#The Sacraments of Initiation:

[paularoseauthor]

Embarking on a Sacred Journey: What is the Catholic RCIA Course all About?

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) stands as a sacred and transformative journey within the Catholic Church, welcoming individuals into the rich tapestry of Catholicism. It is offered worldwide so you can journey with other enquirers.  I have just started this course online and am excited about exploring the Catholic Church. I have completed the first lesson and have experienced…

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

mdzs tumblr post au but it’s just “what were you doing at the devil’s sacrament” (nightless city)

[catholic-saint-tournament]

While we wait for our final four to come down to the last two, here's another fun poll! Choose your favorite sacrament.

If you don't know what they are or need a refresher, click here.

[realbigpodcastslut]

Not my coworker trying to convince me to go to church while I'm in the midst of writing fanfic about Bible fanfic. Did he know what I was writing? No. But it was funny fucking timing

[reasonsforhope]

"Faced with declining membership, aging buildings and large, underutilized properties, many U.S. houses of worship have closed their doors in recent years. Presbyterian minister Eileen Linder has argued that 100,000 churches may close in the next few decades.

But some congregations are using their land in new ways that reflect their faith – a focus of my urban planning research. Some are repurposing their property to provide affordable housing, as the housing crisis intensifies across the country.

Take Arlington Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia. In 2016, the church sold its historic stone building to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to construct a 6-story complex with 173 apartments, known as “Gilliam Place.” The building still houses space for the congregation, as well as La Cocina, a bilingual culinary job training facility and cafe. In Austin, Texas, St. Austin Catholic Parish is partnering with a developer to build a 29-story tower providing 200 beds of affordable student housing, in addition to new spaces for ministry.

Other houses of worship are pursuing similar projects today.

Same mission, new projects

Faith-based organizations have been building housing for many years, but generally by purchasing additional property. In recent years, however, more houses of worship are building affordable housing on the same property as the sanctuary.

This can be done in a variety of ways. Some congregations adapt the existing sanctuary and other faith-owned buildings, while others demolish existing buildings to construct a new development, which may or may not have space for the congregation. Another option is to build on excess property, like a parking lot.

Depending on how a development deal is structured, a faith-based organization may receive proceeds from the sale of its land, or from leasing their property to a developer – funds which they can then spend on ministry or on a new space for worship. If a new development includes space for the congregation, sometimes they rent out those spaces when the space is not being used for worship, which can also financially benefit the congregation.

Faith-based organizations often see these projects as a way to do “God’s work.” In some instances, they include community services beyond the housing itself.

Near Los Angeles, the Episcopal Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Placentia partnered with a nonprofit affordable housing developer – National Community Renaissance, also called National CORE – to develop 65 units for older people. The complex also includes a 1,500 square foot (140 square meter) community center. The city’s diocese has a goal of building affordable housing on 25% of its 133 properties.

For some congregations, these are mission-driven projects rooted in social justice.

In Washington, D.C., Emory United Methodist Church redeveloped its property and constructed The Beacon Center – which has 99 affordable housing units, community spaces, and a commercial kitchen that provides job training for recently incarcerated people – while preserving the sanctuary. In Seattle, the Nehemiah Initiative is working with Black churches in the Central District, a historically African American neighborhood, to redevelop its properties into affordable housing to keep residents from being displaced."

Potential to evolve

As states and cities struggle to provide affordable housing, studies have been conducted from Nashville to New York City on the amount of land faith organizations own, and their potential as housing partners.

In the D.C. metro area, for example, the Urban Institute found almost 800 vacant parcels owned by religious organizations. In California, a report from the Terner Center at University of California, Berkeley found approximately 170,000 “potentially developable” acres of land owned by religious organizations and nonprofit colleges and universities...

When thinking about the redevelopment process, Arlington Presbyterian member Jon Etherton told me, “the call from God to create, do something about affordable housing was bigger than the building itself.”"

-via The Conversation, July 19, 2024

[thislittlekumquat]

Like truly and genuinely I can tell when you are just being weird about Catholicism bc you think it's the most repressed version of christianity. You have never knowingly spoken to a Catholic person in your life.

I love people who think that catholic religious of all genders don't like. Jerk off sometimes (lying).

[useless-catalanfacts]

Idioms in Catalan with a religious origin

There's quite a lot of idioms that we say in everyday life, outside of the context of religion, but that come from religious stories or events.

Most of them come from Christianity, and many of them are shared with other Romance languages or other languages from historically Christian countries. To keep this list accessible to everyone regardless of cultural background, I will include the literal translation to English and also an explanation all of them.

Let's see how many of these you can understand before seeing the explanation. Let us know in the tags!

1. Fer Pasqua abans de Rams = "to do Easter before Palm Sunday", meaning to get pregnant, have a baby, or to have sex before getting married. Nowadays it's used in a more general sense to mean to do something before it's time (like English "put the cart before the horse"). Palm Sunday is a holiday celebrated the week before Easter.

2. Per a més inri = "for more INRI", used to add a bad thing on top of something else, making a situation even worse or more humiliating. It's a reference to the sign that said "INRI" (stands for the initials of "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" in Latin) that Roman soldiers hanged on Christ's crucifix to make fun of him.

3. A la babalà = "in the babalà way", meaning to do something without having thought much about it. But what does "babalà" mean? This word doesn't exist in the Catalan language outside of this expression. It comes from the Arabic Alà bâb Allâh which means "in God's hands".

4. On Crist va perdre l'espardenya = "where Christ lost his sandal", or on Crist va perdre el barret = "where Christ lost his hat", meaning somewhere very far away and usually in the middle of nothing. I don't know of any story that has Christ lose his sandal or hat.

5. Perdut de la mà de Déu = "lost by God's hand", meaning a place in the middle of nowhere.

6. Ser un calvari ="to be a calvary", meaning that something is a cause of suffering. You can also hear quin calvari! = "what a calvary!". This is a reference to Mount Calvary, where Christ was crucified.

7. Endavant les atxes = "ahead with the candles!", meaning "keep going!", used to encourage to keep going in a negative situation with difficulties or a situation that you would have preferred to avoid. An atxa is a kind of big candle that the first people in a religious procession carry. This was the shout that would start a procession.

