#Temple of the great moderator

[brittle-doughie]

Keeping Friends Close and Best Friends Closer (Cream Soda and Cherry Cola Cookie)

Art by gods46072273404

Cream Soda Cookie is close friends with Y/N Cookie, her fellow peer in the academy. She values her relationship with them very much, the two always spending time together whether it be outside of academy or just sparring.

She doesn’t mind if other cookies are hanging about with her friend, her and they hang out a whole lot, so she doesn’t mind a couple of declines to spend time together. It does wear on her eventually, so she does check for any opportunity before she starts to feel sad.

“Y/N Cookie! It’s been so long since we’ve last seen each other!”

She goes to give them a grand hug.

“Have you been keeping your promise? To be a great swordscookie just like we said we would! Here, hold my hand. Let’s go together around the ceremony!”

Cherry Cola Cookie is also close friends with Y/N Cookie. She cares for them. A lot. Perhaps even more so then Cream Soda does in her perspective. Cherry Cola wasn’t as confident in her skills as Cream Soda was, leading to insecurity and feelings of inadequacy. Y/N Cookie didn’t see it that way, never giving up on her and believing that she can be a great swordscookie.

Cherry Cola wants to do her best. For Cream Soda. For Y/N. She’s a lot more reactive to anyone wanting to hang out with Y/N, refusing to let them go for even a moderate amount of time. Her feelings of jealousy make her heart bubble. She just wanted to strike them down where they stood, warning to them that this will be their only chance to stay away from her closest friend. She can’t help herself, the more she’s away from them, the more her heart bubbles until it can’t handle it anymore!

“This is the Temple of the Sun, which means…Y/N Cookie. There you are. I..have missed you, even if we have been sending letters back and forth, it’s much better to see you face to face. Can we…walk around the ceremony together?”

Cherry Cola takes your hand as you walk with her.

Cherry Cola looked on from being a pillar, watching Y/N Cookie talking and laughing with the other swordscookies. She clutched her chest where her heart is, feeling that familiar bubbling from a long while ago.

“Argh…Y/N Cookie. Remember our promise, that we’ll always be together. No matter what…so seeing you with someone else..it makes my heart bubble….”

Cherry Cola starts to smile, wider and wider as a shadow casts over her eyes, clinking her two swords together as she eyes the other cookies.

“And if you don’t keep your promise, ehe….ehehe…I might just explode….”

@revivedredeemermareu There you go.

[kibutsulove]

random rant but it is actually so fucking out of character for azulon to have actually wanted ozai to pass over custody of zuko to iroh instead of the kill order (in my opinion). the rationalization of azulon’s command sort of takes away one of the purposes of zuko alone, which is to be a display of family order and conditional love, yet also unconditional subservience.

azulon, to the purpose he served in zuko alone, was not meant to be a debated character. azulon wanted zuko dead and that is the sole purpose he serves; to be a catalyst for ozai’s usurpation and zuko’s eventual banishment and also an explanation of Ursa’s not being there. the entire theory just seems to be something meant to make ozai’s character look worse than it already is (while being already horrible enough)

ozai would also have no reason to lie to zuko about it during the black sun invasion, he was going to try and kill him anyways

it’s surprising to me that people think that azulon, a ninety five year old imperialistic, eugenicist tyrant, would be chill enough to give ozai such a light punishment (in context) after he suggested disregarding the line of succession while using his favorite son, iroh, as a standpoint. azulon is neither an understanding nor forgiving man, he is not a good father and he is not a good grandfather. There is a reason why he was included in azula’s “dreamscape” in the azula in the spirit temple comic other than the fact that he’s her family.

and a little side note, i think azulon’s portrayal in azula in the spirit temple is moderately important. i imagine that azula had never seen her grandfather past what he lays out for people to see: the great old fire lord who rules with an iron fist. yet she dreams of him in such a mundane and simple setting. he is not lurking behind the walls of flames of the throne room, he is standing out on the beach alongside his family (more specifically sozin), he is crown-less, he’s not wearing the typical robes of the fire lord, and his posture is lax. a hand is also put upon his hip, showing a sense of repose and age. in azula’s dream world, azulon is simply just an old man, there is nothing objectively intimidating about his demeanor. but side tangent over!!

and i say this as an azulon fan btw, he wanted that boy meeting with the worms by the following morning and the whole “giving zuko to iroh as punishment for ozai” would be synonymous to a small slap on the wrist in his book.

[alicia-18]

Second Choice — Eminem x reader

Summary; Y/N was used to being a second choice to everyone, so it didn’t surprise her at all when Marshall broke off their situationship in order to give things a try with Kim again. But she was surprised by the emotions that came with it.

Warning; this fic will include mentions of domestic violence (not between Em and Y/N), drug and alcohol abuse, adult content, swearing, idiots in love, and moments where you hate both Eminem and yourself :)

Chapter Two; I think my dad’s gone crazy!

A bead of sweat fell down your temple as you finished perfecting the recording of the chorus to one of the final songs on your upcoming album. Dre had an eyebrow arched at you as you left the booth and entered the production room.

“What? Was it not a good take?” You huffed, taking a gulp from your beer glass. The flavour was awful when you first began drinking it, but it had grown on you over the years and worked as a good warm up to the harder liquor you often found yourself indulging in later in the night.

“Nah sounds great.” He shrugged, make you give him an odd look. Your body collapsed onto the little couch, and you pulled your notepad onto your lap to quickly go over the lyrics to ensure that wasn’t what Dre’s look had been for.

“Spit it out then, Dre.” You huffed, not finding anything particularly wrong with the song. The knowing look he was giving you was becoming suffocating.

“Second choice?” He questioned the title of the song, taking a gulp from his own drink and pulling out a blunt which he promptly sparked before continuing. “Thought ya didn’t care ‘bout Em and Kim?” He bluntly asked, sending a slight flush to the apples of your cheeks. You blamed that on the alcohol as you finished the bottle.

“I don’t, this song ain’t about them.” Dre didn’t look convinced by the declaration. You weren’t sure if it was your growing buzz or just the trust you had built with the producer over the last couple years, but you felt a need to let him in slightly. “I’ve always been second choice. My mom left when I was a baby for some dude in Canada, dad always chose drugs or women over me. And all of my boyfriends have cheated on me. Fuck, I’ve barely even been a second choice to people.” You laughed humourlessly at the revelation, and happily accepted his silent offer of the blunt.

“Well the song’s gonna be a hit, that’s for sure.” He smiled warmly, though didn’t seem to be finished. Now it was you staring at him with a raised brow. “You deserve more credit. You’ve gone through enough shit for’a lifetime, and stand on business for everyone around ya. I don’t think you see it but you don’t even put you first. If everyone else makes ya a second choice, why not make yourself a first choice?” His words hit like a punch to the gut, and left you frozen for a moment. You blinked back at him, his words sinking in and stabbing your soul. He was right, of course, and if anyone was in a place to tell you the hard truths you needed to hear, it was him. He had seen you right from the start, and you wouldn’t be in the position you was in currently without him.

That next week you had fully taken Dre’s words in and was doing something you hadn’t done in a while that you enjoyed — going to the club with your girls. You couldn’t remember the last girls night you had, so to say it was overdue wasn’t an exaggeration. You hadn’t even gone to the studio that day, deciding that the entire weekend for yourself. But as fate seemed to control your life, you had to pop there quickly on your way to the club as you had left your favourite purse there the day before and wanted to feel perfect that night.

You had already had a few shots before arriving, as you preferred arriving to the club with a moderate buzz already going. That, however, made walking in your black heels over the halls carpeted floor a lot harder. Your instability made you sigh with relief once you had reached the linoleum flooring of the break room. Your E/C eyes searched the room before landing on the duo sat on the small couch which also just happened to be where you left your purse.

Marshall’s eyes fell on you as soon as the door creaked open, and his stare flicking to the door made Hallie turn around also. She stared at you with wide blue eyes, a little gasp sounding. “Is that Y/N, dad?!” She excitedly spoke, looking between the two adults. You smiled apologetically to him, feeling as if you were crossing a line by meeting his daughter. “I love your music!” She confessed, her bright smile warming your heart.

You grinned back and made your way over, making sure to pull your short mini skirt down a little to appear slightly more modest infront of the child. “Well that’s funny cause I love your song too!” You giggled, stopping infront of the pair. Hailie looked up at you with pinched brows, so you crouched down to be eye level with her. You tried your best to copy her little voice as you sang “I think my dad’s gone crazy!” which sent her into a heap of laughter.

“What’re you doing here anyway?” Marshall finally spoke, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent smiling. His words reminded you of what you had came here for as you reached between his side and the arm of the couch. You heard his breath falter a little, but it didn’t last long as you pulled your purse into your clutches.

