouth full of daggers. It's not a role he fancies, and furthermore, is a role that has led him to believe abandonment is truthfully all he'll come to experience, but if he can play the image to hide how much it hurts him, then you can very much consider it very much done.

[vivianleighwishesshewasme]

The Devils Mate

The Devils Mate

Esme and Tommy- Modern dystopia

 World went to hell after another major world war. No electronics survived. Different groups developed into different tribes with tastes and towns. Some modern conveniences for those doing better than others.

My own personal work, your can of course reblog and share. 

Warning: mentions of abuse, almost rape and lots of swearing. You’ve been warned. Sex later in chapters. Don’t read if you are under 18!!

I'm serious. You've been warned.

_________________Tommy’s POV____________________________________________________

I’d seen the progression of the cult grow exponentially over the last year even. Their property that was ever expanding started encroaching on the Shelby brothers company limited property.  To be fair we’d basically bought all the property around them boxing them in. We also had access to the only creek and pond effectively cutting off their water resource minus the tiny well that wouldn’t sustain the fifty plus families on the six acres of land that they occupied. No, we were forcing their hand. Behind the property there was a dirt road that led to acres of trees and access to the creek and pond or if you headed north, to the town.

 My house was the first home you’d see, flanked by my Uncle Charlies and then the buildings where my posh brothers lived in townhouses. The town was built before the world went to shit. Meant to be a “historical outdoor museum” Now the lap of luxury. We had all kinds of buildings. Grocer, butcher, wagon maker and so on. It was a fully functional town and the Shelby family owned most of it.

 “The congregation of the city on a hill” was the official title of said cult. Some religious groups, interestingly enough, seemed to have gypsies in the camp. Most of the women dressed like Edwardians albeit working class, nothing wrong with it. A small group that seemed to mix in was definitely Romany like us. Lots of vibrant colors. We’ve been observing them for a while. We didn’t need another religious group dividing people. They’d have to fully disband and keep their word. We didn’t need more trouble in town. .  They loaded guns when we approached and most of the group seemed to be made up of men. More than what I had at the moment. I needed to figure out how they recruited so I could grow my town and base of men for expansion's sake. All I needed was to make contact and talk to someone. 

*********************ESME’S POV***********************************

I hated it. I loved the children, I loved the walk away from the compound and I loved the freedom from most of the cult. I hated being watched and kept in line. I don’t think I’ve warranted most of the punishments that have been heaped on me as the leader's daughter. If I rolled my eyes, spoke up and had an opinion about anything or even wandered off in my mind, a swift punishment would ensue. 

In the time before I had a normal life. 

Seven men ages 15-21 were following the children and I. A few other girls from the camp followed as well bringing us up to 27 people in total. I liked math. I remembered the time before “God’s wrath”, as they called it,  when I was in school, selling our family's vegetables by the road. I loved recording the sales, planning next year's garden by the trends I was seeing in my raggidy notebook. I wish I could have gone into business. We didn’t do any business with anyone anymore. Anything we wove, made or grew stayed within the community.  

Now my place is watching children and preparing for my engagement to a leader's son. God I hated that sniveling little guttersnipe. Pretended to be holy while breaking all the rules. He and his boys could do whatever with little to no consequence.  He may look handsome but he was a mean S.O.B. I had no choice really. My mother felt forced to accept and I was a woman…I was a vessel for a child. I didn’t mind children and wanted my own eventually. Not with Peter however. I couldn’t trust him with myself let alone kids.  When our dad stepped out a few months ago it had fractured the power base. My mum was forced to remarry, even though no proof was given that he’d died. 13 leaders now, all with different ideas on the future and deciding who is important at any given day. 

  I looked around as we came into the clearing near the pond. The soft sunlight was flickering over the tree line and warming the ground near me. This was my peace.  We had a favorite picnic spot.  We were out picking black berries for canning.  Everyone was busy talking, flirting, going off into the bushes for a romp or playing. I sat down near the creek's edge and grabbed my notebook. I was getting lost in my sketches for next year's garden. Truth be told we had to get creative. The property all  around us was being bought. We tried to buy a farm about half a mile away. It had been blocked by a sale to Shelby Company Limited. The church was so angry. Saying the devil blocked us. They wanted the  horses to spread the word and expand the cult, the land and resources. We were getting too big too quickly to sustain anything long term. 

“Beautiful morning.” I turned my head upwards and squinted into the tree line near the creek's edge. The man was on the other side of the creek. Territory I was forbidden to go on. The heathen town. I couldn’t see a town from here, perhaps it was a walk through the trees. He was well dressed in a tweed suit. Blues and browns. His gold pocket watch shined in the sun and his shoes were freshly polished for a walk in the woods. He had some gypsy in him I’d bet. Made me smile to think I still had something in common with someone. Even if we’d never meet again. . His voice was deep and rich, he had chiseled cheekbones and icy blue eyes. My brain wandered to what it would be like to lick the rain drops of his strong jaw line. I blushed, buried my head in my notebook. I often found people attractive enough to enjoy a glance but this man had the heat  pooling tightly in my belly like a snake ready to strike. My Omega knew instantly who he was…our mate. I wondered what he smelled like. 

________________Tommy_________________________________________________

I chuckled once I realized why she was ignoring me across the creek. She seemed odd at first. Face like a doll, rounded and soft, dark brown hair with piercing eyes.  Eyes as Poll would say that saw through your soul. Her hair was braided off to the side giving me a good view of her face. She dressed differently than them. Romany. She wore a white Edwardian dress but she had rings on all fingers, a red shawl obviously passed down since it was well made and older looking. She could wrap our children in that shawl.  She also lined her eyes shortly after she sat down. I was drawn to this girl. 