(Note: in recent years, Spanish media has used this idiom as supposed proof that Catalan independentists who said it are calling for violence, using a fake translation that assumed that "atxa" must mean the same as Spanish "hacha", meaning "axe" 🪓, because the pronunciation is almost identical. This is false, when people were saying "endavant les atxes" they did not intend any meaning related to "bring the axes". This was used to justify violence against Catalan activists, but has no ground in reality. "Axe"🪓 in Catalan would be "destral".)

8. Net com una patena = "as clean as a paten", meaning very clean. A paten is a kind of small dish used in Catholic mass, where the blessed sacramental bread in placed on.

9. Acabar com el rosari de l'aurora = "to end up like the dawn rosary", meaning to end very, very badly, usually in violence. The dawn rosary used to be a procession that was done in the early morning of certain holidays while praying the rosary. The idiom (which also exists in Spanish) comes from the year 1868. Around those years, there were many anticlerical riots, while the Catholic church kept doing the dawn rosary on the streets and often assigning it political meaning. In Barcelona and other cities, anticlerical protestors tried to stop the dawn rosary from happening, and it ended in violence and blood.

10. Plorar com una Magdalena = "to cry like a Magdalene", meaning to cry a lot and very desperately. This is a reference to Mary Magdalene, a character from the Bible's New Testament who cried when she met Christ.

11. Déu-n'hi-do! = "God gives!". This expression is difficult to translate because I don't think English has an equivalent (the closest I can think of are "wow!" or even "holy shit!"), but Catalan people use it a lot. It's an exclamation used to show surprise, awe or to mean a big quantity.

12. Ser més vell que Matusalem = "to be older than Methuselah", meaning that someone is very very old. Methuselah is a character from the Bible's Old Testament who is said to have lived for 969 years. This comparison is used for comedic value.

13. Rentar-se'n les mans = "to wash one's hands", meaning to say you're not responsible for what happens. This is a quote from the Bible's New Testament: when Christ is being judged by Pontius Pilate, the crowd is asking him to sentence him to crucifixion. He asks Christ to defend himself, but he doesn't. Pilate doesn't want to sentence him to death, but he sees he has no other option. Then, he sees his hands are stained with Christ's blood, and washes his hands as he decides that this situation will not be his responsibility.

14. Arribar a misses dites = "to arrive to mass [already] said", meaning to arrive late when something has already happened.

15. Ser com les palmes d’Elx, que vingueren el matí de Pasqua = "to be like the Elx palms, that arrived on Easter morning", this is used in the Valencian Country to mean to be late. Elx is a city with the biggest palm groove in Europe ever since the Middle Ages, and many of these palm tree leafs are used for making the palms used for Palm Sunday, the celebration that happens a week before Easter.

16. Va a missa = "goes to mass", meaning whatever is said is exactly what will happen, without complaining or second thoughts.

17. Endiumenjar-se = "to Sunday yourself" or "to Sunday up", meaning to dress up in your best clothes (same as "to wear your Sunday best" in English). Traditionally, people used to wear their best clothes for Sunday mass.

18. Alt com un sant Pau = "as tall as a saint Paul", someone who is very tall. Saint Paul was not tall, in his texts he describes himself as a "little man". The origin of this sentence is in Catalonia centuries ago. People used to celebrate the holiday of Saint Paul's Conversion (January 25th). In the Sant Pau del Camp church area in Barcelona, the tradition for this day had a man yield a huge sword. For this reason, the man had to be tall and strong.

19. Alegre/content com unes pasqües = "as cheerful/happy as Easters", meaning to be very happy and cheerful.

20. Discutir sobre el sexe dels àngels or parlar del sexe dels àngels = "to argue about angels' sex", meaning to endlessly argue heatedly about something insignificant where neither side will ever convince the other to change their minds. Also called una discussió bizantina="a Byzantine argument". This comes from the historical fact that Biblical scholars spent centuries arguing on whether angels can be male or female or not. Legends say that, when the Ottomans were laying siege on Constantinople in 1453 and getting ready to invade it, the Byzantine theologists were arguing about whether angels have sexes instead of doing anything useful.

21. Pagant, sant Pere canta = "if you pay, saint Peter sings". The person who hears it, might answer i sant Joan fa esclops = "and Saint John makes clogs". This means that money will get you anything, even the things that seemed impossible. It might be a reference to the Bible story where saint Peter was asked if he knew Christ after he was taken to crucify, and Peter lied three times and said he didn't know him. "To sing" in Catalan can also mean "to confess". Maybe, if they had paid him he would have confessed.

22. Perdre l'oremus = "to lose the oremus", meaning to lose control of yourself, or to get disoriented or lose memory. "Oremus" (which means "let's pray" in Latin) is the sentence that Catholic priests say during mass to lead a prayer. It's believed that this idiom comes from some incidents where a priest would start the sentence "oremus..." but then couldn't find the prayer he wanted to lead, which he might have misplaced somewhere else in his book. So he would say "oremus... uh... oremus..." while flipping the pages looking for the right one.

23. A bon sant t'encomanes! = "You entrust yourself to a good saint!", said with irony. It's said when you ask for help or rely on someone who is not competent.

24. Ser més papista que el Papa = "To be more Popeist than the Pope", meaning someone who is too dogmatic, too strict or extremist in following the rules, or who believes in or defends something in a more extreme way than the people most affected by it.

25. Qui no coneix Déu, a qualsevol sant li resa = "He who doesn't know God, prays to any saint", used to compare something very good to something worse that someone else likes, usually something worse but that is very popular.

And there's probably others that I forgot.

How many of these are shared with your language?

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Rogier van der Weyden or Roger de la Pasture (Netherlandish, c.1399-1464) The Seven Sacraments, ca. 1440-45 Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp The 7 Sacraments celebrated in the Catholic Church are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance and Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. They are divided into three categories: Sacrament of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing, and Sacraments at the Service of Communion.

