#and i firmly still believe it’s a female rage song and should stay it

[carebooks]

makes me kind of sad that no one’s made a proper multifemale edit of taylor’s who’s afraid of little old me? bc, okay look, the song is filled with so much female rage that when i see people using it for edits for male characters, and it’s male characters that i like or love don’t get me wrong, it’s like they’re not getting what the song is about. it feels weird seeing it paired to anything other than women and what we’ve struggled with.

[aelingalathyniusrailme]

my attempt at fanfiction it is smutty

(also in azriels perspective)

azriel was leaning against the ledge of the balcony at the river house, a glass of wine in his hand and his gaze far away. he stared out at the city he loved and the sidra beneath him when he heard a shuffle of feet , a small bang and a nasty curse.

“hi love,” he said into the air, putting his glass down. gwyn blushes and bites her lip, sliding underneath him so his arms are wrapped around her. he is content to just stand there as they watch the humming city. his head quieted and his swirling shadows calmed as they tended to do in her presence. az could feel the mating bond glowing between them strong but soft and sweet like an endless melody. he heard the song between their soul’s mine, it seemed to say, you are mine and I am yours.

gwyn breaks the silence asking what he’s doing out here and he tells her “it’s funny I’ve been doing this for 500 years and even now it can be overwhelming.”

she nods “every so often I feel like it would be so much easier to just go back into the library and hide from all this.” she gestures to the lit-up city in front of them.

“gwyn” he turns her head around so she’s looking at him “you know that if you wanted to go back I would fully support you. I’d miss you like crazy but I’d support you.” and she gives him a broad smile, the one that makes his heart pound and his head dizzy.

“I know but I am ready to live and I want to do it with you.” he smiles but words don’t feel like enough so instead he grabs her hand, spins her around, pulling her close to him, and kisses her. letting his actions tell her everything his words can’t and when she kisses him back his head is dizzy and he knows he could get drunk on the feeling. like he’s the question and she’s the answer, as if he had been singing the same hopeless song for 500 years and than she came and gave it life. gwyn let out a soft gasp and with that single sound, he knows he could come undone.

they break apart for a second and she looks at him in a way that only she, ever has, with her hands around his neck, face rosy with a healthy flush “I love you az.” his heart strains and he understands now, that this is love, this is real, and he had never been in love before. not in a way that mattered. azriel knows they should stay but can’t find it in himself to waste this moment so he wraps them in his shadows and winnows them to his secret apartment, the one that not even rhys knows about. he turns them and pushes her against the wall with a scarred hand pressed against the stone and the other stroking her jaw. he moves it up and with the barest whisper of a touch, traces the constellations in her freckles. getting lost in the intensity of her teal eyes and the feeling of her skin he forgets to respond so she tilts her head expectantly.

he laughs, the sound deep and real “I love you too.” gwyn raises her eyebrows as if to say go on and azriel can’t believe he ever felt a fraction of what he felt for her, for anyone else “I love the way your nose scrunches when you get excited. I love your smile and the way you light up every room you walk into. I love that you’re a competitive asshole.” she looks at him with mock hurt and he brushes a hair from her face. “I love the face you make when I catch you reading smut and you pretend you aren’t. I love how brave you are.” his voice turns huskier and drenched with arousal. “I love how you taste.” he licks his lips. grazing her ear with his teeth “I love the way you moan when I’m inside you.” gwyn lets out a whimper. az smirks “yeah just like that.”

“Are you sure we should’ve left?” gwyn asks halfheartedly, her eyes avoiding him. he grips her chin softly but firmly to make her look at him. he brushes a finger over the curve of her mouth and she brings her tongue out to meet it. the sight makes his cock strain against the confines of his pants. he can smell the change in her scent, the sweetness of her arrousal and his pants tighten further.

his eyebrows raise full of amusement and lust, “oh yeah this is much more important.”

she bites her lip “mmm”

“now will you let me go back to listing all of the reasons I love you,” he says as he trails kisses from her jaw going lower and lower. he lifts her shirt to reveal her chest.

