#Lower Cathedral Rock

[thorsenmark]

Yosemite National Park Has a Beauty to Stir a Thirst for Adventure by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the northeast while taking in views across the Merced River and nearby grassy meadow and forest to ridges and peaks of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park.

[sweetsaladpainterranch]

Challenges of Raising a 6 Month Old Demon

Lost Pacifier = Bad Time 😑

(Sorry that this isn't up to my regular standard, but hope you get a laugh out of it)

...

It was approximately 11:23 am at the Hazbin Hotel and the entirety of the building's demons were currently investigating every nook and cranny of their home. Among them included a very flustered Radio Demon, who sported a newly bloodied cheek with tiny fang indentions. He searched through the library, where he usually enjoyed reading horror stories to his daughter, and he sunk his shoulders in defeat when he came up empty. The sought treasure was no where to be seen and he could both feel and hear Evangeline's tantrum upstairs.

The morning had gone like any other; teasing the princess, trying to get a rise out of Luci, and mercilessly psychologically torturing the hotel's tenants. Normally his fawn, being a daddy's girl, clung close to him and merely kicked out her hooves from his arms or shadow portaled around him (and his victims). However, she kept her favorite cat pacifier even closer as she constantly munched on it to soothe her newest budding fangs.

And somewhere along the way, Alastor hadn't noticed that it had dropped somewhere before the irritated fawn began getting aggressive towards everyone in her path. At first he found it adorable when she tried to hunt Fat Nuggets and shred husk's hat, but quickly found her behavior becoming troubling. Your daughter had gotten a hold of his favorite cathedral radio in the library and tried to use it as a chew toy. The tall deer demon immediately picked her up to face his lecture, but, instead, was met with a wide maw of small sharp teeth closing in on his face before he could phase away.

His sharp hiss of surprised pain drew you into the room only to find your bleeding husband holding your daughter out as far as his arms would let him while the tiny deerling snapped her jaws at him. Her usual cherub face was twisted into an angry red sneer of black eyes and gleaming sharp teeth.

She let out a shrill cry and shook her little fists when you took her into your arms in an attempt to rock her into calmness. You looked at your husband questioningly and he shakily informed you that she had been fed and changed and he didn't know why Evangeline was so disturbed. You looked around (while once again using your aura to cancel out the baby's shadow portals) and noticed your child's missing accessory.

As soon as you pointed out the pacifier's absence, the Radio Demon's eyes immediately widened in understanding, and he promised to return with Evie's beloved pacifier. Before you could stop him, Alastor had already turned and left with a purposeful stride while you decided to return to the nursery with the fussy fawn.

The room was protected from Evangeline's portal magic so you could put her down without worrying about her portalling off to take another bite out of her father. You could feel the static rising from the lower floors as your husband searched the hotel, and you felt terrible that he most likely also threatened the guests to help him look.

With a tired sigh, you dodged the stuffed animals your child threw randomly in her growing frustration and opened the tall emergency cabinet. Within, there were different tools for various situations, like angelic weapons, holy water, rolls of mammon bills, and various magic tomes. All very useful, but you needed what was located in the small glass box at the top shelf, which was maybe the most important. With cautious reverence, you broke the glass seal and removed the precious device hidden within.

Several hours later, your poor, disheveled Alastor returned from the search with a triumphant smirk as he strutted towards where you sat, typing up a logistics report for Charlie. He held the found pacifier over your keyboard and awaited your praise for his exhaustive efforts.

"Great job, love! I'm very proud of you." you offered him with a pleased smile noticing the dust and blood that were smeared across his jacket. You could only imagine where he had found that damn pacifier.

"But...you see-", you were cut off by how Alastor's eyes shone with pride.

He smiled even bigger and began to walk himself to the nursery's quiet door, "I've no idea how you managed to endure Evagenline's tantrum for so long, but I shall fix everything!"

"Listen dear-" you tried to halt him, but he had already walked through the door and came to an immediate stop as he took in the room he believed his daughter was rioting in. There sat Evangeline, serenely coloring on the floor and cooing sweetly when she noticed her father staring at her in disbelief as she waved her pacifier in the air. Alastor could only cock his head a full 180 degrees in your direction as you slowly slumped in your chair.

"I... had Rosey prepare a spare in case Evie lost her main pacifier.", you said while getting up and wearily approaching the incredulous deer demon. "I tried to tell you before you ran off, Al, but you had already gone in a flash and I needed to see to the baby."

By the end of your sentence, Alastor had simply fallen over on his face in frustrated defeat and you bent to gently stroke his hair and ears. Evangeline had also seen to comforting her exhausted father by jumping on his back and also playing with his fluffy ears as she had seen you do.

He said nothing but you could swear you heard a soft purr emanating from your deflated husband.

***

Hey everyone, I know it's been a minute, but I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing every day, and what better than a recent happening within my own home. Somehow, I managed to lose my daughter's favorite pacifier and she threw the biggest fit, so I spent all that afternoon looking for it EVERYWHERE (even my mom's house). But my partner, the wonderful mother that she is, simply pulled a spare out of a cabinet as soon as I told her...I just went to take a nap.

😂😂

Get a partner that's always prepared for you to lose shit lol

-S.S.P.R.

[nyxyxx]

Godly Desires - Part 2 -

So yeah here's the second part. A little rough but the next few should get more interesting. I. II. III. IV.

As usual this story will contain yandere themes and religious themes so please proceed with caution.

"For you"

-

An apple? You blinked twice, confused. You hesitantly reached up towards the mitachurl's hand and took the apple in both of yours. After gazing at it for a while, as if looking for permission - you took a bite of the apple. It was delicious. It tasted so real it almost entirely discarded your belief that this was a dream.

You sat in the hilichurl camp there for a while, as they kept gifting you with seemingly random food and materials, but they seemed overjoyed with it regardless. It was an odd feeling. Despite the fact that they were known as dangerous monsters, they showed such kindness to you. You were almost compelled to just live among them for as long as they'd allow you to stay - but you knew you had to keep going.