[antarcticconfessions]

I am the antarctic emperor penguin

and slide on my belly through life

through life as emperor penguin

da didel, da didel, da do

I was recently at my iceberg

there i thought to myself, i could go into the world once

going into the world, you'll see

da didel etc

I set off and soon meet a strange house

and as i get closer, there is is the "Gauß"

so that is the "Gauß", so thats what he looks like

da didel etc

I stand right there and yell out

there, something comes out of the house in front of the "Gauß"

something comes out, oh fright, oh horror

da didel etc

They believe that they are the palace guards

Bär (bear), Löw' (lion), the little Meier and various gentlemen

various gentlemen, i didn't like to see them

da didel etc

Carline, Paula and Kuhlemann

the old Fritz who can barely walk anymore

they come closer with Paula in the front

da didel etc

Mohrle is so keen on me,

that she forgets the thermometer on the snowdrift,

the thermometer she forgets, that she usually likes to eat

da didel etc

They all then run around me

there suddenly i feel really stupid in my head

really stupid in my head and i soon fall over.

da didel etc

Thank God, Bildingmaier is coming

along with Lennart, with a stick and a raging anger

The magnetist from penguin mountain

da didel etc

To the devil, he beats the terrible pack

with Lennart and a stick and a "holy cow"

with a "holy cow", the terrible pack

da didel etc

Drygalski, Phillipi and the Captain

Stehr, Vahsel, Ott, Lerche all want to see me

all want to see me, that's really nice

da didel etc

Last but not least, i am not mistaken

Professor Vanhöffen comes to take photographs

A "timiak" making a fuss, to take photographs

da didel etc

Then they take me to the ship, in a hole

there i have to always jump up

It drives me to despair, the jumping up

da didel etc

They call Noack for chloroforming

I see him on deck, smearing a belaying pin

smearing a belaying pin, for cholorforming

da didel etc

There i ran away, but quickly to the west

home to my iceberg, that's where it's best

that's where its best, by my iceberg in the west

da didel etc

If you experienced, what i experienced

you certainly have no desire for the world

No desire to start a journey

da didel etc

Original by Hans Gazert ( Surgeon on the Gauss)

___________

It's a song/poem from the first German Antarctic Expedition that I translated. The original version is written in a german "Mundart" so with a accent/dialect. That and the rhyme form got sadly lost with my translation.

According to the initials at the end it was written by the ships surgeon Doctor Hans Gazert, who was born in Hamburg and had studied Medicine in Munich.

It was published in Erich von Drygalski's book "Zum Kontinent des eisigen Südens" (To the continent of the icy south) about the first German Antarctic Expedition.

A little note also to some words the "holy cow" is in the original the word "Heilandsack"

Heiland -> Lord/Saviour

Sack -> sacrament

I wasn't fully sure how to translate it, so I went with what felt right, because I accounted that the "Heilandsack" is him (Bidlingmaier) probably just swearing at the dogs.

"Timiak" is the word they used for the pelt clothing they wore.

And the belaying pin in the original is "Koffernagel" according to google it's a german word for belaying pins on a ship, and it does make sense I assume to knock out a penguin maybe by a hit on the head, to save the chloroform. (Also worth mentioning Noack was a sailor but also a taxidermist)

And the terrible pack in the beginning are of course sleed dogs, they had a separate building for them to stay in.

[whencyclopedia]

The Sixteenth-Century Massacre of the Waldensians of Mérindol

As the Reformation developed in France in the first half of the 16th century, there were several episodes of severe repression which preceded the Wars of Religion (1562-1598). These were times of great hardship and oppression against those who embraced Protestant teachings. One notable chapter of persecution took place in the Luberon region of France against the Waldensians (Vaudois), the spiritual descendants of Pierre Waldo, which led to the Mérindol massacre in 1545.

Early Persecution

Early in the 12th century, Pierre Waldo (l. 1140–1218) took a vow of poverty, confirmed by Pope Alexander III (served 1159–1181), and became the leader of a sect known as the Waldensians. Waldo was among the forerunners of the Reformation who sought to purify and reform the Catholic Church from within through a return to apostolic teaching. Initially, he did not seek separation from the Catholic Church or the establishment of a new sect. In time, partly due to their emphasis on preaching the gospel in the local language, Waldo and his followers were banned from preaching by Pope Lucius III (served 1181–1185). Waldo was excommunicated at the Council of Verona in 1184, and Waldensian teaching was condemned at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.

Exiled from their city of Lyon, the Waldensians spread to the valleys of Dauphiné and the Alps of Piedmont, to Languedoc, and to Spain. The Inquisition failed to stamp them out and many of the exiles settled in the Luberon region in southern France. The Waldensians sought to live in peace in the sheltered valleys of the Luberon where they drained the swamps and cultivated lands belonging to Italian lords. It is said that people inhabiting the plains feared the Waldensians who had a reputation as sorcerers. At that time, they had spiritual leaders called uncles (barbes) in their language who had authority over the people. The barbes were considered wise and venerable, and mysterious powers were attributed to them. Their brothers in Dauphiné had previously suffered persecution and many had fled to Luberon for safety.

The archbishop of Aix feared that this concentration of heretics might embrace the Reformation. Around 1530, the inquisitor Jean de Roma was sent to investigate the Waldensians where he committed atrocities and enriched himself at their expense. As a result of this initial violence, two Waldensians, Maurel and Masson, crossed the frontiers to Alsace and Switzerland to confer with Reformed leaders in Geneva. They were persuaded of the need to reform their beliefs, to definitively break with superstitious practices, and were sent back with letters for their brothers in Mérindol. Only Maurel arrived home safely; Masson was arrested and burned alive at Dijon. A decisive meeting took place in Piedmont in 1532 with Waldensian leadership from different regions. William Farel (l. 1489–1565), over six days, convinced them to preserve only two sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist, without the mystical sense given by the Catholic Church. Farel welcomed them to the Reformed faith with enthusiasm and called them “the elder sons of the Reformation.”

Continue reading...

[thrashkink-coven]

Lord of the Air

Temple of Ascending Flame

IN Western demonology Lucifer is one of the four cardinal rulers of the world, the others being Leviathan, Satan and Belial. Lucifer governs the Eastern quadrant and the element of Air. As the Lord of the Air and the Prince of the East, Lucifer usually appears as a horned, winged figure, holding a sword. He brings the current of energy flowing from the Eastern quadrant, the Breath of the Dragon. He also reveals visions and insights concerning the nature of the element of Air, as well as the connection of the powers of this Mask to the Intellect and higher spiritual faculties.

