#Wrath of the Gids

[downthetubes]

Wrath of the Gods & The Ghost World Limited Edition release date revealed

Previously announced last year, the long-awaited reprint of the complete Wrath of the Gods by Ron Embleton and John M Burns and the complete Frank Bellamy's The Ghost World in one huge volume is on its way from Book Palace Books

Previously announced last year, the long-awaited reprint of the complete Wrath of the Gods by Ron Embleton and John M Burns and the complete Frank Bellamy’s The Ghost World in one huge volume is on its way from Book Palace Books. For the first time ever the work of three greatest British comics artists in one unique deluxe hardcover full colour book, Wrath of the Gods & The Ghost World (Limited…

[zakanakai]

Its me, back at it again with the funny spreadsheets

So on July 5th, I did my initial post of the Funny Sin Counting Spreadsheet

Its time for an update!

Link to the Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GiO4F1Sf8soycIDIgDc9XrpptVBIghkxaaFGRCXSOQI/edit#gid=0

Small Note on how I calculate Sin Numbers:

Skill 1 = 1, Skill 2 = 2, Skill 3 = 3, Guard Skill = 1, EGO = 1

Analysis of the Sins again below the cut:

Yi Sang

Oh my boy has Lust now! Its his lowest stat, but he has some!

His Sloth is still his main stat, at 19 now, with Gluttony now as his second.

Still Matches Default Ego

Faust

Faust's primary Sin is now Gloom at 16. (Formerly Envy!) Faust's Oddity with none of her IDs matching her original ID has now broken, starting with her Seven ID. However every ID since her original still has Gloom in it, which is impressive.. But she doesn't have the same sin in EVERY ID, unlike a certain someone who is mentioned later in this list

Faust was also our first person with an ID that has Four Different Sins in L Corp EGO Regret. And still the only one to have that. HOW ODD...

Still Does Not Match Default Ego

Don Quixote

Don's Sins have very much developed since then, with Envy being her primary sin at 13, and Lust behind at 10. Formerly being Envy/Lust match. This makes a lot of sense with her goal of wanting to fixer, and... She might be envious of their status.

No Longer Matches Default Ego

Ryoshu

Ryoshu is unchanged, with Lust as her primary since the last check in and now, going from 9 to 15 now. However her second has changed from Gluttony to Pride, which makes sense, an artist has to be proud of her work.

She did gain some Gloom, only 1... in Soda EGO. I too am inflicted with Gloom because of Capitalism, Ryoshu.

Still Matches Default Ego

Meursault

Meursault's Primary Sin hasn't changed in Pride at all, going from 11 to 17, but his Wrath has EXPLODED into second place at 14! My stoic boy, what do you have to be upset about? He still has 0 in Gluttony however.

I'm not quite sure how to categorize BL Meursault's Sin Numbers, because of his special skill. So I just... Put it as an extra 3. While not the first 1+2+3, he is the second... (And both Pride too, HM.)

Still Matches Default Ego

Hong Lu

Our boy is the biggest change out of everyone. He has a 3 way tie for Primary Sin in Lust, Sloth, and Pride at 11! This makes sense with his upbringing, but this is a big change from a primary Lust. Envy is however still his lowest Sin.

Still Does Not Match Default Ego

Heathcliff

Our King of Envy is back! At 19, With a clean sweep of Envy across all IDs! If his next ID has even ONE Envy in it, he'll break into the 20s. Lust is still his secondary sin, so he didn't change much here.

He did gain 1 pride at the Pequod ID, but still no Sloth.

Still Matches Default EGO

Ishmael

Ishmael's Primary Sin is still Wrath, at 17, and Gloom in second. She has gained a little bit of Sloth in her Boatwork Fixer ID. Theres not much else to comment on here.

Still Does Not Match Default EGO

Rodion

We have a mild change in Rodya's stats, as she has Two Primary Sins now with Wrath and Pride at 11 each. Shes all over the board with her sins, which makes sense, as she is indulgent at times.

Still Matches Default EGO (Barely!)

Sinclair

Sinclair's number changes are quite interesting in how they have expanded. While Wrath is still his primary, it is JUST BARELY, with Lust and Pride coming in at 10. Lust coming out of left field.

Gluttony is no longer his last sin (Now being Sloth), getting a huge boost from his last 2 IDs and Lantern.

Still Does Not Match Default EGO however, but matches better

Outis

Outis Outis Outis. Oh Outis.

Initially you were Inconclusive, now you are in the Pride Camp, my dear at 14. You also have a secondary in Lust at 11. These are what I thought she would have, but the Inconclusive numbers from before were really interesting. She still has 0 Envy however, which is still interesting.

The first person to have a 1+2+3 in a Sin, with Magic Bullet. This + Cinq boosted her Pride a lot

Now Matches Default EGO

Gregor

Gregor's Primary Sin is still Sloth at 12, but Gloom is catching up just one behind at 11, and Gluttony right behind that at 10. Poor boy still has a 0 in pride, and only a 1 in Wrath. We may see a tossup in Gregor's future

Still Matches Default Ego

-----------

Top 3 In Sin

Instead of writing who has the highest and leaving it at that, I'm going to do a 1st 2nd 3rd for each Sin, it'll be more interesting that way.

Wrath:

1st is Ishmael at 17 (returning champion)

2nd is Meursault at 15

3rd is a Rodya Sinclair tie at 11

Lust:

1st is Ryoshu at 15 (new winner!)

2nd is a three way tie of Hong Lu, Heathcliff, and Outis at 11

3rd is a tie of Don and Sinclair at 10

Sloth:

1st is Yi Sang at 19 (returning champion)

2nd is Gregor at 12

3rd is Hong Lu at 11

Gluttony:

1st is Gregor at 10 (returning champion)

2nd is a 3 way tie with Yi Sang, Hong Lu, and Sinclair at 9

3rd is a tie with Rodya and Ryoshu at 7

Gloom

1st is Faust, knocking it out of the park with a 16 (new winner!)

2nd Gregor at 11

3rd is Ishmael at 10 (from 1st to 3rd)

Pride

1st is Meusault at 17 points (returning champion)

2nd is Outis with 14

3rd is a tie between Hong Lu and Rodya at 11

Envy

1st is Heathcliff at 19

2nd is Don at 13

3rd is Faust at 9

And thats all for my funny update! Thank you for reading all the way through. I hope this gave you some light on your favorite characters. Or if you're just interested in the numbers like I am!

[ask-theredcrown]

Right! Ahem..