You had to continue down the path, to find out how exactly you got here, and why. So, after a long time of playing with the hilichurls, you said your goodbyes, and they said goodbye too - or at least you think they were saying goodbye. You weren't exactly the most knowledgable on hilichurlian.

You walked down along the beach, trying to figure out where in Teyvat you could be. It didn't take very long for you to notice the tip of a very recognizable cathedral. So you were in Mondstadt. That made sense, you supposed. It was where the traveler first woke up, so it would make sense that you would appear here too - except you were on the opposite side of Monstadt.

It would take a while for you to reach Mondstadt just by walking, and you weren't even sure what you should do when you got there, but you might as well start now. You turned back towards the hills and kept walking, resting by trees when it got too dark, or hanging out in more hilichurl camps - where they always seemed to welcome your presence.

It was safe to say that you did not go hungry. Though, you could really use a change of clothes. They were starting to feel all gross. You luckily were by a lake, and well - you might as well take this opportunity to bathe and wash those clothes.

You were a little worried about being spotted, but figured you were in a quiet enough area that it was unlikely. Or if it were monsters, you had little fear of being attacked by them. So you carefully stripped down and submerged yourself in the lake, trying to adjust to the cold temperature of the water.

When you were finished washing yourself - you reached back up to the rocks to grab your clothes to wash them as well, only to find that they were gone. Wait...gone??? Panic began to set in as you realized that you were currently naked and stuck in some lake in the middle of nowhere. What were you going to do...?

You stared at the water for a while, tucking yourself as closely to the edge of the water as possible, as you just thought mindlessly over what you were going to do next. That is, until you heard a voice.

"Excuse me, by any chance do these clothes belong to you?" A voice called out, and you instinctively hid yourself lower into the water. "My bad, I don't mean to invade your privacy. I'll just leave these here." The man said, before you listened to his footsteps get more distant. You slowly lifted your head up to look, only to find the man in the distance standing behind a tree, facing the other way, waiting for you.

You looked back to the ground and found your clothes returned, though in a slightly worse condition, but regardless, you hastily threw it all on no matter how wet they were going to get. Once you were done, you ran over to the man in the distance, who slowly turned his head.

"An animal must have stolen them," he began, "I was out for a walk and saw them on the ground by the grape vines. The animal must've left them there after it realized there was no food in them." He smiled.

You were sure you knew who the man was, but that suspicion was only confirmed when you glanced down, and saw the pyro vision hanging from his belt. "...Diluc?"

"Ah right, yes I'm Diluc Ragvindr, at your service." He seemed a little surprised that you knew his name, but internally, his mind was on fire. You, of all people, knew his name. He could barely contain his joy, although it was nearly impossible to tell from the outside.

"Oh. Nice to meet you. Thank you for helping me there." You said, a little taken aback. at your service? what did he mean by that? Regardless, you felt like you might as well thank him for helping you.

"Please do not mind it, I am only doing what should be done." He said, only showing as slight smile. "If you would like to thank me properly, how about I invite you for a drink?" He asked. He hoped you'd say yes.

"Oh sure. Lead the way then." You failed to notice just how exuberant he actually was that you agreed. It has been a while since you've last talked to - or even seen - someone, so you were a little bit lonely. You also figured that you could get some helpful information from him, so you might as well take this opportunity.

-

soon we're actually gonna get into the more entertaining parts but that's it for now. The next part is gonna have a lot more Diluc which is nice but also terrifies me I'm so not prepared to write him. Taglist @mmeatt; @iamapotatoe; @clavichordcleffa

[charmwitch]

wrote something about Samantha (knight) and Nirinel (witch)

N, "Oh hey, you're awake."

The world was dark, but there was only a small pause before the voice continued.

N, "I was worried you were seriously hurt. I can't fix you up if that were the case."

She knew that voice.

S, "Ugh…" N, "Hey, how you feelin'?"

The light was blinding, or so she thought. It took her a few moments to adjust her vision before she looked over at the direction of the voice.

S, "Uhm… kind of bad." N, "Yeah, if you're not expecting it, it's not great. But we made it out in one piece." S, "Nirinel?" N, "Yeah?" S, "Where… how? We were in the cathedral when…" N, "Oh yeah." N, "I'll tell you in a bit. You should take a breather first. It does come with some motion sickness sometimes." S, "…'It'?"

Samantha looked around, her surroundings quite unfamiliar to her. They were sitting under a rock, shaded from the red sun. Samantha had heard of this occurrence before, but had never witnessed it herself until today. Areas thick with memories, battlefields often come to mind in these situations, often caused such a phenomena. There was such an occurrence near the border of Belacuna and St. Helena, from previous land disputes before the countries had stabilized.

She turned to look at Nirinel, who seemed bored- if tired.

S, "We're not in danger?" N, "Nah. … Not that I know of."

Nirinel looked up, shielding her vision with her hand. Her wide-brim hat was on the ground next to her, it had been charred slightly in the monstrous encounter they had only just narrowly avoided. How did they avoid it, Samantha was still unsure. Her eyes scanned the flats. There were high walls off in the distance. She recognized exactly where they were- after all, it was she who brought them here down to the decimal.

N, "Water levels are lower than normal, though. See that? You can see the mariners."

She pointed off into the distance, Samantha rubbed her eyes to get a better look, but was confused. The flats had pockets of water, some with strangely shaped rocks peering out from the mud. Strangely shaped was perhaps an understatement, they were long and cylindrical, but rough and dull looking from far.

S, "Are those… tubes?" N, "Mariners. They're relics from the forty-year war. They're underwater boats." S, "… Why are they here?" N, "This area's usually underwater. Well, most of it. I used to come here to train my magic when my teacher wasn't around. He was never around, so that was quite often. He's so busy, so I would take it out on some of the rocks in this area. Got pretty spooked the first time I saw one of them, but they're harmless. In fact, they're pretty immobile at this state. Look, see?" N, "Anyway, it's the dry season. Sometimes they appear from the mud."

Nirinel looked over at Samantha, scanning her face for her mood. Her thoughts. She seemed curious, but still a little frightened.