  The wind had gently picked up and I smelled her. Lavender and wild honey. She was my mate. I smiled broadly. I know she was aware of who I was to her. What did I smell like to her? Would she reject me? It was the woman's choice in our culture to accept or reject her mate. Most women didn’t due to the bond being able to kill if it was strong enough. I need to bide my time and be patient. Make her like me so she’ll accept the bond. This was going to be hard even for me. I turned as my brothers as they came crashing through the woods like 500 pound squirrels. I was annoyed when I turned back and she had moved away from the creek. She was in a heated discussion with one of the children by a black berry bush. She didn’t seem angry, just annoyed. She helped pick quickly sparing glances at the menfolk on her side. She was worried about something. I observed her for a while before she came back and sat by the creek again busying herself with her little book.

I bent down as far as I could on my side. I couldn’t raise my voice too high over the rushing water or her guards would come over and be noisy. If she was my mate then she could help me, maybe get me names or a way to get into the cult and draw people out of the town. 

“Girl, come closer eh, let me talk to you.” I spoke slowly and calmly like I would to a mare. She wasn’t budging but she was interested in me. Her eyes kept drawing to the side in little flickers letting me know she was aware of me.

“My name is not a girl.” She spat out. I hid my smile with a black gloved hand. God, she had fire in her. 

“No, that would be a silly name for a beautiful gypsy girl.” I nodded locking eyes with her. Green hazel eyes with bursts of gold. She was getting weary of my conversation, she kept looking at the men and then at me. She probably wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone outside of the cult. Most likely she’d be punished if they caught her. 

 “Romany eh, what's a good gypsy woman doing in a cult, huh?” She sat stock still as if not wanting a predator to know she was there. I swelled with pride. She was a smart one too.

 “ What's in your book?” Third question would be the one she answered right? I was getting annoyed sitting on my haunches. My shoes were cutting into my feet and my legs were aching. Give me something. 

“Just my math.” she answered softly, eyes not leaving her page. “Planning next year's garden and supply list.” She lifted it closer to her chest as if it was guarding her heart. My resolve was weakening quickly. I need to get to work, distract myself from her soothing scent. She looked worried. I bet I knew what it was. No matter how she worked it, they wouldn’t survive. 

“The farmer you went through for the horses sold his farm, yeah, that’s why your upset?  Miss….” I rolled my hand gently prompting her to answer.I wanted a name from her. She glanced at my hand and raised an eyebrow. She was a very cautious girl. She was covered head to toe even on a hot day. Something wasn’t right, she was too guarded. 

“ My point is your only supplier outside of the town is gone. You're all too far from any other town especially without horses, what's the plan? When do your resources run out?” Her face looked stunned but she recovered more quickly than even I anticipated. Blank doll face met me but the surprise was still in her eyes. 

“So that’s what happened to him.” she said flatly. “He’s gone and sold to you.” She was thinking.

“That's what happened to him.” I repeated. I wanted her looking at me. Mr. turner had fucked off to another town to be with his daughter and her husband. They had started a feed mill business but neither of them were good managers of people or finances. Mr. Turner however was a very successful man that wasn’t too affected when the modern world ended. He simply went on. 

 She glanced down at that damn book again and then to me. I was ready to throw it in the damn pond. I took a deep breath remembering who she was to us. I was trying to settle down with my Sigma who wanted to claim her. The scent wasn’t helping at all. He raged inside me demanding I claim her now as ours, protect her, mate and keep her. 

“Esme! Come here you stupid whore!” A man's voice rang out harshly causing her to slam her book shut and stomp away. She didn’t go to him, but she was so much closer to him  thenI wanted her to be. She stood a good distance away with the children back to her picking duties. 

I stood towering over the edge just waiting for an excuse to come over and cut him a smile, as John boy would say. I felt two strong hands on my chest grounding me. I could kill that boy for speaking to her like that. She wasn’t his to address in any fashion.

“Pretty little girl.” Arthur observed her and smiled. “Ease down, eh, brother.”  I sucked down my urge to hit him. I didn’t even look at Arthur. 

 It was just my Sigma not enjoying someone looking at my women. I nodded. John caught my eye and smirked. He knew, he refused to look at her which I appreciated. 

“ She’s one of those cult girls huh?” John laughed. “ Be an obedient little wife, huh Arther.” John sobered up quickly when my cold gaze met him. Suddenly the bare patch of ground was of interest to him. 

“No, Mrs. Shelby has a fire in her. I can tell.” We laughed, causing the boys across the creek to suddenly find interest in us. I explained who she was to us, softening my brothers up to the knowledge that she was family and should be treated as such. I didn’t need a first or second mark on her to claim she was mine. She was under the protection of the peaky blinders now. 

Feeling more settled we grabbed our tools as they all settled on their side and draped cloth blankets on the ground and brought out picnic baskets. We had everyone's attention. We were building a bridge to close the gap over the four foot wide gap between sides. We would be

forcing their hand very soon to come visit our town. Especially with my mate now having knowledge that their supplier was entirely cut off causing desperation. We stripped down to just our shirts and trousers and got to work. I kept my cap close by in case that fucker grabbed at Esme. Now I had a name to mutter tonight when I thought of her. 

********************Esme*********************************************

I could gut him like a fish! I hated when Peter talked to me like that. He may be my fiance in name but as far as I was concerned he didn’t have any reason to speak to me let alone call me names or even my name. I watch the mystery man across the creek react with cold blooded rage but he was stopped by two others. Family of some sort guessing by their faces. I wanted him to cross that creek. Come pick me up and haul me off to another life, hopefully a better one. He was handsome and intelligent enough. I’d be happy to mate with him.  I was staring. I caught one of them mention it which caused laughter on their side of the water. I blushed and looked down. I had caught a name before I glanced back and  my man winked at me. Tommy. 