“we might be here a-ohh” she moans not getting a chance to finish her sentence as az traces her nipple with his tongue. gwyn began to squirm but az held her arms tight above her head keeping her pinned as he sucked her tit while squeezing the other, feeling them go hard. he sucked and sucked, never wanting to stop hearing the sound of gwyn moaning, of her beneath him. she manages to get a hand free and immediately it goes to her slit but az bats it away. he lets out a low snarl, looks her in the eye and shakes his head.

“az” she pleads

“someone’s greedy today” he hums, still sucking. finally, he lifts his head only to capture her mouth in a possessive kiss as he carries them to their bed. he lays her down, gets on his knees, and purrs “I am going to worship you like never before”

“you better get to it then” gwyn tries to smirk but instead it comes out breathy. az chuckles as he trails his fingers up and down her thigh, every time getting closer and closer to her slit. finally, he moves his hand up and traces it as lightly as possible, emitting a shutter from gwyn. he starts to stroke her, avoiding her clit, wanting to enjoy gwyn’s reaction before tasting her because he knows once he starts he may never be able to stop. all at once az brings his head toward her and licks that one spot while simultaneously slipping a finger inside her. his tongue making deliciously slow circles while his hand pumps to the same rhythm. slowly but surely he begins to build up speed and pressure, going faster and faster, in and out and in and out. gwyns breath quickens and one hand grips the sheets while the other runs through his raven black hair, pushing him into her, desperately trying to get more friction. he happily obliged and then with a final push she jumped over the edge and climaxed, cumming on his expert tongue. he continued to flick and pump her past completion. her body squirming on the bed, her back arching in pleasure.

finally, he stood up with an expression only an arrogant cocky male could make “satisfied” the question was laced with a challenge he knew gwyn could never ignore. he unbuckled his pants ready to take control but instead, gwyn stood up with newfound energy. her stealth and speed could rival the spymaster in front of her.

she slipped in front of him enjoying the shock on her mates face. in his eyes, she read the question and with a devilish smirk, she responded “I guess you taught me well” and she pushed him down on the bed. he fell back with ease, az would swear that everything about this amazing female made him go weak in the knees. just one look, just one sniff of her amazing scent, just one taste and he could crumble. gwyn looked at his shadows pointedly as if she was speaking to them. his confusion must have shown because her smirk only broadened. suddenly he felt his hands being whipped back towards the headboard. he turned to look and it had seemed his shadows had pinned his hands, leaving him at her mercy. he felt his cock stiffen. holy shit he thought, the fantasy suddenly a reality. she walked to a dresser to the side of the bed, swinging her hips in the way she knew made him crazy. his eyes tracked her every movement as he licked his lips. she opened the doors and pulled out two colorful bands that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. one blue, the color of his siphons, the other a vibrant teal, the color of her eyes. ribbons he realized with no small amount of delight, they were ribbons. his shadows released his right hand only for gwyn to replace their grip. she took it into her own and kissed the scars, as though to remind him he was no longer alone. gwyn then took the cobalt blue ribbon and tied his hand to the post. instead of going around, she straddled his waist to get to the other side of the bed. his breathing hitched.

az licked his lips, his throat going dry. “oh the things I would do to you if my arms weren’t pinned”

gwyn hopped off his lap as quickly as she hopped on going to his other arm. “like” she teased back.

“well I would fuck you until you couldn’t walk straight,” he said simply.

gwyn felt the increasing wetness begin to drip down her thighs but she refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, “that is a very enticing offer, one that I will happily reclaim later but” she drawled

“but” he repeated.

she waited a moment, basking in the anticipation, then she trailed her arm down his toned body brushing it against his cock. she felt it twitch and heard az groan, gwyn grinned sweetly