N, "I guess I should tell you. You'd find out anyway. They're graves." S, "What? Wait, really?" N, "Yeah. They're not supposed to be. But if they're here, that means their crews are still in there." S, "Uhm…" N, "I'll probably inform The Society after we get back. I'm not skilled enough for that. I think Auntie Clem can take care of it pretty easily though." S, "… W-we're in a battlefield…" N, "Yeah." S, "…" N, "… Sorry. I, I didn't know where else to go. I panicked." S, "You brought us here? How? We're no where near St. Helena, are we?" N, "No, sorry." N, "Ah… this is hard to explain. I teleported us… here?" S, "…You can do that?!" N, "Hmn? I'm not supposed to. It's not magic. That's why you're also here. I was worried we might die, so I…"

S, "It's… forbidden, right? I've heard… mom talk about it." N, "Yeah, no one knows how it actually works. But if you're able to calculate a location fast enough and can access a terminal, you can do an instant teleportation. It's a bit more complicated with two people, but I was able to successfully find a point under the adrenaline. Accessing a terminal takes a lot of magic, I don't think that's the intended form, but if I can hack it I can handle it somewhat."

S, "That's-" N, "Mn?" S, "That's amazing! You did all that by yourself? It's because you're a math wiz, right?" N, "Aah, I wouldn't- I wouldn't call myself that." N, "Hehe." N, "You need to give coordinates pretty quickly and accurately. If you mess up, you can just get yourself killed or who knows what happens. No one knows. I figured it'd be fine, we were probably going to die anyway."

She pauses and looks away.

N, "Sorry I didn't ask you first." Samantha takes her hand. S, "You're incredible! Thank you for keeping us alive." N, "Haah. you can't just say that so casually." S, "I-I mean it.. I'm… thank you…" N, "…" N, "Come on, we should head back. It'll take a few hours though." She looks up. N, "-by broom. I mean. If I teleport again, I could screw it up. It's always a risk. … Sorry."

Samantha nodded, smoothing out her dress as she stands up, her balance a little off.

S, "I mean it. You're really amazing! Thank you for taking care of me, Nirinel."

Nirinel could only look at her for a moment before smiling.

N, "Stop that. You can thank me when we get back to town." S, "Oh, um." N, "What is it?" S, "Should, should we offer a prayer…" N, "Ah, for the soldiers?" S, "Y-Yeah… I… don't feel right knowing… they're just there…" N, "Yeah alright. We shouldn't stay long, they'll keep you here. They're still working, after all." S, "Still working?" N, "It's a military notion- Oh, right. You're a foot soldier. I guess you wouldn't know. Those lost at sea are considered still on patrol. Still working. They'll always be working until they're found. I heard about it on the radio. I couldn't sleep for days afterwards. Ghosts aren't a big deal for us, but it's still spooky, right? Imagine that. Being lost at sea for hundreds of years? No thanks. I'd haunt everyone."

Samantha could only nod before offering a small prayer and following behind Nirinel.

[aziraphales-library]

Do you have any fics where either aziraphale or Crowley (or both) are dancers?

We have a #dancing tag that you can check out. Here are some where one or both are dancers...

Taking flight by Sani86 (T)

Aziraphale is a first-year fine arts student with an eye for beautiful people. Crowley is a professional ballet dancer with the most perfect body he'd ever seen. A story about art, self-expression and friendship through thick and thin.

Welcome to Burlesque by PrincessDianaArtemis (T)

Starry-eyed Aziraphale - just call me Azi - follows her dreams to California where she finds her spot amongst the dancers at Tracy's Burlesque Club. Along the way she finds more than just an outlet for her talent including the battling attractions for the bartender, Crowley, the threat of the club being sold, and the jealousy of the headlining dancer, Bee. Becoming a star doesn't mean losing yourself and Azi finds a way to have her cake and eat it too. Or the Burlesque/Ineffable Wives crossover we all need.

what a lovely way to burn by john1513, underthelinden (M)

Aziraphale and Crowley are two opposites in their respective worlds; Aziraphale is a well-known traditional dancer whose waltz can hypnotize, and Crowley is an up-and-comer in the lindy-hop rock-n-roll arena whose flips and jumps absolutely dazzle. They’re acquaintances, then rivals, but is there a chance they might actually get along once fate brings them together? Maybe they could learn a thing or two from each other, after all. Just maybe they’re not as different as they seem.

The Accompanist by MostDismalFeldsparkle (E)

Crowley is a principal dancer for a ballet company, approaching retirement. Aziraphale is the new pianist hired to play for the rehearsals and the academy.

I've Had No Love Like Your Love by Slow_Burn_Sally (E)

Crowley is an exotic dancer and a massage therapist Aziraphale... well, he owns a bookshop

Sanctuary by LeilaKalomi (E)

Aziraphale, raised by the Archangel Gabriel in Lower Tadfield's cathedral, meets a beautiful dancer on his first foray out of the church. When Aziraphale's furtive adventure ends in disaster, he gives up on ever venturing out (or seeing the dancer) again. He doesn't expect the dancer to need his help, and he definitely doesn't expect to fall in love—or anything that comes after. Based on Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

- Mod D

[kocherry]

Click here for the full masterlist for my Nun!Reader mini-series ♡

Certain as the Sun

~ Capitano x Nun!Reader

(A continuation of Barely Even Friends, Then Somebody Bends Unexpectedly)

Content: Religious Sacrilege, NSFW mention, Soft Malewife Capitano

< 1.6k words >

“Dear Lord Barbatos, forgive me for I have sinned.”

A remorseful prayer is said as you knelt on the floor of the Favonius Cathedral. Your eyes shut close and your hands intertwined itself. You bow your head slightly and let your veil cover your face.

“I have fallen for a Fatui Harbinger by the title of Il Capitano.”

Your confession itself is scandalous but you had to tell your god that. Having sworn an oath to be forever untouched and to serve the Anemo Archon and his people. You felt like you had betrayed Mondstadt for ever conspiring with the Fatui.

“The Captain's touches burn fiercer than my pyro vision as I let him desecrate my body.”

Oh, how you could clearly remember the day he follows you the entire day. You wanted to try and take a bath at that frozen lake young Eula was talking about. Alas you were still being followed up until that point. You honestly thought he was there to fight you considering you played dirty to win against him... But Capitano was merely curious about you.