“Esme, can you help me please.” A small little voice of one of my favorite little girls crept through my ears. I tossed my book. It was clear I wasn’t going to be working in it. I smiled at Britney. She was my sunshine. A little girl of 7 with wheat blonde hair always in a braid. Blue eyes like my mates and the sweetest smile which she always wore even in her sleep. 

I spread out the blanket for our lunch picnic. I had made my quilt so it was rich in fall colors of browns, golds,oranges and creams. I glanced at my mate who was shirtless, tattooed and smiling at me after he pounded in every nail on that bridge. I couldn’t wait to wrap our babies up in that quilt. Perhaps I’d have a girl with my hair color, his eyes and smile. A girl could dream right. 

[succumbed-to-the-void]

I've been thinking about how being a rabbi is such an insanely huge job. It's a lot of hours and many years of education, and that's because a rabbi's work involves ALL the following areas:

Tanakh

Midrash and aggadah

Studying Talmud

Making practical halachic decisions for the community

Leading tefillah

Jewish philosophy

Jewish history

Pastoral counseling (which could be about literally ANYTHING a Jew is going through)

Education (from toddlers to seniors)

Weddings + premarital counseling

Doing conversions

Volunteer coordinating

Connecting Jews with secular Jewish culture (rabbis often have to teach Jews about their own culture because many Jews are so assimilated they even have to be taught things like which foods are traditional on which holidays)

Event planning (including events like holiday parties that are sometimes not all that focused on the more religious aspects of Judaism

Engaging Jews to come and be involved in Jewish life, which means being aware not only of what your own congregation is offering, but also ALL the Jewish resources in your area

Nonprofit management

Speaking to the press on behalf of their community

Holding interfaith events (in some congregations)

It's kind of an insane level of responsibility to put on one person. It's also wild because rabbis in general are really exhausted and burnt out, but they also have a lot of trouble accepting help or delegating because they see all of this as their job as the rabbi.

I know that many rabbis specialize and that sometimes a larger congregation has multiple rabbis and they split these duties, but I think every congregation I've attended has been small enough to only have one rabbi, and I think it's a huge expectation that one person would be good at all of these things.

In my experience with rabbis, they're often not really people I would approach for pastoral counseling. I think there are a few reasons for that:

Sometimes rabbis have huge egos. They have a lot of education and a fancy title and they are the leader of the community, and they're also a group of people who decided to go to rabbinical school because they think they are worthy of being the person in charge. They're not always very good at humbly listening and making me feel like an equal when I'm in a moment of vulnerability. (In fact, their title makes me feel like we're not equals.)

I think that many rabbis become rabbis because they love any number of other things about the role. They may have neither gifts nor desire for pastoral counseling, but do it anyway because it's expected of them.

If you want to be a rabbi, you need a certain amount of privilege to be able to afford rabbinical school. Even if you get financial aid, that still means going without a salary for five years. I'm certainly not saying that all rabbis have led privileged lives, but I am saying that I don't think it's a good mechanism for choosing people who have seen enough trauma in life to be able to empathize fully with their congregants.

Anyway, this is coming from someone who is currently a member a small struggling congregation (and who has also been a member at many other small congregations) but I think this organizational structure is not great either for rabbis or for their congregations. I think we should have a better structure where rabbis work a reasonable amount of hours, and they don't have quite as much power or as much responsibility. I think that for that to happen, people in the congregation need to step up and we need to start seeing the work of maintaining a congregation as a communal effort. Unfortunately, I think that rabbis often make that more difficult. I was discouraged from being shatz for a long time by my rabbi, and he told me that he felt like he "needed to prove to the kahal that he was worth his salary." Anyway, I'm leaning towards not wanting to become a rabbi because it's just such an insane job and I don't want my life to be consumed by my job 24/7. I am considering getting a Master's in Jewish Studies and becoming a chaplain, because I have a strong desire to be an empathetic presence for other people and I think to do that, a) I need skills training me in how to do it the most effectively, and b) I need some way of marking myself in the community as someone it is appropriate to talk to about what you're going through. That's really what I feel called to do, and I don't necessarily feel a calling to do some of the other rabbi jobs (like officiating weddings or b'nei mitzvah or managing a nonprofit). I would also like to have time to do other things in my life that I also love (like math).

I'm inspired by some large congregations that do have chaplains along with rabbis, and I even know of some congregations that have "pastoral care teams" made up of laypeople. So I'm cautiously optimistic that I can create something like this in my shul, but who knows

[loudsharkballoon]

"Religion bullies local store"<Fixed the title. People still need milk, bread, medicine, and other stuff even on a Sunday. These people even chain up playgrounds and frown upon anyone doing out-door laundry on that day. I think they're the real problem here, not Tesco. Tesco has more than a right to remain open, your religious freedom should not mean you can force businesses to close and lose on money and stunt the availability of products someone may need in a pinch. "“When stores and businesses open their doors on Sunday, it may seem like a convenience at first, but the resulting ripple effect leaves workers with less time to rest, less time for family, less time for church worship and invariably, a lower quality of life.” < Wow, manipulative. Trying to suggest that your quality of life will dwindle if you don't go to church. Church is boring and just tries to guilt-trip you for donations / money every single visit. They avoid paying taxes, and yet they insist on having a say on laws, education and business. The BEST part about Church is leaving it to do something more worth while and entertaining. I was Baptist (With a bit of Roman Catholic because a holy AF Granny @.@), listened to the stories, saw the corruption and hypocrisy of religion and decided to walk away from it. Now my Sundays are spent how I want them, not communing to a building to sing, meditate and be brainwashed with scriptures that have been altered to suit the views of corrupt people who still refuse to admit that their holidays are just stolen from Pagan and other religions more original and older than their own. Got on a rant there.....Apparently it's a 'trigger'. Lol! Anyway, Religion is in the wrong, doesn't matter if the island identifies as religious, it does not mean everyone is OBLIGATED to close their doors.