“but today we play by my rules”

az felt it twitch again, the competitive asshole in him prayed she hadn’t seen but of course she noticed and her smirk was nothing short of feral. this, of course, did not help his raging hard-on and only managed to make him somehow want her more. now on the other side of the bed gwyn took his left hand and repeated the same steps she had taken on his right. kissing his hands and then tying it to the post with the teal ribbon. gwyn looked over him with a satisfied glance, “my ribbon” she teased in a sultry voice. she moved to the end of the bed, her body emitting a slight glow while azriel's shadows arranged themselves atop gwyn’s head to form a crown of shadows. she looked like a goddess, his goddess. gwyn ran her hand up and down the front of his pants, slowly undoing and pulling them off. she bent down and looked up at her mate, and said “try to last will you” azriel barely heard her as all he could think about was his throbbing cock and the female tormenting him. he tried to come up with a witty retort but then gwyn leaned in, took her tongue, and licked up the startling length of him, circling the head, shocking him from his thoughts. she teased and teased always going just a tad too light and slow. az tried to lift his hips but found he couldn’t. gwyn must have spelled the ribbons. his head was proud but his cock was pissed. gwyn smirked as if she knew what he was thinking. azriel let out a deep groan. the sound snapped her self-control and she took him into her mouth while using her hand to stroke the shaft. she bobbed her head up and down. az bucked knowing he couldn’t last much longer, one more stroke, one more lick and he knew it would have been over but instead, gwyn hopped off him, just stopping. he let out a complaint but it was muffled by gwyn seizing his lips with her own. the kiss was sweet but deadly and took azriel’s breath in a way he never knew was possible. gwyn lifted her head, grazing her teeth along his ear while her hand found its way to his dick. she stroked once as she whispered “cum for me”. with those dirty words from the cruel mouth of the female he loved more than life itself azriel exploded. released hit him like an avalanche, pleasure unlike any he’s ever known. he groaned her name and couldn’t remember his own. gwyn winked and said “I win” the magic holding him back broke and he smiled and flipped gwyn over holding her gaze.

her breath hitched and he smirked “not just yet.” gwyn laughed, her smile shining as he looked into his mates eyes, her hands around his neck. he lined himself up with her and slowly pushed in, letting her adjust to his length and girth. she bit her lip but a little moan still managed to escape.

“az” she groaned. he began to move inside her, forgetting where she ended and he began. he moved at a leisurely pace as if they had all the time in the world. gwyn wrapped her legs around his waist and flipped them over putting her on top.

“dominate little creature” he purred. she rode him fast with his hips lifting to meet hers, the mating bond a living breathing thing between them. it was a never-ending song between their souls, glowing. his shadows swirled around them, entangling themselves in gwyn’s hair and up and down her arms and legs as if they were home. as she rode him, she took his hands into hers and brought them up to her chest.

she looked him in the eye and said the words he had been waiting for 500 years to hear

“you’re mine”

together they came in ecstasy. pleasure racing through their conjoined bodies leaving them nothing short of fulfilled. azriel gripped her waist while gwyn arched into his touch. each other’s names, the only words they knew. both of them drunk on happiness.

gwyn jumped off az and fell back onto the enormous bed. they turned to look at each other. az ran his fingers through her soft flaming hair, twirling it between his fingers as though he was content to do so all day. he leaned with his lips hovering above hers and whispered “you’re mine too.”

[justcallmefox89]

Truth or Dare Part 3

It’s Arianthi’s birthday and Diavolo has decreed she can have anything the Devildom can provide.  She requests a slumber party at the House of Lamentation; her, the brothers, the angels, Solomon, Diavolo, and Barbatos.  Asmo has suggested a game of Truth or Dare and everyone is ready to play, but things quickly spiral when secrets and risky dares collide. 

TW: body image issues. eating disorders

Written from the perspective of my female MC, Arianthi.  

I’m adding a different mood playlist to each installment of this series, just songs that I listened to while writing and feel embody each part of the story.

Blackpink - Playing with Fire

Ursine Vulpine - Wicked Game (cover)

Dark Sarah ft. JP Leppaluoto - Dance with the Dragon

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know

Hollyn - I Wasn’t Good Enough for You

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

Everyone refreshes their drinks and we all gather in a circle on the floor; Belphie immediately lays his head in my lap and Asmo cuddles up on my other side.

“Hey sleepyhead, you have to play too,” I say, ruffling Belphie’s hair gently.

He gives me a lazy smirk.  “I will.  I can’t wait to learn all your secrets.”

“Oi!  I wanted to sit next to Arianthi!”  Mammon complains.

“Too bad!” Asmo and Belphie say in unison, wrapping their arms around me. 