You knew that you were being followed, well as much as it wasn’t obvious enough, the Captain followed you from Starfell Valley up to Dragonspine. You were nervous about this because he might’ve held a little grudge on that stunt you pulled earlier. “Why are you following me?” You asked but didn’t face him because you were sweating despite the cold weather.

“I want to fight you.” When he said that you started to run away from him.

Capitano wasn’t easily a man who would give up so he ran after you and clear up the misunderstanding because he panicked about what he really wanted to say. He blocks your path before you could even go back to the City of Mondstadt.

“Wait forgive me, I was recalling our duel and I followed you just so I can say that I admire your tenacious combat abilities.”

You think he was a weirdo and snubbed him as you cover your face with your veil, although unknown to him your cheeks were red as it had been a first time a man genuinely complimented your fighting skills.

Then the secret meetings the two of you had continued for the last three months until one of you broke.

You can't remember who it was who confessed first.

How could even do so when the Captain eagerly took your virtue on the dark cold cave of Starglow Cavern in Dragonspine?

Soft groans and raspy moans could be heard in the dark cold cave of Starglow Cavern.

Your veil and cloak were probably thrown somewhere on the snowy ground but you could not have cared a little as your mind is numbed from the pleasure you felt as Capitano pounded into your tight wet cunt. Your hands were around his neck as your back is against the cold stone wall and your naked breast is pressed against his sturdy chest.

“Are you alright my little blaze?” His nickname to you is what he had thought about because of your pyro vision. His thrusts became slow as he directly looked into your teary eyes wondering if he did something wrong to make you quiet.

“S-Sorry it’s embarrassing to let you hear my sinful voice.” You reply removing one hand from his neck as you cover your red face.

A deep chuckle came from his lips as he soft bites onto your neck making you yelp, “Don’t be shy it is only I and the snow who could hear how much you feel good.” He lowers both of your body as he sits on the makeshift camping bed, his dick pushing up inside you even further.

You let out a loud moan as you were riding him, in this position you could really feel his massive length inside you, “C-Capitano… I-I feel so full…” You started to drool as your mind became mush from how big he was.

“The night has just begun my little blaze, can you last through the entire night?”

There is fire in those dark eyes as his hands were on your hips rocking you gently against him so that you maybe able to get used at this position. You bit your lip and leaned forward as you two shared another passionate kiss that night.

“And I enjoyed every second of it.”

Capitano was your addiction and once you got that taste of him you wouldn’t want to stop even if you would be eaten alive with guilt for doing it.

To hell with your faith in Lord Barbatos.

You want to be with Capitano.

Standing up from the floors of the Cathedral you feel refreshed for admitting that you had not regretted every second, minute, and hours you had spent with the Captain. He recognized your strength as a vision user and as a warrior. He respects your intellect and admires your combat abilities. Most of all he loves you if you were just being honest to yourself.

Capitano didn’t know what it was like to want something he could never have. He starts to sink pool of the heavy feeling of grief of not being able to feel every part of you. When you gave him the sweetest smile it’s impossible for him to un-want the moment he let the feeling in his heart.

“Forgive me Sister (Y/N), we may have been sinners in the eyes of our gods but I would not regret the time we had spent together. I may be a monster like what the Lawrence Clan told me. They were right...” Before you could even oppose he gently lifted up your chin and pressed his thumb against your lips. He didn't forget nor will he ever forget your sweet taste.

“I want to forcibly take you back with me.” His tone turned dark and yet you did not feel any ounce of fear.

“But I would not forgive myself if I wouldn’t give you a choice. You sought for freedom and I would like to offer a proposal.” Capitano knelt down as he pierces his sword to the ground, he holds out his hand asking you to hold him. When you did hold his large gloved hand, he was trembling despite the fact you could see how utterly composed he is.

“Come with me, I wish not to dishonor your virtue by having only to bed you.”

Never had you hear him so soft and gentle yet his tone is desperate.

“Marry me (Y/N), and I promise you will not be caged like a bird. I will let you fly and I only wish that you will have me at your side.”

Tears had fell from your eyes as you were touched by his proposal and yet after that you had rejected him afraid of the consequences it will bring you to the future.

How ironic it is you have felt freer being with a Fatui Harbinger than living in the City of Freedom? As the matter of fact you could only think about running away from your duties as the current deaconess of the Church of Favonius. After all Barbara may still be a child but she is a worthy candidate to take your spot as the new deaconess.

With one last look of the church, you ran outside and it was late at night when people had fallen asleep. You climbed onto the high building easily as the fake sky became the witness to your actions. A soft breeze hit your face as you look down on the nation of Mondstadt.

A small speck of light could be seen in Brightcrown Canyon. That was where Capitano had stated earlier where he had set up camp. And that today was their last in Mondstadt... until then he would never come back here.

“Farewell Mondstadt, you were never that kind to me but I would truly missed those who made me smile.”

You whisper as the wind picked up your goodbyes. You didn't look back at the city knowing you had nothing to go back for. With a smile on your lips, you spread your arms.

A bright glow came from the pyro vision that is displayed below your covered neck. You took a few steps back and then ran towards the edge of the building. Falling into the tall cliff and the Cider Lake is the one below you.

Flames began to surround your arms as a pair of wings by the shape of fire as you glided from the cliff towards the direction of Brightcrown Canyon.

The wind supported your flight as you began to draw nearer to soldiers riding their horses late at night and only torches became their light. From above their road became illuminated and the Fatui looked up to see a flying fire bird on their direction. However, their leader... Capitano only saw the woman he came to love.

As the pyro died down around your body, you threw yourself towards Capitano who eagerly opened his arms.

“My answer is yes, I want to marry you.”

Capitano brought his gloved hand on your cheek, his hand so large it covered your entire face as he softly bumps the forehead of his helmet onto yours. You wrap your arms around his neck hugging him tightly finally being relieved that you were able to catch up to him. Behind Capitano’s helmet he is smiling and you don't even have to remove it to know as you kiss the side of his helmet softly.