FEEL EVERYTHING! feel nothing. TORN ATOM FROM ATOM ALL YOU CAN THINK IS PAIN PAIN RIP RIP TEAR TEARTEARTEAR HATE. AGONY. WRATH. ALL YOU CAN DO IS HATE WITH EVERY PIECE OF FLESH SINEW ENGRAVED WITH THE WORDS HATE WRATH HATE WRATH UNTIL YOUR THROAT RUNS RAW. YOU INFLICT PAIN AND WRATH WITH EVERY SCREAM THAT REVERBERATES BETWEEN YOUR FLESH AND SOUL AND BEING. STRETCH OUT THE MEANING OF HUMANITY ACROSS THE 13.8 BILLION YEARS OF THE GALAXY'S EXISTENCE AND SAY YOU HAVE MEANING. COMPRESSION. ALL YOU FEEL IS A SINGLE POINT BEING TORN FROM YOURSELF- ONE AFTER THE OTHER YOU STILL SCREAM AND MOURN. INTO A SINGLE CHANNEL OF AUDIO YOUR SCREAMS RING OUT FOR CENTURIES AND LIGHT-YEARS APART INTO A COMBINED NOISE THAT EVISCERATES BEINGS TO SHREDS UPON SHREDS UPON SHREDS UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING. and then nothing.

-01

The Gid watches and listens carefully as you scream your lungs out for him. He momentarily closes his eyes as he listens, taking in every word as if they belonged to him, as if he felt your pain and your breathlessness as you spat out your wrathful story.

He felt this, all of this. All of this hate and all of ths anger. He remembers how many tears it took him to become this patient, he remembers how much screaming it took him to become this silent.

"Your story spoke to me in such a deep level, mortal... I appreciate this, thank you... I could have never imagined that a mortal may feel so painfully as a God... What differs us, after all?"

"Hah, thank you..."

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Andrew Doyle

Published: Apr 11, 2024

Get ready for the excuses. For years now, those who have sounded the alarm over the dangers of ‘gender-affirming’ paediatric treatment have been monstered as ‘bigots’, ‘hateful’, ‘transphobic’ and even ‘fascist’. Now their concerns have been entirely vindicated by the Cass Review, and those most responsible for the monstering are already attempting to wriggle their way out of accepting responsibility. We can expect much more of this as further revelations come to light.

Take Stonewall, the charity most culpable for spreading this toxic ideology. In a statement posted on X yesterday, it appeared to endorse the review’s findings, even quoting approvingly Dr Hilary Cass’s plea ‘to remember the children and young people trying to live their lives and the families / carers and clinicians doing their best to support them’. What can one say about such serpentine sleight-of-tongue? Perhaps the actor James Dreyfus – one who has felt the full wrath of gender ideologues – put it best: ‘The absolute fucking nerve of these people.’

Mermaids CEO Lauren Stoner is another in the running for the Brass Neck Award, appearing on Sky News to claim that ‘we’re not medical experts, we don’t advocate for any pathway’. Mermaids made the same claim last year in the tribunal it initiated in a failed attempt to strip the LGB Alliance of its charitable status. Yet in leaked emails it was discovered to have given advice to the now disgraced Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock Clinic. Most notably, Mermaids had offered support in the drafting of an NHS service specification, including details on how ‘[puberty] blockers will now be considered for any children under 12′.

Mermaids’ website currently claims that ‘puberty blockers are an internationally recognised safe, reversible healthcare option’, even though there is mounting evidence of the dangers of these drugs. One of the findings of the Cass Review is that there is no evidence for the efficacy of puberty blockers. Rather than being a ‘pause’ in which young people can take time to figure out their ‘gender identity’, in almost all cases they lead on to cross-sex hormones and, in some cases, irreversible surgery.

During Stoner’s interview for Sky News, she was also quick to remind us that Mermaids has ‘been supporting trans young people and their families for nearly 30 years’. What she neglected to mention is that until the arrival of former CEO Susie Green – a woman who took her son to Thailand on his 16th birthday to have him castrated – Mermaids actually offered sensible advice to parents of children who were struggling with their gender. A leaflet produced by the charity in 2000 is more in line with the ‘watchful waiting’ approach favoured by many paediatric therapists. ‘Gender-identity disorders in infancy, childhood and adolescence are complex and have varied causes’, it said, before stating that ‘the majority of cases the eventual outcome will be homosexuality or bisexuality but often there will be a heterosexual outcome as some gender issues can be caused by a bereavement, a dysfunctional family life, or (rarely) by abuse. Only a small proportion of cases will result in a transsexual outcome’. That even Mermaids once held this position shows the extent to which gender-identity ideology drives well-intentioned people away from the truth. It’s also a reminder that this belief-system has taken hold remarkably quickly.

Both Mermaids and Stonewall were mentioned by Tavistock whistleblower Dr David Bell as being chiefly to blame for the current climate of making ‘people afraid even of listening to another view’. To this we might add groups such as Gendered Intelligence, the LGBT Foundation and the online Pink News, which has published defamatory pieces about those who have objected to the rise of this ideology. These groups, while claiming to advocate for LGBT rights, have tried to intimidate into silence anyone raising questions about the irreversible surgical malpractice that has left many young people sterile and eliminated their sexual function.

And what of the private practices, those who evaded the NHS’s recent ban on puberty blockers? We shouldn’t be surprised that Dr Aidan Kelly from private clinic Gender Plus appeared on Novara Media to argue that the evidence demanded by Cass is neither deliverable nor desirable. Host Michael Walker seemed to think that the figure of approximately 1,000 patients in 10 years prescribed puberty blockers was too low to merit concern and that ‘some of these issues have been politicised to a degree that they don’t need to be’. One wonders how many instances of testicular atrophy, increased risk of cancer, osteoporosis or impaired brain development in healthy children should be considered acceptable? Why are we even countenancing ruining young people’s lives through the unevidenced, experimental and ideological medicalisation of problems that almost certainly require a psychotherapeutic approach?

Novara Media might want to start preparing its own excuses too, given that it published an article in December 2021 offering advice on how to deceive medical professionals in order to be prescribed opposite sex hormones. ‘I’m not suggesting you tell any especially big fibs’, the article says, ‘but maybe finesse your story into one that’s likely to be received with the least amount of confusion (and bear that in mind with the psychiatrists too)… You’re not here to make friends, you’re here to get hormones. Don’t feel bad about it.’

This kind of duplicity has been widespread. Dr Hilary Cass has revealed to the British Medical Journal that children have been ‘coached on what to say and what not to say’ in order to be prescribed puberty blockers. ‘They’re told not to say they’re unsure about their sexuality, not to say they’ve been abused, because it’s so high stakes at that point’, she said. We have known for a long time that the overwhelming majority of children referred to the Tavistock were same-sex attracted, and that gender nonconformity in youth is a reliable predictor of homosexuality in later life. This has been confirmed in the final report by Dr Cass, which found that 89 per cent of girls and 81 per cent of boys referred to GIDS (Gender Identity Development Service) were either homosexual or bisexual. The NHS has been practising gay conversion therapy in plain sight.

We also know that those who have suffered abuse are disproportionately represented among these patients. One study cited in the final Cass report shows that at least one in five children referred to gender services have suffered sexual or physical abuse. In other words, rather than experiencing some kind of esoteric mismatch between body and gendered soul, most of these kids are simply gay or troubled. And yet they are being coached to lie about their actual problems to satisfy the expectations of ideologues. These people have an agenda, and if a few children have to suffer then so be it.