His energy manifests both through the astral plane, in its electric blue form and through the mental realm, as a golden solar energy, with physical sensations affecting the throat chakra that corresponds to the element of Air and is connected with the power of speech. Manifestations of this Mask may include a wind blowing in the room, a sudden gust of air, candles being blown out by themselves, or sensations of being inside of a swirling vortex— chaotic and powerful. They may also be accompanied by sounds such as buzzing, wind noise or voices—whispering or howling.

The power of this Mask is movement. It brings visions of wings growing from the back, allowing for a flight or sensations of floating with a vortex of swirling air, soaring in the sky, above earthly landscapes, etc. In messages received through this work, Lucifer speaks of teleportation and travelling by the power of the mind, dream travels, visual journeys and astral explorations. The concept of movement, however, also has a deeper meaning and refers to changes and transitions that accompany each Initiate on one’s path. All is movement on the path, and the nature of Luciferian Initiation is continual change and development. Nothing ever stays the same and the Initiate has to keep moving in order to succeed on the path. The Lord of the Air is the enemy of inaction and stagnation. He prompts the Initiate to keep moving with the force, flowing with the current. His sword cuts the ties that bind us to the mundane world and prevent us from moving forward. It is not unusual to observe a need for a change in your life during this work or shortly after, a desire of transition, a necessity to take a step forward. This change also manifests shortly after or throughout the following months after the work with this Mask.

The following ritual is an invocation of the Lord of the Air. Its purpose is to unite with his energies and initiate the Change—this may bring immediate results or begin a long-term initiatory process. In either case, this work will change you in one way or another—so be prepared for whatever it may bring. The description of this Mask provided above, as well as the invocation below, were inspired by traditional grimoires and books of magic providing depictions of the Prince of the Air, as well as the results of the inner work within the Temple. The sigil used in the working is derived from Grimoirium Verum and is the most popular magical symbol of Lucifer. The focal point of the ritual is a chalice filled with the Sacrament—this may be wine or clear water. It should be placed on the altar, if the altar is in the East, or you may simply put it on the floor.

Face the direction of East and with the ritual blade draw the sigil of Lucifer—Lord of the Air in front of you, above the chalice with the Sacrament. The blade should be anointed with your blood. The sigil is easy to memorize, therefore it is not necessary to have it in the physical form on the altar, but feel free to do so if you are used to such manner of work. Focus on it for a moment—see it manifesting in the air, glowing and pulsating with Lucifer’s blue astral energy, flashing around like sparks of electricity. Envision it as a gate to the Void, the primal essence of the Dragon, the source of the Eastern current of Lucifer.

Sigil of Lucifer - Lord of the Air

When you feel ready for the communion with the Lord of the Air, begin the invocation:

“With my blood, the Blood of the Dragon, I, (magical name), open the Gates to the Void And I invoke you, Lucifer, Lord of the Air, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon,

I call you, Lucifer, Lord of the Air, Prince of the East,

And I offer you my body as your Temple

And my soul as your Altar,

So that I may merge with your timeless essence, The astral current of the Eastern quadrant.

Embrace my soul with your power, The Breath of the Dragon,

Open for me the gateways to knowledge and ancient wisdom, And reveal to me the keys to your Eastern Kingdom. Come with the lightning flash of your Gnosis,

And grant me the knowledge of secrets ancient and forgotten!”

Again, focus on the sigil in the air, in front of you, glowing with Lucifer’s blue astral energy, opening the gateway to his current. At this moment, you may feel wind blowing through the room or hear the flapping sound of wings as Lord of the Air often manifests with specific sounds. You may also see the sigil assuming various shapes and finally crystallizing into the figure of Lucifer. Whatever this will be, you will sense his presence, and when it happens, you should continue the invocation:

“Come to me, Lord of the Air,

Spirit of Movement and Change,

And open the Gates of the East

As I seek the secrets of forgotten Gnosis! Enter this temple and carry my soul on your wings, So that I may rise with you to your Eternal Throne, At the Threshold of the Void!

In the name of the Dragon, Primal Source of All Creation, Ho Ophis Ho Archaios, Ho Drakon Ho Megas!”

Envision now the current of the Air flowing through the Eastern quadrant in the form of a swirling vortex of energy. It flows into the chalice, charging the Sacrament with Lucifer’s essence. When the whole vortex is concentrated in the chalice, drink the Sacrament and absorb the force of the Lord of the Air. Feel how it spreads over your body and shifts your consciousness, pushing it beyond the gates of flesh, in ecstatic communion with the timeless essence of Lucifer.

Open your mind to whatever may come. Do not force any visions, let them come spontaneously and in a natural way. Let the whole experience flow freely and when it is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working.

[transgenderer]

Etymology fact of the day: mystery cults aren't named after being mysterious, "mystery" is name after mystery cults

early 14c., misterie, in a theological sense, "religious truth via divine revelation, hidden spiritual significance, mystical truth," from Anglo-French *misterie, Old French mistere "secret, mystery, hidden meaning" (Modern French mystère) and directly from Latin mysterium "secret rite, secret worship; a sacrament, a secret thing."

This is from Greek mystērion (usually in plural mysteria) "secret rite or doctrine (known and practiced by certain initiated persons only), consisting of purifications, sacrificial offerings, processions, songs, etc.," from mystēs "one who has been initiated," from myein "to close, shut" (see mute (adj.)); perhaps referring to the lips (in secrecy) or to the eyes (only initiates were allowed to see the sacred rites).

[wonkyradio]

It was a long drive, but I finally made it. Silent Hill. I was raised here. My father lived and died here. I died here before I had the chance to live at all.

Members of bread bank know him already, but I figured I should officially post him to Tumblr. Meet protagonist of my Silent Hill fan game concept, Last Wish! Will is resourceful but paranoid, and compassionate but cowardly. He's a guy with a lot of baggage, and his connection to Walter Sullivan leads him down a path he can't turn back from. You may see more of him here in the future!