I shoot Mammon an apologetic smile and he grumbles as he walks away and sits next to Simeon. 

“Ok, what are the rules to this human game?”  Diavolo’s eyes are glittering with excitement, while Lucifer looks like he’s trying to hold off a migraine. 

“Super simple,” I answer.  “Everyone takes turns asking another person truth or dare.  If you say truth you have to answer whatever question you’re asked, no matter what it is.  If you say dare then you have to do the dare, no exceptions.”

“Ok!  Everybody is clear on the rules so let’s go!  Birthday girl gets the first turn!”  Asmo squeals in excitement.

I take a glance around the circle and settle on Beel, innocently eating cake. 

Perfect.

“Hey Beel, truth or dare?”

He looks up from his plate in surprise.  “Ummm, dare I guess?”

You truly are a kind and generous God.  Good lookin’ out. 

I shoot my eyes heavenward for a moment, then refocus on Beel.

“I dare you to streak around the House of Lamentation.  Twice.”

“Urk!”  Beel chokes on his cake, and Mammon slaps him on the back.  Eyes watering and cheeks flushing Beel looks at me.  “For real?”

“It’s the rules.”  I shrug innocently.  

Asmo is cackling with glee next to me, Diavolo is snickering, Lucifer looks like he wants to die, Solomon and Satan are wearing matching smirks, Simeon looks scandalized, Belphie is silently shaking with laughter, Leviathan is red to the tips of his ears, Mammon is glaring at me, and Barbatos is stone faced. 

Beel shoves his plate away and heaves a sigh as he gets to his feet.  He slowly starts stripping down, until he gets down to his boxers.  He starts to walk to the front door before I stop him.

“Uh uh Beel, boxers too,” I say with a smirk.

He blushes all the way down to his chest and quickly steps out of his boxers.

“Goddamn Beel!” I exclaim without thinking.  I already knew he was ripped but this....... this is perfection. 

“Arianthi!” Mammon claps his hands over my eyes while Beel rushes out the front door.  

We all rush to the windows to watch Beel complete his laps around the house. Mammon stays close behind me trying to cover my eyes every chance he gets.

“I could give you something to look at that you’d like better than Beel,” he mutters in my ear angrily.

I turn around and look him.  “Do you really mean that Mammon?  You want me to see you like that?”

“W-w-well I mean,” Mammon stutters are he turns bright red. 

He’s saved as Beel sprints back into the house and slams the door behind him.

I roll my eyes, frustrated with his emotional constipation.  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”  

I turn and start walking back into the living room.

He grabs my arm to stop me.  “Whaddya mean by that?” 

I try to jerk away from him but he holds tight.  

“C’mon, answer me.”  Blue eyes meet mine, pleading.

“Let her go.”  

We both jump at the sound of Diavolo’s stern voice behind us.  Mammon opens his mouth to argue, but Lucifer’s presence next to Diavolo stops him.  He lets go of my arm and takes a step back.

“It’s fine guys, we were just talking.”  I give them a quick smile.  “Let’s get back to the game.” 

We all settle into our places in the living room.  

“Ok Asmo, since this was your idea it’s your turn,”  I tell him.

Asmo grins, slowly looking around the circle until he settles on Solomon.  “Solomon, who has been your best lover since you’ve come to the Devildom?” 

I roll my eyes and laugh a little.  

Typical Asmo.  He has to know the answer will be him. 

Solomon takes a sip of his drink, his expression serious.  “Definitely Arianthi.” 

Oh shit.

“What?!”  Mammon’s yell is so loud everyone winces. 

The rest of the group immediately starts bombing Solomon with questions. 

Asmo turns to look at me, his expression equal parts shock and pride. “Seriously?”

I shrug and take a long drink.  “Yeaaaaaah.”

“I’m both jealous and intigued,” Asmo says, curling a lock of my hair around his finger.

“Asmo!  Get your filthy hands of Arianthi!”  Mammon yells again. 

He whirls around to look at Solomon.  “When the hell did this happen?” 

Mammon turns back to look at me.  “I thought I was supposed to be your first man?”

I stare into my drink, knowing I have nothing to feel guilty about but feeling guilty anyway. 