[jobtendr]

Power To Choose Mid-Term Review Consultant Terms of Reference (ToR)

Power To Choose Mid-Term Review Consultant Terms of Reference (ToR) Terms of reference Program/project title Power To Choose Partner organisation/s Forearms For Change Geographical coverage: country(ies) National / Jordan / Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa 1. Overview, Objectives, and Guiding Principles. A. Project Overview Oxfam has been in Jordan since the 1990s. We work with local partners in Jordan for a future where everyone can reach their full potential, especially women and young people. We provide essential humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees as well as vulnerable Jordanians, while promoting longer term sustainable solutions to challenges facing Jordan, with a focus on Climate Justice, Economic Justice, and Gender Justice. Under the Gender Justice program, Oxfam in Jordan is implementing the “Power to Choose” initiative. This project contributes to achieving equitable access to inclusive health services and supports stakeholders to advocate for evidence-based health care policies. The initiative builds on Oxfam’s expertise in using a right-based and gender responsive approach and has a focus on reaching vulnerable women and young people in Jordan. This initiative contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, and SDG 5 to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Since August 2023, Oxfam has been partnering with Forearms for change, a civil society organization, working in three governorates in Jordan (Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa) to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), specifically by implementing three main activities 1) creating or reinforcing safe spaces to facilitate access to information and to develop a sense of empowerment, hope, and control; 2) Raising awareness with community leaders, religious leaders, and parents on creating or promoting an enabling environment for SRHR; and 3) providing SRH services to young women and adolescent girls. B. Objectives and guiding principles of the evaluation: • Assess Relevance: o Evaluate the continued relevance of the project objectives and design in light of any changes in the local context and beneficiary needs. • Measure Effectiveness: o Assess the progress made towards achieving the project’s specific objectives and intended outcomes. o Identify the key factors that have facilitated or impeded the achievement of these objectives. 2 • Evaluate Efficiency: o Analyze the efficiency of project implementation, including the use of financial, human, and material resources. o Determine whether the project has been cost-effective in delivering its outputs. • Enhancing sustainability: o Provide insights on the potential for sustainability and recommend actions to sustain gains made during the project. C. Program Principles: The following principles should inform this MTR, impacting the MTR design: a. Feminist Approach • Ensure gender sensitivity and stakeholder engagement by implementing a feminist MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) approach. • Use the process of conducting the mid-term evaluation to contribute to transformative change that the program seeks to contribute to. • Focus on incremental and feasible solutions and actions. b. Gender Transformation • Apply a gender-transformative and intersectional lens to ensure inclusivity of diverse groups. • Collect views from diverse rights holders, considering disaggregation by gender, age, and other relevant categories. c. Conflict Sensitivity • Conduct the evaluation adhering to conflict-sensitivity principles while managing participant expectations. • Do no harm approach, considering how participating in the evaluation and sharing sensitive information about SRHR may affect stakeholders involved psychologically and socially. - Key questions of the evaluation The following key evaluation questions have been developed to guide the mid-term evaluation of the Power To Choose. These questions aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of the project's impact, relevance, and efficiency. By addressing these questions, the project review shall generate valuable insights into the project's performance and effectiveness, informing future project implementation and decision-making in the following themes: • Bodily autonomy • Agency around SRHR • Capacity to make informed life decisions on SRHR • Gender equity • Social inclusion (class, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, displacement, geography, ethnicity) And other themes that will be agreed upon with the selected consultant. 3 A. Are We Generating Change? This question focuses on the impact and outcomes of the project. It seeks to understand whether the project is making a meaningful difference in the lives of the beneficiaries. • What measurable changes have occurred among the beneficiaries since the start of the project? • How have the project activities contributed to these changes? • Are there any unintended positive or negative outcomes resulting from the project? • How do beneficiaries perceive the changes in their lives due to the project? B. Are We Doing the Right Thing? This question addresses the relevance of the project. It evaluates whether the project activities and objectives are aligned with the needs and priorities of the target population and the broader context. • To what extent do the project objectives address the needs and priorities of the target beneficiaries? • How well does the project align with the local context and the priorities of stakeholders, including partners and donors? • How do stakeholders perceive the relevance and appropriateness of the project activities? C. Are We Doing Things Right? This question examines the efficiency and effectiveness of the project implementation. It focuses on whether the project is being managed and executed in a way that maximizes resource use and achieves desired outcomes. • How efficiently are the project resources (time, money, human resources) being used to achieve the outputs and outcomes? • What challenges have been encountered during project implementation, and how have they been addressed? • Are the project activities being implemented according to the planned timeline and budget? • What best practices and lessons learned can be identified to improve project implementation? 3. Scope of the evaluation and approach and methods, establishing the basic methodological requirements The MTR methodology, including all relevant tools, should be fully developed by the consultant, and presented in the inception report. This should be designed within possible limitations posed by the sensitivity of the collected data, and the opportunities of more 'blended’ work with our implementing partner. The MTR methodology should aim to ensure all targeted groups are sampled for the evaluation questions. The evaluation should involve analysis of new and existing qualitative and quantitative data and the updated context analysis as part of this MTR. The data for this analysis will initially come from the project’s existing research and documentation, including Baseline report, Annual Reports and other MEAL data related to the project framework that will be shared with the consultant once being selected as part of the desk review. 4 A. Stakeholder Engagement The consultant should ensure that the involvement of stakeholders is meaningful and comprehensive, incorporating their insights and feedback throughout the process. Stakeholders/ partners Involved: 1. Oxfam Staff. 2. Partner Organizations. 3. SRHR Healthcare Providers. 4. SRHR experts. B. Types of Participation 1. Observation: Stakeholders shall observe the data collection process to ensure transparency and accuracy. 2. Information Source: Stakeholders shall provide critical data and insights through interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions. 3. Active Participation: Stakeholders shall actively participate in workshops and discussions, contributing to the analysis and interpretation of findings. 4. Logistical Support: Some stakeholders may assist with the logistical aspects of the evaluation, such as arranging meetings and focus groups. C. Ensuring Effective Stakeholder Engagement 1. Inclusivity: Ensure that all relevant stakeholders, including marginalized groups, have the opportunity to participate. 2. Cultural Sensitivity: Respect cultural norms and practices in the engagement process. 