“Left this here yesterday, I’m going out with the girls and wanna look my best.” You shrugged, lifting the metal chained handle over your bare shoulder.

“You do look very pretty.” Hailie complimented with a smile, one which warmed you even more to the adorable little girl. You leant over and gave her a high five, making you both giggle. Marshall watched on with a baffling mix of emotions, a mix he didn’t appreciate.

“Thank you, so do you Hailie! It’s been so nice to meet you, your dad tells everyone just how great you are all the time.” You were shocked as she jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around your waist. You eyes went wide and looked immediately to Marshall, definitely feeling like you were overstepping now.

“Hallie, I think Y/N has somewhere to be.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and continued chewing the inside of his mouth. You gave her a quick squeeze so she didn’t feel like you were being mean or rude then stepped back.

“It was so cool meeting you!” She beamed, sending a rush of warmth to your cheeks. You had never expected meeting Marshall’s kids, at all, but you immediately liked Hailie. She seemed so happy, and was obviously lovely to everyone.

“It was so nice meeting you too, Hailie. Have a good time with your dad.” You gave them both a little wave before your phone began ringing. You flicked it open and accepted it, and your best friend began shouting down the phone.

“Yeah yeah I’m coming, Jesus woman—“ You put your hand over the speaker and moved it from your face to address the father daughter duo infront of you. “I’d love to stay and chat but I’ve really gotta go. It really was so nice to meet you Hallie, I’ll see you Monday, Em.” You accepted a second high five from the 9 year old girl before lifting the phone back to your ear and scurrying from the room.

MASTERLIST

[royal-wren]

Leto Epithets

One of the many mother goddesses found in the Hellenic pantheon, she is also one of (three) goddesses directly of motherhood along with Rheia and Maia. Her origins are debated, but it is a fact that she is an established goddess as far back as the Mycenaean era (pre-Apollon btw! More than likely Leto and Artemis were regarded as mother and daughter by then) under the name ra-ti-jo / ra-to (Latios/Lato). The late myth of the birth of Artemis and Apollon where she runs from Hera might showcase a bit of history of her leaving Greece and going to Turkey (Anatolia) in the way a lot of myths do with cult history and practices expanding. I say this because the connection to Lycia as her origin as explained in the further reading section is pretty late into the timeline of her existence and her main temple there is also a late addition when she was long pre-established as a goddess in Greece before it was made. Anything else saying she derived from another goddess is purely speculation and is more than likely disproven by this point in time in the year 2024. (Please note that this doesn't mean she possibly came from somewhere else before records, just that she existed in Mycenaean Greece).

Alphabetically it's a mess, but everything that I've added to go along with aspects, domains, traits, and animals of hers have an asterisk by them, not necessarily upg but innovating what's already historically attested to her.

A remake of my ancient, years-old post. Of great kindness She who is gentle and modest Preumenḗs: soft of temper, gentle, gracious, favorable Epieikḗs: Morally reasonable, fair, kind, gentle, good Ever mild and gentle Mild from the beginning Of womanly demure *Ēpiócheir: With Soothing Hand *Phainô: Appear, Reveal, Shine Lêthô/Lanthanô/Lelathon: To escape notice, To cause to forget, Move unseen, Go unobserved *Aisthánomai: perceive, apprehend by the senses or of mental perception, perceive, understand, take notice of, to have perception of *Aísthēsis: Perception from the senses, feeling, hearing, seeing. Perception by the intellect as well as the senses. Ability to perceive: discernment. Cognition or discernment of moral discernment in ethical matters *Ablepsíā: blindness, failure to see (something), invisibility *Ágnoia: The state of not knowing or perceiving: ignorance, unawareness *Hḗsukhos: quiet, still, calm, gentle, moderate, (of persons) cautious, (of the voice) gentle *Hēsukházō: To be still or quiet, Be at rest *Hēsukhíā: (Of) Silence, Stillness, Quiet *Apokalúptō: To reveal. Leto is an ocular/prophetic goddess just like Apollon that speaks with a voice from above, working through light in effect, the implication is that she (like Apollon) has it tied to day for when they work as it's noted that Asteria and Hekate prophecy through/by/at night and from below. (Leto might double as a night-time goddess, but the connection to day is more solidified). Lykeiê: Of the wolves *Ameibousa: One that transforms, in the spirit of One who brings forth transitions Ethelímona: Willing (to answer those that pray to her) Dark-gowned (I really wish I was able to find a translation for this one) *Khrysôpis: With Golden eyes, With a golden face, Golden-faced Kyanopeplos: Dark-veiled, Cloaked Most Glorious Eukomos: Lovely-haired Kallisphyros: Beautiful/Trim/Neat-ankled Aidoios/Semnê Thea: August Goddess Khrysêlakatos: Of the Gold Spindle (Distaff) *Hêmerasia: She who soothes *Meilikhios: Gentle, Soothing *Phaesphoros: Light-bringer *Hilaeira: Softly-shining *Alektor: Rooster Polykleitos: Far-famed Xanthê: Blonde/Golden-Haired, Gold-tressed Phytie/Phystiê: Grafter Koiantis/Koiêis: daughter of Koios Koiogeneia/Koiogenês: born of Koios Lykios: patron goddess of Lykia Euteknos: Of Fair Children Gentlest in all Olympos *Pheraia: Of the Beasts *Agroterê: Of the Hunt, Huntress

*Most of these are ones I had to comb through literature to find, a couple of UPG names and ones I’ve found or created (as a reference) through other research

Further reading:

Some Cults of Greek Goddesses and Female Daemons of Oriental Origin by Butzon & Bercker

Theoi.com's Koios page for the information at the end

Mothers of the Sun - Myth and Legacy of the Minoan "Solar Mother" in Classical Greek Mythology

The Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, being an Essay of The Local History of Phrygia from the Earliest Times to the Turkish Conquest

[msweebyness]

MiracOlympus- Juleka

She is swift, she is fierce, and her arrow will always pierce! @imsparky2002 @booksrbetterthanpeople @nerdy-chocomallow

Juleka, Goddess of the Hunt and the Forest (aka Artemis)

Appearance/Attire: Waist-length black hair, tied in a high ponytail, dark maroon eyes with a ring of silver around pupils and flecks of dark green, faded scar over her left eye, moderate pale skin with scars on arms and legs, tall with a lean and athletic build. Silver circlet with obsidian tree branch details, silver wrist cuffs, violet thigh-length one shoulder chiton, clasped at the shoulder with obsidian brooch, silver leaves stitched along hem, brown leather belt, brown leather sandals. Black leather quiver over shoulder, always carries her silver bow.

Bio: A shy goddess who tends to prefer the company of creatures of the forest to other people, Juleka is never one to make a big show of herself. The guardian of the Earth’s forests and the life that dwells within, Juleka has a deep respect for and connection to nature. She never hunts more than she needs to and her arrows give whatever is hit by them a swift and painless death. Being the goddess of the hunt as well, her swiftness and skill with a bow are matched by very few, moving like a shadow through the dark trees. Revered as a guardian of women, she does not tolerate any form of abuse or mistreatment, and her temples are considered a safe place to go with a sacred aura of protection to boot. Despite her quiet and reserved nature, Juleka will fiercely defend those that she holds dear, such as her mother and her twin brother and best friend, Luka. And one might consider it a high honor indeed to be beloved by the goddess of love herself! While she may choose to keep to herself much of the time, there’s more to Juleka than meets the eye.

Fun Facts!

Most infants cry when they come out of the womb, but that wasn’t the case for Juleka. She got right to work looking out for her mother and her brother, by helping the former deliver the latter! This less-than-minutes-old baby helped her mother to deliver her twin. It’s for this reason she’s often seen as a guardian of mothers, and a protector of children. She also won’t hesitate to pull this out when Luka is getting a big head.

Juleka tries to be reasonable most of the time, but some things are just inexcusable. One night, while Juleka and her nymph companions were washing up in a spring, a mortal hunter named Actaeon happened to stumble upon them. And instead of averting his eyes and leaving…he decided to stay and watch. And when one of the nymphs spotted him… Long story short, Juleka turned the guy into a stag and he was chased down by his own hounds. When it comes to goddesses, don’t be a perv. Actually, just don’t period.

When two meathead giants called the Aloades decided to attack Olympus, the gods were kind of on panicking, because it was said by an oracle that the two brothers could only be felled by one another. And how were they supposed to get them to do that?! Thankfully, Juleka had a brilliant idea. Knowing the giants were proud hunters, she transformed herself into a prize deer, and sprinted between them. Taking the bait, the Aloades fired their bows and mortally wounded one another, ending the threat.

