#Preservation of the Saints from Evil

[hiswordsarekisses]

Proverbs 8:13 - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

Psalm 97:10 - Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

[catie-does-things]

Litany of American Saints

(Updated 2024)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Saint Isaac Jogues, pray for us. Saint René Goupil, pray for us. Saint Jean de Lalande, pray for us. All you holy North American Martyrs, pray for us.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us. Saint John Neumann, pray for us. Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, pray for us. Saint Katharine Drexel, pray for us. Saint Mother Théodore Guérin, pray for us. Saint Damien de Veuster of Molokai, pray for us. Saint Marianne Cope of Molokai, pray for us. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us. Saint Junípero Serra, pray for us.

Blessed Eduardo Farre, pray for us. Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, pray for us. Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, pray for us. Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us. Blessed Lucas Tristany, pray for us. Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, pray for us. Blessed Michael McGivney, pray for us. Blessed Sister Miriam Teresa, pray for us. Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us. Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us. Blessed Leo William Miller, pray for us.

Venerable Antonio of Jesus, pray for us. Venerable Nelson Baker, pray for us. Venerable Frederic Baraga, pray for us. Venerable Cornelia Connelly, pray for us. Venerable Henriette DeLille, pray for us. Venerable Teresa Demjanovich, pray for us. Venerable Maria Kaupas, pray for us. Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik, pray for us. Venerable Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, pray for us. Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, pray for us. Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us. Venerable Pierre Toussaint, pray for us. Venerable Félix Varela, pray for us. Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us. Venerable Rafael Cordero Molina, pray for us. Venerable Aloysius Schwarz, pray for us. Venerable Alphonse Gallegos, pray for us. Venerable Patrick Peyton, pray for us. Venerable Norbert McAuliffe, pray for us. Venerable Eusebio Kino, pray for us. Venerable Mary Elizabeth Lange, pray for us. Venerable Rose Hawthorne, pray for us.

Lord, be merciful. Lord, save your people. From all evil, Lord, save your people. From all sin, Lord, save your people. From your wrath, Lord, save your people. From injustice, Lord, save your people. From oppression, Lord, save your people. From hatred and intolerance, Lord, save your people. From anger and ill-will, Lord, save your people. From violence and bloodshed, Lord, save your people. From indifference to suffering, Lord, save your people.  From all the snares of the devil, Lord, save your people. By the mystery of your holy Incarnation, Lord, save your people. By your Coming, Lord, save your people. By your Birth, Lord, save your people. By your Baptism and holy fasting, Lord, save your people. By your Cross and Passion, Lord, save your people. By your Death and Burial, Lord save your people. By your holy Resurrection, Lord, save your people. By your wonderful Ascension, Lord, save your people. By the coming of the Holy Spirit, Lord, save your people. On the day of judgment, Lord, save your people.

Be merciful to us sinners, Lord, hear our prayer. That you will spare us, Lord, hear our prayer. That you will pardon us, Lord, hear our prayer. That it may please you to bring us to true penance, Lord, hear our prayer. Guide and protect your Holy Church, Lord, hear our prayer. Preserve in holiness the Pope and all the clergy, Lord, hear our prayer. Humble the enemies of the Church, Lord, hear our prayer. Give peace and unity to the whole Christian people, Lord, hear our prayer. Guide all those who serve us in civil government, Lord, hear our prayer. Protect all those who serve in our armed forces, Lord, hear our prayer. Grant eternal rest to all those who have died in defense of liberty, Lord, hear our prayer. Give courage to those who stand for justice, Lord, hear our prayer. Strengthen and preserve us in your holy service, Lord, hear our prayer. Deliver our souls from eternal damnation, Lord, hear our prayer. Grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, Lord, hear our prayer. That it may please you to hear and heed us, Jesus, Son of the Living God, Lord, hear our prayer.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord! Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord! Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. 

[empiredesimparte]

Live broadcast of ‘Le Sacre de Napoléon V’ on the national channel Francesim 2, hosted by Stéphane Bernard

(Stéphane Bernard) The Emperor will become a quasi-sacred figure through the anointing: it is a sort of transfiguration. The imperial canopy conceals this profoundly sacred moment because the rite must remain a mystery to the common mortals. We are witnessing a revival of the triple blessing from the Reims ceremonial of the kings of Francesim. Their Majesties, kneeling before the altar, receive the triple anointing from the Pope: one on the forehead, the others on both hands. First the Emperor, then the Empress.

In his prayer, the Pope asks God to bestow the treasures and graces of His blessings upon the Emperor. He prays that the Emperor will govern with strength, justice, loyalty, foresight, courage, and perseverance. The Emperor must combat Evil and defend the holy Christian Church. The Empress, for her part, receives God's support, and that of Christ, to preserve the Empire and the French people for eternity.

(Stéphane Bernard) Such a ceremonial highlights the spiritual and mystical dimension of the imperial monarchy. It is a moment steeped in tradition, where every gesture, every word, carries deep symbolism, reminding us of the sacred bonds that unite the sovereign to his people and to God. (Mgr. Morlot) Almighty and eternal God, who have decreed that, following the example of David, Solomon, and Joash, the foreheads of Kings and Emperors should be adorned with a diadem, so that, through the brilliance of their gemstones and the splendor of their ornaments, they might serve as a vivid and striking image of the majesty that surrounds you to the peoples while they reign on earth…

(Mgr. Morlot) … Pour out, we beseech you, your blessing upon these crowns, so that your servant Napoleon and his spouse, who will wear them on earth, may shine with the radiance of all virtues.

(Pope) May God encircle your brow with the crown of glory and justice...

(Pope) ... May He arm you with strength and courage so that, blessed by Heaven through our hands, filled with faith and good works, you may reach the crown of the eternal kingdom…

(Pope) ... By the grace of Him whose reign and empire extend throughout all ages and ages. Amen.

(Napoléon V) Amen.

⚜ Le Sacre de Napoléon V | N°11 | Francesim, Paris, 28 Thermidor An 230

While the bells ring out and the cannons roar, the Emperor and Empress of Francesim are crowned at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was broadcast live on television by Stéphane Bernard, the famous journalist for the crowned heads in Francesim.

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

⚜ Traduction française

(Stéphane Bernard) L'Empereur va devenir un personnage quasi-sacré grâce à l'onction : c'est une sorte de transfiguration. Le dais impérial cache ce moment tout à fait sacré car le rite doit rester un mystère pour le commun des mortels. Nous assistons à une reprise de la triple bénédiction du cérémonial de Reims des rois de Francesim. Leurs Majestés, agenouillées devant l'autel, reçoivent du Pape la triple onction : une sur le front, les autres sur les deux mains. D'abord l'Empereur, puis l'Impératrice.

Dans son oraison, le Pape demande à Dieu de répandre les trésors et les grâces de Ses bénédictions sur l'Empereur. Il prie pour qu'il gouverne avec force, justice, fidélité, prévoyance, courage et persévérance. L'Empereur doit combattre le Mal et défendre la sainte Église chrétienne. L'Impératrice, quant à elle, reçoit le soutien de Dieu et du Christ, afin de conserver l'Empire et le peuple français dans l'éternité.

Un tel cérémonial met en lumière la dimension spirituelle et mystique de la monarchie impériale. C'est un moment empreint de tradition, où chaque geste, chaque parole, porte un symbolisme profond, rappelant les liens sacrés qui unissent le souverain à son peuple, et à Dieu.