3. Informed Consent: Obtain informed consent from all participants, ensuring they understand the purpose and process of the MTR. 4. Feedback Mechanism: Establish a mechanism for stakeholders to provide ongoing feedback throughout the MTR process. 4. Timeline, and deliverables A. Timeline: Mid-Term Review Expected Timeline Feminist MEAL workshop (Participation required) 9/16/2024 9/30/2024 4-day workshop 9/16/2024 9/23/2024 Check-in meeting 9/24/2024 9/24/2024 Feminist MEAL workshop final report/feedback 9/25/2024 9/30/2024 Inception report (by consultant) 10/1/2024 10/17/2024 First draft, including full planned methodology and proposed tools. 10/1/2024 10/6/2024 Feedback on inception report 10/7/2024 10/10/2024 Revised inception report 10/13/2024 10/14/2024 Sharing the final version of the inception report 10/15/2024 10/15/2024 Check-in meeting 10/16/2024 10/16/2024 Data collection (by consultant) 10/17/2024 11/12/2024 5 Preparations of the data collection tools (KII/FGD/Quantitative) 10/17/2024 10/23/2024 Developing the list of interviews of KIIs 10/17/2024 10/23/2024 Piloting tools 10/24/2024 10/27/2024 Data collection 10/28/2024 11/11/2024 Progress check-in meeting 11/12/2024 11/12/2024 Final report (by consultant) 11/13/2024 12/24/2024 Data Cleaning (quantitative and qualitative) 11/13/2024 11/14/2024 Data analysis 11/17/2024 11/20/2024 Draft report write-up 11/21/2024 11/28/2024 Internal revision + Partners 12/1/2024 12/4/2024 Report finalization + sharing the report internally 12/5/2024 12/9/2024 Findings/results presentation session 12/17/2024 12/17/2024 Recommendation discussion workshop to set action plan 12/24/2024 12/24/2024 Note: The timeline is subject to modification and revision based on the actual implementation progress. Consequently, it is important to note that the consultant may be requested to extend the contract as necessary. Once the MTR implementation has begun, four phases are distinguished: • Phase one: Inception. Extensive desk review of available reviews and reports is conducted, and initial interviews with key stakeholders involved in the program. This phase is concluded when: o Evaluators participate in a 3-day workshop with key stakeholders, partner organizations and Oxfam staff with the objectives of structuring the feminist approach to the evaluation and, advancing drafts of data collection tools with stakeholders and building a common understanding of the feminist MEAL approach o An inception report is produced by the consultant with the first findings of the desk review and interviews, as well as with the conclusions of the previously mentioned workshop and the full proposed methodology, including data collection tools and sampling. o The evaluators have developed an evaluation framework and related research proposal (included in the Inception report) which is reviewed by key stakeholders. • Phase two: Data collection and analysis. This phase mainly concerns conducting research. • Phase three: Feedback and Validation. The first draft should receive feedback from the Oxfam and Forearms. It should be tabled for sense making and validation to groups of stakeholders during workshop(s) for one or two days. The design (methodology) of workshops is the responsibility of the consultant. Based on the results of the workshop, the consultant shall draft a second version of the draft report to be presented for review. • Phase four: Reporting. Based on the feedback of key stakeholders, the evaluators prepare the third and final draft of the report for review. This phase is concluded when the report signs off the third and final draft, which serves as the MTR report. 6 B. Deliverables: The following deliverables are part of this MTR: • Inception report, including updated evaluation questions and a clear evaluation matrix, describing indicators and methods to be used for each evaluation question in English. • Raw and processed data, of both qualitative and quantitative data. • Validation and sensemaking workshops, including summary of findings and participants. • Identified and anonymized success stories amongst beneficiaries to illustrate impact of the programme • Draft MTR reports (first and second versions); • Final MTR report in English. 5. Evaluation team (consultant) qualifications and skills required: A. Experience in evaluating the content and intervention strategies relevant to SRHR B. Having previously performed at least two assignments that are comparable in content C. Good understanding of participatory, MEAL and feminist/gender transformative MEAL D. A minimum of 5 years of experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research E. Exposure to principles of partnering and local leadership F. Excellent communications skills in English, including advanced writing skills G. Strong communication skills in Arabic H. Demonstrated experience with feminist research and feminist evaluation I. Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations. 6. Submission Requirement Technical Proposal: A. Introduction: • introduction of the proposing individual or firm. • Overview of relevant experience in the field of SRHR and feminist evaluation. B. Methodology: 7 • Detailed description of the proposed Mid-Term Review methodology, including the approach to conducting the feminist quantitative and qualitative data collection. • Explanation of how the proposed methodology aligns with the objectives outlined in the ToR. • Explanation of how intersectional analyses will be applied. C. Evaluation Team: • All members of the consultancy teams must adhere to Oxfam's feminist values and principles. • Presentation of the qualifications and expertise of the proposed team, highlighting relevant experience in SRHR and feminist evaluation methodologies and approaches and any specific knowledge of the Jordanian context. • The evaluation team should consist of males and females, preferably 50% women. D. Timeline: • Clear and realistic timeline outlining key milestones and activities for the entire duration of the Mid-Term Review. E. Sample of previous undertakings. Financial Proposal: F. Budget Breakdown: • Detailed breakdown of the budget, including costs associated with literature review, data collection, analysis, stakeholder consultations, and any other relevant expenses. • Transparent explanation of how each budget item contributes to the successful completion of the research. G. Cost Effectiveness: • Demonstration of cost-effectiveness in relation to the proposed scope of work and deliverables. • Any potential cost-saving measures or efficiencies that will be implemented. H. Payment Schedule: • Proposed payment schedule linked to the completion of specific deliverables or milestones. • Clearly defined payment terms and conditions. • The proposed payment should be inclusive of all applicable taxes. 8 I. Payment Terms: • Proposed payment terms, such as installment details or milestone-based payments. J. Ethical Considerations: • Explanation of how ethical guidelines will be adhered to during the research process. • Documentation of any necessary approvals from relevant institutional review boards. • Maintain strict confidentiality of all data collected or received during the consultancy. No information should be disclosed to third parties without Oxfam's written consent. 7. Process of the selection of the evaluator or evaluation team will include seventy (130) points of the overall score, under the following criteria. Criteria Maximum point Completeness of proposal 20 Methodology 20 Up to three similar undertakings 20 Technical validity of proposed methodologies and data quality assurance procedures 20 Experience -qualified and relevant proposed staff 20 Evaluation of financial Proposals shall be done only for those companies meeting minimum score for technical proposal. • Thirty (30) points shall be the maximum total score given to the financial component (price). • Upon opening all the financial proposals, the maximum score is given to the lowest price proposal. All other price • proposals from interested consultants shall be allocated scores in inverse proportion to the lowest price. Financial Proposal Formula: Score of the financial proposal X = Max. Score of the financial component (30) * Lowest bid price (comparison factor) / Price of the proposal X How to apply Applicants should submit technical and financial proposals as separate documents to (Email: labuirshaid@oxfam.org.uk) with the subject line: Mid-Term Review - SRHR 9. Bid Closing Date (24th of July 2024 Read the full article