She’s on the hunt and looks great doing it! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

[ralibo14]

Why you ship Ray & Emma? (I'm also a rayemma shiper btw :3 )

There are numerous reasons why I ship them, some of those reason will might foolish / selfish but here we go. (Sorry this answer might be a little long😅)

First things first:

I would like to establish that this post isn't a hate crime against other TPN ships.

You like NorEmma? Wonderful! NorRay? Good! REN (aka: NorRayEmma)? Great! Or any other (reasonable) ship? Yay! Good for you!

Hop on buddies, this is an ocean cruiser with multiple floors and lots of spaces. Dear tpn community, y'all are welcome on board🥰.

Also... I only ship them under these terms:

-In canon: I age them up, because using their canon ages would be weird.

-Story set in Post-canon, in the Human World is okay.

-No 18+ scenes. Under no circumstances I'm willing to write/draw/read a scene like that. Kissing is fine though 🥰.

Now with that settled, I continue with...

Reasons why I ship RayEmma:

1) Their overall dynamic:

Ray sassing over every decision Emma made (for the sole purpose to improve her plan) in season 1 was so funny to me. I natural fond of sassy, book-smart characters so yeah. Emma bubbly, hopeful and naive (in season 1) personality completing Ray's so perfectly.

Then in the manga, they're like the ultimate power couple for me. Goldy Pond was Emma's time to shine as an individual and Ray was 100000% supportive and didn't get jealous of her successes.

In the King of Paradise Arc. Yes Ray kinda agrees with Norman to kill all demons but I think he just tried to act as the moderator between his two friends so their friendship doesn't receive a lethal blow. After the argument he seeks out where is Emma and reassures her that whatever she decides he will support her decision. (What is intimate if not that?)

Seven Walls is the RayEmma Arc of tpn and you can't change my mind about it 🤣. Was my favourite Arc when I first read it and it always will be. Surviving a bored Demon God mind plays and stepping into its realm together (while holding hand I might ad)

2) Day and Night allegations:

Even Shirai and Demizu brings up this allegation. They usually using it around either Mujika and Sonju or Emma and Ray. Which speaks volumes for me.

Search for Kvathidala Arc proves this when they go to the demon temples and stand under the painted ceiling.

3) They remind me of my favourite couple of my childhood Anne and Gilbert.

Anne from Green Gables was the book I read over and over in my childhood then I watched all the adaptations on either on my mom's (old) CDs or in the internet and they were a really big part of my early teens. Netflix's remake is good too but the book is the best.

Favourite scenes which screams RayEmma to me.

Where do I even start. The PARALLELS🤩

��🧡

Gilbert called Anne 'Carrot' so she hit him with a clay board (in book she brakes it on his head)

Then a few months later day are casually talking and dancing (denying their feelings if you ask me🤣)

Also I'm a sucker for couples where one of them has red/light hair and the other has black/dark hair.

4) Easy to relate. Easy to write:

When writing my tpn fanfic their interactions almost writes itself. Somehow it feels natural to me how they interact. Maybe it's just my overthinking, but I got pretty good in analysing how their scenes should go. No matter if it's a fight scene, trauma bonding, late night quarrelling over a book or just a casual heart-to-heart.

5) Silly reason:

My username's colour palette kinda matches their colours.

[monecabhava]

ARIES 2024 INSIGHT ( SIDEREAL ASTROLOGY)

2024 transits :

Saturn in Aquarius 11H aspecting Asc/5H/8H

Rahu in Pisces aspecting 8H/4H - Ketu Virgo in 6H

Jupiter in Aries Asc aspecting 5H/7H/9H until May/1

Jupiter in Taurus 2H aspecting 6H/8H/10H

*** u can use this prediction from moon/lagna/ mahadasa lord

_______________________________________

Aries starts the year fresh with direct Jupiter on lagna aspected by saturn in Aquarius 11H, since the start of Jupiter in aries this is the first time Aries will truly feel the blessings of Jupiter, jupiter here is in a friend sign so it's beneficial even tho it's aspceted by saturn. 2024 will starts with alot of good opportunities & beginnings with mars in sag/9H a good fortune & blessings are promised, the start will kick with a religious/spiritual drive, optimistic & open mindset, desire to learn a new language, do travels & explore foreign cultures/religios, meet foreigners, starts a new academic path/learn new courses, meet a new teacher/guide, visiting temples, an improvement in connections with father/guiding figure.

Until May jupiter will sit in asc & aspects 5/7/9H, with saturn aspecting 5H there's huge possibility to reconnect/meet with romantic interests with a strong karmic connection, people from the past comes back or a feeling of familiarity/ longing. Even tho the connection may happen & manifest we may feel trapped or there's a form of limitations within this connection, obstacles & hardships can come, slowness & yearning, fear & hesitation, all the hardships are how the karma move through the house aspect but with patience & commitment u will see the relationship to be a great teacher on the long term. interest in learning & knowledge increase extremely especially with things related to spirituality, metaphysics, religions, divination etc. Gaining a new teacher or increase in the number of teachers u have. U might have students too. To guide & be guided, teaching & learning comes together.

Possibility of pregnancy/problems related to pregnancy/fertility/children. Interest in traditional & old activities/skills, interacting with elderly/mature people more within the social circle. Feeling a strong sense of duty/ being more disciplined. Putting more efforts in research & growing interest in psychology, astrology & mysticism. Feeling of separation or isolation from groups & organization, possibility of leaving groups behind. Spiritual growth & evolution, new belongings & paths. You're being reborn with the eye of saturn on you so be careful with what path are you taking. Is this serving your karma & purpose? Are you walking in the right path for you ?

You are the center until May.

After May/1, jupiter will transit to Taurus, aries 2H will be aspecting 6H with ketu, 8H with saturn & 10H. Now Aries are more grounded in a way, your energy is manifesting materially. financial matters come to light, try to make a good saving system where losses are minimized, be careful with debts & obstacles related to career gains, financial discipline & budgeting will help alot this year, increase in saving & possessions, increase in eating might occur too for aries & with ketu in Virgo/6H make sure to develop healthy habits & mindset with food and be very careful so u won't fall into any kind of disorder (yk what I mean 💀), don't eat many sweets! Desire to spend more time with family, values & personal ethics here play an important role as jupiter want to be righteous yet Taurus has a material motivation in its approach so make sure to judge your ethics & beliefs in the right way free from illusion, material desires, lies. Here seeking security & safety becomes essential to aries, might desire to collect things so you can feel more secure so make sure to clean your business every once in a while. Be careful with your health, make habits that are health yet not very strict, keep yourself moving as always & stay moderate. Increase in reputation & fame. Be careful with substance use & make sure to stay conscious & focused, dream journaling & shadow work are recommended. Stay grounded & don't get too lost in the spiritual world. The other realms will be very active for u but make sure to exist in the NOW.

Song recommendation for u ✨️

May your year be full of blessings & fulfilling ❤️

[mathildeaquisexta]

When the Comte d'Hauterive organized a reconciliation lunch for Fouché and Talleyrand in 1809

For a long time, there had been disagreements, and sometimes heated quarrels, between M. de Talleyrand, made Prince of Benevento in 1806, and Fouché, Duc of Otranto, Minister of the General Police. M. de Talleyrand wished to get closer to the latter, and it seems that he set his eyes on Hauterive to engage him in conveying words of peace and reconciliation. An initial prayer became an almost tiresome insistence. [...] He accepted the mission but was determined to speak only the truth to both sides.

There was a luncheon held in Bagneux, in a country house that belonged to Hauterive, where the two characters consented to see each other. Two witty men such as Fouché and Talleyrand could not attack each other, recriminate, point out their respective wrongs, explain misunderstandings meticulously, shade malice and darkness. [...] In this singular congress of two minds that were considered to be among the most elevated in France after Napoleon, Hauterive was not afraid to speak up for each of his two guests, who were reluctant to start the conversation. Hauterive said to Fouché:

“ You have been in constant enmity with M. de Talleyrand, but what does he say about you? A joke that made people laugh: “A minister of police is a man who first interferes in what concerns him, and then in what does not concern him”, well! It's true: your ministry used to send ill-famed, indiscreet, parasitic, boastful agents to the diplomatic residences of Europe, who got in debt the day after their arrival, who at least wrote imprudently, whose letters were read by all the post offices, and who compromised the service. The ambassadors complained and had these dangerous men dismissed. At your home, where information was scarce, insulting reports were written about this situation, annoying the Emperor and failing to enlighten him. M. de Talleyrand abandoned you countries where there was no legislation. A man of great sense such as yourself should not send emissaries to torment honourable agents who serve the State with probity, politeness, moderation and skill.”