(Monseigneur Morlot) Dieu tout-puissant et éternel, qui avez voulu qu'à l'exemple de David, de Salomon et de Joas, le front des Rois et des Empereurs fût ceint du diadème, afin que, par l'éclat des pierreries et la splendeur de leurs ornements, ils fussent aux des peuples, pendant qu'ils règnent sur la terre, la vive et frappante image de la majesté qui vous environnement...

(Monseigneur Morlot) ... Répandez, nous vous en conjurons, votre bénédiction sur ces couronnes, afin que votre serviteur Napoléon et son épouse, qui les porteront sur la terre brillent de l'éclat de toutes les vertus.

(Pape) Que Dieu ceigne votre front de la couronne de la gloire et de justice ; qu'il vous arme de force et de courage, afin que, bénis du Ciel par nos mains, pleins de foi et de bonnes oeuvres, vous arriviez à la couronne du règne éternel...

(Pape) Par la grâce de celui dont le règne et l'empire s'étendent dans tous les siècles et les siècles. Amen. (Napoléon V) Amen.

[talonabraxas]

Kabbalah - Tree of Life

Kabbalah (Hebrew קַבָּלָה “reception”, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah, Kaballah) is an interpretation (exegesis, hermeneutic) key, “soul” of the Torah (Hebrew Bible), or the religious mystical system of Judaism claiming an insight into divine nature.

Kabbalah became a reference to doctrines of esoteric knowledge concerning God, God’s creation of the universe and the laws of nature, and the path by which adult religious Jews can learn these secrets. Originally, however, the term Kabbalah was used in Talmudic texts, among the Geonim, and by early Rishonim as a reference to the full body of publicly available Jewish teaching. In this sense Kabbalah was used in referring to all of known Oral Law.

Kabbalah, according to the more recent use of the word, stresses the reasons and understanding of the commandments in the Torah, and the cause of events described in the Torah. Kabbalah includes the understanding of the spiritual spheres of creation, and the ways by which God administers the existence of the universe.

According to Jewish tradition dating from the 13th century, this knowledge has come down as a revelation to elect saints from a remote past, and preserved only by a privileged few. It is considered part of the Jewish Oral Law by the majority of religious Jews in modern times, although this was not agreed upon by many medieval Talmudic scholars, as well as a minority of current Orthodox rabbis.

Origin of Jewish Mysticism

According to adherents of Kabbalah, the origin of Kabbalah begins with the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). According to Midrash, God created the universe with “Ten utterances” or “Ten qualities.” When read by later generations of Kabbalists, the Torah’s description of the creation in the Book of Genesis reveals mysteries about the godhead itself, the true nature of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life, as well as the interaction of these supernal entities with the Serpent which leads to disaster when they eat the forbidden fruit, as recorded in Genesis 2.

The Bible provides ample additional material for mythic and mystical speculation. The prophet Ezekiel’s visions in particular attracted much speculation, as did Isaiah’s Temple vision (Chapter 6). Jacob’s vision of the ladder to heaven is another text providing an example of a mystical experience. Moses’ experience with the Burning bush and his encounters with God on Mount Sinai, are all evidence of mystical events in the Tanakh, and form the origin of Jewish mystical beliefs.

Jewish mystical traditions always appeal to an argument of authority based on antiquity. As a result, virtually all works claim or are ascribed ancient authorship. For example, Sefer Raziel HaMalach, an astro-magical text partly based on a magical manual of late antiquity, Sefer ha-Razim, was, according to the kabbalists, transmitted to Adam (after being evicted) by the angel Raziel. Another famous work, the Sefer Yetzirah, supposedly dates back to the patriarch Abraham. According to Apocalyptic literature, esoteric knowledge, such as magic, divination, and astrology, was transmitted to humans in the mythic past by the two angels, Aza and Azaz’el (in other places, Azaz’el and Uzaz’el) who ‘fell’ from heaven (see Genesis 6:4).

This appeal to antiquity has also shaped modern theories of influence in reconstructing the history of Jewish mysticism. The oldest versions of the Jewish mysticism have been theorized to extend from Assyrian theology and mysticism. Dr. Simo Parpola, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, has made some suggestive findings on the matter, particularly concerning an analysis of the Sefirot. Noting the general similarity between the Sefirot of the Kabbalah and the Tree of Life of Assyria, he reconstructed what an Assyrian antecendent to the Sepiroth would look like.[2] He matched the characteristics of En Sof on the nodes of the Sepiroth to the gods of Assyria, and was able to even find textual parallels between these Assyrian gods and the characteristics of god. The Assyrians assigned specific numbers to their gods, similar to how the Sepiroth assigns numbers to its nodes. However, the Assyrians use a sexagesimal number system, whereas the Sepiroth is decimal. With the Assyrian numbers, additional layers of meaning and mystical relevance appear in the Sepiroth. Normally, floating above the Assyrian Tree of Life was the god Assur, this corresponds to En Sof, which is also, via a series of transformations, derived from the Assyrian word Assur.

Furthermore, Dr. Paropla re-interpreted various Assyrian tablets in the terms of this primitive Sefirot, such as the Epic Of Gilgamesh, and in doing so was able to reveal that the scribes themselves had been writing philosophical-mystical tracts, rather than mere adventure stories. Traces of this Assyrian mode of thought and philosophy eventually makes reappearances in Greek Philosophy and the Kabbalah.

Skeptics would point out that the doctrine of the Sefirot only saw serious development starting in the 12th Century CE with the publication of the Bahir. To argue that the concept of the sefirot existed in an occult and undocumented form within Judaism from the time of the Assyrian empire (which fell from cultural hegemony in the 7th Cent. BCE) until it “surfaced” 17-18 centuries later strikes some scholars as far-fetched. A plausible alternative, based in the research of Gershom Scholem, the pre-eminent scholar of Kabbalah in the 20th Century, is to see the sefirot as a theosophical doctrine that emerges out of Jewish late antiquity word-mythology (as exemplified in Sefer Yetzirah) and the angelic-palace mysticism found in Hekalot literature being fused to the Neo-Platonic notion of creation through progressive divine emanations.

[daemon-in-my-head]

Idk I'll be honest, I never once considered Durge evil or a monster in the sense of they're a horrible person or smth. This also has nothing to do with woobiefying them or smth. Just bear with me for a minute.

Killing someone is undoubtedly evil, and being crafted out of a divine beings flesh is monstrous one way or another, but hm, idk. I don't rly think they're vile or as vicious as people make them out to be. They're quite sadistic yes, but actually not rly. Cuz like, let's be real here. What choice did they ever really have? What other things have they known? We're they ever even allowed to feel guilty or grief for their own person? Not rly. Durge never had those options.

Kill or be killed, that is if you're lucky. If not your body will simply be ripped from you and whatever is left of your mind is forced to watch from the prison within your own head. Loosing control as whatever left of you gets absolutely abused and violated again and again and again with you being just so fucking helpless but fully aware of what's happening and how wrong it really is.

Idk. Not saying it's the right thing to do, but with those prospects, I'd be a good kid and do the same as them, kill, obey, and do whatever else shit is required to preserve at least a bit of sanity, a bit of freedom, a bit of the person that once was. Dying would've been an 'acceptable' option, but the absolute hell that Bhaal would unleash? The hell Bhaal has undoubtedly threatened before, either veiled through Scel or with those wonderful dreams he bestows? Sorry, but that's martyrdom even saints would struggle to choose voluntarily if they had any other option.