Brief background under the cut:

Silent Hill: Last Wish

William 'Will' Dent had his dad (William Dent Sr. 'Bill') killed by the order for looking into and trying to free the children from the prison depicted in sh4, and was the man interviewed by Joseph in his article about 4S (found by Heather in sh3). He spent a short time in the wish house following his father's murder, as the Order had immediate influence over child services in Silent Hill.

He becomes the roommate of a young Walter Sullivan, a sensitive boy, who starts looking up to Will as an older brother after being rescued from bullies. The two bond during Will's short time there, and he became 'Wally's protector and mentor, despite only being a few years older. For him, it was an opportunity to respect his father's legacy, as he'd been taught from a young age that those with strength should always protect those without it.

His mother (Laura Dent) finds out and comes to retrieve him about two months later. His dad was a stay at home father who preferred to live off the grid, his mother often had to go on business trips. She was out of town when the order killed her husband and basically abducted her son. After weeks of searching for where her son was being kept, Laura finally is able to rescue him from the Wish House. Walter pleaded for the opportunity to go with them, but was punished and placed in the child prison by George Rosten for his betrayal of the holy mother. Will never got to say goodbye to him. The fact Will's mother came to retrieve him was used against Walter, motivating him even further to later perform the sacraments.

Laura and Will immediately moved out of Silent Hill and into the city where she worked - Will grows up, struggles with missing his father and the fact his murder was officially unsolved. There are times he thinks of young Wally, and wonders if the boy ever learned to stand up for himself. He kept a gift Walter made him, a small God's Eye, and carried it with him as a reminder to stand up for his ideals even when afraid.

As the years go on he becomes more and more reclusive and cowardly, fearing that one day The Order would come for him. This paranoia and unresolved trauma eventually led to a mental breakdown, landing him in an institution for a short time. Upon being released, the first thing he decided to do was to visit his father's grave in Silent Hill for the first time since his death nearly two decades prior.

He returns to Silent Hill initially only to visit his father's grave, but he gets drawn into town after seeing someone lingering just outside the cemetery. It was Walter Sullivan, shortly after killing one of his first victims. If he wanted to move on, there was one more thing he'd have to do before leaving: find out what happened to Wally, and solve his father's murder.

[abyssal-maiden]

Serpent's Hearth Pt. 5: Blissful Sacraments

Apologies for the delays! College is like that sometimes. Please hydrate and eat my lovelies. <3

Chapter warning: xBloodplayx xBoundingx xSmutx

!!!MDNI!!!: 18+ (( xbloodplayx xsmutx xpregnancyx xothersinsx))

XTouchStarvationxLightYanderexEnemiestoLoversxSizeDifferencex

Your senses initiate to the repeated sound of knocking. As your lids flutter open, you are confronted with…him. You lift your head, Messmer's warm hand slides down to rest over the left side of your collarbone. The forgotten lord of flame, snoring softly, beautifully slumped around you, serpents nestled comfortably between. He looked so peaceful and forlorn simultaneously. The knocking persists. You gingerly reach, brushing fiery strands from his face to reveal his closed eye. As you shift, the reptilian companions stir slightly, exposing Messmer's glowing iris as he wakes. He looks at you blankly for a minute as if deciphering if you’re real. He sits up slowly, hand running up your shoulder and cupping your neck before leaning into a gentle peck. He moves to your ear, kissing just beneath it, inhaling deeply before moving away. His scaled kin hiss in protest, hopelessly pulling at his frame towards your comfortable body heat. He sits on the edge of the bed groggily, securing his discarded gambeson around his waist as he stands. Quietly striding towards the door, rubbing his eye.

He’s careful not to open the threshold of the room too wide, opting to slip out and close it behind him. An ancient woman with a cane gives him a suspicious look through narrowed eyes. 

“Egidia…” He sighs.

“My lord.” The finger reader gives a shaky head bow. The servant pair holding her chair up look to be spent following the climb. 

“Forthwith with thy purpose..” he groans, still digging at his tired socket. “Thou wouldst disturb mine slumbering state, the first in moons.” 

At this, the old woman chuckles. “Most curious then, thee hath joined us in the corridor…” she ventures, glancing at the door, taking in his lack of shirt and steel. “ Wouldst thou not prefer to converse in thy bed-chamber, my lor-”

“State thee objective crone.” He hisses quietly over her.

“Very well, my lord.” She croaks in a malcontented tone. “Thee hast appointments to attend. Tis nearly high noon.”  She lifts her hand, the servants standing. “Dost thou intend to break thee fast this meridie?”

“I do desire such this day. See to it that it is grand. Enter not thine chambers unannounced.” He glowers as the group turns. “Do postpone mine audiences, I wish to bathe. Dismiss mine throne house servants until niht.” 

She looks as if to protest; the slitted eye of her sovereign warns her to cease any resistance. As they descend, he can hear the old matron cursing under her breath. He feels generous today; choice words never seem to affect the finger’s witch anyway, and he would not dare depose his mother's stooge too harshly. He enters the room to see you sitting at the table next to the window, observing the rampart. You’ve added a log to the fire, giving it new life in the cold stone hovel. A smile plays on his lips; you look beautiful in the midday glow of the Scadu Tree’s remains as your eyes cast over the distant ruins across the canyon. You turn your head to his towering image, a subtle look of uncertainty in your visage.

“Messmer…”

“Beg thee...another eventide to enjoy thou spell of firmament…” He murmurs, kneeling to sit eye-level, hand raising your knuckles to his lips. The heat grazes them as he soaks in the sight of you, your presence. His eye is vulnerable, his timbre possessive, like a puppy with a capacity for murder. He searches, but the flames have dispelled from your eyes. Verily, I shall make thee gaze shine anew, lightless minx.

He’s grasping at your head and pulling you to his lips. Leaning forward into your enchantment. He’s on his knees in front of the stool you inhabit, clinging to you as his tongue osculates around your own. His fingers hungrily dig through your hair, sliding down your frame at individual paces, exploring delicate blushing flesh under the calefying aura of his touch. The wood scrapes as he pulls your seat toward his chest so that his chin is nestled comfortably between your breasts. He looks up at you unguardedly, his face flushed. He parts his lips to speak but is interrupted by another knock at the door. He sits up from his crouching posture, sighing. 

“Mine honored beauty, sit upon the bed but for a moment.” He whispers, pulling your hand as he gets up.