Solomon looks at him and shrugs calmly.  “It was Asmo’s turn and he’s asked one question.  I believe that’s all I’m obligated to answer.”

“You motherfu-” 

“Ok, so I think it’s Diavolo’s turn,” Asmo interrupts.

“Solomon, truth or dare?”  Diavolo looks unusually serious. 

The brothers and Simeon all turn to look at Solomon, waiting on his answer.

Well, damn.  

I chug some more of my drink, already dreading where this is going.  

“Truth.”

Goddamn you Solomon.  Goddamn you and your magic dick and your pretty face.

“When did you and Arianthi have your little encounter?”  Diavolo’s tone is cool, his expression unusually serious. 

Lucifer tenses next to him, while Barbatos is almost smiling.  

Once again, Solomon is the epitome of calm.  “The first week of the exchange.”

Solomon directs his next comment at Mammon.  “At that time I believe you were still refusing to call her by her name and doing anything you could to avoid your responsibilities towards her.” 

Solid point Solomon.  Solid point.  

Mammon starts to stand but is yanked down roughly by Beel.  

“Your turn Mammon,” Diavolo says, not taking his eyes off of Solomon.

These motherfuckers. 

I realize what’s happening a moment too late. 

They’re working together.  Assholes. 

I scowl are the carpet. 

Belphie wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me.  He realizes what’s happening too.  I relax a little more when I feel Asmo's hand squeeze mine.  

“Solomon, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”  

Of course Solomon isn’t going to back down from their little game.  

I finish my drink and start in on Belphie’s. 

Lucifer attempts to cut in. “Maybe you should choose someone who hasn’t gone twice in a row Mammon.”

“Nonsense.  We play by the human rules,” Diavolo answers before Mammon can.

Lucifer sits back and waits for Mammon’s question like the rest of us. 

“Where did this little hook up happen huh?  ‘Cuz it sure didn’t happen here, I woulda known about it.”  Mammon is straight up pissed and my guilt is slowly turning into annoyance. 

He has no right to be angry over something that happened months ago, before we had even started hanging out.  He didn’t have a claim on me then.  Shit, he doesn’t even have a claim on me now.  

“At the library.”  Solomon smirks.  “If you would like specifics on where in the library- on one of the study tables, against a bookshelf, in front of the window that looks out over the quad, and in one of the armchairs.”

Diavolo and Lucifer look like they’re in shock, Simeon looks like he desperately wants to be anywhere else, Beel is still eating cake not even tuned into what’s happening, Levi turns red and stares intently at the carpet, while Asmo, Belphie, and Satan are outright giggling.  Barbatos just looks at me with a smirk.

“Wha-?”  Mammon is so angry he can’t even speak.

“It was a busy afternoon.”  Solomon takes another drink, looking at Mammon over the rim of his glass.

I snort into my own drink, laughing, Asmo’s giggles infecting me. 

Mammon looks at me, a mixture of rage and hurt on his face.  “You really think this is funny?  Him just spouting out your business like you’re just some -”

“Some what?”  Belphie interrupts, suddenly alert.

Mammon bites back a response.  “Nothing,” he mumbles.  

Belphie looks up at me from his position in my lap.  “I think I’d like to take a turn now.  Arianthi, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”  

There is no way possible this night can get any worse.  Might as well just go hard in the paint.

“I dare you to kiss,” Belphie trails off as he looks around the group.  “Levi.”

Levi’s head shoots up so fast I’m afraid he cracks his neck, while Mammon lets out a low growl of pure rage.  

I shrug and finish off Belphie’s drink, before I slowly crawl across the carpet to Levi.  When I reach him I throw one leg over him and straddle his lap.  

Levi is blushing so hard I can almost feel the heat radiating off his face.  

I put my hands on his shoulders and lean down to whisper in his ear.  “Hey, if you’re uncomfortable or you don’t want to do this we don’t have to.  I’ll make Belphie give me something else.”

Levi doesn’t say anything for a long moment, refusing to meet my eyes.  

“It’s ok Levi, I don’t want this if you don’t,” I reassure him as I move to get off of his lap.  

His hands shoot out and grip my hips, firmly settling me down into his lap.  