So in the end Death wasn't an option. Not when the person who controls you can just *snap* and stop you from dying because they can control everything about you and in turn may force you to serve his goals differently. You saw what Bhaal can do to Orin, despite her being so far removed from Bhaal theres hardly any essence left, and you probably know the scrapped 3rd ending and the current 3rd ending. There was simply never a choice to make. Not if we're being realistic.

I pity Durge rather than anything else. Created as a tool wholly unable to defy its master, forced to put up with whatever abuse because it is the only way to retain some sort of control and personhood. Wholly incapable of rebelling because their attempts would force them to endure ever more vile cruelties.

And all of that for no other reason than simply existing.

They're not a ruthless villain. Not a sadistic mastermind. They're simply a tragedy.

[nobedofroses]

October 26th

pairing: Pero Tovar x f!reader

warnings: fluff

words: 705

a/n: Prompt for today is Rituals from this list by @raven-cincaide-words. Last little blurb for our Pero fam :') sad but I think this one's sweet. Also, the bonfire tradition I made up but the Quiemada ritual is from Galicia!

Directory, previous Pero blurb, Day 25

🎃🎃🎃

Around autumn, you, Pero, William, and Charlotte had many things you would do in preparation for the coming winter like go to the market as Pero had this year, chop lots of firewood (which you and Charlotte always enjoyed watching), preserve food through drying, salting, canning, and pickling, and make warm clothes for the winter. But there were also a few things that you did that were more meaningful spiritually. 

Since this was Alma’s first fall, you were all especially excited to do them with her. The village had held a large bonfire after the first frost to ensure that everyone would stay warm enough in the coming months. Alma had loved the bright flames and was starting to eat, so she wanted to try every food that had been cooked over the fire. 

There was one ritual that she could observe but that she would not be participating in, which was Quiemada. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, the four of you would mix aguardiente, sugar, lemon peels, and coffee beans, light it on fire, stir it, and say a spell to help protect the souls that would be making their journey the next day. 

This year Pero had asked to write the spell so that he could make sure it was perfect for Alma’s first All Saints’ Eve. you thought it was the sweetest thing and were so excited for you and Alma to hear it, and for all the years in the future that she would understand it and know her father was the one to write it. 

But until then, Pero was having a hard time writing it. 

“Querida, what should it say?” Pero asked as you were bundling some herbs to hang and dry. 

“Well, you know, the general things about protection and casting off evil. That stuff,” you reminded him, trying not to smile at his slightly whiny tone. 

“How do I make it poetic?” Pero asked, looking very sad at you. 

“I don’t know, darling. You could make it rhyme if you like,” you suggested. 

“How would you do the rhyme? What is the first rhyme?” Pero asks you, his pout that he knows melts you in full force. 

You’re just strong enough to resist, “I’m not just going to tell you, darling. I don’t want to take this accomplishment away from you. You can do this. Why don’t I take Alma for a walk to give you some time to think?” 

“But I like walks also,” Pero tried. 

You smiled, walking over to him and kissing his cheek, “There will be many more walks, my love, but Alma will only have one first All Saints’ Eve.” 

Your walk with Alma was great, a crisp but sunny day and her wrapped close to your body keeping you both warm. Now that she was old enough to hold her head up, she faced away from you to be able to look at the world around you. 

The path you took went from your cottage, to the pasture to say hello to the horses, down to the river, and then looping back to stop by the inn to say hello to William and Charlotte. William was busy with customers, but Charlotte was in the kitchen and gave you each a bit of fresh baked bread and butter as a snack. 

When you turned the corner to return to the cottage, you nearly bumped into Pero who steadied you with his hands on your arms, beaming with excitement. 

“Querida, mija,” he greeted both you and Alma with a kiss on the cheek. “I have finished it!” 

You beamed back, “Oh, darling, we’re so proud of you, we can’t wait to hear it, isn’t that right, Alma?”

Alma, sensing the happiness of the two of you and loving to be included, gurgled and babbled something that you knew was also encouragement for her father. 

Pero’s face softened and his eyes were a little shiny. He looked between you and Alma and said softly, “I love you both. More than anything.” 

He leaned down to kiss the top of Alma’s head and then kissed you on the lips briefly, his hand stroking over your cheek. 

You whispered back, “I love you, Pero.”

🎃🎃🎃

[jannikovgenosse]

I don't think it's a revolutionary take on this site to point out that the Walter guy from Breaking Bad isn't exactly a saint. Sexual assault, blowing up several buildings, manipulating most of the people around him, the list goes on...

That having been said, I still get very annoyed by Breaking Bad fans who cannot fathom the concept of him having vaguely redeeming qualities. Like I swear to god, they need to read EVERY SINGLE decent thing he does in the least favorable light imaginable.

Walt goes to rescue Jesse from the slums - "It's akshually because his pride is insulted by Jesse being in such a place."

Walt risks his life and ruins his entire relationship with Gus to save Jesse - "Walt only did this to calm his own guilt!!"

Walt offers Jack all 80 million dollars of his money to save Hank - "It was akshually just to preserve his self-image as a family man, his ego couldn't handle anything else!!!"

You could do the exact same shit with Jesse or Mike, but because they're the fanbases 'UwU softboys' they escape this treatment.

And NO, for the record, this does not mean i think every character in Breaking Bad is on the same level morally. Waltuh's absolutely a darker shade of grey, it's just worth remembering that there is more to the guy than just 'evil super abuser who consistently hates everyone other than himself".

[sophiamcdougall]

Me, watching the surprise burlesque act at a birthday party: I'm not saying anyone here is doing anything wrong. I'm just saying I think it merits further consideration that we've decided that winged eyeliner and victory rolls denote feminism, art and broad social acceptability, when the exact same acts and the same near-naked female body, accompanied by bleached hair and fake tan would not be considered a suitable form of shared entertainment at a gathering such as this. I just think it's interesting that a vintage aesthetic is apparently all it takes to invoke a rigid consensus that the titillating acts are somehow occurring at a safe distance even while the performer's fans are, in fact -- thank you -- currently fluttering over our own faces and bodies. Is it fair to describe burlesque as the gentrification of stripping? Discuss. Then again, is it not also interesting that there appears to be a recurring impulse in multiple cultures to reference the imagery of an earlier, "heroic" age in order to sanctify and tame erotic art? I'm thinking of the preservation of now-archaic forms of makeup and dress among Geisha [insert long aside on the sexualisation or otherwise of Geisha here] along with paintings and sculptures of nude saints, Greek gods and allegorical figures. Perhaps the fact that the 1940s is so often the era referenced by burlesque is not, then, coincidental, offering not merely the distancing effect of time but the glamour of an age well beyond the living memory of anyone here, yet now often experienced as epic, virtuous and righteous, the standard from which modernity has fallen. The nostalgia played upon by the burlesque artist, then, offers a secondary layer of fantasy: that we are participants in a struggle against evil itself ---

My friend: God I want her gloves

Also me, bisexual: oh was she wearing gloves I didn't notice

[crissiebaby]

Nursery Alone

DISCLAIMER: This story contains humiliation, diaper usage, inappropriate language, and other ABDL themes. I hope you all have a very merry Criss-Mas!

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

“Merry Christmas to me. Ho ho ho.”

With a trash bag full of perfectly wrapped presents slung over his shoulder, Nick was certainly no saint. It wasn’t his fault that so many families decided to travel on Christmas Eve, leaving a houseful of goodies completely unattended. Tossing the bag into the back of his van, he quickly hopped in the driver seat and sped off into the night toward his next big score.