Throughout the Cass Review, the lack of evidence for all of these treatments is continually emphasised. The very notion of ‘gender medicine’ is underpinned by the belief that we each have a ‘gender identity’, what Helen Joyce has described as ‘something like a sexed soul’. In this, she is supported by trans campaigners like Julia Serano who calls it a ‘subconscious sex’, or the barrister Robin Moira White who on my show, Free Speech Nation, said it was an ‘essence of male or female’. This amounts to a faith in the supernatural, and is a key doctrine of the new state religion of gender. It goes without saying that people are entitled to their beliefs, but the idea that a metaphysical hypothesis should form the basis of NHS practice is, on reflection, extremely bizarre.

One of the reasons why this has been allowed to happen is that so many have been duped into accepting that this quasi-religion has some basis in science. This is largely down to the influence of WPATH (World Professional Association of Transgender Health), a body established in 1979. It’s recognised as the leading global authority in ‘transgender health’, and has pushed for the normalisation of the ‘gender-affirming’ approach. Its ‘Standards of Care’ have formed the basis of policies throughout the Western world, including in the NHS, and it is explicitly critiqued in the Cass Review for its ‘lack of developmental rigour’.

In early March, the credibility of WPATH was shattered when internal messages and videos, which had been leaked to journalist Michael Shellenberger, were made public. A full report was written by journalist Mia Hughes for the Environmental Progress think tank, entitled: ‘The WPATH Files: Pseudoscientific Surgical and Hormonal Experiments on Children, Adolescents, and Vulnerable Adults’. The files revealed WPATH’s general lack of ethical and professional standards. There are messages proving that surgeons and therapists are aware that a significant proportion of young people referred to gender clinicians suffer from mental-health problems. Some specialists associated with WPATH are proceeding with treatment in the knowledge that no consent has been secured from either the children or those directly responsible for their wellbeing. They have also withheld from patients details of potential lifelong complications, or continued down this path knowing that the children do not understand the implications. But then, how could a pre-pubescent or even adolescent child fully grasp the concepts of lifelong sterility or loss of sexual function?

The revelations of the WPATH files should have been the end of ‘gender-affirming’ care, but so deeply-rooted is the ideology in all our major institutions that it was always going to take a lot more. The BBC has yet to report on the WPATH files, which is perhaps to be expected from an organisation that has actively contributed to the promotion of gender-identity ideology. In one BBC film, a woman is seen telling a group of children that there are over a hundred genders. I have sent five requests to the BBC press office over a period of more than a month to find out why the WPATH Files have been ignored. I have yet to receive a response. But for those who are interested, I presented a two-hour special on the subject, which can be seen here.

The problems do not end with the BBC. Politicians on both sides of the house have been complicit in the spread of gender-identity ideology and its destructive consequences. When Liz Truss tabled a debate on her Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill in March, a motion which raised concerns about the social transitioning of children in schools and how private companies are evading the NHS ban on puberty blockers, Labour and Conservative MPs spent four hours filibustering about ferrets in order to prevent the discussion. Their ignorance of this ideology has made them its cheerleaders.

We should not expect many of these people to admit that they were mistaken. The psychological consequences of accepting that one has been complicit in gay conversion therapy and the medicalisation of healthy children is perhaps too much for many to bear. Since the Cass Review was published, Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman – a woman who has criticised biology textbooks in schools for stating that sex is binary and who has suggested that children as young as eight should be able to transition – has already decried its contents. ‘Trans Healthcare is vital to protecting and supporting the rights and lives of trans people’, she posted on X, adding that her party ‘will oppose any moves to increase the age of accessing gender-affirming care to 25’.

Of course, the Cass Review makes no such recommendations. Rather, it says that ‘NHS England should establish follow-through services for 17- to 25-year-olds at each of the regional centres, either by extending the range of the regional children and young people’s service or through linked services, to ensure continuity of care and support at a potentially vulnerable stage in their journey’. This kind of moderate caution is certainly commendable given that the adult brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty-five. Of course, it’s too late for some. One detransitioner posted the following on X: ‘Had the recommendations from the Cass Review been implemented when I transitioned, in particular the recommendation of waiting until the age of 25, I would never have transitioned. I grew out of gender dysphoria by the age of 22, but had my genitals amputated by then.’

Although MPs sought to prevent a debate on the problem of private gender clinics, perhaps the Cass Review’s criticism of these clinics for pressurising GPs into prescribing the drugs will change all that. Not surprisingly, the practitioners are defiant. A statement from GenderGP has vowed to ignore the recommendations of the Cass Review and continue with its unevidenced ‘gender-affirming’ approach according to the WPATH Standards of Care. The revelations from the WPATH Files mean nothing to the high priests of this cult. And let’s not forget that the current version of the WPATH Standards of Care includes a chapter on ‘eunuchs’ which urges medical practitioners to perform castrations on patients who so identify.

Undoing the influence of such pseudoscience is going to be a long and arduous process. The ideas are too entrenched, which explains why even the Cass Review has adopted some of the language of the ideology (eg, ‘cisgender’, or references to sex as ‘assigned at birth’). Besides, too much is at stake for individuals who have promoted these beliefs. Already commentators like James O’Brien are blaming the ‘toxicity’ of those who have tried to warn people of the dangers over the last decade. We can expect similar revisionist attempts from others who have failed to speak out, and no doubt ‘the culture war’ will be blamed by those most responsible for waging it.

Ultimately, those responsible must be held accountable. Starting with Stonewall. Whereas the charity once fought for gay people, it now works against them. There should be an investigation into how it was allowed to maintain its influence in major institutions even after its shift away from gay rights and towards an unwittingly anti-gay agenda. Any government departments and quangos still associated with Stonewall should sever all ties immediately.

Both the Conservatives and Labour ought to ditch their commitment to a ban on ‘trans conversion therapy’ and recognise that this will effectively stymie the therapeutic efforts of medical practitioners to support gender nonconforming children. Moreover, there should be a ban on private clinics who intend to persist with WPATH guidelines in spite of Dr Cass’s recommendations. Above all, we need to ensure that the wellbeing of children is never again sacrificed on the altar of ideology.

[actiongrrl]

➤THE MUSE INFO SHEET !!

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓

{Basics}

Name:  Samantha Elaine Giddings

Alias:  Sam, Sammy, Bird

Gender: Female

Age:  Verse dependent, Main; 19 - 20

Species: Human

Zodiac: aquarius / aries / cancer / capricorn / gemini / leo / libra / pisces / sagittarius / scorpio / taurus / virgo / unknown

Abilities/Talents:  General athleticism, cooking, problem solving, picking up random hobbies, professional buzzkill

{Personal}

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

Religion: Agnostic

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English

Family:  Father (Scott), Mother (Angela), Step-Father, Older Brother (Cody)

Friends:  The Crew™️ (Hannah, Josh, Beth, Emily, Chris, Mike, Matt, Ashley, Jess)

Sexual Orientation: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual  / asexual / unsure / questioning / other

Relationship status: (Verse dependent) single / dating / married / widowed / open relationship / other

Libido: sex god / very high / high  / average / low / very low / non-existent

{Physical}

Build: twig / bony / slender / average / athletic / curvy / chubby / obese

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / very brown / other

Height: under 3 foot / 3-4 foot / 4-5 foot / 5-6 foot / 6-7 foot / above 7 foot

Weight: under 100 pounds / 100-150 pounds / 150-200 pounds / 200-250 pounds / above 250 pounds

Scars: Right knee, hands, right thigh, back, forehead

Facial Features:  Green eyes, freckles on nose

Tattoos: IDK YET

{Choose}

Dogs or Cats?