Hauterive said to Talleyrand: “[...] You sharpen the right word with grace, but the right word can sometimes be a spear. Napoleon once said to you: 'The Minister of Police is the Minister of my person'. Louis XIV didn't say that much. It's like tracing the lines of a temple around this ministry. M. Fouché policed the interior with great tact. He disapproved, as you say you did too, of the Spanish wars and the attacks on the Pope, and always served the Emperor better than the useless counter-police of the castle. He had the wisdom to be told by the Emperor himself, what that prince's agents were plotting against the authority of him, Fouché, and he was able to put himself on guard.”

Finally Hauterive, summing up in the manner of the kings of England, if one may so speak, what he had said to each of his interlocutors, began the part of the speech that could correspond to that of mylords and messieurs; he addressed at once the two men of head, of ability, of immense importance whom he had in front of him:

“You have both proved how much talent you possess for political administration, and for internal administration. You could only have been motivated to harm each other by fools who don't understand you. The Emperor is the first authority, but men like you have become so considerable that they must not show themselves disunited.”

M. de Talleyrand was the first to offer his hand. Fouché seized this hand, shook it, and peace was concluded. The interview ended with a discussion of the most important issues of interest for France, and reciprocal communications filled with finely-honed remarks and information on the character of the ministers who were fighting the Emperor on the outside. The peace was concluded, as I have said, on such solid foundations that in 1815, Talleyrand showed great reluctance to separate from Fouché, when the chambers proclaimed his indignity, and in 1819 Fouché, refugee in Prague, still spoke enthusiastically of Talleyrand and the services he had provided for the Restauration.

Source : Histoire de la vie et des travaux politiques du comte d'Hauterive: comprenant une partie des actes de la diplomatie française, depuis 1784 jusqu'en 1830, p.265-270

[tanely]

What’s really cool about C3 is that Matt is really introducing a commentary on institutionalized religion vs faith, Cult tactics and how it can mimic moderate views, And how those in high places of power will often use whatever they can to maintain it as a sense of control.

Bor’dor went under radar for so long because he was saying the same thing as Prism and Deni$e. He sounded like a person with moderate views! “aren’t you tired?” feels wrong to ask but even Prism goes “no one would blame you if you stopped”. Deni$e and her “they never did anything for me”

The belief that everyone should be allowed to worship what they want. This includes EVERYONE including those with complicated views on the current pantheon. but that with large religion comes power and those in the institution want to perserve their power.

Matt compounded it by having the dawnfather intervene on that one scenario (a limited experience across 3 campaigns), it made everyone go “wait so they CAN intervene they choose not to” when likely the intervention was cause a member of the cult was attacking his temple. But this allowed for even more “the gods don’t care” talk from the limited knowledge of PCs.

Picking the Dawnfather is also a great choice. He’s the most stoic/more straightforward of the pantheon and one of the most revered by the cast plus his involvement in the calamity. He has the greatest impact if he intervenes because it MEANS something.

The way Ludinous has twisted things into the idea that the gods should be intervening at EVERY whim and that they don’t so its a flaw. When in reality if they intervened it would be the removal of freedom of any kind. He doesn’t think the gods SHOULD intervene, he also doesn’t want others ‘free’. he wants control! as Ashton says “I don't know if that's the person I would like around if there's a vacuum”.

The reason for lack of Pro God PCs is because we already have two campaigns of Pro God PCs (or at the very least ok with them). The point was never about “are the gods good or bad” or “should the gods die or not”. The wrong questions keep getting asked.

The point is the person on the other side is willing to control, murder, manipulate, and straight up LIE to people in order to use them for their own means for their own reasons with no consideration to ANY collateral damage and to maintain control. And that’s the problem. This man has done everything to consolidate power. Would you trust that person to make the best decision for an entire world? 

[llamaqueenprompt]

Love in the Spotlight

Characters: Dylan O'Brien, Reader, Tyler Posey

Not Requested

Word Count: 702

Inspiration: “This sounds a lot like a marriage proposal.” “Maybe it is.”

Since they met five years prior on the set of Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien and y/n l/n had been inseparable. They were always together and when they weren’t, they were probably face timing or texting one another non-stop. So when their relationship evolved to a status of way more than friends no one was really shocked.

And this was their first Comic Con as an out in the world couple. 

“Are you nervous?” Dylan asked, his fingers gently running through her hair.

“A little,” she raised from his lap to meet his gaze, “You?”

“No more than my first time” they softly laughed,  taking their last couple of minutes to relax on the couch.

“Everyone get ready you’ll be on stage in 10”

Dylan stood up and extended his hand to y/n, “Ready?” She just grabbed his hand and they got ready to enter.

“An applause for y/n!” The fans clapped and whistled as she walked into the stage with the biggest smile on her face and waving at them. She got to her seat and Dylan pulled out her chair for her before settling into the one beside her. His hand remained on the back of her chair while they clapped for the rest of the cast to enter the stage and make their way to their seats.

“Well, by now most of you know the rules but I will repeat them just in case. Everyone will be able to ask a question, our team will let you know when it’s your turn. Be respectful to the actors and the other fans that are here with you. And most importantly of all, have a good experience,” everyone clapped as the moderator took their seat.

The panel started smoothly, with the cast answering questions about their time on Teen Wolf and sharing funny stories from the set. Dylan and y/n sat side by side, occasionally exchanging loving glances and smiles, making the fans go crazy and already think of the edits they would do later.

“Y/n,” the girl in question took her attention away from Dylan and looked at the fan with a soft smile, “what was the most memorable moment for you during your time on Teen Wolf!”

“Well,” she looked around thinking for her second, “there were so many incredible moments on set, just the opportunity of being on this show with all these amazing people is as memorable as it gets,” everyone chuckled waiting for her to continue, already guessing what she was going to say next, “but if I had to pick one, it would be the day I met Dylan. It was the start of a beautiful journey, not just in our careers but in our lives. That moment was truly special.”

Dylan, with his head leaning on his hand, looked at his girlfriend with heart eyes and reached out to softly kiss her on the temple to which she responded by grabbing his hand and closing her eyes for a moment. The fans in the audience cheered loudly at the sweet moment between the two actors.

As the Q&A session continued, another fan stepped up to the microphone and asked, “Dylan, can you tell us what your future plans are? Both in your career and personal life,”

“Great question first of all, I’ve had some incredibles experiences in my career, and I hope to continue working on projects that excite me and that mean something to me. But when it comes to my personal life,” Dylan paused for a moment, looking at Sophia with a twinkle in his eye, “I do hope to see a big flower arch in my near future.”

The fans started whispering after his response, “Does that mean what I think it means?” Tyler Posey asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes it does.” Dylan said with a goofy smile on his face and eyes glued to y/n’s surprise face totally ignoring the screams from the fans.

“This sounds a lot like a marriage proposal,” Sophia said with a hint of a smile on her face.

“Maybe it is,” Dylan whispered in her ear before kissing her forehead, “you will have to wait and see.”

[mask131]

The myth of Apollo (1)

Loose translation of the article “Antique Apollo: Shadow and Light” (Apollon Antique: Ombre et Lumière), from the “Dictionary of Literary Myths” under the direction of Pierre Brunel.

THE ANTIQUE APOLLO: SHADOW AND LIGHT

In her “Nouvelle Mythologie de la Jeunesse” (New Mythology for Youth), wrote for the French school students under the rule of Charles X, madame Tardieu-Denesle tells the story of how Jupiter charged Apollo with the mission of spreading light throughout the universe: as such, every morning the god climbs in the Sun Chariot to ride through the sky until night. These poor students were such misinformed and taught to confuse two very different gods: Apollo and Helios. But miss Tardieu-Denesle can be easily forgiven, because the confusion between the two deities has been existing since a very long time…

When we want to associate the name “Apollo” with ideas, we associate him with “light”, “harmony” or “balance (equilibrium)”. Apollo means to us the Athens of Pericles, the sunrays descending upon the Acropolis, the “sôphrosunè”, this wisdom made of moderation and whose principles had been engraved on the façade of the temple of Delphi. We usually oppose (and Nietzsche greatly helped reinforced this antithesis) Apollo’s serenity with the barbaric drunkenness of Dionysos. The idea of Apollo as a god of light and harmony existed as early as Antiquity, but it does not correspond to the original character of the god – a god which has a dark face, obscured in mysterious shadow… For Apollo is a disquieting and complex god of contrasts, solar and chthonian at the same time, a bearer of life and death.