“Alright, 117 Sycamore Street, you’re off the list,” said Nick, biting the cap of a Sharpie and crossing a line through the second to last house on his list. Having only one house to go, he was foaming at the mouth to get home as soon as possible. After all, with so many presents, he was ready to have the best Christmas morning ever.

Parking a little over a block away, Nick was cautious to make sure that his car was never seen near the scene of the crime. As much as he resented the extended walk through the brisk night air, it was a necessary evil. Running through the backyards of several houses, he finally arrived at his destination.

1387 Chestnut Drive. This was the house that he was perhaps the most excited about. It was an old Victorian house that had been preserved to the point where it looked damn near brand new. Anyone with enough money to blow on a vanity project had to be loaded. Sprinting to the side of the house, he made sure the coast was clear before launching into step one of his plan: breaking in undetected. After casing the neighborhood for several weeks, he knew no one was home but it never hurt to be cautious.

Looking up at the side of the house, Nick spotted the perfect entry point. There was a double window half a story up from the driveway with only a simple wedge lock keeping it close. One quick swipe of his pocket knife and he’d have that lock open easily. Stepping up onto a nearby trash can, he brandished his knife, ready to bust that lock wide open.

*CRASH!!* Suddenly, the lid of the trash can broke out from under his feet, sending him straight down into the half-full canister. In his panic to escape, the trash can tipped over onto its side, causing the incredibly squishy contents of the garbage pail to spill all over him. Crawling out of the trash, he was finally able to see what had made for such a mushy landing. Dozens of yellow and brown diapers, all perfectly wrapped up to hold the messy loads inside.

Nick nearly gagged as he brushed away any of the dirty diapers that clung to him. To his dismay, while he’d avoided getting any major stains on his clothes, his shoes were utterly destroyed thanks to the urine-filled diapers that he’d unwittingly squashed. Quickly, he picked up the diapers that had fallen out, holding his breath the entire time, and pushed the trashcan back into place, hoping to recover from this minor annoyance.

The soles of Nick’s shoes squelched with every step as he rounded the back of the house searching for another way in. Luckily, he found his solution in the form of a thin basement that lined the ground. Sliding off his dampened shoes, he pushed the window open as wide as it would go and crawled in head first.

*SNAG* However, as Nick pulled his stomach through, he found that his black jeans had gotten caught on a sharp piece of bent metal, leaving him caught between a rock and a hard place. Groaning, he reached back and unbuckled his pants, falling forward as he slid out of his trousers.

Mercifully, Nick’s landing was a soft one as he fell onto a plush mattress. He quickly stood up, hoping to retrieve his pants, only to discover that they were torn and covered in melted snow and mud. Wearing them inside at this point would leave more evidence of his presence, forcing him to abandon them with his shoes. “Guess that makes me the underwear burglar,” he said under his breath, chuckling at how ridiculous his misfortune was.

Looking around the basement, Nick was shocked to find himself standing in a crib in the middle of a baby nursery. From his research, the owners of this place didn’t have any kids. Maybe they were expecting? But then how would that explain the used diapers? Pushing his curious thoughts aside, he decided not to care and press onward.

Climbing up onto the side of the crib, Nick found that it was surprisingly taller than he would’ve guessed, requiring some extra effort. As he straddled the top white bar, he let out a sigh. With as much trouble as this house was giving him, it had better be worth it.

*creeeeeeeak* *CRASH!!*

In the few seconds that Nick had been perched on the crib bars, his weight had managed to snap the thin, wooden block that kept the bars in place, forcing them downward abruptly. He toppled to the ground, landing hard on his back and forcing the air out of his lungs. “Ooh, my hip,” he moaned, recoiling in pain.

As Nick recovered on the floor, an interesting development was happening just above his head. The shaking that had been brought on by his sudden fall had also caused the neighboring dresser to rattle. Stationed on the edge of the dresser was a bright pink pacifier, which wobbled back and forth for a few seconds before tipping off the side and falling directly into Nick’s open mouth.

“MMMMMF!” shouted Nick from behind the large, rubber nipple that gravity had shoved between his lips. He instantly spit the binky out before wiping his mouth off on his sleeve, leaving behind an odd aftertaste of artificial strawberries. “Fucking nasty. Anything else wanna go wrong tonight?” He got to his feet, his anger steadily rising with each misfortune.

However, before Nick could put the binky nonsense behind him, his mouth began to tingle most strangely. Spotting where the pacifier had previously been positioned, he noticed a bottle of clear liquid sitting next to it with a label that read, “CrissBaby Paci Lovers Gel. Strawberry Flavored.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what that meant.

Nick may not have been one of those weird diaper lovers he’d seen popping up in the news but he knew enough about the CrissBaby Diaper Company to know how dangerous their products could be. Case and point, the reaction that was currently happening between his ringing teeth. With each second that passed, the craving to suck on something, anything grew stronger. In a desperate attempt to stem the oral buzzing, he dropped to his knees and shoved the pacifier back into his mouth. The relief he felt was massive, at least until the realization of his actions kicked in.

Letting out a painfully long breath of air through his nose, Nick glared at the bottle of pacifier gel that had brought on this oral fixation. This was no longer just some random house anymore. This was personal. With the paci between his lips, he got back to his feet, ready to rob this place blind.

Moving toward the staircase, Nick made his way upstairs where he expected a vast array of presents to be waiting for him. However, as he planted his foot on the second step, he made contact with a doll that had been left out of the toy box, causing him to twist his ankle and fall backward. As he fell, his long-sleeve black shirt caught on the edge of the railing, ripping it off of his body in one swift motion. 

“AGGGGHHHHH!!!” Nick screamed, forgetting where he was for a brief moment as he mourned over his aching ankle. Hobbling to his feet, he moved to retrieve his shirt only to find it more shredded than his pants were. The torso was torn through completely, rendering it useless.

Now only in his underwear, Nick knew he couldn’t expect to carry out the rest of the robbery completely nude. He needed to find a set of clothes to change into and pronto. Side-stepping the stupid doll, he bolted upstairs, slamming the door to the nursery basement behind him.

As he searched for a bedroom, Nick passed through the living room, where he was reminded of why he was here in the first place. Mountains of presents stacked taller than him were scattered around a grand Christmas tree. His mouth watered at the prospect of pilfering so many carefully wrapped gifts. Specifically, it was the massive one that was as large as a motorcycle that caught his eye. While he wasn’t certain it could fit in the van, he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to try.

Putting aside his material wants, Nick knew that sunrise was only an hour or so away. There was no time to waste. Moving to the second floor, he managed to find what had to be the master bedroom and went straight for the walk-in closet. To his dismay, all he found in the closet were women’s clothes, petite women’s clothes at that. Well…almost all of the clothes, at least.

Hung up in the back corner of the closet was a small selection of girly adult baby clothes that were perfectly his size. Initially, Nick pushed the idea of wearing something so ridiculous out of his mind. However, the moment he felt a cool breeze send a chill down his spine, he knew he couldn’t make it back to the van in just his undies. Quickly sifting through the collection, he winced as he picked out what he deemed to be the least babyish and least girly: a powder blue fleece onesie with long sleeves.