You understood that it is not a sin to love.

How could it be a sin when you have never felt so happy?

~ End

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (6/24/23) Umayyad Spain (Moorish, 8th-15th c.) Interior view: Great Mosque-Cathedral (8th c. CE) Córdoba, Spain

The building is most notable for its giant arches, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings. The double arches, pictured above, were a new introduction to architecture, and helped support the tremendous weight of the higher ceilings. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch. The famous alternating black and white voussoirs of the arches were inspired by those in the Dome of the Rock. They resemble those of Aachen Cathedral, which were built almost at the same time.

[wisteriaovermyhightops]

Holy (‘til you let me go) / Taylor Swift: same themes different outcomes. Rina is out but when Taylor sings about the same things it is a reach to label them as 🌈 themes.

Thesis lyric comparison:

But I left taking all the shame / what if I roll the stone away, they’re gonna crucify me anyway

I’m holy til you let me go / what if the way you hold me is actually what’s holy

✨

Heavenly, that was me / its hell on earth to be heavenly

A vision at 17 / the kind of radiance you only have at 17

Loves to read, loves to dream / I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child, I dream of cracking locks

You saw a light starting to shine / people throw rocks at things that shine

Wanted it only for your eyes / don’t put me in the basement, a diamonds gotta shine

Older and wise, God on your side / I sit and listen, I polish plates until they gleam and glisten, you’re so much older and wiser

(I paid for your life) / Bloods thick but nothing like a payroll

I was innocent when you said I was evil / I swept in at the rescue, the devil that you know, now looks more like an angel

But I took your stones and I built a cathedral / I could build a castle out of all the bricks your threw at me

Found my peace when I lost my religion / religions in your lips, even if it’s a false god

All these years I wished I was different / please, I’ve been on my knees, change the prophecy

Tried to pray the pain away / I keep these longings locked in lower case inside a vault

Just like you told me (but something has changed) / undo the destiny, you ain’t gotta pray for me, something different bloomed writing in my room

Came to shelter from the blame / I learned these people try to save you, cause they hate you

[1coronado]

From Chapter 3: "Movement as Memory" in Coins, Crowns, and Cobblestones: Social Dance in Old Coronado by Dr. Sebastian Torres-Sidis (Empyrean Publishing)

[…] While many scholars have documented these dances through technical notation, such clinical approaches miss their raw social power. As both a practitioner and observer of Coronado’s dance traditions, I find myself drawn to the way each movement carries centuries of cultural memory.

Take our three most famous social dances.

In La Fundación, bodies become buildings. Look—two dancers raise their arms into perfect arches, mirrors of old Coronado stone. Three-quarter time pulls them like gravity. You must circle your partner with the weight of history in each step. Such precision! Such control! Couples weave past each other, never breaking their architectural forms, creating cathedral spaces between bodies. No rushed movements. No flourishes. Each step measures exact distances, like the city’s first builders placing stones. At the end, arms lower in unison—a city settling into its foundations. If you cannot hold the line of your back straight for seven minutes, do not attempt this dance.

The contrast with Sello Suelto could not be more striking. Here, we see street dancing raised to mathematics. One coin, one foot, infinite possibilities. Quick, staccato rhythms drive the body through space while a silver sello spins on your toe. No shoe too worn, no stage too rough—this dance was born in Row’s End gutters and lives in every quick-footed child who has ever balanced metal on leather. The real art? Passing coins between dancers. Flick, catch, slide. A dropped coin means death. But the true master can dance through a crowd of twenty, collecting coins like a magnet draws steel, never missing a beat of that relentless 4/4 time.

Perhaps most mesmerizing is La Marea Alta, where the ocean moves through human form. Lines of dancers surge forward, retreat, surge again. Watch how shoulders roll like waves! The 6/8 rhythm rocks the body like a ship at sea. No dancer stands alone—you must feel the pull of the line, the crash of bodies meeting and parting. Some break free, spinning through gaps like spray thrown from waves, always caught by another line’s current. The finale brings every dancer crashing to center stage. Then silence. Then scattered drops returning to the sea.

What fascinates me most about these three dances is how they map perfectly onto Coronado’s social geography. La Fundación belongs to Old Town’s cobblestone streets and […]

[miirshroom]

Mushroom Vision

I am going to attempt explaining how there is an entire vast segment of environmental storytelling in Elden Ring that is going unremarked upon. It isn't just about mushrooms. But that's where I first took notice, so that's where I will start in this post.

The above is the view from a mushroom on the entry ramp to Raya Lucaria, just above where the merchant is sitting. This was maybe my 3rd or 4th random stop back when I decided to appreciate the scenery from the point of view of the mushroom (for fun!). It is an example of perfect framing for elements in the far distance:

The North Liurnia Minor Erdtree

The Church of Vows

The Erdtree

But really, it's "perfect" framing of only the Erdtrees - the Church of Vows is blocked from view and hidden by a stone pillar with a quatrefoil symbol on it. This is a noticeable trend at many mushroom spots - it would be a great view...except there is a nearby tree or a piece of stone exactly in front of one element in the far distance. The perspectives seen from these mushrooms are missing the full picture. Rotating to the left on top of the same mushroom, there is also a perfectly clear view of the Bellum Gate in front of Mt. Gelmir.

Setting the scene a bit more, the ramp is heavily forested, populated by 4 packs of wolves (numbering 3, 3, 3, and 5 including the white wolf in the group lowest down the ramp), then the Isolated Merchant, a Trina's Lily, a corpse with 2 strips of white flesh, and right inside the impassible gate is a Bloodhound Knight guarding a corpse holding Celestial Dew. The sealed entry to the ramp is looking directly towards the Cathedral of Manus Celes.

Also, there is a second mushroom on the bridge which has a view of the Church of Vows restored, but instead this one is blocked from viewing Mt. Gelmir. The Church of Vows is directly aligned with Morgott/Mohg's Divine Tower. This mushroom is between the 2nd and 3rd wolf pack.

Paying attention to the mushrooms also calls attention to something else interesting. There are 4 stone viewing spots built into the ramp face - the two middle ones occurring at those two mushroom spots, one at the top of the ramp just before the 1st wolf pack, and one at the bottom of the ramp between the merchant and the bloodhound knight.