I/ The problem of the origins

The hardships of understanding the origins and the personality of Apollo appear as early as the examination of his epithets. The god is said to be “Lukeios”, an adjective that the scholars have for a very long time tied to “lukè”, the light. This etymology fits very well the most famous nickname of Apollo, “Phoibos”, “the clear”, “the shining”, “the pure” – a name that is found as early as the first lines of Homer’s Iliad and Hesiod’s Theogony. This already paves the way for the assimilation by Apollo of Helios – a fusion that already appeared within a 7th-6th century BCE text known as “The Homeric Hymn to Apollo”: “It is there that appears the ship of Apollo, the Archer Lord, under the appearance of the celestial body that shines in bright day”. This assimilation will be later reaffirmed by Aeschylus’ “Bassarids” (Bassarae?) in the 5th century: Orpheus claims in the play that the Sun is also called Apollo. In a similar way, Aeschylus identifies within the “Xantriae” Selene, the Moon, to Artemis, the daughter of Leto and sister of Apollo.

And yet Apollo, “the light one”, is also called “Loxias”, “the skew one”, “the dark one”. According to an information within the “Etymologicum Magnum” (642), this name can be explained by the character of Loxô, a daughter of Boreas that raised the young god. Let us admit this, and let us admit that the oracles of Delphi were in truth very clear: writers, nonetheless, were more concerned with dramatic effect than reality, and as such they started spreading the idea that Apollo always expressed himself in an ambiguous way, forcing mankind to interpret his predictions, with a risk of misunderstanding them and causing disasters. Aeschylus wrote in his “Agememnon”: “Yet I speak the language of Greece. Loxias does too: yet his oracles are obscure.”

Herodotus shared numerous stories about the misfortunes of mistaken humans, such as Cresus who was unable to understand that the great empire he wanted to destroy was his own and that the “mule” he had to fear was Cyrus, son of a Mede and a Persian.

The obscurity of Apollo is also found back within his ambiguous relationships to the chthonian world. He is the killer of a female dragon (drakaina) that guarded the very ancient oracle of Gaia the Earth at Delphi (according to the “Homeric Hymn to Apollo”). A famous statue depicted him as a “sauroctonus”, a “lizard killer”. He is also “Smintheus”, the “destroyer of rats” according to “Iliad”. But at Epidaurus, within the temple of his son Asklepios (whose symbolic animal was the mole, another chthonian beast), snakes crawled among those who practiced the incubation ritual. A snake also wrapped itself around the staff of the physician-god, a deity who himself sometimes appeared as a snake (Pausanias, II, 10, 3). Another son of Apollo appeared sometimes as a snake: Trophonios, who had his own underground oracle at Lebadeia. As for Apollo “killer of rats”, he might have originally been a healing rat-god: it is implied by the numerous analogies between the Greek Apollo and the Hindu Rudra (the motifs of the bow, the disease, the mole, the rat, poetry and obliquity).

As such, translating “Lukeios” by “luminescent” feels incomplete, unsatisfying. The Ancients had proposed themselves another explanation. Apollo Lukeios might have meant “killer of wolves” (lukos). “And you, god that destroys the wolves, destroy the army of our enemies” (Aeschylus’ The Seven Against Thebes), “Here is the Lycian Square, dedicated to the god killer of wolves” (Sophocles’ “Electra”). This depiction of the god is not absurd, because there are many links between Apollo and the wolf. According to Pausanias, Danaos obtained the kingship of Argos because the god sent a wolf attack a flock, and the new king had a sanctuary built for Apollo Lukios. In the same city, it was known that wolves were offered in sacrifice to Apollo. The Lyceum of Athens, dedicated to Apollo, was, also according to Pausanias, named as such in homage to a hero named “Lukos”. On coins, Apollo was sometimes associated with wolves. Apollo was a master of wild beasts, like his sister Artemis. Destroyer of wolves, protector of wolves, or maybe himself a wolf, as once was Zeus Lukaios? Indeed, according to Servius, it was under the shape of a wolf that Apollo managed to get close to the nymph Cyrene… But it might be an abuse of the theriomorphism explanation, with a risk to derive into a polytheriomorphism: after all, what can prevent us to turn the Apollo of Delphi into an ancient dolphin-god, since Apollo supposedly jumped over a Cretan ship under the shape of a dolphin (Homeric Hymn of Apollo).

There is a third explanation of the epiclesis Lukeios, which is probably the most convincing of the three. Apollo is supposed to come from Lycia, a land of Asia Minor. It is why he was called Lukégenès, “Born in Lycia”. However, it is true that “Lukegenes” is sometimes translated as “born of the wolf” – according to Aristotle’s “History of Animals” Leto, to escape Hera’s jealousy, turned herself into a she-wolf. But it is also true that this version of Apollo’s birth does not correspond to the one claiming his birthland was Delos. Antoninus Liberalis, in his “Metamorphosis”, to reconcile what seemed like contradicting stories, decided to make Delos the place where Apollo was born, and Lycia the place where Apollo went immediately afterward – even adding that Lycia was named as such by Leto because wolves showed her the way. Let us note anyway that there are many sanctuaries of Apollo within Asia Minor ; that his sister Artemis is also strongly tied to Asia Minor ; that in the “Iliad” the god fights alongside the Trojans, not the Achaean ; finally, that the palm-tree of Delos under which Leto gave birth (Homeric Hymn) is an Oriental tree…

The many interpretations of the word “Lukeios” do not exhaust the many hypothesis conceived about the origin of Apollo. For some he is an Indo-European god, close to the Hindu god Rudra. Others also claim that he is Indo-European, but rather say he comes from the North, highlighting his link to the Hyperborean. These same people like to point out that the first Greeks were nomad shepherds, and that the word “apella” (“assembly/gathering of the people”, but also “sheepfold” according to Hesychius) is very close to “Apellôn”, the name of Apollo according to the Dorians. The myth comes here to the rescue of the etymology: Apollo himself owned many different flocks, and acted as a shepherd for both Laomedon and Admetus. Dumézil analyzed all three functions typical of Indo-European societies within the speech Apollo addresses to the goddesses in the Homeric Hymn: the first (magico-religious sovereignty) appears within his allusion to the oracles, and to the lyre that is tied to the songs and dances of cultural celebrations ; the second (war) appears with the mention of the shooting bow ; the third (wealth, fecundity) appears in the gold that covers Delos, as a promise of a future prosperity.

For other scholars, the name of Apollo was originally “Pelun” – the god was as such the mythical ancestors of the Pelasgian. Finally, the “Homeric Hymn” itself gives us another path: the one leading to the Aegean world, especially Crete. Apollo of Delphi entrusted his Delphi temple to the guardianship of Cretan men from Knossos. And according to Pausanias, it is a Cretan that purified both Apollo and Artemis after the murder of the dragon – and it is a Cretan too that won the first victory at the Pythian Games.

As Robbe-Grillet wrote, the successive interpretations, by being piled up onto each other, erase each other. We can only conclude that Apollo does not have a singular origin, but that his historical personality is an amalgamation of gods coming from various countries – a succession of strata. The other epithets of the god unfortunately do not enlighten us. Apollo is called “Puthios”, but is it because he allowed the corpse of the dragon to “rot” (puthein), according to the Homeric Hymn ; or is it because, as an oracular god, he “informs” (puthestai) those that ask him questions (according to Strabon). Are the names “Paian”, “Paièôn” and “Paiôn” related to healing (the most traditional reading) or to a victory song?

[storytowrite]

Love Untold (OT8 x F! Reader)

Chapter 10

Paring: Lee Felix x reader

Genre: smut

Warnings: 18+, fingering, sex in public, nudity

Word Count: 4282

Masterlist | Love Untold Masterlist

Due to the work of your parents, you are forcet to constantly move. However, this time moving houses let to interesting and unusual events. You met 8 handsome boys at school and somehow you managed to move in with them. How will your fate go?

.......................................................................................................................

In the morning you woke up to the sound of your alarm clock, which was probably the worst thing that could happen at that moment. You pulled a pillow over your head to shield yourself from the sun's rays entering your room. Your head felt heavy, like it was made of lead.

But I had a strange dream. All the boys and I were in the same house… Plus the whole Han thing. You thought as you tried to get out of bed without opening your eyes.

With great difficulty you got up and wanted to go to the bathroom, which was in your original room. Unable to blindly feel the doorknob, you opened your eyes. There was nothing in front of you but a white blank wall.

Still a little confused, you looked around the room. That's when you realized you weren't in your original room.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You started to panic as second by second it dawned on you that you were at Minho's house and had moved in with all the boys you fancied.

You sat on your bed, trying to remember what exactly happened that night. The thundering headache didn't make it any easier. You curled up, rubbing your temples. Pulling the T-shirt over your legs, you realized it was Chan's T-shirt.

Your eyes widened automatically and your breathing quickened. You stiffened as if you'd seen a ghost, and the memories of last night came flooding back to you.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Chan, Hyunjin…Fuck! Me and Han… God what will they all think of me when they see me again? I fucked up the whole thing… Although they may not remember what happened yesterday, I can start over…” You were talking to yourself, almost tearing your hair out from the stress.