Pulling the onesie up his legs, Nick hated how nice the warm, soft fleece felt on his frigid, bare legs. Yanking the onesie up to his thighs, he quickly slipped his arms into the fuzzy sleeves and zipped up the back, sealing himself inside. As soon as he took one step in the gaudy outfit, he knew something was off. Lo and behold, there was a cloth waddle spreader that had sneakily been sewn inside the seat of the onesie, forcing his legs apart as if he were wearing an actual diaper. With more time and more marbles, he would’ve put something else on. But seeing how the night was progressing, he just didn’t care anymore. “Are you happy? I’m a baby now,” he said mockingly to the heavens as he looked down at his pathetic attire.

Returning to the living room, Nick marched right up to the ginormous present he’d set his sights on earlier. As humiliating as this final house had been, it was all going to be worth it. Crouching down, he placed his arms around the giant gift and tried to lift it, discovering that it was much too heavy to move. “Oh no, you don’t!” he said, influenced by his own sunk-cost fallacy. Putting his back into it, he gave one last attempt at moving the centerpiece present.

“WOOOOOAH!”

*RIIIIIIIIIIIP!*

Accidentally using a little too much strength, the paper wrapping shredded as Nick pulled upward, causing him to fall back on his padded rump. “Owwie…c’mon,” he grumbled, rubbing his sore hiney. Shaking off the minor fall, he turned his attention back to the task at hand, only for his jaw to drop upon discovering what the massive present really was.

“The CrissBaby Walker Pro?” said Nick, reading the label on the side of the device. He balled up his fists as his rage hit a boiling point. Shrouded in tattered wrapping paper was a first-of-its-kind, adult baby walker, brought to you by the CrissBaby Diaper Company. For those in the ABDL community, it was the hottest ticket item of the holiday season. For Nick, though, it was a shrine to how horribly this final caper had gone.

Moving to the other presents, Nick tore into several of them, finding that all of them were filled with adult baby crap. “Oh, for fuck sake!” he yelled in a blind fury. After everything he’d been through to get to this point, to realize it had all been for nothing was the last straw. He kicked a large stack of presents like a spoiled child, sending them flying across the room before proceeding to demolish as much of the festive decor as possible.

Stepping up to the Walker Pro one last time, Nick attempted to flip the machine onto its side, hoping to damage it to the point of breaking. Unfortunately, the device was still too heavy for him to lift, resulting in an embarrassing display of failed bravado. As a last resort, he swung his foot at one of the metal legs, hurting his ankle again in the process.

“WALKER PRO ONLINE. PLEASE HOLD STILL WHILE THE ROOM IS SCANNED.”

A robotic voice echoed out from the mechanical device, causing Nick’s heart to drop. “Oh no,” he mumbled, knowing deep within his soul that this could not end well.

“SCANNING COMPLETE. INFANTS DETECTED: 1. STATUS: TANTRUM. ACTIVATING TIMEOUT PROTOCOL.”

Before Nick had time to react, a set of robotic arms sprouted out from the sides of the Walker Pro, tearing away the last of the wrapping paper in the process. The arms quickly locked onto Nick’s position and converged on him, snatching him off of his feet with ease. “Lemme go, you stupid machine! I’m not a real baby!” he screamed to no avail. 

The Walker Pro plopped Nick inside its springy basket, forcing him up onto his tippy-toes as he bobbed up and down. He grabbed onto the edging, hoping to hoist himself out immediately. Sadly, the arms of the Walker Pro were ready for that, latching onto his wrists and nudging him back into his seat.

“TIMEOUT PROTOCOL INITIATED. AWAITING PARENTAL COMMAND.”

Stuck within the Walker Pro’s steely clutches, Nick was helpless to do anything more than suck on his pacifier and wait for whoever owned this house to return. Folding his arms across his chest in a huff, he felt his stomach start to gurgle ominously, reminding him of the bean burrito he’d eaten a few houses back. Hopefully, whoever owned this place showed up before he turned the fake diaper he was wearing into a real one. “Merry Christmas to me…ho ho ho…”

THE END.

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[ariel-seagull-wings]

IN DEFENSE OF THE ALIEN DESIGNS IN STRANGE WORLD

@themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @tamisdava2 @minimumheadroom @thealmightyemprex @amalthea9 @angelixgutz @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales @softlytowardthesun @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales

So, I read on-line some comentaries saying that it was hard to connect to the titular Strange World because of how out of this world the alien creatures were.

Their designs were considered too strange, to the point of being considered scary by audiences, who expected those creatures to be intimidating monsters, rather than the neutral, if simpathetic beings they were portrayed as.

This characterization apparently didn't correspond to what is expected from their appearance.

And I started to investigate in my memory: why this disconect happened?

Why it was more easy to imagine those beings as villanous monsters, rather than the simple living beings they actually were portrayed as?

So, when it comes to other worldly creatures written in fantasy and science fiction works, since we are humans, it has historically been more easy to connect to alien fictional creatures that are closer to humans, or at least other mammals.

The more distant they looked from humans in appearance, usually closer to reptiles or insects, the more likely they were to be presented as villanous monsters that must be eliminated by the heroes.

In fantasy you have the usual conflicts between heroic and appealing humans, elves, dwarves and halflings against the villanous and grotesque orcs, goblins and trolls.

And in sci fi, the more sympathetic aliens are the ones that look close to humans, while the more far from humans that alien is, the more likely is that they will be the treat to be fought.

In the Lindsay Ellis video "Designing the Other", she brings up the important point on the emphasis on eyes to make audiences form a connection with an alien character.

When they have big, expressive humanoid eyes, they are more likely to win the audience's simpathy:

When their eyes are more insect like, or non existent, then they become mysterious, threatening monsters:

Jack Saint's video "Avatar: Dances with White Saviours" comments that the presentation of the planet Pandora and the native Na'Vi as conventionally beautifull is used as the main argument to make audiences simpathize with it and support its message of echological preservation

While less mainstream literary sci fi would present the message that even the non beautiful, even violent ecossystems and creatures are important for the balance of the enviroment and have the right to be preserved.

And then there is Strange World

Strange World presents a story where a team goes trough the subterranean to save the plant that is their source of eletricity from creatures that they perceive as an agricultural plague.

The creatures follow the design pattern that we usually associate with monstrous, villanous aliens: far away from humans or other mammals, closer to insects, sea creatures and abstract cells.

We look at their appearance, and feel fear, treating them like abominations who would destroy us.

And the narrative knows that. Is an important discussion in the narrative.

When Jaegger joins the journey with the team, Ethan tries to show him and Searcher the card game Primordial Base, which is about finding peacefull solutions to live in harmony with the enviroment surrounding you, which includes the creatures you consider threatening eldritch abominations.

At first, Jaegger and Searcher fail to understand what Ethan says.

Then, they learn what his words means when they see that the supposed plague that they come to destroy was actually an imune system working to heal the living heart of their world, from Pando, the plant that for years they tought was beneficial.

The saviours of their lives are the beings that they believed to be monsters.

Just because something is not what we perceive as beautiful, doesn't mean its evil.

That is the message that the characters had to learn to be alive.

And by extension, us, as the audience, had to examine our decades of biases on who is good, and who is bad, in the proccess.

Nature is neither good, nor bad. It doesn’t care about us.

It just is. That is enough reason that it needs to be respected and preserved.

[k-marzolf]

Have mercy baby, on a poor girl like me.

yandere, dark fluff, anti-religious sentiment from Billy, kissing, biting, dacryphilia, soft dark!Billy, fem!reader.

Thank you for all the reblogs and comments on I put spell on you. I appreciate them so much!