Birds or Hamsters?

Red or Blue?

Yellow or Green?

Black or White?

Coffee or Tea?

Ice Cream or Cake?

Fruits or Vegetables?

Sandwich or Soup?

Magic or Melee?

Sword or Bow?

Summer or Winter?

Spring or Autumn?

The Past or The Future?

Tagged by; Stolen

Tagging; @jesvshotsaucechristmascake , @joshinyou , @prankdate , @spectrophobias , @frightmeister

[spinderella-umbrella]

A collection of re-imagined fairytale shorts with our favourite marauders. 

I love fairytales. I love the marauders. This was an absolutely delightful challenge. Thank you to The Adult Fandom Project for hosting this event, I had so much fun with it. 

Below is the masterlist of my submissions, a clarification on the fairytale if the title strays, and the ships if it includes one.

A little something for everyone.

Fairytales, but Make them Marauders

Snow White and the Four Marauders -Regulus

Lily Evans as Cinderella

Gid and Fab Vs. Evil (Hansel and Gretel)

The Rat who Cried Sirius (The boy who Cried Wolf) -Jegulus, Peter

Sirius Black and the Three [other]/[unacceptable] Houses of Hogwarts (Goldilocks)

The Tale of the Black and the Lupin (Scorpion and the Frog) -Wolfstar

The Frog Prince -Jily

Sleeping Black-ty -Lilycissa

Regulus Black and the Beanstalk

The Wolf and the... Candelabra? Cupboard? [Sirius] (Beauty and the Beast) -Wolfstar

The Snake Vs. The Lion (Bast and Apophis)-Jegulus ft. Harry

Wolfy Mc. Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood) -marauders, gen

The Wrath and Subsequent "Taming" of Sirius Black (The Myth of Hathor) -Wolfstar

The Koi Becomes a Dragon (Koi Becoming a Dragon) -Narcissa

The Sword and the Stone (Legend of King Arthur) Wolfstar, marauders

The Barty and the James (The Lion and the Mouse)

The Sleepwalkers and the Pranksters (The Elves and the Shoemaker) -marauders

The Little Mermaid -Lily

Bartemius (Rumplestiltskin) -Bartylus, Regulus/Voldemort

Mundungas (Aladdin) -Jily

The Milky Way and its River (The Star Lovers) -Wolfstar

[heartofspells]

Gideon and Fabian during HE

Weeeeell. This was...fun. (it actually was. i really like Fabian, and i love exploring his character in this)

We're going to consider this another outtake from Healing Edge, because that's exactly what it is. And with that in mind, behind a cut it goes.

Cw for referenced rape/non-con.

"Bloody Fenwick," mutters Gideon darkly, glowering as Lockhart checks over his healing wrist. "They ought to chuck him from the team. Dangerous, hot-headed fucking cunt. He's lucky he didn't break it, otherwise I would have shoved my foot up his �� "

"Shut up, Gideon."

His red head whips up quickly as Lockhart trails away without notice, slipping into the background as he almost always does, there and then forgotten easily. Fabian refuses to look at his brother, eyes fixed on the door instead.

"Sorry, are you talking to me now?" he snipes hostilely. "That's news to me. You've barely said anything to me in weeks, since – "

"Since January?" says Fabian flatly, rounding on the other, staring down at him, his green eyes flashing with warning, but Gideon only sneers, unimpressed, leaning back in his chair, the ease of his demeanor infuriating Fabian further.

Gideon scoffs, a wet sound emerging from the back of his throat, his eyes rolling dramatically in his head as he looks up at the ceiling, almost as though exasperated, irritated. Fabian's nails bite into his palms.

"Is this about fucking Black again?" he utters, tone bored, nearly dismissive.

"Yes, it's about you fucking Black," snarls Fabian, his carefully held control beginning to slip away. He feels something inside him splinter as his brother smirks.

"We didn't get that far last time."

Stepping forward, seething with rage, Fabian's control shatters like glass hitting the floor around their feet. "You mean you didn't get that far," he hisses, "and only because we stopped you before you could. What the hell is wrong with you? Are you so immeasurably warped that you can't see what's wrong with all this?"

"He wanted it," sneers Gideon, launching forward, glaring up at Fabian like a wild animal, a jackal ready to attack.

"He didn't!" roars Fabian, and Gideon appears to falter for only a second in shock, Fabian never shouting for anything, ever, not once in their lives. "He didn't want any of it, and you're more demented than I ever thought if you really think he did. Sirius was staying away from you because you kept grinding that axe, kept circling, and he wanted no part in what you were trying to do, but none of that mattered in the end, did it? You got yours, got him out of the way, except you haven't, Gideon. He's still here and look at the mess you've bred from it all. No one here is on your side, not even the ones you think are. You're alone, just as you deserve."

Staring up at him, Gideon is slow to respond, his eyes darkening as several rapid-fire emotions flare across his features before something nasty settles into place. "Go on, then," he pushes, tongue swiping across his teeth as Fabian watches. "Tell me what you really think, brother."

Fabian shakes his head, something ragged tearing away pieces of his chest, slicing into his heart. "That's not what you are anymore." His voice drops to a harsh whisper. "Brothers don't do the things you have. They support. They give, but all you've ever done is take and take, and I've always given it. You have always gotten exactly what you've wanted, me following along, providing, bending to your will and your needs, and I would have kept doing it to make you happy, but not anymore, Gid. I lost my brother the second you decided to pin Sirius to that shower wall and corrupted yourself more than I could have ever anticipated. And now I'm done. You will never again get what you want, not ever, not if it's the last thing I do."

He sees it in the lines of Gideon's face, that clear betrayal, the wrath building, but Fabian doesn't linger with it, he can't. He turns his back on the other man, departing the room without another word, ignoring Benjy and Frank standing against the wall on the other side of the door as he stalks down the corridor, mind whirring with options, ticking them away until only one remains.

[iviarellereads]

Full TLT series to date thoughts on rereading Gideon the Ninth, chapter 36, through Harrow the Ninth, Parodos

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space.

The way Cam's attack is described, "like the wrath of the Emperor", gives me some real big feelings about where Paul is headed in Alecto. I'm still not ready to go into my whole ramble about the ramifications of that choice of name, it'll come when it's time in Nona coverage, but wow.

I don't have a lot to say about the end of the book, really. Just… all the feelings. I had to go literally lay down and stare at the ceiling after the bit about Harrow under the big blue sky with Gideon's remains.