The lowest of these viewing points has a clear view at the Erdtree (nearest to the gate). Also from this vantage point the Liurnia North Minor Erdtree is in alignment with the withered Minor Erdtree in the Altus Plateau:

The highest viewing point near the top of the ramp has views of Mt. Gelmir, Bellum highway Gate, and the Wandering Mausoleums:

In the photos of the first mushroom (lower ramp) I placed more emphasis on the Erdtrees, as this is the view obtained by looking directly at the minor Erdtree. See below as rotated to face the pillar directly, which corrects for peripheral vision picking up certain distant objects that do not actually have direct sightline to the mushroom.

And like at the upper ramp mushroom, the transparency of the Erdtree is accounted for in what is visible from this vantage point. From the corrected viewpoint Rykard's Divine Tower is also completely obscured by the pillar and Morgott/Mohg's Divine Tower is not only behind the Erdtree, but also behind a conveniently placed rock spear. Rotating to the right, a clear view of Liurnia Divine Tower and just the top of the Isolated Divine Tower. Caelid Divine Tower is obscured by the Carian Study Hall, and Limgrave Divine Tower is exactly behind the steeple of a pillar.

So what does it matter exactly, that landmarks are blocked from certain locations? Good question! I am trying to understand this! It seems to me quite obvious from the framing of this one small corner of the map that care is being taken to craft these vistas in a certain way. Perhaps travelling up the ramp is telling a story in sequence. Perhaps there is one story told from the balcony spots while a second lens is placed on the story from the mushroom spots.

Overall, what I see are pieces of an environmental puzzle deliberately crafted at hundreds of locations. Just from mushrooms alone. But there is no reason to stop at mushrooms - I know that some people are already taking interest in the locations of Trina's Lilies and Miquella's Lilies, but has any attempt been made to really consider what is visible (or not visible) from their locations? The things that NPC's can see from their vantage points, the directions that corpses are looking and the items they hold, the view of the divine towers from rebirth monuments (previously discussed in a different post) all seem to be carefully planned. Rowa bushes are very frequently found in pairs, and at almost every location I've checked so far across Limgrave there will be something clearly visible from one bush that is just barely out of sight from the other.

For anyone wondering whether Elden Ring actually innovated on anything compared to Dark Souls? It's this. Literally - it's the depth of environmental storytelling.

[thorsenmark]

In Rapture of Light at Yosemite National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the northeast while taking in views across the Merced River and nearby grassy meadow and forest to ridges and peaks of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park.

[mikimeiko]

Day 15 - Brno (Czechia)

I do manage to wake up earlier than yesterday! I decide to go check out the (formerly) industrial part of the city, starting with a walk alongside the Svitava river: there's a footpath/bike lane that goes along an old rail track that used to serve the factories (mostly textile mills) built on the riverside.

It's very pretty but even with no direct sun the weather is still pretty hot (and humid today), and even in the shade of the trees of a small park on the way it's not pleasant enough to just stop for a while and read.

So I decide to make the most of my 24h ticket that will expire in a couple of hours and go to Stránská Skála, a rock formation just out of the city (there's a tram that goes there. I LOVE taking trams to places outside cities). I wasn't sure what to expect, but I end up hiking to the top following a gentle enough path through trees and fields full of flowers.

I'm sure the view would be better if it wasn't overcast, but on the other hand most of the path is out of the trees and it would have been very hard to walk in the scorching sun. For the entire time I'm there I only see a couple of people, but I guess if you live here you just don't chose a day like today to go on the rock.

(I love places like these, gentle hikes that most people can enjoy. I live in a superflat valley right next to the Alps, the hikes that are usually available to me are INTENSE. But I don't want intense! I want gentle, calm and beautiful. That's why I particularly enjoyed walking the coast paths in the UK, I discovered a love of hiking there that I never thought I would have).

In the afternoon the sky clears up, the humidity lowers and the breeze comes back: it's nice enough that I decide to check out the bit of old town I haven't seen yet (there are still parts to be seen! This city is big!) and the park that surrounds Spilberk fortress.

It's a beautiful park but it's literally all up hill, and most of the paths are quite steep. I sit on a bench reading for a bit, enjoying the atmosphere. Then I climb up a little more, and I'm rewarded with this beautiful view of the cathedral (I could very likely get better views from higher up but HAVE I MENTIONED HOW STEEP THE PATHS ARE?).

I pass through the old town hall and I'm reminded that I haven't shared with you the most beautiful dragon in the world!

When I took this picture there was a Spanish family there with a tiny kid, and the kid was like "a crocodile! No... a dragon!"

I go back for the last time to the beer festival, and have halušky with sauerkraut and smoked bacon. And a radler. And yes, SUMMER OF THE RADLER. I still haven't find one as good as the watermelon one from Vienna, but radler beats both beer and lemonade right now. (I tried lemonade yesterday, it was good but definitely too sweet).

I keep thinking this is my last night in Czechia but it's not! I'll be in Plzen tomorrow night! Still sad to say goodbye to Brno, though, I think it might be my favourite city in this trip.

[hermitcraftkinfessions]

kicks rocks... i miss my friends... both as in i miss them now and wish i could find em, and missed them back then..

ya see, in season 1 of empires i was already a deity, but my creator sent me off to live with mortals when i was a kid and never knew who they were.. but by the finale when i die i ascended to "true godhood" and met up with my creator, big fuck you to that guy.

after Afterlife smp came season 2, where everyone well. didnt really. keep their memories as they reincarnated in new bodies.. althrough oddly similar to the last ones, some changes tho, ofc. But like. I retained all my memories, cause I was still me, I died as a "mortal", sure, I ascended, but still had the same memories of my mortal life. Still remembered my friends, my lover, my family. And none of them remembered me :( But fear not, dear readers /silly

For I did not give up, and like any good god, I could shapeshift, so I used that to my advantage! Shapeshifting as animals, old people, children, even appearing momentarily as an actual god, similar to my s1 looks but taller and with more gold accessories, but I only pulled that last one in moments they were very out of it so they thought they just had a fever dream. Like right before bed or for a fraction of a second around holy places (the cathedral, etc) Oh yes I looked over them, interacted briefly, they were different people but they were also in a way still my friends. They were still in there, I swear.