However, when you remembered what exactly happened with Han in the closet, you couldn't help but bite your lip lightly. Memories of this short but intoxicating moment made a pleasant feeling of warmth appear between your legs again.

Unable to take the tension building up inside you any longer, you stood up and put on a short skirt and a plain white shirt. You left the room as if nothing had happened. As soon as you crossed the threshold, you heard a commotion coming from the living room. It only confirmed to you that what happened last night wasn't a dream.

Entering the living room, the first thing that caught your attention was the beautiful and very intense smell of homemade broth. At that moment, you wanted nothing more than a good hangover soup.

Only after a while did you realize that there are 5 half-naked men in the living room. The boys didn't pay any attention to you at first, but only when you got closer did you feel a warm but firm hug.

“Good morning sweetie.” You heard Felix's low but melodic voice behind you.

This caused Minho, Chan, Han, Changbin and IN who were sitting on the couch to notice you. A smile appeared on their lips. Even Minho gave you a genuine smile. I think it's the first time you saw Minho smiling at you. The boy was a mystery to you. He was mean to you, but he also cared about you. Besides, he reminded you of someone, you just couldn't remember who.

Felix had no intention of letting go of you, in fact he pulled you closer to him and buried his face in the crook of your neck. Chan and Bin got up to greet you. You saw the beautifully sculpted bodies of the boys.

You quickly covered your eyes in embarrassment, a bright blush appearing on your cheeks.

“Why don't you get dressed?!” You spoke a little louder than you intended, but you had moderate control of your voice, which was very unstable and shaky.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of y/n. What happens between us stays between us.” Hyunjin said entering the room and revealing your eyes. "And I can assure you that each of us likes you very much and has no intention of hurting you." You just looked meaningfully at Minho, who was already busy with his phone.

“Come on Y/n, sit with us. I made a special broth. Good for a hangover." Seungmin greeted you with a smile as he brought in a large pot of soup.

As if on cue, everyone went to the table and before you knew it, almost all the soup was gone. Still stunned by the sight, you sat next to Han, who placed a juicy kiss on your cheek.

Your eyes got big, but your expression changed quickly and you smiled widely at Han. After all, you had nothing to lie to yourself, you felt something more for him. In fact, you had feelings for each of the boys, but you still didn't know how to approach it. After all, it's not common to fall in love with so many guys at once.

Seeing that the boys had almost eaten their portions, you started eating as well. The soup was a relief for your headache. It was exactly what you needed right now. Judging by the expressions of the others, they needed it too.

“We decided with the boys that we are not going to school today. The party took its toll. Are you signing this?" IN asked greedily, swallowing another spoonful of broth.

You didn't even have to think about it to agree. Despite the good meal, your head was still throbbing and you’re not feeling well. You decided that this would be the perfect day to get to know the guys better without the help of alcohol. See the house, because in fact, apart from the living room, kitchen, dining room, your bedroom and bathroom, you didn't know anything.

After the meal, when everyone went to their rooms, you stayed to do the washing up, because that's what Minho ordered you to do. You took your and Han's bowl and carried them into the kitchen. You thought it was going to be a long cleaning, but after a while Minho appeared in the kitchen with all the bowls from the table.

“Thanks Minho.” You were surprised when he placed the dirty dishes next to you. “You can be nice.” You smiled sweetly at the boy, who obviously got confused and quickly went to himself.

You quickly washed the dishes and threw yourself on the couch exhausted. strands of hair stuck to your wet forehead. you feel way too hot, so taking advantage of the fact that none of the guys were around, you undid the three buttons of your shirt, exposing your breasts.

You closed your eyes and finally could relax with the soft chirping of birds coming from outside the window. Your new house, apart from being big, was in a lovely neighborhood. Surrounded by a lot of greenery and a beautiful park where you were going to take a walk soon.

“Y/n…y/n…” You heard Chan's familiar warm voice approaching you. You got up from the couch and walked over to the already dressed boy. “I figured you didn't really know the house very well, so I decided to show you around just to make you feel confident.”

“Oh great, you have no idea how much easier this will make it for me. At least I won't be afraid to go into some forbidden room or something." You tried to make a joke, but your statement was met with Chan's awkward laugh. Embarrassed, you looked down, staring at the floor.

He gently lifted your chin so that you looked him straight in the eye. You saw no embarrassment in them, only tenderness. Chan's mere presence made you feel safe.

Still staring deep into his eyes, you felt him intertwine your fingers together. Your eyes flicked to your hand and then back to him. You didn't know what to look at and you looked like an idiot looking at Chan's hand and then at Chan's face.

The boy, however, was calm and had no intention of letting go of your hand.

"Let's go." After that, he lightly pulled you with him, starting the tour of the house.

It didn't take long and you knew that downstairs, apart from the kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room, there are rooms for chan, in, han and Minho, where it's better not to enter without knocking on the last two. The upper floor also has a bathroom and rooms for bin, seungmin, hyunjin, and lix. however, the thing that surprised you the most was the huge male zone. There was everything you could imagine: a mini bar, billiards, slot machines, karaoke, sauna, gym, and even a sizable swimming pool that made you tense, but chan assured you that you wouldn't even have to go there .

“Y/n not that i'm complaining, but you could button up your shirt. I can't concentrate…” Chan said as he walked you to your room after a little trip. you saw that the boy was fighting with himself not to look directly at your breasts.

Embarrassed, you quickly turned around, almost hitting your head against the door, but the boy managed to put his hand under your head. you closed your eyes in embarrassment and quickly fastened the buttons blindly.

Barely constructing sentences, you thanked for the tour and disappeared through the door of your room. you didn't have to look in the mirror to know what color your face had turned.

Even though every one of these guys had seen you in a bra, you were still ashamed. You wanted to fall on the desk but realized that it was not in this room. So you took out your phone and called Sebastian to take you shopping. If you were going to live here, the room had to look the way you wanted it, and for that you needed new furniture.

You got up, grabbed everything you needed, and headed out the door.

“Oh y/n are you going out somewhere?” Felix's low voice stopped you. The boy was sitting in the living room, scrolling through tiktoks. Even though you haven't known him for a long time, you already noticed that it was his style.

“I'm going shopping. I must buy some furniture in the room if I'm going to be staying here for a while." You smiled as you reached for your jacket that was hanging in the closet.

“I will go with you.” It knocked you completely off track. you looked over at the boy who was getting up from the couch a bit clumsy, almost falling off it. "Give me 2 minutes and I'll be ready." Then he quickly went to his room.

You didn't have to wait long for him. Apparently tired and out of breath, the boy appeared like a torpedo next to you. He opened the door for you and you made your way to the car that was already waiting for you.

Sebastian greeted you with a very professional bow as usual, but you knew he was glad to see you. you were glad to see him too. After all, it was the first time you didn't see him for more than one night.

The man's gaze, however, quickly turned to felix. The butler was slightly suspicious and looked at you questioningly with a raised eyebrow.

"Sebastian, this is felix. Felix, this is Sebastian, the only person who actually treated me like a person in the house." you introduced the two.

You thought that any meeting of Sebastian with the boys would be very awkward, but Lix immediately charmed the man with his persona. As you could see, you weren't the only one affected by the aura that Felix spread around him.

Sebastian was about to open the door for you to get in the car, but Felix was faster.

As you all sat in the car, Felix moved closer to you. your faces were millimeters apart. Finally, you could take a good look at the beautiful freckles that were scattered on the boy's face.

Your body tensed and you dug your fingers into the leather seat. the boy looked at you. You felt the tension building up between the two of you.

There was something about this boy that you were very attracted to. As soon as you saw that the boy licked his lips, you closed your eyes desperately waiting for the longed-for kiss.

You wanted to taste his sweet looking lips. feel his warmth enveloping you again. You felt like someone poured huge amounts of happiness into you.

You pouted your lips slightly for a kiss, but all you found was the click of a seatbelt. you opened your eyes quickly and saw a boy sitting in your seat. There was a perfidious smile on his face. He knew what he had just done and was proud of it.

Shopping in the store passed you quite quickly, because you knew exactly what you needed. You spent a lot of money but you didn't care at all. You'd spend all the money in the world to not have to live under the same roof with your parents.

On the way back from the store, you had a huge craving for ice cream, so you begged Felix to come with you. Sebastian decided that he would stay and somehow pack all the furniture into the car.

You and Lix ordered your favorite ice cream. You were happy like a little child, jumping and eating delicious sweets. You both finished your ice cream before you left the gallery.

You were about to leave when you noticed Felix staring at you. His gaze was on your lips. The idea came to your mind again and you wanted to kiss him. the boy, not taking his eyes off your lips, slowly approached you and reached his hand towards your face.