Following his lead, you plant yourself on the side of the large circular piece. He smiles, finger tracing your chin as he draws the tattered curtain past its scorched edge. He answers the door once more. You survey the burns in the fabric, how they're ripped into frayed holes at the front end as if taken in rage, several of the small rings broken off the rod above. From behind the veil, the clattering of trays and the hushed pleasantries of several servants entering and departing can be heard. You try your best to hold your breath.

He’s met with a pout when he pulls the curtain back, his brow communes a look of concern. The attitude dissolves almost instantly when the heaping feast behind him beckons you. Every fruit, grain, green, and meat you could imagine was laid intricately on a tray, white groupings of various cheeses dotted in different parts. 

“I’ve never seen so much fresh food in one place…” Your eyes betray a look of esurience. He seems delighted, standing straight, a proud gleam in his eye at your amusement.

“Tis for thee…” he glances away bashfully—his hand motions for you to sit at the table again. He drags his chair to the flank of your stool. Hand drawing circles on your thigh as he watches you eat. He periodically snags a grape, a chunk of cured meat, an olive, the like—his attention shifts between your lips and your hands. The serpents intruded by flecking at the dried delicacies and retreated at a soft cough from their master.

“Forgive me, I must quell these ravenous pests.” he hisses, rising and walking to the room's opposite corner. A small door above the end table opens, and he reaches in, fingers gripping the tails of a couple of mice. You could hear the squeaking terror as he tossed them into the air. The rest you turn away from, 

Your meal, however delicious, adjourned shortly after. Messmer excuses himself, returning a few moments later to collect you. He insists on carrying you down the winding staircase, passing the hall from which you originated. The snakes snuggle up in your lap and the curve of your neck. His heart beats quickly against your eardrum as you rest your head against him; glancing up, you meet his gaze. The glowing of his seal always gave away his attention in the dark, but he did not shy away from you now. 

“I cannot recall when last I enjoyed companionship…”

“How…long has it been for you..?” You blush in the dark, thankful for the dimly lit area. You had not been with a man since your reanimation and hoped it was not evident from your performance. 

“Well….” he pauses momentarily, the steps echoing around your movements. “I suppose…fifteen, no, sixteen hundred cycles now.”

You hear the wall appears behind you after exiting the stairwell. Another previously unseen awning across from the entry gate emits a pleasant aroma mixed with humidity.

How many fucking secrets did I miss?

The bathroom pillars extend the length of the room—a charred granite disrupted by cracks of gold from the floor to the vaulted ceiling. The space is filled with steam, myrrh wafts along with it. Trays of exquisite crystalline bottles line the right side of the wide bathing pool. The sides of the bath host an indented sitting ledge along the entirety of the inner perimeter, delving deeper towards the back of the room. Custom-built for the giant pawing at your thighs as he sets you on your feet. The ancient-looking candle stacks come to life as he enters, dropping his vestments on the slab floor and stepping down. He turns to you, holding his lengthy arm out, clawed hand extended. The serpents seem to gather together on his shoulders, giving the impression they dislike this particular activity. 

You take his hand, venturing out over the first step, water lapping at your thigh as it sinks into the warmth. He looks down and chuckles at your height. 

“Mine perfect toy.” He mumbled, sitting on the ledge and drawing you down onto his lap in the hot water. 

His fingers move in the air, and the doorway gives way to the illusion of brick.  Hands sloppily eager with pursuit, sliding up between your breasts to grip your neck, the other between your thighs. He inhales along your neck, pulling your head back, nipping your ear before rasping quietly.

“Ne’er have I felt such in the presence of another.”  His fingers spread across the gap of your thighs under the water, his ring and index gently running down your labia carefull not to part it just yet. 

“I extend thee an accord, A union wrought in lightless possession.”

Your mouth opens to speak, but his grasp slips into your open lips, nail tracing the center of your tongue.

“I wish to bind thee.” He groans, lifting you slightly with his grasp on your pussy. “Such impious fealty I would pay with mine own head.” 

His fingers curl, gripping the front of your slitted joy, plunging only knuckle deep. They teasingly alternate under the water; you feel his breath in your ear again.

“I will make thee fold in mine thrall.” he moans, you can feel his throbbing member against your back as he yanks at your cunt. “Thou shall want for naught, ne’er another.”

You moan around the digit penetrating your lips. His iris trembles with ecstasy, watching his finger covered in your saliva slide through your muffled mewls. 

“Agree.” He pulls harder against your sensitive clit, fingers parting the folds in the bath's warmth. 

“Agree.” His whisper is more commanding than before. His tongue slides up your neck; he sucks gently before plunging the two fingers into your hole.

“Say you are mine, mine alone, tarnished.” His finger pulls out of your gasping breaths as the two inside of your slit move around. His lips part in the effort, his pumping feverish before he moans again.

“ Say you are mine.”

“Yes me-MesSMer!” That familiar pulsing forms in your guts as his fingers dig into your core. “I am for thee alone!”

“Speak with sincerity, cherished little toy!” He hisses in your lobe, pulling back and using his spit-slicked grip to turn your face towards him. The water splashes around his bicep as he beats your cunt with his large hand.

“Dev…Devotion, my lord. I will bid devotion!” you call out as your body spasms in a twitching symphony around his hot fingers. The snakes have regained motivation as they observe and caress your flushed face.

You gutturally moan when he rises, gripping your left breast and right hip. The water cascades down as he stands, spinning around so your hands are slapped against the cold perimeter before being seized again. There is no hesitation in the first thrust as he bucks into you from behind, begging you for your capitulation in short, murmuring bouts. Miel and Purkoy constrict your arms, pulling them back into Messmer's thrusts. His hand leaves a stinging mark on your ass as he loses himself, hips jerking forward wildly against your addictive body. He leans down, the force of his cock pushing you to drooling bliss. 

“Thee must submit most wondrously, exchange for mine endless heed. Give me wholeness, and I will reward thee eternal.” The silk command flows into your mind easily.