The glossary poses some questions I hadn't considered before. Not by way of things I think the story will end up doing, but now I can't get it out of my head that necromancers can't be born outside the home system, literally outside Dominicus's significant gravity range. Even as far out as Ninth, we might infer that Pelleamena's difficulty conceiving could have been down to reduced thanergenic influence from Dominicus. A baby's death releases enough power to destroy the planet… but what would it take to get a fraction of the power of the Sun?

Not much to say about the rest of the bonuses except that I hadn't thought about "Gideon is a prophetic name, someone named their own demise in her", and how Jod named G1deon. I have so many questions I want answered about the renaming and how that worked and how much of each version of the Resurrection story is true… but this one's sticking out to me today.

The way she points out so casually that Camilla and Palamedes share the "am" in their names in a specific, resonant way because necromancer and cavalier pairs in the book who love each other share a sound in their names. Abigail and Magnus revolve around their Gs, Camilla and Palamedes around the "am". But also, given where they end up in Nona, as Paul… "am" as in the conjugation of "to be" is hitting me as SUPER powerful in context.

The Doctor Sex Lyctoral love letter conundrum. I don't see it discussed very often, the short story only seems to come up in context of Juno Zeta being a bamf. How does this fit in with what we know of the official, and unofficial, accounts of the Resurrection? It bears thinking about, for certain.

Harrow's prologue offers a few truly choice nibbles of revelation. One of the big ones standing out to me is how Harrow thinks that Ianthe is beautiful, as a contrast to how Nona judges Ianthe at the end of the next book.

Also, Ianthe offering to undo what was done, the lobotomy. I wonder if and how much she really cares for Harrow, and if and how much she genuinely cares for her sister.

Ianthe showing exactly how little she ever cared for Babs. I love all the posts I see about how Babs is only there to be consumed, first Ianthe taking his flesh during the aftermath of Abigail and Magnus's murders, and then being the lamb to the slaughter for her Lyctorhood. Did she ever really care about him? Is that lack of love why she's a weaker Lyctor than the others?

Ianthe saying "Choke me, Daddy" when, in context, they're all about to find out Gideon, our Gideon, was in fact John's child all along. Chef's kiss, no notes.

The three different syllables always murders me. Gid-e-on. Sobbing forever. Not even death, not even lobotomy, can separate their love for one another.

Lastly for this post, do we think Alecto's spirit was really appearing in the River with them, or is the Body in the River sequences just a manifestation of Harrow's waking relationship with her?

[abrd]

Hello, my friend. I hope this message finds you well. 🙏

I am writing to you with a heavy heart and an urgent request for your help. My family is in a perilous situation due to the harsh conditions and the famine we have endured for more than ten months. We are facing immense challenges, So please read my story as if I were a member of your family, if my family is your family.🥺

I'm Ola, a graduate student from the Faculty of Science at Al-Azhar University . I'm dedicated and passionate about becoming a good researcher and teacher.

Unexpectedly, my life took a drastic turn transforming me from a passionate student into a person struggling for survival. 🥺

I have created a campaign to help me and my family rebuild our lives and meet our basic needs for food, drink, and other essentials in these harsh conditions. This will also help me continue my education. At this critical moment, I implore you to share my campaign with your network, both offline and on social media platforms. Your advocacy is vital to our success.

All I am asking for is your support. Every simple thing makes a difference in changing the situation we are in. You can help us either by giving direct support to our campaign or simply by sharing/reblogging the pinned post on my page and/or writing a post about my campaign. This would greatly help us reach more potential donors, and I would be very grateful if you could share the campaign link with your friends and family via email or other social media platforms. ❤️

I sincerely hope you can empathize with our dire situation and consider supporting us. Please be assured that any help brings us closer to our goal, and no matter how small your donation might be, it will make a significant difference in my family's lives.

I would appreciate it if you could follow me to stay updated, as I will always need your help. 💔

This is my GFM link:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-olas-pursuit-of-education-amid-crisis?qid=30ec4c502382b9962b96d698a687d9a8

My campaign has been verified by @ 90-ghost, @ northgazaupdates, @ el-shab-Hussien, and @ nabulsi's vetted list (line 205).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1yYkNp5U3ANwILl2MknJi9G7ArY4uVTEEQ1CVfzR8Ioo/htmlview#gid=0

Thank you in advance for your kindness and support. I am waiting for your response. ❤️

Please donate and/or share with others. 🥺🙏

Sincerely,

Ola

thank you Ola <3 i sincerely hope you and your family can escape the wrath of the israeli occupation

[novariddle97]

What if Lucifer was the good guy. In the bible it talks about how God was a jealous god and none should be worshipped but him. That sounds like greed and pride and envy and wrath . That's four of the seven deadly sins that gid a supposedly perfect being has that he expects humans not to have. Even though we are created in his image. And god wanted humans to worship him all day and praise him. What if Lucifer was kicked out of heaven not for hating humanity but for trying to free humanity from a life of servitude to a god who expected them to do nothing bur worship him and have no free will. What if that's why he was cast out . Plus god has him punishing sinners. Wouldn't someone evil be rewarding the sinners kind of like what hevan sounds like to anyone who spends their life worshiping God so what if Lucifer was the real good guy and God is the villain and God sent Jesus as his false prophet in order to sway more people to his side and have people go against Lucifer who was really the one trying to save them all along

[zakanakai]

So I did a funny spreadsheet

I wanted to count exactly how much of each sin each of the Sinners had, and how it reflects on their story.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GiO4F1Sf8soycIDIgDc9XrpptVBIghkxaaFGRCXSOQI/edit#gid=0

Heres the Spreadsheet,

The numbers are slightly weighted; with Skill 1 being 1 point, Skill 2 being 2 points, and Skill 3 being 3 points.

more of me talking below the cutoff, if you don’t wanna click a link;

Yi Sang:

Yi Sang’s primary sin is Sloth at 11. This boy does not want to move, with Pride at 6. Noteworthy is that this boy is completely Lustless. Has a little in all the other sins, but Lust? 0. Absolutely none.

Matches his Default EGO

Faust:

Faust’s primary sin is Envy at 7, with Gloom at 6. She has a little in every sin, but the interesting detail is that None of her IDs have any sins the same as her Default ID and Ego.

Does not match her Default EGO

Don Quixote:

Don has a tie for First in her Primary Sin, with both Lust and Envy at an 8, with a schmattering in the other sins. However she has 0 Sloth and 0 Pride; This Girl moves, and is humble, even in her delusion.

Matches her Default EGO

Ryoshu:

Ryoshu has a standout primary sin in Blood Lust at a 9, while her next closest is Gluttony at a 6. This gurl has 0 in Gloom however, not depressed at all. She only had 2 in Envy before her Red Eye EGOs came out

Matches her Default EGO

Meursault:

Meursault surprised me with his primary sin being Pride at a surprising 11, with his second being Sloth at 8. While yes, his default EGO is also Pride, I don’t know, it still surprised me. This man has 0 in Gluttony however, and only 1 in Lust.

Matches his Default EGO.

Hong Lu:

Hong Lu has surprisingly high scores in both Lust and Sloth, with Lust in first at 9 and Sloth on its heels in 2nd at 8.