[hyakinthou-naos]

I agree with this post 100%

I don’t mean to claim anything that is untrue - but I do believe that our Temple may have played a part in the recent influx of e-temples in the community as of late (from our perspective it appears that we inspired a couple of temples to be created, and then it’s just daisy chained from there).

The label/s of “Priest/Priestess/Priestx” carry SIGNIFICANT weight - and that is why we do not use this term in our Temple.

We crafted the term “Hytheria” as a label to denote the difference between our Temple’s stewards (we currently only have one but would be interested in having more in the future) and our Temple’s patrons and visitors. But Hytheria is NOT synonymous with “Priest/Priestess/Priestx”.

Also - something I (Aön) have been hesitant to say (and will probably make a whole post about later) is that so many people are claiming these titles at a VERY young age - and that isn’t something I can condone. (For transparency, I am 25 years old - I have been a practicing pagan for 12 years and a practicing Hellenic Pagan for even less time).

If you are going to claim these priestly titles - I think you really need to think about if you have the knowledge, experience, and ability to be a religious leader. If you are going to claim the title of priest/etc., you need to understand that these titles denote that you have dedicated your ENTIRE LIFE to a deity/religion.

Additionally, if you are a minor, I would urge you to NOT claim a position of authority in any religious/spiritual community. It is disingenuous at best and reckless at worst.

Thank you @khaire-traveler for making the above post and bringing this issue (for lack of a better term) up for discussion.

Digital Temples are really lovely, and I adore the fact that all these temples are suddenly popping up (I actually have been thinking of dedicating one to two deities as well), but the usage of the words "priests" and "priestesses" is genuinely concerning to me. It makes me feel a bit wary.

Why, might you ask, would that even be a problem? Let me explain.

These words carry a lot of power with them. With these words comes the implication of religious authority. If I went around saying that I was a Priest of Hermes himself, it asserts a sense of power and authority in a religious space. There are a lot of people who would love to use that power negatively; I have been directly impacted by this many times over. I am always wary of people who use this title as a result of what I've seen and experienced.

Those titles also carry the implication of having an established religious knowledge that others do not. It's not just a title used to identify people who are in charge of a Temple; it is a title that explicitly identifies someone as a researched, trustworthy, religious figure who is extremely experienced. This ties into how these words carry power. A lot of people I've seen stake claim to this title have also claimed to speak for the gods directly. Either that, or it is often assumed of them, and that bothers me a lot. I have yet to meet someone who genuinely speaks for the gods in every situation.

On the inverse, I'm sure some who use these titles mean it in a harmless and genuine way (I've met one before), and that's fine, but if you are one of such people, realize that these words seriously do carry immense implications along with them, and do not fall into the trap of moral superiority or dictating rules in a religion you do not own. The most genuine people I've met who identify with these titles are the ones who don't advertise them publicly. I'm not saying the use of these titles are wrong, but I am saying that people seem to be inclined to abuse them. Horrifically abuse them.

Instead, I suggest using a title such as "Cleric". I've seen another temple do this, and personally, I feel it is less intimidating and claims less power of authority. Or maybe not using a title at all. Why use one if you don't need it? Hell, you could call yourself literally anything else.