The feeling of knot in your lower abdomen returned and you found yourself holding your breath, eagerly waiting for the longed-for contact.

When you were only one step away, he reached for your lips and rubbed them with his thumb. Then he looked you deep in the eyes and licked his finger passionately. Such a small gesture, and you had the impression that it set you on fire. You started to unknowingly move your legs.

The boy just laughed, winked at you and went to leave. You stayed like that for a while, trying to calm your emotions. On the one hand, you wanted Felix. You could cuddle with him here and now, but on the other hand, you weren't sure what to do.

After all, you and Han yesterday… What if one of the boys finds out about each other? Will they hate each other? Or will they hate you worse? You'll be kicked out of the house and you'll lose your best friend. Lots of thoughts were running through your head until you were snapped out of your thoughts by the boy's voice.

You quickly ran to him and saw that there was a huge downpour outside. It was completely unexpected and neither of you had an umbrella and the car was at the far end of the parking lot.

You just looked at Lix, grabbed his hand, and without any warning, ran out into the parking lot. You ran together hand in hand as the raindrops danced around you. Deep down, you felt like you were in a movie. Even though you were wet, you were very happy.

After a while you got to the car. The boy opened the door for you and was about to go to his place when it turned out that it was occupied by newly bought furniture. He asked you to move to the middle and sit next to you.

Sebastian, seeing the two of you, handed you a blanket that he always carried in the car, because he knew that you often slept in it. Felix covered the two of you with it and you headed back home.

The journey was going to be very long, because the heavy downpour caused huge difficulties on the street.

You were wrapped in a blanket and your clothes were wet. You felt very cold and started to shiver all over. Suddenly you felt Felix's warm hand on your thigh. You looked at him in surprise, but he didn't take his eyes off the road. He kept staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened.

You glanced at Sebastian out of the corner of your eye to see if he'd noticed anything, but the man seemed unfazed by the situation. All his attention was focused on the road.

Felix began to move his hand slowly, his fingertips gently brushing your skin, which made you hold your breath. You tried your hardest not to show how much you enjoyed such a delicate matter. Your excitement was stimulated by cold drops of water running down your breasts.

Lix's hand was still moving very calmly, but it was getting closer and closer to your crotch. With each passing second, the boy's movements became more and more daring. The gentle stroking moved to the inner part of the thigh. Which caused a soft moan to escape your lips. You bit your finger quickly, trying to hide any sounds that might escape your mouth.

“I'll make you feel like you're in heaven. Just be quiet, unless you want Sebastian to catch us. Can you do this for me, sunshine?" He whispered in your ear, covering himself with his hand and biting your earlobe.

The sudden contact of his lips with your body caused you to involuntarily throw your head back slightly. You quickly regained your composure, however, and looked at Sebastian, who still didn't suspect anything.

Felix gently spread your legs apart for better access to you. The feeling of warmth between your legs intensified. You felt a desperate need to satisfy yourself. However, the boy had other plans. He was in no hurry and did everything very slowly. He continued to massage your thigh, only occasionally grazing your pussy.

Lix was obviously pleased that you were wearing a skirt, as he had very easy access to you. As soon as you felt the boy's hand land on your panties, you dug your nails harder into the leather seat so as not to make a sound.

“Is everything alright, miss? Miss is all red. Is Miss feeling unwell?" You heard Sebastian's voice and quickly tensed like a bowstring. The boy's hand landed right next to your hole, and the only thing separating his hand from your entrance was the thin fabric of your panties.

“No…I'm fine. It's….It's because of the rain. I'll have to lie down when I get back." You've managed to get it out.

Sebastian only nodded knowingly, and Felix pulled the blanket over you with one hand. Then he started teasing your entrance through your panties. Even then he sensed that you were very wet and smiled victoriously, then went back to looking out the window.

He continued this action for a moment longer, then one finger began to hook on the bottom line of your panties. You bit your lip lightly as his finger slid deeper.

Nothing separated his fingers from your sensitive skin already. He immediately slid his hand into your panties and started rubbing circles around your clit with his thumb. You immediately squeezed your thighs together. Your pussy was definitely more sensitive than you expected. You tried to control the growing throbbing feeling in your core.

The boy, feeling your reaction, pulled his hand out of your panties, which was met with a quiet grunt of dissatisfaction on your part. However, the boy cleverly used the situation when Sebastian was looking out the window to lick his fingers.

The boy tasted you, lust in his eyes, wetting his fingers thoroughly. Then he quickly moved back under the blanket and put his hands in your panties again. You enjoyed the extra hydration even more.

You really had to fight yourself as his fingers dug into your folds, sliding along your pussy. You felt like you were about to go crazy and start riding his hand, but it was too risky.

You just looked desperately at him. The boy was obviously engrossed in playing with you. You saw his chest heave up at an accelerated rate as well. Finally, the boy decided to take pity on you and slowly slid down deeper, stopping right at your entrance.

You gasped as his finger pressed lightly against your hole. The knot in your stomach was getting tighter and tighter, and you wanted to finally feel it inside you. Probably, if it wasn't for the fact that you're stuck in a traffic jam and the car is driven by Sebastian, you would have jumped on Lix a long time ago.

As if on cue, the boy slipped one finger into your wet, demanding caress hole. A muffled moan escaped your lips, and you no longer stuck your hand into the leather seat, but into the boy's thigh.

When you didn't feel that the boy wasn't moving his finger for a long time, you desperately started to move your hips yourself. You pulled your knees up higher, placing them on the seat so that Sebastian wouldn't notice your movements. You were glad the blanket was so big because you didn't have to worry about it discovering anything.

Suddenly, you heard a soft, victorious snort next to you. Only then did you realize that by changing your position, you gave Felix perfect access to you. He began to move his finger, bending it slightly, teasing your insides pleasantly.

You threw your head back and unconsciously began to move your hand over the boy's thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. You felt that you were slowly approaching the limits of your endurance.

The boy added a second finger and started scissoring you. You knew it was your end. The remnants of common sense had evaporated, replaced by lust. You quickened your hips to match Felix's movements.

You felt that you were about to climax, and your walls began to gently tighten on the boy's fingers. Felix sped up and deepened his movements perfectly hitting your sweet spot.

After a few perfectly placed strikes, your legs clenched and your fingers dug hard into the boy's thigh. You held your breath to minimize the visibility of your orgasm. You bit your lip painfully to make sure you didn't make any sound that wanted to leave your mouth so badly.

“Fuck.” You heard Felix's soft voice, but you didn't pay much attention to it as a pleasant wave of warmth and fulfillment went through your body. Your orgasm was long and intense. And from holding your breath you felt dizzy.

When the boy noticed that you had already finished orgasm, he unnoticed took his hand out from under the blanket and licked his fingers again. This time he could actually taste you. Without taking his eyes off you, he licked your juices off his fingers and leaned down to you.

"You did well, sunshine." He whispered, but he didn't have time to do anything else, because you stopped in front of the house.

You don't know when the time has passed so quickly. Sebastian was the first to get out of the car and opened the trunk. Felix got out right after him and offered you his hand to help you out. Your legs were soft and shaky and you were glad that Lix helped you because you would have fallen for sure.

Standing in front of the car, you wanted to help Sebastian move the furniture, but you noticed that Felix did not move and covered his crotch. It wasn't until you got closer to him that you realized what had happened. You must have had as much of an effect on him as he did on you. You told Felix to go home and call the rest of the guys.

He placed a small kiss on your lips and disappeared out the door. You froze in place. Lix didn't seem to realize what he had just done. You gently brushed your lips where Lix's had been resting for a moment.

However, you couldn't think about it for long, because like a horde all the boys appeared from the house. Everyone with a smile on their face greeted Sebastian, who was looking at you questioningly, and they took the furniture home.

Once everything was unpacked, you thanked and said goodbye to Sebastian who, not wanting to be nosy, didn't ask anything and drove back home.

Of course, it was only when you crossed the threshold of the house that the rest of the boys started teasing you.

“What happened on this trip? It's raining and you're wet I can understand, but why did Felix have wet pants in this particular place?" Minho started teasing you.

Your face blushed again and you would like to sink into the ground.

“I guess you have to go shopping with us more often, how fun is it then?” Changbin answered him, grabbing and nudging the already disguised Felix with his elbow.

You got very flustered and tried to explain the whole situation but the boys weren't listening anymore, they were too excited and all their attention was focused on Lixie. You sneaked into your room unnoticed.

Your whole room was cluttered with unassembled furniture, but you didn't have the mind to deal with that right now. You threw yourself on the bed, not wanting to get up anytime soon. You’ll ask the boys to assemble the furniture tomorrow.