His last places are Envy (makes sense) and Gloom, which is default EGO is in. I would have thought he would have more in Gloom, but the chart proves me wrong.

Does not match his Default EGO

Heathcliff:

We have THE KING of Envy here! At the highest score of 12, Envy is his highest sin, but we also have a very lusty fellow here at 10. I would have thought Wrath would be his second most, but seems not.

He also has 0 in Sloth and Pride, which makes sense for how high his Envy score is.

SUPER Matches his Default EGO, like holy crap.

Ishmael:

Ishmael’s primary sin is Wrath, which you wouldn’t think when you look at her, because shes sassy, but amicable, with Gloom at 7. She has 0 sloth, which makes sense as she is constantly on the move.

With her Wrath being so high, I fear what she has in plan for Ahab.

Somewhat Matches her Default EGO.

Rodion/Rodya:

Rodya’s primary sin is Pride, matching her EGO, with Wrath in second. This makes a lot of sense with her story, and I can understand why the sins are like that. Rodya, like Ishmael, and a few others ahead, has 0 Sloth IDs as well. Which is a surprise for me, she seems like the kinda girl to relax.

Matches her Default EGO

Sinclair:

Sinclair is hella surprising in the fact that his primary sin is Wrath. While making this, I was thinking it would be Gloom, but no! Gloom isn’t even in the top 3! Its Pride in second! and Gluttony, where his Default EGO is, is in last.

Does not match his Default EGO

Outis:

Outis’s primary sin is Inconclusive. So. This is the strange one out of all the sinners. Shes mid-tier in all the sins, with three sins (Lust, Gloom, Pride) maxing out at 6. I’m pretty confused at how to interoperate the numbers.

However! She does have 0 Envy, so..? Shes not envious of any of the other sinners.

Matches? her Default Ego

Gregor:

Last one!

Gregor’s primary sin is Sloth, with Gluttony hot on its heels in second. This surprises me a bit, cause I would think it would be depression Gloom. However the poor bug man has 0 in Pride. Don’t worry bby, you’re my sad wet cat.

Matches his Default EGO.

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

Now to write out who has the highest in each sin!

Wrath: Ishmael at 11 Points

Lust: Heathcliff at 10 Points

Sloth: Yi Sang at 11 Points

Gluttony: Gregor at 8 Points

Gloom: Ishmael at 7 Points

Pride: Meursault at 11 Points

Envy: Heathcliff at 11 Points

Oof, that was a long post. thanks for reading the whole way through! I hope the numbers interested you like they did me.

[twoscoopsblog]

Strixhaven Previews

Oh boy oh boy. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am for Strixhaven to be coming. As someone who grew up reading two main book series, Harry Potter and the Forgotten Realms novels (mostly Drizzt and the books where Kelemvor became a god), I am totally stoked for Strixhaven and the D&D set.

So let’s look at what we know about Strixhaven, shall we? This is the Multiverse’s best wizarding school (take that, Tolarian Academy!) and it had five colleges. 

Lorehold is in Red and White, and is focused on history, artifacts and understanding the magic of artifice. 

Just look at that artwork. An owl student shooting magic. A dwarf student with a GATLING SCROLL!? And those effects - Make a 3/2 token? Make all creatures stronger and indestructible and fast? A lightning helix? A blood divination? And I get TWO OF THEM!? A 3/2 with a free Blood Divination is totally worth 5 mana! And it’s even more modular! I love it!

Then we have the college of dirt, decay and life, Witherbloom.

I love the tusky troll dude. I love the green miasma. Land recursion with mill? Permanent removal? Creature debuffing? Life drain? It’s pretty nice.

Prismari is the art college, full of elemental magics, song and dance. So my wife’s school and my best friend’s school, but not my college.

Look at this. Burn. Rummaging. Treasures. Artifact destruction. This is the school of heavy metal and rock opera, the school of drumlines and dance troops, the school that’ll make you know you just got served. Amazing.

But if you’re more into STEM, maybe Quandrix is where you’ll be.

For only 3 mana, you get two of - a bounce, a counter, a permanent buff, or mill insurance? Yes please, I’ll do math for that! (This would be my sister’s college, btw). 

This one we even know an associated teacher - Kasmina! Remember her, the wizard teacher planeswalker from War of the Spark? We all knew she was from Strixhaven, and it sure is good to be right.

So much cooler than Professor Trelawney, Kasmina can summon fractal owls, and just her being there makes your other planeswalkers have more abilities because she’s a wizard teacher, and she teaches them how. She even lets you tutor and free cast a spell of any color of a sufficiently loyal planeswalker you control. You can keep your Uncommon Walkers from WAR around longer now! I would totally be that guy to use Teyo to Wrath of God you or Angrath to pull a Star of Extinction. It’s just how I am. (Don’t use it with X spells though, because it’ll set X to 0.)

And finally, my college of choice, Silverquill. I wasn’t sure about them at first - they came off like the Slytherins to me, but their black mana isn’t from “Wizard Supremacy” or being literal wizard Nazis, but instead from healthy competition. Compete within the group to get stronger, and your group itself is now stronger. Then you are all better to face your enemies. They’re the school of constructive criticisms and biting witticisms. The writers. And they have ink magic they’re so cool!

Their Command gives you so much fun. An angel buff! Graveyard draw! A deal with the devil! Forcing a death! And the ink! Look at the ink!!!

Man they’re so cool. And we’re pretty sure we know one of their teachers now.

Look, I haven’t had a 2D crush since Sailor Mercury when I was 11, but hot damn. I think I’m hot for teacher. Like I never got the “step on me” jokes, but like, I get it now. As I said on Twitter when someone said “Everyone thirsting for Professor Onyx  is a bottom,” - even if you’re a top, sometimes you have to make an exception. 

Like, Liliana was always attractive. She traded her soul for eternal youth and beauty. But now that’s she’s trying to be good, and on a redemption arc, she’s got a certain je ne sais quoi.

And in that outfit, I suddenly have a lot of feelings I’m not used to, and I don’t want them to stop. 

Like I shipped Lili and Gideon hard for a while, but to quote the sketch Ice Cream Parade “Oh... he’s dead now. Welp, here we go!” Like there’s people on Magic TikTok thirsting for Gids, and I suddenly get it. 

Just... holy fuck, I started this post to try to convince people to play Strixhaven, and now I’m just ready to turn this page into a 100% Liliana Thirst Blog. 

Anyway, I’m going to not shut up about Strixhaven. Come for the non-transphobic wizarding school, stay for the insanely attractive faculty, like holy fuck is this allowed, how in the name of Ugin is this allowed.

[firesgamingcorner]

I will incinerate every damn tentacle that make geo grandpa sad. I don't care if they're attached to an ancient ocean gid or whatever, they will taste the wrath of gasoline and matches!