Wicked Game Masterlist.

x

You always wanted a kiss, and your want of him made a hunger threaten to consume him. He always wanted more, more, more of you. A dangerous thing from a dangerous man.

And he loved spoiling his sweet little rabbit, giving you exactly what you wanted as he pressed his hand roughly to the back of your neck, and kissed you, biting down on your lip, tongue darting out to lick the coppery tang off your lips.

Feeling excitement as tears welled in your eyes; you were so pretty when you cried, “That hurt, Billy.” You sniffed.

“I’m sorry bunny, lemme kiss it better.” He husked, giving you several quick and soft kisses, making you press closer. He smiled as you fisted his sweater in your hands, hips pressing to his.

He could taste your salty tears, and it made him want to pull your legs over his shoulders and worship your sweet cunt.

But god, the way you tucked yourself under his chin, made him feral.

Billy was not a soft man, life had made him hard and cynical, but as you snuggled into him he realized he’d willingly bathe in the blood of your enemies. Hurt anyone that would hurt you.

Love was supposed to be patient and kind, it was not proud, it did not boast, it wasn’t self seeking, holding no record of wrongs, and slow to wrath. Love didn’t delight in evil but rejoiced with the truth. It protected, always trusted, always hoped, always persevered. Love never fails. 1st Corinthians he believed.

He could still remember it from church. The lady at the group home took him. He always hated it. Where was this loving God for Billy when he was suffering?

Love wasn’t supposed to be this all consuming obsessive need to consume you, possess you so that you’d never leave him like this mother. An ache in him every time he looked at you. Billy loved you, he realized, with a violence that startled him.

You made a saint out of him. But he’d willingly go to hell just to preserve your soul.

Billy had no delusions about himself, he was wicked, but whatever it made out of him, he loved you.

Mine, he thought, mouth on yours, swallowing your sweet sounds in another kiss.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Do Not Envy Wicked Men

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. 6 And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently look for his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 13 The Lord shall laugh at him, for He seeth that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bows to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright manner of living. 15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. 18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be for ever. 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall be consumed; into smoke shall they be consumed away.

21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not back, but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth: 22 for such as are blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but they that are cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. 26 He is ever merciful and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27 Depart from evil and do good, and dwell for evermore. 28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. 32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. 33 But the LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. 34 Wait on the LORD and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is in the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him. — Psalm 37 | Third Millennium Bible (TMB) Third Millennium Bible, New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 6:9; Genesis 37:18; Numbers 6:26; Deuteronomy 6:6; Deuteronomy 15:8; Deuteronomy 30:20; 1 Samuel 2:4; 1 Samuel 2:9; 1 Samuel 26:10; Job 5:3; Job 5:20; Job 7:10; Job 11:17; Job 38:5; Psalm 1:4; Psalm 1:6; Psalm 18:21; Psalm 18:37; Psalm 26:10; Psalm 33:5; Psalm 35:10; Psalm 73:3; Psalm 112:5; Psalm 112:10; Proverbs 10:13; Proverbs 10:30-31; Proverbs 15:16; Isaiah 31:5; Jeremiah 12:2; Ezekiel 27:36; Matthew 5:5; Matthew 7:7-8; Matthew 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:9; Ephesians 4:31; 1 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 13:5; James 1:11; 1 Peter 5:7; 2 Peter 2:9; 3 John 1:11

Psalm 37: Trusting God in a World Gone Bad

Key Passages of Psalm 37

1. David persuades to patience and confidence in God, 12. by the different estate of the godly and the wicked

[the-glorious-evolution-fanart]

Question, is it me, or does Universe(2015-2016) Viktor's lore feel kinda of...rushed, in a sense? Like, they didn't read through the lore he had to decide what stays what remains and decided to just, toss it out altogether and toss together all the ideas they had in draft to turn into a cohesive enough story because they didn't know what to do with him when the OG story was tossed in the can in favour of a blank canvas. Just so they could get another champ slotted into the current version of Zaun as soon as possible while fitting into the archetype of of Tech-Priest inspired Cyborg Scientist. Like it feels like they never went through his old lore to figure out what worked, what could be very easily translated into current Zaun, and what elements to drop like the elements strictly related to the Institute of War. To be honest, he's not the only one, I find that some champs' lore was rewritten for the better, like Poppy, while others feel like their rewrites were rushed out as soon as possible in time for the next Season for the new players. If they gave the champs a rewrite at all. Because, I've been reading through both and just, I don't see why they had to change it completely. He could've been so easily kept intact to what he was while sticking around in Zaun as we know it today. He still could've been with the College of Techmaturgy and honestly, I felt that would've added another layer to current day Zaun compared to what we have today by showing that even if they're not on as prestigious a standing as Piltover, Zaun is still a place just as advanced, to the point where it was the place that gave us, pretty one of the most intelligent champs in the game lore wise. If they really wanted a enemies/frenemies dynamic with Jayce they could've just made him, a transfer student of sorts to Piltover Academy while still keeping Viktor with the College. His situation with Blitzcrank could've gone nearly pretty much completely unchanged altogether. He could've remained the same personality wise regardless, I feel that would've helped keep him cohesive across the board. Especially since as of current, it feels like since 2016 if he by some miracle does appear in Riot's content, it's like someone's continuously flicking the light switch between being the typical Evil to Morally Grey Mad Scientist TM to being a Robotic Saint so fast that it's kind of a pain to properly pin down his characterization. That is if he isn't left in the Neglected Champs Bin altogether until the next time Riot remember he exists. To the point that the moment you think you have Universe Viktor's character pinned down, all the sudden they realize a new thing he's in that contradicts what they gave you before they released the thing and now you're left confused again. Sometimes, even within the same timespan as seen with LoR because the Viktor in the comics for Vi and Jayce, doesn't completely feel like the Viktor you even play as. It feels like he's written by completely different people working off a prompt a majority of the time. When, there wasn't a issue with his personality to begin with, and he still would've been compelling, if not more compelling today in a world where mental health and the issues involving the problematic side of Academia is actually more in the forefront today than it was in 2010. It wasn't that he had a problem back then, it's likely more than not that he was just, ahead of his time, and written in a time period where neither topic weren't as talked about because it didn't have a chance to make a wave on the internet yet. Plus it would've made things A LOT better down the line writing him because then he wouldn't have been on such an odd standing that the writers keep flip flopping all over the place writing him.

His goal could've remained the same completely, just with a mild rewrite to write out the Institution and just simply made him a man who wanted to preserve HIS work by doing that work on HIMSELF due to the trauma from Stanwick, before pioneering it to enough of an extent to where he could safely help others. And that a major chunk on why a lot of people have some animosity towards him is because he's just, difficult and kind of intimidating to read for a lot of people, in combination with the rep he gets from the more fanatical Acolytes and the Piltovan side, and that the more antagonistic misassumptions of him spread and got flanderized overtime. When in reality compared to the rumours he's actually just, a decent guy, it's just that he's just going through shit and has a hard time with people a majority of the time. Only that, others have a hard time even approaching him to see that. There was just, so much potential, and so many a solution already that didn't include rewriting the entire character. But I think a major reason to everything is that they took a change that should've been implemented over the long term to begin with and tried to rush it out as soon as possible for the sake of rewriting and expanding on the world building to give us something new and more expansive. Especially once the game became popular and picked up enough steam to go from what was an indie MOBA into a game that all the sudden ended up with some really big shoes to fill. When, I feel in hind sight, they should've taken their time to readapt everyone in such a way that they could've preserved and refined the pre-existing champs overtime, keeping what to the old fans was still familiar and keeping to their original character in one way or another, while still gradually shifting Runeterra into the open world it is today.