<;- PART 9 | PART 11 ->

TAGLIST

@nobody3210

[jasper-tarot-reader]

Neopets/Skyrim Tarot: XIV. Temperance

See, originally, I was just memeing on Sotha Sil being in the Skyrim deck but I didn't think much of it until I started going through all the cards and realizing just how many of them were strange choices. When I took a better look at some of the other choices for some of the cards, I realized that I wanted to make this comparison series.

Anyway, Temperance is typically depicted as an angel and is a card embodying things like balance, moderation, stability, and a middle ground. But...neither of these characters can really be accused of that?

(Gods, look at that Genshin White from back in the day...twenty years later will do wonders for a proper complexion for our girl.)

Jhudiah is the Island Faerie of Mystery Island. She's in charge of her Cooking Pot and the Trading Post (apparently, she has an exclusive deal with a company called PD Secure Storage to keep it secure). She's also one of the five guardians of Mystery Island. She also adores Hasees but gets in over her head with babysitting them.

Considering how often things you put into the Cooking Pot explode (or at least, how often I remembered them exploding), Jhudiah as Temperance is a fascinating choice. I suppose if you have access to modern JellyNeo and don't have to figure things out alone, it's far less stressful than it was for Baby Jasper back in the day.

Sotha Sil, also known as Seht and Si (as in AlmSiVi), was the wizard-mystic god with a whole slew of other titles, patronage of artificers and wizards, architect of the Clockwork City, the architect of time, and a binder of Oblivion. Those that followed the faith of the Tribunal Temple knew him for his power as well as the knowledge he provided, and for his contribution to helping the former Chimer transition into their Dunmer identity. (Yes, I did take that sentence wholeass from the UESP, they explained it best.) Simply put, he did a lot of shit, including that one mpreg situation where Sotha Sil retroactively constructed and birthed Mnemo-Li (or Memory), before he ultimately died at the hands of Almalexia after she started going crazy when they began losing their godhood thanks to that whole Heart of Lorkhan debacle.

(Vivec is image left, Almalexia is center, and Sotha Sil with baby Mnemo-Li is image right.)

From what I can tell of the guidebook, Sotha Sil was put in here because his dedication to artifice and ability to make prosthetics and metal replacements for body parts "balances" the flesh with the machine (the Phyrexians under Elesh Norn would fucking hate that approach, lmao). But like...why the fuck is he here??? In the Skyrim Tarot??? When I bitched about this with a friend in December 2022, she recommended Zenithar for Temperance over Sotha Sil because that fit better.

But let's see here. Within Skyrim, who embodies stability, a middle ground, and neutrality? How about Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun? If you never get involved in Skyrim's civil war, he remains neutral. But since the author of this deck seems to have taken the Stormcloak side, that doesn't fit the internal canon of this deck. If not him, then how about another court wizard? We've already got Farengar, and Wuunferth the Unliving is elsewhere in this deck. They're the only members of a court who don't relocate if their Hold is taken in different sides of Skyrim's civil war. Sybille Stentor, Madena, Calcelmo, and Wylandriah are all options, but of them, I would recommend Madena (a veteran of the Great War who has taken to a life of healing and semi-pacifism-unless-attacked) or Sybille (who outright says that she doesn't care about Elisif and believes that Elisif will be replaced as Jarl in a matter of months).

On the bright side, at least I am now not the only person cursed to know about the Sotha Sil canon mpreg.

[journeytothewestresearch]

Hey I was wondering if you have any knowledge regarding Money king temple in Hong Kong? And if there's anything to be aware of like etiquette and the such. Thanks very much!

Hi. The temple you are referring to is in Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong District, Kowloon, Hong Kong. My suggestion is to dress moderately and to ask permission to take pictures. And leaving a donation is always a must.

My single visit there in 2018 was a big occasion because my friend Saie (Hanumovies), a dark-skinned British man of Sri Lakan Tamil descent, drew a lot of attention for praying to the Monkey King. Many people wanted to take pictures of and with him.

Saie believes Hanuman and the Great Sage are manifestations of a universal Monkey God. Check out this episode of his documentary:

This picture of us was taken just down the hill from the temple at a local basketball court. It was during the Monkey King's birthday celebration.

P.s. My gut is an illusion ... it's not there if you don't look at it. I've lost lots of weight since then.

[talonabraxas]

Talon Abraxas

Planet Venus: Astrology, Associations & Magick

”To her who appears in the sky, I want to address my greeting, to the hierodule who appears in the sky, I want to address my greeting, to the great queen of heaven, Inanna, I want to address my greeting, to her who fills the sky with her pure blaze, to the luminous one, to Inanna, as bright as the sun, to the great queen of heaven.”

Planetary Energies

Venus is associated with love, passion, beauty, grace, charm, aesthetics and also our personal tastes, pleasures, artistic inclinations and those things that bring us joy and pleasure. It is looked at in the natal chart regarding both relationships and leisure activities.

As Venus is often the first light that appears in the evening sky, it is often referred to as the “wishing star”.

Symbols and Associations

The astrological and astronomical symbol for Venus is a circle with a cross below, similar to an ankh but the circle is more rounded. It is also the symbol for female.

Venus is associated with the feminine in opposition, or cooperation, with Mars.

In medicine, Venus is associated with the lumbar region, the veins, parathyroids, throat and kidneys. Venus was thought to be moderately warm and moist, and was associated with the phlegmatic humour.

Venus is the planet of Friday. In languages deriving from Latin, such as Spanish and French, the word for Friday often resembles the word Venus (viernes and vendredi respectively). Dante Alighieri associated Venus with the liberal art of rhetoric.

Animals associated with Venus include the goat, elephant, partridge, sheep, pheasant, sparrow, dove, pigeon and swan.

Friday is Venus’s day.

'Temple of Inanna' Talon Abraxas

[jadagul]

Finished Final Fantasy XIII tonight. (Might go back and do some of the hunts etc. postgame, but I'm Officially Done.)

I liked it but was kind of disappointed. I'd rank it above XII and also I think above X-2, but definitely below 5,6,7, 9, 10. (I hated VIII, unfortunately.)

Interestingly, my core complaint is the exact opposite of my complaints about FFXII. The core story was quite good! There were six characters, they all made sense as characters, the main story was tight and compelling and all the beats basically landed. (Except I have a specific complaint about the ending below the cut.)

But there was essentially no side content, at all. They imagined this big world but you never get to see any of it. Presumably because developing all that out would be extremely expensive, but Watsonianly because you're all fugitives on the run and so need to hide from people.

But it makes all the environments feel incredibly artificial. All of them are straight-line paths that never take you past anything you could interact with. There's less side questing than any game since at least four, and I think fewer side conversations with NPCs since the Famicom and possibly since ever. Everything feels so thin.

Compare this with, say, FFX, which my girlfriend is playing through right now. There's so much thought put into how the environments would work. Obviously they're somewhat artificial, but all the temples have side rooms whose only real purpose is to look like the sort of rooms that the temple would have to have. Lots of characters you can chat with who say the sorts of things people in the world would say. The story in FFX is just as linear as the story in XIII, and the dungeons are honestly about as linear too. But the world feels real because you can poke around and talk to people.

And the combat system in XIII is moderately cool but at some point started just feeling long. I did mostly the same thing in every battle but they all took like two minutes, which made stuff toward the end feel like a slog. There was a window in like Chapter 11 where everything felt great, but then it slowed down again. Combined with the shit-to-nonexistent fast travel system, it makes messing around feel really unrewarding.

Specific spoilery ending complaint below the cut:

One thing I didn't like about this story is that it falls really, really hard for a classic JRPG problem: you spend the entire story advancing the villain's plot.

I commented before that I appreciated some of the lampshade they hung on this. But they never really moved past it: you're just following Barthandelus's plan the entire time, until literally partway through the final boss.

And that means that none of your fights are actually accomplishing anything, and that makes everything feel empty. This happens every time you face Barthandelus. The first two times, you fight him (in fairly challenging fights), then when you beat him he monologues at you, gives you a thing, and fucks off. Literally nothing in the story would change if you just skipped the fight sequence entirely—it's not even a "Ah, I see you are stronger than I thought, but I will return". The narrative doesn't acknowledge the fight at all!

And this builds up to the ending. You fight a two-phase boss fight, and in the second phase I spent the entire time going "wait, wasn't the whole point to avoid killing the dude we are currently killing?" And then you win, and you get an extended cutscene full of good character beats. But (1) you have no agency in these beats, and (2) they're basically unrelated to the fights you just had.

And then you get a third phase boss fight, and when you win you get a shorter cutscene with a couple more good character beats. But again, these beats are unrelated to your ability to win any fights. The story would be exactly the same if the fights just didn't happen at all.

And like, the story is still good! But it is the story for a game and it makes the game part feel super anticlimactic, with none of your actual gameplay events mattering. Was just kind of a letdown!