You nod vigorously as he pulls on your hair, using the excess leverage to push the limits of your distending folds.  His sharp talon slides across the side of your neck as he pounds relentlessly, his glowing eye obsessive as he watches your blood well up. He rips at his palm, waiting for your gasp as his teeth sink around the slit on your throat, slipping his blood into your maw and stifling the moan. The taste of copper laces with the heat of his flaming ichor, running down your throat, warming your body as your breasts slip and bounce against the granite of the bath with each forward motion of your lover's girth. His moan vibrates against your neck as he sucks.

“Yes, oh....gods. F-fuck, yes!” your voice is barely audible as the pounding of your snatch mixed with the splashing of warm water against Messmer’s swinging testicles and tensed thighs as they collide with your rump.  

He smears his blood all over your beautiful chin, pretty deep crimson on glass skin—your cheeks tingle, your eyes alight with his flame once more. He mewls joyfully at the sight, his left hand cupping your oblique before sliding to feel your tummy underneath. He moans, feeling the way his cantilever is hollowing you through your soft skin as he drives vigorously into your quaking split. His blood is eventually dripping from your hip, shoulder, neck, everywhere as he squeezes each part possessively with his leaking palm. Taking account of your form with his abyssal envy, moaning in ecstasy as he paints you in red. He can feel his need pooling in his lower stomach.

“Thou’rt mine.” He lustfully calls out to you.

His hot palms wrap the front of your thighs; the serpents tighten their hold on your arms. He’s lifting you, shoving himself into your tight trembling pussy. You’re on the verge of melting away while suspended when he shoves one of your legs up onto the edge of the pool. One hand stroking the base of his cock as he watches the cream of pleasure slowly collect along his shaft with each push of his convulsing monster. The constriction of your walls sucks every drop of his semen from his hulking phallus. You hear his hands come down on either side of your stimulated being as his faltering pace becomes slow and deep, shooting hot pangs against the limits of your sensitive walls. His long hair tickles your arched back. He stays like that, panting, pulling out with a slight gasping hiss as he views the mess he’s implanted spilling down your inner thighs. 

“Thou’rt mine.” He repeats, sitting back down in the bath, head leaning against your thigh as you lean on the side for a second to catch your breath. He pulls you back onto his lap.

“Thou’rt bound by blood.” He turns you, pulling your chin and placing a long, steamy smooch against your willing lips. “Thou willst know the imbuement of everlasting longing”

Your tongues dance for a while, the cloud of red surrounding you two dissipating over time. The mixture of blood adorns both of your faces as it is exchanged between the caressing of cheeks. The ritual is only dispelled when a shocked gasp sounds from the direction of the doorway. 

Master List

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[darkstarerotica]

Rachel's Initiation

Rachel had been a student of the dark arts for some time. And though she knew that there were mysterious societies that practiced erotic and sexual mysteries, she had never been introduced to one.

A friend had come back from Europe. She too trod the path of occult forces. She told her that she had been initiated into just such an occult Order but she was sworn to secrecy. But she assured her "Rachel, my gods, it did not disappoint. I can write you a letter of introduction if you'd like" Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, immediately"

It took a little more than a month to get a response. A mysterious package arrived with a lengthy application requiring full nude photos, a waver and an acknowledgement that the initiation would require her full involvement and consent. She filled everything out dutifully returning it and waited impatiently for further directions.

Finally a letter arrived. It directed her to arrive at a particular hotel in Prague. She would be contacted there on the date specified.. Rachel made the arrangements with haste and the anticipation built over the following weeks.

She arrived as directed and waited with anticipation in her room. Finally a knock. A tall handsome man in dark glasses greeted her. "Rachel, please follow me" she nodded her big blue eyes glistening.

They went to the street. Be directed her to the back seat. "Here place this over your eyes" she did as directed and the car sped off.

The ride was dizzying and her anticipation had turned to full on nervousness.

"Jesus Christ this is how girls get murdered" she thought to herself with a nervous chuckle.

After a time she could tell the car had moved underground. A garage perhaps. The car door opened. "Please give me your hand and follow me" she was guided through a large echoing space till they stopped suddenly..the driver knocked six, by six, by six " a heavy door creaked open.

"Rachel, is it your desire to be initiated into the True Order, to give and receive the sacrament"

"it is" she timidly responded.

"then follow me" though still blindfolded she was guided by the hands behind her. Footsteps softly leading the way in front of her.

They stopped suddenly. Her blind folds taken off. She could see a man in front of her in a hooded robe. Buttoned down its length..her big blue eyes stared up at his hooded form. Anxiety and desire spread through her body.

Her caressed her short blonde hair. Then slowly started to undress her. He handed her clothes one item at a time to an assistant standing nearby. It was then she noticed a number of other hooded and robed individuals standing about the room.

He brought her, naked and bare to an altar. There was a cup, made from the skull cap of a human and other items too terrible to share. The cup was filled with a dark red fluid. He brought it to his lips and then to hers. It was the most delicious red wine she had ever had.

A gong was struck once. The cup shared another time and finally a third. Then the leader started a solemn mantra. Too scared to record here. The others in attendance added their own voices. All began to chant it deeply. He stopped took the skull cup and again partook of it. Again he shared it with Rachel.

Rachel's head started to swim and she found her body responding by becoming fully aroused. More wine, more chanting..

She felt a heat build inside her..the heatness gave way to her wetness. Now glistening on her thighs in the candle light. Mantra..wine. mantra wine. Finally the cup was finished. She had an acute euphoric feeling and was now completely aroused and aching.

He approached her and unbuttoned his robe. He was fully erect and quite large. "Kneel before me" he commanded and she obediently did. Without another word he.brought her head to his cock and she eagerly opened her mouth to receive it. He gently forced his way in and out of her mouth holding her head. She glanced up at him. Her blue eyes in full longing. Her head swam, the mantra repeated endlessly. She couldn't believe the ease she could take him entirely down her throat. She hoped to have it as deep inside her aching pussy.

He stopped. The mantra continued her big eyes looking upwards he positioned her on a floor cushion and spread her legs apart. He looked at her with solemn longing then kissed the inside of both her thighs. Finally he brought his mouth to her sacred flower.. he missed it deeply..Rachel could not supress moaning deeply. She was besides herself with bliss, head swimming from wine and mantra.

He stopped abruptly and pulled himself onto her. She felt how rock hard he was resting on her mons. She bit her lip and he guided himself into her. He filled her completely, stretching her to her limits.