I don't know, just, looking at a lot of the oldies, Viktor included, I feel like they're all victim to what is in hindsight, a giant rush job. Especially considering he's one of the champs that got the shortest end of the stick out of a lot of this. I mean, the most love he's got is from Arcane, but Arcane Viktor is the Viktor specific to Arcane's world, and Arcane's version of Runeterra. He is his own separate character isolated to his own story and should honestly for the most part be treated as such, even as far as I'm concerned and that's the rendition that is personally to me, one of my favourite renditions of Viktor. Strictly talking in game Viktor. Riot did him pretty dirty.

Yeah you're right that the 2016. Universe lore reads like the people tasked with "updating" the og 2011. lore didn't truly understand it, nor did they understand the meaning of elements they introduced in the new version.

Like you mentioned, Zaun was left with having nothing in terms of academic institutions, and as consequence the world feels much smaller because the class conflict, from both cities having their own versions, got squeezed into a reductive cliché with Piltover-Zaun where one side has everything and the other one is just a garbage dump. It doesn't help that the current garbage dump (Zaun) was representing east Berlin, eastern and south-eastern Europe, where I live. It reinforces the silent idea in popculture that people from here do not achieve any academic heights. It reinforces the stereotype that Ekko must choose his family and stay in Zaun, thus not having any access to higher education because all of it is in rich Piltover.

But Riot wanted to forcefully thread this class-conflict into every champion from this region, and this was the easiest way to do it - nuke anything Zaun had and leave them with just envy and hunger for what Piltover took from them.

Another problematic element in 2016. Universe lore that has no place being in Viktor's motivations or behaviour, is that "removing free will for their benefit" moment. In 2011. release lore, Viktor (alongside other students) created Blitzcrank, a sentient being with literal artificial free will, and Viktor fought tooth and nail to try and keep credit for his creation. So for starters, it would be antithetical for him to hate free will (he has one himself). Removing free will is not a morally questionable thing to do, it's straight up evil from the perspective of a person you're trying to save, because you're killing what they even are. But clearly the people doing the lore update deemed this appropriate position to plop Viktor into in order to give him something Jayce could oppose, why, I have no idea. Maybe they didn't understand just how downright morally deplorable this is and how it makes Viktor a terrible person, or maybe they indeed wanted him to fully read as a terrible person who begs for sympathy through the unfortunate events that happened in his life. But what unfortunate events? In the 2016. Universe lore, he got expelled exactly due to his own actions, his attempts at removing free will. I'd say that was deserved.

People love the short story with Naph and point to it as proof that Viktor is a good guy, and in principle I agree that a story of this type is fitting. It's the details that make it unsalvageable yet again - he gives a child mind-altering drugs (children have parents or guardians for a reason) and that nullifies any good advice or kindness he showed to the kid. There's also the frankly inexplicably stupid use of... literally rusted tools to do surgery on his own flesh. ??? He would die of infection. Come on.

~~

Arcane Viktor on the other hand has the opposite problem - he's forced into augmenting (whichever form it takes) due to his physical condition, and this is a completely different character motivation. He also (it looks like) doesn't rely on science and technology at all anymore, turning into a traditional mage with metal as simply a conduit/material he uses.

~~

Like you said, the topic of mental health in Academia is now more in the light than it was in 2011, but unfortunately it looks like large corporations still don't deem it "interesting" or "profitable" enough so they replace it with something more often seen. But it's an important topic regardless, and I still like the release lore for a reason.

When Rito was updating lores from 2014. to 2016, it really did look like a rushed job, you may be right.

[wylanslcve]

Something I don't see anyone speak about (if you have and I just haven't seen it... I'm sorry :( ) is how Wylan not only reclaims his identity by the duology's conclusion, but he also reclaims Marya's. I feel like we as a fandom overlook just how much J*n put Marya through in an attempt to erase Wylan from the public memory: he had her declared insane as a grounds for divorce and institutionalised her, leaving her "abandoned along with her defective child" in order to "forever rid himself of any evidence that Wylan had existed". This transcended to J*n not allowing Wylan to grieve his mother's 'death' because, as he put it, "it didn’t pay to dwell on the past" - and Wylan tells Jesper that J*n never brought Marya up after breaking the news of her finality to his son, confessing "we just stopped talking about her".

What we also need to remember is that the Van Eck mansion "had belonged to Wylan’s mother’s family for generations before Van Eck had ever set foot through the door". (Edit: I didn't mean to write that the mansion belonged to the Hendriks - it was part of the property under the Van Eck name. Sorry about that!) Just like how J*n separated Wylan from his mother, he simultaneously took so much from Marya - first her home, then her name, her fortune, her own child. This is why Marya was admitted as Marya Hendriks, not Marya Van Eck: this is J*n quite literally stripping her of her name to permanently erase her from the public memory. The nurse addresses Marya as "Miss Hendriks", to which Marya mutters "Van Eck" in response, because "she was not Marya Hendriks, she was Marya Van Eck, a wife and mother stripped of her name and her fortune." So why is it that Wylan says, "I am Marya Hendriks' son" if Marya Hendriks is the woman who's left after Marya Van Eck had her name and her life taken away from her? Because this is Wylan reclaiming his mother's identity.

If we examine the moment Wylan visits his mother at Saint Hilde, Marya's first words to him are "did you come for my money? I don’t have any money" to which Wylan replies that he doesn't have any money either. The money neither of them have comes to signify the lack of autonomy they have over their identities, which have spent so long confined by J*n's contempt as he gradually works towards making them vanish entirely. J*n tried desperately to erase Marya's memory as a means of gradually erasing Wylan's - however, Wylan is the only one who keeps his mother's memory alive, just like how Marya keeps her son's alive. Upon arriving in the Barrel, Wylan detaches himself from his father's name and, instead, uses his mother's maiden name. Yes, he's doing it to not draw attention to himself (because what would the child of one of the richest men in Ketterdam be doing in a place like the Barrel?), but he's also preserving Marya's memory, clinging to it like a lifeline without even realising it. In a way, it's saving him.

Before I go on any further, I'm taking a brief detour to discuss the transition in Wylan's motivations upon discovering what really happened to his mother (it's relevant, I promise). Wylan completely breaking down when he realises that his father is indeed evil is such a pivotal moment that marks a major transition in his motivations. Jesper comforts Wylan during his breakdown, assuring him that "Kaz is going to tear your father’s damn life apart" - a sentiment that "felt like cool water cascading over the hot, shameful feeling of helplessness he’d [Wylan] been carrying with him for so long". His continued contribution to the Dregs’ mission is no longer about making the money to “get out of town and never speak the name Van Eck again” - now, he's "here for her". Now, it's about punishing his father, saving Marya and returning all J*n took from her: “what am I doing here? But he knew the answer. Only he could see his father punished for what he’d done. Only he could see his mother free.” He realises that J*n's life falling apart means that, with his money, "he could take his mother from this place. They could go somewhere warm. He could put her in front of a piano, get her to play, take her somewhere full of bright colors and beautiful sounds. They could go to Novyi Zem. They could go anywhere." He could save her, liberate her from the confines of J*n's contempt - and only he can do it, because who else would?