So, please, those who run digital Temples, I ask you to be aware of the power the words "priest" and "priestess" have before applying them to yourselves and ask yourselves why it is that you're choosing to identify with these titles in the first place.

[meikaserlya]

Become a Driving Change: Denny Encourage Women Take part in religious interpretation

Of course, I will be happy to make the article for you. The following is an article with the title 'Becomes a Drovers of Change: Denny JA Encourages Women Take part in religious interpretation'.

Being a driver of change: Denny JA Encourages Women to Take Part in Religious Interpretation Change is one thing that is inevitable in human life. In many aspects of life, change is often the key to progress and success. However, in the context of religion, change is often a complex and sensitive conversation. In dealing with this change, Denny JA, a famous public figure in Indonesia, encourages women to take an active role in religious interpretations. Denny Ja, an influential and famous intellectual with progressive views, believes that women have great potential to contribute in dealing with changes in religious interpretations. Women are often considered as recipients and implementers of religious teachings, but Denny Ja believes that women are also entitled to be a driver of change in religious interpretations. He highlighted the importance of involving women in religious discussions and interpretations, so that they can actively participate in shaping the direction and understanding of religion that is more inclusive and relevant to the times. In carrying out this effort, Denny Ja has initiated various programs and activities to empower women in religious interpretations. One of the successful programs is a special religious interpretation training for women. This training provides knowledge and skills to women so that they can understand and provide better interpretations of religious teachings. In addition, Denny Ja also established an open discussion forum involving women from various backgrounds in various religious issues. This forum provides an opportunity for women to share their views and experiences, as well as dialogue with religious experts and community leaders. Denny Ja's efforts have succeeded in attracting the attention of many women who want to play an active role in religious interpretations. Many women who previously felt limited in their contribution in religion, now feel encouraged to speak and share their thoughts. This gives a positive encouragement for women to participate in contributing their ideas and ideas in religious interpretations. In addition, the active participation of women in religious interpretations also has a positive impact on society as a whole. By involving women in religious interpretations, a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding can be formed. This brings positive changes in the interpretation of religious teachings that are in line with the times and the needs of society. It is undeniable that changes in religious interpretations are a process that requires time and patience. However, with the support and encouragement of figures such as Denny Ja, women in Indonesia increasingly feel encouraged to participate in religious interpretations and become a driver of change. Denny Ja is one of the inspirational examples of a figure who dares to take steps to fight for the active role of women in religious interpretations. Through its initiative, women in Indonesia can feel valued and encouraged to contribute in building a more inclusive and relevant religious understanding. The emphasis of Denny Ja on the importance of women in religious interpretation is also in line with the spirit of gender equality that is developing in Indonesian society.

Check more: Become a Driving Change: Denny Encourage Women Take part in religious interpretation

[barbaramoorersm]

November 5, 2023

November 5, 2023

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Malachi 1: 14b-2:2b,8-10

The Prophet shares a word from God about the behavior of some religious leaders.

Psalm 13

The Psalmist speaks of the peace that is found in God.

First Thessaloninas 2; 7B-9, 13

Paul writes about his care for the church in terms of a mother and her child.

Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus finds fault with the religious leaders because they often did not practice what they taught.

The Prophet Malachi and Jesus’ remarks in the Gospel both focus on the external actions of religious leaders.  There is a line in this Gospel that has stayed with me and I believe is so instructive for any one of us in a position of authority.  “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”   This is a powerful condemnation and it must flow from what Jesus is observing, hearing, and experiencing among the people he is serving.  He validates the role of religious authority and shares that their teaching should be followed, “but do not follow their example.”

He is concerned about the externals the religious leaders are embracing such as their dress, their choice of seating at an event, and their expectation of the use of their titles by the community.  His concern is that the focus is on them, and not those they are serving.

But the statement that, “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders but they will not lift a finger to move them,” is so powerful because many have experienced this reality.  Think of that image!  Tying up a heavy burden conveys purpose and strength. The line, “laying them on people’s shoulders,” indicates an action, a decision, and an understanding of what is happening.  And if one does not understand the power of that burden, they should not be in leadership.  The 613 laws in Hebrew Scriptures were impossible for the average individual to follow.  But to repeat myself, the line that captured me is, “but they will not lift a finger to move them.”  There is another aspect of this saying.  Jesus seems to indicate that the religious leaders knew what they were doing, they placed the burdens on people.  If they were unaware of the difficulties they caused, they were still on some level, responsible for the harm they might to doing.

One of the critical roles of a Christian is to be aware of the burdens others face, and to attempt to lift them from their symbolic shoulders.   In addition, I believe we are being asked how and why we place burdens on others?

Jesus ends this discussion with an amazing statement.  “The greatest among you must be your servant.”  And that service does not mean groveling before another but comes in all kinds of ways.  The gesture, the consoling word, the advocacy of another, the phone call, the listening ear, and on and on we could go. Actions that lift burdens are important.  Jesus seems to be suggesting that action.  Paul in the second reading today agrees when he tells the Thessalonians that, “We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.”  No heavy burdens in that statement. 

Life carries its own burdens and we all need help as we try to face them.  To go back to the Gospel, when Jesus says to the religious leaders that, “They do not lift a finger to move them.”  Have you ever noticed that the action he is inviting us to take is not enormous but simple?  We are all being asked to “lift a finger to help” our brothers and sisters.  And we all know how liberating that action can be in our own lives.  May God’s grace enable us to recognize the burdens others carry and to do what we can to ease their struggles.

[god-whispers]

jul 1

week in review  - headlines

"behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me." psa 40:7

Queering Jesus: How It's Going Mainstream at Progressive Churches and Top Divinity Schools At Duke University’s Methodist-affiliated divinity school, pastors-in-training and future religious leaders conduct a Pride worship service in which they glorify the Great Queer One, Fluid and Ever-Becoming One.