She was so blessed out that she couldn't even hear the relentless mantra still echoing in the chamber. He thrust into her slowly at first then building speed and enthusiasm. But never grunting. There was something very much not animal about the way he took her.

As he thrust faster and harder into her she could feel tingle at the base of her spine it radiated throughout her pussy and built up till it exploded in the most intense orgasm of her life. At the same moment she felt him shudder and unleash.a huge torrent of cum inside her. She grabbed him tightly as spasm after spasm from his pulsing cock sent pleasure throughout her body.

The gong sounded again..he slipped down her body to her open cunt dripping with their fluids. He greedily took them into his mouth and bringing his mouth to hers shared of it. It tasted like ambrosia. She fell backwards. She felt moved and stared. Not even in her body any more. He moved off of her and a drum started a steady beat. Rachel barely remembered the rest of the night..but there were shadowy recollections of each attendant approaching her. Eating from her still wet pussy, licking her lips, labia and inner thighs. It was orgasm after orgasm wrecking her body. Drums, tongues, cumming . Finally all had had their turn. She was reclothed, blindfolded and driven back to her hotel. She needed help to get back to her room. When she finally did she collapsed on the bed. Looking to her side she saw an envelope. It was marked "further instructions"

[i-needserotonin]

Religious Imagery and Symbolism in Eli Ever:

Note : everything in this analysis was or could have been linked in a more generalized and not necessarily true theology, only as a way to try to associate or make connections with the mentioned character.

Baptism

His first death can be likened to a Baptism.

Baptism is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three times, once for each person of the Trinity. 

" The baptized person emerges from a watery grave into a new life."

Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection. The entrance into the water during baptism identifies Christians with Christ’s death on the cross, His burial in the tomb and His resurrection from the dead.

The parallel between Eli's first death and baptism is evident. Just as a baptized person emerges from a "water tomb" into a new life, Eli undergoes a transformation after his first death.

"signifies that "you" have died to your old self and sin, emerging as a new creation."

This means that, in the same way, Eli's death represents a passage into a new phase, where he leaves behind his previous "self", emerging as a new creation, almost like a rebirth.

“Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising from the dead as he did Christ." Colossians 2:12-14

Furthermore, there is an evident connection between sin, death, and God's gift of eternal life. As mentioned next.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

Three

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the central doctrine concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The Christian Church has celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sunday—three days after remembering his death on Good Friday. This timeline of three days is based on numerous references in the New Testament. Jesus predicted it many times, the three-day timeline matters to the biblical narrative because it is the special day on which God creates new life and activates his covenant with humanity.

three times he shot victor.

three years since they met.

three times he died ( manifesting he coming back and dying again)

" He met his gaze in the mirror and began to unbutton his shirt, exposing the scars from the bullets of Eli’s gun one by one. He ran his fingers over them, touching the three spots where he’d been shot the way a man might cross himself." Part One; Chapter XXVI , Vicious.

In the Bible, we can find more examples of the use of the number three as sacred or a persistent and symbolic repeating pattern, but I only mentioned these few situations that I found relevant or that fit the narrative of 'Vicious'.

Cross

The Cross, is the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. In ceremonial usage, making a sign of the cross may be, according to the context, an act of profession of faith, a prayer, a dedication, or a benediction.

"to outline the form of a cross as a Christian religious act by moving the hand from the forehead to the breast and then from one shoulder to the other, seen as representing the trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

The use of blood as part of a ritual is laden with symbolism.

"Wouldn’t You?” He cut deeper, through to bone, over and over, until the floor was red. Until he’d given his life to God a hundred times, and a hundred times had it given back. Until the fear and the doubt had all been bled out of him. And then he set the knife aside with shaking hands. Eli dipped his fingertips in the slick of red, crossed himself, and got back to his feet. "Part Two; Chapter IV, Vicious.

In the context of this specific text, Eli blessing himself with his own blood appears to represent a desperate quest for answers and validation from God regarding his identity and the powers he possesses.

This action can be seen as an extreme act of devotion and sacrifice. It may represent the intensity of Eli's search for a divine answer or for God's forgiveness. Making the sign of the cross with his own blood suggests that he is willing to sacrifice or suffer in search of a deeper spiritual connection or proof of divine will.

Blood, Red & White

"And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22

In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were a means of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The shedding of blood in these rituals symbolized the payment for sins.

The New Testament sees the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross as the ultimate act of redemption. Christians believe that through His blood, believers are forgiven of their sins and reconciled with God.

And also associated with purification and cleansing.

As we know, Eli associates his murders with a distorted view of divine justice. He believes he is eliminating those people he considers unnatural or threats to society, as a purification, justifying his murders as a way of protecting the world from “villains” with extraordinary powers, this vision can be easily associated, by the way he thinks and acts throughout most of the narrative as a clear link to the Christian view of sacrifice and blood itself.

Red, associated with sacrifices, sin, power, sinfulness. can be conected with redemption and atonement. It represents the idea that through Christ's sacrifice, believers can be cleansed of their sins and find redemption, also linked to martyrdom. Martyrs who died for their faith are often depicted wearing red, symbolizing their willingness to shed their blood for their beliefs.

&

White, purity, innocence, righteousness. Associated with the idea of resurrection and new life in Christ. It signifies the hope of eternal life after death, it can also represents the state of being free from sin.

And for red and white, which are colors normally associated with the character as they continue to be described with him in the narrative or mainly associated with the vision that people have of him, with white clothes, gun and glasses being one of the easiest ways to identify him, we can see that both colors connect with sacrifice, martyrdom, purification and eternal life, which are elements present in the character and his narrative.

Name.

In the Villains series, the name theme remains, whether in a satirical way, a reference to comic books or just a way of demonstrating what a character represents.

Eliot means “The Lord is my God", “Jehovah is my God.”

With the meaning of his name I would like to close this brief summary that I tried to make about the symbolism that I could notice predominantly in the narrative of his character, from his name to the meaning of eternal life and the usual theme, we can see that Eli is a character strongly linked to religiosity and can be easily associated with various concepts of Christianity.

Final Note: Thank you if you read this far and I hope you enjoyed it.