You could make Zhongli a sopping wet pathetic lil meow meow after a day of personally slaying tentacle monsters across Liyue. 🐡

i could, i dont mind torturing my lovely geo wife but the question is, can you guys live with seeing him cry after hacking away at tentacles? 😌

[machinegunkissu]

Awano and Kiryu finding out that Kiryu’s s/o is Awano’s daughter?

|| *rubs hands like a raccoon* yessss hehehehehehehehehheehehehehe 👀👀👀👀👀👀 please enjoy the dancing gid. The beginning of that scene always cracks me up

Bounding down the long hallway in the Tojo Clan Headquarters, ______ glared at each passing portrait. Her father had invited her to lunch that day. Of course, he had asked her to stay in the car, but like always. He was taking too long. Yeah, yeah. He was a lieutenant of the Dojima Clan. But he shouldn't keep her waiting every single time she comes by, mind you, at his request. Ten minutes or so was one thing. Half an hour, every single time, was another.

"You've done it this time, Papa," she growled under her breath. She turned the corner and was finally able to see the door that hid her father from her wrath. Wrath that struck fear into the yakuza man of high standing, easily. If there was one thing Awano, Hiroki feared, it was none other than the wrath of his daughter.

Twisting the knob, _____ pushed her way into the room, shoulder pressed against the wood. "Papa! You're late. Again!"

Her eyes flew to Awano at his desk immediately. His signature purple jacket stuck out like a sore thumb. He always was materialistic. It just was who he was, and he had to make sure everyone knew.

Awano rose up, a faint embarrassed blush flushing his cheeks. "H-Hunny, I-I'm," he stopped, clearing his throat. "I'm a little busy right now. I will be there as soon as I can."

Upon her father gesturing to the fellow before his desk, _____'s gaze shifted. Kiryu. Kiryu, Kazuma. Her boyfriend. He looked shocked, to say the absolute least.

"Kazuma-chan!!" she shrieked. Immediately she went running towards him, throwing her arms about his waist. _____ discarded the fact that her father was before her completely. All anger and frustration was subsided immediately. Kazuma always brought a warm, happy feeling even in her darkest times. "What're you doing here? I'm so happy to see you!"

"_____-"

"I didn't know I was going to run into you today. You sure look handsome today, Kazuma!"

"Th...Thanks, but-"

"Papa! This is the man I've been telling you all about. Kiryu, Kazuma! He's my boyfriend."

Both men's eyes went wide and they felt their faces fall. This cannot be happening. There is no way.

"You're kidding..."

"Sir..."

[queenofbaws]

hello there, i hope you’re having a good weekend 😊 could i ask for jossam and number 6, please? thank you <3

“Oooh no, oh nonono, no, I am so serious Samantha...” Josh began, doing his level best (and still failing) to keep from grinning like a dumbass as Sam interrupted his every other syllable with a ‘Yeah-huh’ or ‘Mhm’ or ‘Yup yup’ of her own, punctuating each mocking little comment with a brief, chaste peck to his lips, “...you make a fool of me in front of my sisters like that again - ” cue another series of ‘Uh huh,’ ‘Sure,’ ‘Okay’s, “ - and there will be no amount of buttering up that will contain my unending, fiery wrath, I mean it.”

“Now, to be fair, I’m pretttty sure you’re the one who made a fool of yourself in front of everyone, Mr. Look-At-Me-I’m-All-About-Horror, jumping out of your skin like that, buuut...” Sam ignored his groan of frustration, “I won’t sneak up on you like that during a movie again - scout’s honor,” she nodded somberly, doing absolutely n-o-t-h-i-n-g to make the lie convincing or hide her laughter.

Josh pulled back just an inch or so, juuust enough that he could narrow his eyes and size her up. “You cannot use my own tricks against me, Giddings, that’s not how it works - ” only for her to pull him right back, deepening the kiss if only to keep him from talking.

And it worked, but that wasn’t the point.

six sentence sat(or)sunday!!!

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

The Angel’s Share - Ch. 8

Chapter: 8 of ? (Find Chapter 7 here)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Kate faces more than one fear on their journey to the distillery.

Permanent taglist for hopeless: @vodka-and-some-sass @just-the-hiddles @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @nonsensicalobsessions @myoxisbroken @blah666 @brokenthelovely @myworddump @polireader @wiczer @littleredstarfish @the-broken-angel-13 @arch-venus25

Taglist for Angel’s Share: @rjohnson1280 @alexakeyloveloki @villainousshakespeare @wolfsmom1 @tamstrugglestowrite @trickstersteve @lucantis @exygon​

A/N: If you’d like to be added to the taglist for this series, or the permanent taglist for either authors, let us know! :)

Co-written with the invariably incredible @yespolkadotkitty​!!

"There's a girl. Come on, darling. Work with me. That's it. There, now."

Thomas soothed Firefly, the abused horse Lucille had saved from the slaughterhouse last month. For all her regal airs, his sister had a soft heart, and he'd been unsurprised to learn about the new acquisition.

Firefly would make a good companion for his own mount, Bandit, when she relaxed enough to be allowed near him. Perhaps they'd even get a foal out of the introduction, he thought, whimsically.

Firefly eventually nuzzled into his hand and Thomas shook a few apple slices free from his jacket sleeve as a reward. His heart soared as it always did when she showed a tiny further modicum of trust.

“Uncle Thooommmmaaassss!” Gideon’s shout announced the arrival of the overexcited boy. It always pleased Thomas that Gid was so sweet and unaffected given the nature of the collapse of his mother and father’s relationship. The boy was a treasure.

To her credit, Firefly didn’t shy away as she had in the past, proof that she was slowly becoming used to people and her new home.

Gideon skidded to a stop six feet from Firefly. When Thomas looked up he saw Kate following, and his heart lurched at the sight of her. Her denim cut off shorts revealed shapely, lightly tanned legs. The sassy sweatshirt suited her to a T. She was a world away from the vapid socialites he had once dated, and he was glad of it.

The morning sun, already strong, kissed the waves of her tousled hair, picking out the golden strands. Her lips curved and he felt himself smile in return.

“Morning, GQ.”

“Morning.” He knew his gaze lingered on her mouth, and he let it. There was something simmering between them. He knew she’d felt it last night in the moonlit confines of that small room, the scent of whiskey floating in the air between them, the space between their bodies littered with unsaid words. “You’re up early.”

“Wanted to get a jump on the day. You know. You ready, then?” she asked, a clear challenge in her voice.

Bring it on, Thomas thought. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, but she smiled broadly. “Sure, when I was a kid, at fairs. Why?" She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her denim cut offs, cocking a hip. Thomas knew that stance. It portrayed false confidence. He knew it well because he'd used it himself many times as a callow young man.

'Well," he said, keeping his tone casual, "the distillery is a little way off. We could ride there. You're welcome to share my horse."

"Missus Kate can have her own horse, right?" Gideon piped up.

Thomas watched the indecision parade across Kate's face.

'I shall choose a gentle mare for you," Thomas promised sincerely. "We'll ride at the same pace."

"Okay. Sure. Why not," she replied, and he could hear the false bravado in her tone.

Well, it was a short ride, truly, he reasoned. And he could make sure to hold the reins of Sugarplum, the older mare, with his free hand.

"Go on back to your Mum," Thomas instructed Gideon, to a drawn out moan and an eye roll. "We'll have treats later."