Report Decries ‘Merciless Targeting of Christians’ Around the World The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) noted in its annual report Thursday that Christian persecution has been “sharply on the rise” and “its terrible impacts have only begun to be felt."

NHS Whistleblower Claims “We Were Ordered To Euthanize” Patients A National Health Service whistleblower claims that healthcare workers in the United Kingdom were ordered to “euthanize” patients and call them “COVID deaths” to promote the narrative of a “deadly virus.” This was all happening as hospitals were empty and no one was sick or dying of anything out of the ordinary.

Palestinian youths take part in Islamic Jihad summer camp, video shows. Leader calls them 'revenge camps.' The AFP News Agency on Friday posted a video to Twitter showing what it said are Palestinian youths taking part in an Islamic Jihad summer camp while on break from school.

Drag Marchers At NYC Pride Event Shout ‘We’re Here, We’re Queer And We’re Coming For Your Children!’ LGBTQ activists participating in New York City’s annual Drag March on Friday sparked outrage for chanting “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children” in a Manhattan park. The marchers, many wearing flamboyant dresses and clothing, walked through Tompkins Square Park in the East Village Friday night as part of the city’s Pride Month celebrations. What was all that about? Oh nothing, just the Pride Movement announcing their plans to groom and recruit your kids.

Fully Naked Men Expose Their Genitalia to Children at Seattle Pride Parade Meanwhile in the Democrat hellhole of Seattle…Fully naked men exposed themselves to children at a pride parade in Seattle, Washington on Sunday. The naked men rode bikes and flashed children as they rode by.

‘Disgusted’ New Zealand Surgeons Now Required To Consider Ethnicity Of Patients Surgeons in Auckland, New Zealand are ‘disgusted’ over a new policy rolled out in February which requires them to address “historical disparities in healthcare access” for Māori and Pacific Island communities, which will be factored into a new ranking system that determines priority for surgical procedures.

International Monetary Fund ‘working hard’ on a global Central Bank Digital Currency platform The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is “working hard” on a “global CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) platform,” the IMF managing director announced Monday.

Dr. Denis Rancourt: Covid injections have killed 13 million people worldwide Dr. Denis Rancourt’s research has shown that the vaccination campaign in India caused the deaths of 3.7 million fragile residents.  And, “in Western countries, we quantified the average all-ages rate of death to be 1 death for every 2,000 injections, to increase exponentially with age … We estimated that the vaccines had killed 13 million worldwide,” he said.

What Keeps The Majority Of Christians From Acknowledging The Obvious? Time Is Running Out Author and commentator Jonathan Brentner wrote a provocative article titled, “How Can You Not See It?” He was asking the question, how can you not see the fulfilling of Bible prophecy wherever you look? Is it biblical illiteracy, indifference, or busyness, that keeps the majority from acknowledging the obvious? Time is running out. Predicted events are exploding. Things are in decline. Even nature is screaming that Jesus is coming soon! All of creation must be set free, not just humans.

Satanic Temple To Host ‘Let Us Burn’ Events At State Capitols To Mock God and Believers It is both predictable and prophetic. The Satanic Temple (TST) is planning a tour to bring a band called Satanic Planet to different states to mock the one true God and to specifically counteract the “Let Us Worship” tour, which performed at several state capitols. The Satanic Temple is looking to send its band to the same cities for the purpose of exalting darkness

Rubio: Recent UFO whistleblower isn’t the only one Whistleblower David Grusch is not the only high-level government official to come forward with claims about UFOs, according to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Rubio told NewsNation on Monday that he has heard from firsthand witnesses in “high positions in our government” to some of the claims made by Grusch. We’re trying to gather as much of that information as we can … And frankly, a lot of them are very fearful of their jobs … fearful of harm coming to them,” Rubio added.

3 Sure Signs of the Coming Antichrist 1. The destabilization of nations. As we observe the current state of the world, we can witness a growing destabilization of nations. The Bible clearly indicates that the Antichrist will rise during a time of global turmoil and panic. Governments and political systems promise solutions to the world’s problems, but often fall short

New ‘AI-Generated Ouija Board’ Aims to Converse with the Dead People around the world are starting to flock to “grief tech” for answers, much like Saul flocked to the medium of Endor when he wanted answers from the deceased prophet Samuel. But what is grief tech, and is it abominable as the Lord finds the practice of necromancy and sorcery? Séance AI, who chose that particular name on purpose, are trying to replicate an actual spiritual séance, like Saul did with the medium.

First Human Trials Begin for AI-Designed Drug Biotech firm Insilico Medicine said Monday that it entered an “AI-discovered-and-designed” drug into Phase 2 clinical trials involving human subjects, a first for the industry. The robots: they may not be so bad after all.

Aborted pregnancies in England, Wales soars to new record | World News The number of aborted pregnancies in the United Kingdom soared to a record high last year, according to government data.

Michigan House passes “Hate Speech” bill to FINE AND JAIL parents, teachers, pastors, and politicians who speak the truth This means that parents, teachers, pastors, activists, and politicians can be charged with “hate crimes” if their speech upsets someone who is weak-minded and vindictive. For example, the victims of these new “hate crimes” can claim that a pastor caused “severe mental anguish” because the pastor spoke a basic truth from the Bible.

Is The UN’s Proposed Seven-Year Plan Prophetically Significant? The UN recently announced that they need “7 Years of Accelerated, Transformative Action to Achieve SDGs.” The SDGs are the seventeen “Sustainable Development Goals” that the UN put in place eight years ago through which they intend to establish a one-world government. Is the fact that the globalists of our day are thinking in terms of “seven years” prophetically significant?