I also- I remember when I met Scott for the first time I threw away the "small interactions", i straight up shapeshifted into a mortal farmer (pretty similar to my s1 me but less fancy) and introduced myself to him, in a natural way, ofc- we started talking and yknow yeah we mightve fallen in love, and eventually i mightve told him the truth and he mightve been upset and thought i just loved his past self and not him... which at first was true, but i did love him by that point! he wasnt the SAME Scott i used to know but he was just as lovely in his own way! and eventually im p sure he regained some memories, was still himself, but then he could rember. and yeah we made up and stuff but we had a bit of a fall out when he found out the truth at first.. oops...

also gods (of a ""lower"" ranking like myself-) maaay have had a rule set by older ones/higher ups abt not interfering much with mortals... which i kinda rlly broke just there... and eventually w others too.. oopsiessss... twirls my hair w guilty big ol eyes

also pix was. somehow. a human yet immortal?? so he dissapeared in season 1 before the finale but by season 2 was the same guy who had been a historian/archeologist for years and had seen a bunch of shit happen *himself*, so yeaaah when we met it was also super emotional cause he remembered me. What I shifted as when we first met? call me stupid, but for some reason it was a child(11-14), I could control it but also not- at times it just kinda came out. I stayed like that even after he told me he knew who I was and I told him abt ascending and allat... yeah.... does that count as god-age regression /silly

another empires mems ramble!

-🌙Pearlie (He/She)

interesting, i really don't know what to put here, mod ex is more versed in things of this caliber but they're asleep so its just me

-Mod hels

[houseofbrat]

Both matches will be happening at 9 pm (21:00) local time in France.

That's 8 pm (20:00) in the UK.

Far too late to fly home (even on a private jet) and eat dinner with the kiddies when the match is over.

No, instead the environmental activist known as William, The Prince of Wales, will be flying on a private jet back and forth to the match because there are not enough commercial flights from London to Bordeaux without staying overnight. (I didn't see any red-eyes from Bordeaux to London when I looked online.)

Same with Kate going to Marseille.

Gee, if the environment and lowering fossil fuel emissions were so important, then why couldn't both just fly to Marseille first on a commercial plane, stay overnight in Marseille, travel to Bordeaux, stay overnight in Bordeaux, and then fly back to London on another commercial plane? Even if only one person attended each match?

Is that plan too economical and environmentally friendly?

Yet, as I said before, it seems that Will and Kate want to keep one parent at home with the kiddos at all times. Somehow, that wasn't an issue nine and a half months ago.

Can't wait to see Kate rock her two-week-plus, post-partum body on Friday and Saturday. Will she be wearing a tight dress to St. David's Cathedral to show it off, and make sure everyone sees she's carrying more weight around her middle?

[mixotrophics]

cities aren’t ecological dead zones. they can totally be Horrible(tm) for critters of all kinds incl. human beings. However they are not Dead per se, just New, and Weird, and Interesting, and they Have a lot going on and Can’t be written off because they’re huge and everywhere.

(Humans are troglofauna, cave critters, we live aboveground but we love caves. Thusly we make “homes” and they are mimetic of the Cave and our building edifices are mimetic of rocks and crags)

^ isle of Skye, rocky cliffs :)

Cities are rocks and crags and their layout (tall buildings, hard ground (concrete), hard surfaces in general, roads that are wind funnels, high amounts of energy inputs) is like a rocky cliffs area. As such, rocky cliffs animals live in cities. City pigeons are rock doves, they live on rocky islands usually. Peregrines, cliff-nesters, like to nest on tall things like church steeples, though theyre not so common as pigeons as pigeons were pets that were transported around the world on purpose. (Peregrines, where they live, love the Tall buildings, for example in Norwich upon the cathedral spire there’s a peregrine, she keeps nesting there, if you go near to it and see the Hawk and Owl ornithologists sitting there, they may have a camera looking at her babies!)

NORWICH CATHEDRAL PEREGRINE NEST FOOTAGE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6zavQvU9wc They have a livestream on their web site. May or may not be up becos they do not nest 24/7.

Norwich Cathedral Peregrine photographed by @ PeregrineSkip on twitter

Another from @ PeregrineSkip thats making me lose my mind because its a gull trying to yoink a pigeon from a peregrine. Its also great because all three of these critters have had their ranges go all funky from cities (rock roosting + domesticated pigeon, cliff nesting peregrine, opportunist scavenger gulls)

Because of a general Lack of water and plants and such, and the cars and engines and Bodies, and heated buildings, the meteorology gets messy. Cities are warmer and than surrounding areas. This is the Urban Heat Island effect. Some species may use these heat islands to overwinter.

Cities are also very disturbed. Nothing can rest, really. Gardens are pruned and dug. Lots are built up and broken down. we step on things. et cetera. BUT ALSO very undisturbed, because sometimes humans take a liking to a woodland or something in/next to their city, and protect it from damage incl. disturbance that would be good for it to endure, actually.

^^ for example this swag habitat (dunes) gets Devoured by plants like gorse & trees (and becomes a shrubland/forest) if it is protected too much, as regular trampling is what kills the gorse & gives the dune plants space to exist. Some places are encouraging pedestrian to walk on dunes, some places are grazing cattle, some (I’ve worked on a place that did this) get diggers and just rip up all the plants down to bare sand.