Meanwhile, Marya clings to the memories of her child even though J*n took him away from her. While institutionalised, Marya would paint - and in her paintings, "repeated again and again, was the face of a little boy with ruddy curls and bright blue eyes". We know that J*n wanted Wylan to disappear "the way he’d made Wylan’s mother disappear" - what we don't know, however, is what J*n told Marya during the time she was institutionalised. Did he visit her after sending Wylan away, supposedly to study music in Belendt, to tell her that Wylan is dead? Did he ever visit her before then and tell her that her son is dead to expunge his memory from Marya? We can only speculate - but what we do know is that, regardless of whether or not she thinks he's dead, Marya is grieving the loss of her child.

Something that Wylan fears if the Dregs’ mission is unsuccessful is that he’s “going to die and there will be no one to help her. No one to even remember Marya Hendriks” - and the same could be said about Marya’s feelings of responsibility for preserving the spirit of her child. Amidst her grief is the strive to save him and his memory, because she’s really the only one who’s willing to remember him. At the asylum, her paintings are thrown out “every six months” because “there just isn’t enough space for them” - but that doesn’t stop her from continuing to paint the face of her child and, thus, remembering him, making sure he doesn't disappear. Wylan confesses to Jesper that his parents “fought all the time, sometimes about me”, revealing how Marya has always fought for Wylan - and her being institutionalised, having her paintings thrown out every so often, won’t put an end to her fighting for him. She's hellbent on ensuring he doesn't vanish, because there’s no one else who would. (Think of this in relation to the meaning behind “no mourners, no funerals” - if Wylan disappeared, “no one would come looking”, as is the case with the rest of the Crows.)

Now, let's examine how, by the end of the duology, Wylan not only liberates himself from the pain caused by his father's wrongdoings, but also saves his mother. He'd "chosen to use a portion of his newfound wealth to restore his home", exemplifying how inheriting his father's fortune represents him reclaiming his identity from the pain and abuse J*n's contempt inflicted upon him. However, I mentioned earlier that the Van Eck mansion didn't actually belong to the Van Ecks in the first place - it belonged to the Hendriks. (Edit: again, not the mansion, but part of the property under the Van Eck name.) Thus, Wylan's position by the end of Crooked Kingdom also comes to represent him reclaiming his mother's identity as he returns everything J*n took from her. By "restor[ing] his home", he's also restoring Marya's.

[franklyimissparis]

11, 15, 17, 20 (Beates Asks)

11. Favorite Beatles fan fic writer/artist?

oooo it’s so hard to choose just one but some of my all-time fave beatles fanfic writers are @econhomework @javelinbk @glowing-gold @merseydreams @boshemians , kathleenishereagain, mynamesbetty, moonjockey, inspiteallthedanger, obstinatrix, dornfelder, jpgr1963 (sorry couldn’t find everyone’s tumblr handle) i’m certain that as soon as i post this i’ll remember like 10 other authors i adore but these are some off the top of my head

15. Would you marry a Beatles (ex)wife given the chance? Which one?

honestly i would marry most of the beatles wives given the chance but i think i’d probably be most compatible with linda mccartney (and i’ve always gotten a queer vibe from her) loveeeee my photographer wife 🫶🫶

17. If you could change only one event in the Beatles history (1960-1970) which event would you change?

kind of a basic answer but i think preventing brian’s death is probably the obvious choice for me personally. not just because i think he deserved to live a lot longer but also just in the hopes that him living would change things enough to hopefully prevent john’s death as well and make the (still probably inevitable) eventual disbandment of the beatles a lot smoother and preserve the lennon/mccartney partnership/personal relationship in the process.

20. What’s your most controversial Beatles opinion?

hmm this depends heavily on who is finding my opinion controversial 😭 like i mean if we’re talking controversial to the general public it’s probably just that john lennon was undoubtedly queer/in love with paul and it very well could have been reciprocated. if we’re talking about controversial to younger beatles fans/the tik tok and twitter fans it’s probably that trying to cancel john/spam people who speak positively about him with hate while calling the other beatles ‘unproblematic’ makes you look dumb and uninformed. all of them are ‘problematic’ - i also think that fundamentally they were all good people even if they all fucked up, cheated on their partners, had some instances of violence, and have made insensitive remarks. and the more you actually learn about all four men, the more this becomes apparent. none of them were saints but none of them were the devil either. and pitting john against the others as the ‘evil’ one is a very unnuanced take.

[serpentface]

The preserved skull of Stavis Amanti, a former Galenii high priest, now exalted spirit and saint of the rains and fertile earth. He is crowned in lapis lazuli and silver and skymetal, framed by the horns of the white calf he took place of in sacrifice. The windows behind are positioned so that on a predictable basis, the three-horned moons are visible behind him- a reminder of the night of his death and of the Azure Palace of the lapis-moon where his exalted spirit now resides.

He is the newest saint in the Faith of the Seven Faced God, acknowledged as the one who brought about the ending of the great drought in Wardin and the restoration of God's dominion. 

---

As those of the Faith tell it:

The longest drought in living memory occurred after the Odomache (a Face of God Itself) was defiled and killed by heathens. Each year, the rain seasons came and went without so much as a drop falling. 

Seven years followed of starvation and thirst and heat-death, failed harvests and dying herds, of Wardin and the heathen lands alike turned to dust by the furious sun, of riots in the cities, of turmoil among the Odonii priestesses, of Galenii bloodmartyrs sacrificing themselves each season to no avail. And after these seven years the high priest Amanti had studied the signs, and learned what must be done. 

He saw that God Itself was sundered from the earth and from Its people, Its faces turned away from the world. It could only be returned by full recreation of Its original sacrifice- they would find seven beasts with auspicious signs of each Face, take them to the site of the world's making (the mountains- Sons of Creation), and by their blood bring God back to Its world. 

He led a pilgrimage of Galenii and the Odonii and their soldiers across the lands of Wardin, facing many hardships along the way to the Sons of Creation. Finally, at the night of the triple-horn moon above the Sons, the sacrifices were held. Six beasts were slain by Amanti and he himself smeared the woman who would be Odomache in the blood of the lion, and draped her in its raw pelt. The albino calf, face of the moons and fertility, was to be last. 

But the calf was spared, for the Galenii are the devoted of the Face of the Moons and it was Amanti himself who gave his life. He knelt before the Odomache, and received the lead of her musket through his skull in holy sacrifice to restore God's dominion to Its land. And his body was divided by his monks, and his blood watered the earth and was smeared on the legs and hands and breasts of the Odomache, who danced the great Lion Dance and so was fully re-incarnated. 

And so the rains returned and blessed the lands in fertility, and the calf who lived in his place grew strong and was blessed in fertility, and sired ten-thousand head of cattle before its death. 

---

Of course many who were there say they were surprised, that there had been no prior indication that he was to take the white calf's place. Surely this was agreed in secret- he was well loved by his fellow Galenii and many would have trouble accepting what he must do. Or perhaps it was not planned, but seeing the Face of God Itself approaching as it incarnated in a body that which was ceasing to be a woman, he knew what he must do, what his entire life had led to, and he received her hot lead with eyes widened by the passion of devotion. 

And a few would say he and the woman who would be Odomache were not fond of each other along the way, and it looked more like fear than devotion in his eyes as the musket was raised towards his face, but what do they know? (They say, fingers flickering in the gesture against evil) Anyway, the drought broke not too long after that, so it all worked out in the end, really.