That perked him up.

Kate watched him go. "Treats?"

'Most Saturdays we have cake."

"Served by the butler, no doubt."

Thomas led Firefly back into her wide, clean stall. "You have seen Allerdale," he said calmly. 'We have no glut of servants, that is clear. The house is going to ruin and I am pouring every penny I make into it, and the stables. For now we mainly have the appearance of wealth rather than the actuality. Do you hate what I represent so much?"

Her face fell. "Thomas, I…."

*****

She watched his brows tilt up hopefully, even against the sadness that pulled at the corners of his lips.

“Appearances can be deceptive, yes?” he asked, in that voice made for sin.

He kept bringing that up, as if repeating it again and again would settle it in her mind that while he looked like a proper cad, dressed to the nines in his manor and living off of a reputation and family money, that he was somehow more. More like her? She had to admit that he had surprised her, revealing a penchant for hard work and humor in turn that spoke more of his character than any tailored suit could, but it still wasn’t enough.

He was dangerous. Too charming and too breathtaking when he stepped closer to her and brushed her braid over her shoulder with too much familiarity. Each easy smile and show of tender concern he sent her way was chipping away at her will, and no matter how hard she scrambled, she couldn’t right her defenses fast enough.

She couldn’t go down that road again. Her heart wasn’t strong enough to make that journey a second time unscathed.

Clearing her throat, she took a few steps away from him, plastering a thin smile on her face as she glanced around the stables. “So, which horse is mine for the day? Let’s get this show on the road, cowboy.”

He moved about behind her, and the rustle of hay on the concrete floor followed by the clop clop of hooves made her turn around to see Thomas leading a beautiful black mare, already saddled, in her direction. She steeled herself against the trepidation that raced through her veins.

“This is Sugarplum. She’s gentle, sweet, and should be an easy ride for you. If you think you can handle it.”

Determined not to show her anxiety, especially in the wake of his teasing, she stepped up to the mare, smoothing her hand down the majestic horse’s neck slowly. She was so soft, unbelievably so, and she felt both Thomas and Sugarplum watching her as if they were physical weights as she petted her. “She’s beautiful.”

Thomas stood behind her, his chest barely brushing her shoulder as he stroked the peaceful mare as well. “She is. Do you need a lift up?”

“No, I think I can manage,” she replied, with more bravado than she felt. “Just hold her steady?”

“As you wish.” He stepped around her, standing in front of Sugarplum, cooing softly to her and feeding her the occasional carrot from the pocket of his ancient Barbour.

Shoving her boot into the stirrup, Kate gripped a hand on the horn of the saddle and the other over the curve of the back, grunting as she swung her leg up and over. It wasn’t as graceful as she would’ve liked, at one point her face was firmly shoved into the wool blanket used as a saddle pad, but with only a bit of adjusting she was upright.

And it was high.

Thomas looked up at her with one brow quirked. “All set there, Carrie Bradshaw?”

She rolled her eyes at the Sex and the City reference despite the fear that crept down her throat and fluttered in her stomach at the slight shift of the horse beneath her. “I’m fine. Go get your horse so we can get the day started. We’re burning daylight.”

She couldn’t make out whatever he grumbled under his breath as he walked away, but it didn’t matter. She needed to focus on not falling off and spilling her brains onto the Sharpe estate. It would likely be the first and last bit of intelligence shown on the grounds for some time.

Adjusting her seat in the saddle, she clenched her thighs tightly into the supple leather and grasped the reins that he had thrown over the horse’s head. The stables were dusty, debris from hay kicked up into the air with the light breeze that blew through the open doors. A powerful sneeze wracked her body from nowhere, and made her jerk on the reins.

Sugarplum was off, racing through the stables at a full gallop. Thomas’ shout was lost to the wind, and all she could do was lean forward, close her eyes, and hold onto the horn of the saddle, shouting her terror at the top of her lungs.

It felt like forever before the horse slowed, snorting and panting heavily. Kate cracked open her eyes, her entire body still clenched tight as she looked around at where the horse had decided to stop. The grassy copse of trees was almost picturesque with wildflowers scattered around the grass. Tall trees, heavy with leaves, provided shade against the sun that could only filter through in shifting shadows that rustled pleasantly in her ears.

“Kate!”

Thomas galloped up behind her, raven hair flying behind him and face set in focused distress. He dismounted while his white stallion was still slowing to a stop, rushing over to where Kate was still clinging onto Sugarplum like a lifeline.

“Let’s get you down from there for a moment,” he beckoned her, coming to her side with his arms outstretched.

She took the assistance without any protest, all but falling off of the mare as she dismounted, his hands strong and steady on her hips. He left them there once she was safely on the ground, and she hooked her arms around him, her hands clutching onto the white fabric of his button-down shirt desperately. Her head fell into the crook of his neck, and she breathed him in deeply, citrus and bergamot that wrapped around her and set her mind at ease.

“You’re alright, Kate. I’ve got you, darling," he soothed, one hand winding around to press into the middle of her back, the other winding into her wind-tousled hair, holding her to him firmly.

Which was a good thing, because her legs still trembled.

“It’s interesting that Sugarplum ran here, of all places. I came here often when I was younger, seeking to escape the oppressive wrath of my father. It was a safe haven of sorts to me. In the fall, the leaves turn so beautifully, reds and golds an enchanting backdrop to the books I would often bring along with me. When I was particularly daring, or father was in one of his moods, I would come here at night. It takes on an ethereal quality in the moonlight that I would love to show you, oh, Kate…”

Her heartbeat was just now beginning to feel like it wasn’t going to explode from her chest, gentled by his pleasant voice calmly giving up a piece of his childhood for her to store within her soul. The drum of his heart beneath her ear provided a soothing rhythm. She tilted her face up to him, trying to catch his expression from her position so close to him.

He was beautiful, expression soft and tender as he gazed down at her. The sunlight, warm and forgiving when filtered through the lush foliage of the trees above them, played off of his azure eyes, making them appear deeper than the sea. The faintest flush had blossomed on his fair skin, blooming over what bit of his chest she could see flirting with the shirt edges as his breath quickened beneath her quiet inspection.

If you had asked her after the fact, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you if he tilted his head down or if she stood on her tiptoes first. All she knew was that his lips were on hers in the next breath.

And the sparks that they had shared, the meaningful glances and the stolen touches, all came to a head.

His lips were soft over hers, gentle and smooth even as they lit a fire that rolled and stretched within her, warming her from the inside out. He tasted of coffee and sugar, a bittersweet and heady combination that stole all the air from her lungs. She melted beneath his touch, her hands splaying across his back, delighting in the stretch of his muscles barely contained beneath the layers of thin linen shirt and light Barbour.

And when he broke the kiss, only to rest his forehead against hers, she felt a tiny piece of her heart break off with the lost contact, left on his parted lips. Her eyes fluttered open to take him in, and a heavy weight settled in the pit of her stomach.

She pulled away from him, already missing his solid warmth, shaking her head minutely with a knit brow. “Thomas…”