Anyways in cities: What you get is a very specific environment. Rocky, hot, disturbed and also not, full of people. Some critters love this. hence cities are full of rats, pigeons, similar. And in the case of rats, pigeons, bradford pear, etc, we move species to cities (on accident, on purpose). Ultimately, you get something weird:

Globally, city “biomes” in different locations (VASTLY far apart) are way more similar than comparable biomes of the same distance (in technical terms: lower β diversity). City biota tends to be native species that like city biome characteristics + imported nonnative species. and AND (at least in plants) the profile of “imported nonnative species” that cause cities to be more similar are European ones, carrying a reminder of colonial history. (note that cities in different geographical areas still do have distinct and unique organisms)

,, However, some argue that extirpating some/all of invasives from cities isn’t worthwhile firstly because getting rid of invasives is hard, but secondly because we NEED to interact with plants and animals and the like. We are part of nature and it is part of us. It is good for our mental and physical health, and access to green spaces is overwhelmingly unequal (due to placement in wealthy/white areas, needing to drive there, needing to pay for entry, Not Allowing Gardening bc of HOAs and other control measures, poor & marginalised folks simply not having the time due to working multiple jobs...) that getting rid of things that Can and Do find their niche in cities without systemic changes that fucking Do Something about unequal access to nature would b worsening it.

On the flip side because of fabricated consumerist desire, people upset ecosystems. For example a lot of invasives which Thrive in gardens (which were planted because they’re pretty and usually typical European garden plants) are getting into threatened longleaf pine savannah, and they can’t get in there if there are wildfires with decent frequency.

remember any effects that negatively impact ecologies are not inherent to humanity & are driven by ceos with names and addresses (directly and indirectly) :]c

Anyways cities have a lot to unpack and im not going in depth with anything ive brought up here really but I enjoy pondering them.

[seabreeze2022]

2023 Bahama Cruise, Part 26, May 11 Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

Nancy is trimming sails on our way up the west side of Eleuthera. The Puritans named the island Eleuthera in the 1700’s. Which is a derivative of the Greek word, “Eleutheros”, meaning Free or Freedom.

Saturday, filet mignon night. Thanks Dush and Kelly!

To bring you you up to date. We had arrived outside the Rock Sound Harbor, Eleuthera on Saturday and decided to anchor off of a long beach. Instead of going the last couple of miles to Rock Sound Harbor. Because there was a huge rain storm over the harbor. We had to anchor a ways off shore to find good sand to anchor in. We had good protection from the waves and a cool night with the winds.

Anchoring further away from land usually assures mosquito free nights. Rigged the boat for quick closing with multiple rain showers expected. Since the threat was rain and not mosquitoes, we remove the screens and added a draw string to the hatch handle. No need to go on deck half asleep, to lower the open hatches. Just pull down on the draw string hanging down into the cabin to close the hatch.

But the first day it was too windy for Nancy to paddleboard. I spent 3 hours making water, reading etc.

Sunday Nancy paddled to shore and I met her using the dinghy. We both walked the beach looking for shells. We found several Murex shells. Then snorkeled back to the boat. Very few corals of fans. So we made the decision to go anchor off of the settlement.

As we started walking up Fish Road, we came across some cute art work. There are so many abandoned houses in the Bahamas. Some over a hundred years old. Some only a couple years old, just never finished. This art work really brightened up the city. Using the abandoned house elevated it from being a blight to a beautiful object.

Just up the block, we ran into Warren who is the artist. He is recently retired from being a nurse in Nassau for 42 years. He has a passion for cleaning up his hometown. “Grand Ma’s” was his grandmothers ice cream store, but she has passed on. Now it is his art store. Warren dropped the wet paint brush he was painting with, to talk to us. Giving us a tour of his works. Super nice guy full of energy.

The dark round hole at the bottom of the photo is “Ocean Hole”. Number one tourist destination at Rock Sound. It is confirmed to be over 110 ft. deep. But rumored to be around 700 feet. Warren told us to take bread for the Snapper.

Apparently the Mangrove Snapper and Grouper were stocked in there by local fishermen as well as Parrotfish. The parrot fish died when the trees around the hole were cut down and fell in the water.

Dye was put in the hole at some point and it showed up in the ocean nearby. Proving that it is connected underground to the ocean and a new source of water. We walked around town for an hour and saw most of it, so back to the boat for dinner.

The next morning we walked to “The Boiling Hole” and “Cathedral Cave”. Passing by the beautiful St Luke’s Anglican Church built 1863. For most of the settlements we have seen on Eleuthera the old churches are built at the waters edge and not on top of the hills overlooking the town. Usually they are very prominent and the first thing you see approaching from the sea.

The next biggest tourist attraction is a ten minute walk out of town to the cave and Boiling hole (photo above). The caves are not the ones on the far shore. They are another 5 minute walk through the bush.

Luckily the old wooden ladder was not too rotten. Only a couple of steps had broken. Interestingly many mosquitoes hang just outside the cave. I was thinking the bats were not doing their job. But several species here are actually fruit bats that migrate, and have not acquired a taste for mosquitoes.

We were lucky the bats had apparently migrated back and were flying around in the cave. This cave has many large openings in the ceiling, so plenty of light. Actually no need for carrying flashlights.

On the way back we realized that there was an old cemetery that was completely abandoned and overgrown next to the road and beach. Such a shame. Again the graves are pointed east. Above is the only one with a head stone. Most were just mounds of rock. This one was 1905?

From the caves we walked 30 minutes across the island to the supposedly “pink beach”. Pretty, but no sea shells. Nancy took a quick dip.

Half way back, we stop and talk with Rose. She is feeding stay dogs called “Pot lickers”. She shared some hog plums with us. Nancy had already gone out into the bush and picked half a dozen mangoes.

The fisherman had come in with their gill net full of grunts. Each settlement has a dock with a covered stand for the fisherman to use while cleaning fish. We made multiple trips to the gas station filling jerry jugs with either diesel or gas. Our tanks are full and are carrying 12 gallons of diesel and 12 gallons of gasoline on deck. This may be our last place to fuel up before we make it home.

Cruisers rate the settlements by there grocery stores. Rock Sound has the cheapest grocery store that is fairly large. This was much more industrious then the settlements on Cat Island. Again most of the younger folks have moved away for jobs. When they retire they move back. This leaves a void of workers. That is where we see the Haitians getting a foot hold.

Honestly I must say, if you have never been to Rock Sound you need to go. If you have ever been to Rock Sound, you don’t need to go again.

Now that procuring fuel is going to be tough we are making a point of sailing more and motoring less. So we sail ten miles to the next settlement of Tarpum Bay.

S/V Sea Breeze.