“I want this,” he whispers so softly I can barely hear him.

I can feel everyone’s gaze on us as I tip Levi’s chin up so I can look at him.  He’s still a little flushed, looking nervous but also excited.  I can feel his hands shaking as he holds onto my hips.  

I gently bring my mouth down to his.  I can hear the wolf whistles and Mammon’s shout of anger before I devote my full attention to the kiss. 

Levi is clumsy at first, pressing his lips a little too roughly against mine.  I lick at his lower lip, encouraging him to open his mouth, flicking his tongue with mine when he allows me access.  He moans into my mouth at the intimate contact, sliding his hands under my robe to stroke my back, before pulling me down while simultaneously thrusting up against me.  

My eyes fly open at the contact and I gasp, giving Levi an opening to fully explore my mouth with his tongue.  I eventually pull away, giving his lower lip a little bite before I rest my forehead against his. We’re both panting a little, and I reluctantly pull away from him to return to my spot next to Asmo and Belphie.

I sneak a look at Diavolo and Mammon.  Diavolo looks extremely displeased and Mammon looks like he wants to murder Levi.  Mammon glares at me with something like betrayal on his face.  I return his look with a stubborn one of my own.  

He doesn’t own me.  He can’t even admit that he cares about me.  

“Damn.” Belphie smirks at me as I reclaim my seat.  

“Ok Satan, your turn,” he calls across the room to his brother.  

“Mammon, truth or dare?” 

Oh no.  That’s the smile that means nothing good is about to happen. 

I try to telepathically beg Satan to forget whatever he has planned.   

“Truth I guess.”  Mammon shrugs.

“How do you really feel about Arianthi?”  Satan asks. 

Oh no.  No no no no no.  Belphie and Satan are trying to force Mammon to say how he really feels about me.  On one hand, yes, he needs to admit it or quit trying to claim me.  On the other hand.......this could be a total disaster.

Every eye in the room is now fixated on Mammon.

“Whaddaya mean?”  Mammon scowls.

“It���s pretty obvious that you have a crush on her.  Do you want to date her?  Will you miss her when the exchange program is over?  Or would you want her to stay?” 

Mammon shrugs.  “What do I care what some stupid human does?  She leaves and it’ll be like she was never here.  Not like I’d ever date her, I’m THE great Mammon after all.  I’m a damn model............. if somebody’s going to be with me they have to look good.  I’m one of the lords of the Devildom, why would I settle for some chubby, average looking human?”

Suddenly all the air is sucked out of the room.  I can only focus on Mammon.  I halfway register Belphie sitting up and Asmo gasping next to me.  I can’t breathe.  He could have broken one of my bones and it would have hurt less.  Suddenly the old chorus of doubts begin running through my mind. 

Not good enough, not skinny enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, never never never enough. 

I’m on my feet before I realize what I’m doing.  “I uh, I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick.”  

I’m faintly aware of Diavolo trying to grasp for my hand before I bolt out of the living room and up the stairs to my bedroom.  

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

Solomon looks at Mammon stoically.  “You really are the stupidest demon in the entire Devildom.”

“I can’t believe you said that,” Simeon scolds.  “That was unnecessarily cruel Mammon.” 

The twins glare at him while rage twists Asmo’s delicately pretty features.  “You asshole!  You complete and total scumbag!  If I could set you on fire I would!” 

“I didn’t know this was going to happen,” Satan says softly, a guilty look on his face.

“No one blames you,” Lucifer reassures him, while Barbatos and Diavolo nod in agreement. 

Levi glances nervously at the door, wondering if he should go after Arianthi. 

I don’t want her to hurt herself.  I don’t know how she’ll take this.  And I’m the only one who really knows........

“Why’s everybody all mad at me?”  Mammon asks, throwing his hands up in the air.  “I just answered Satan’s damn question.” 

Levi snaps.  “You know why?  Because we all know it was a bullshit answer!  We all know you want her but for whatever stupid reason you won’t admit it!  She cares about you even though you’d sell her for a fucking Grimm and you bounce back and forth between being jealous and treating her like she’s replaceable! She’s deserves so much more than you.  So much fucking more.”

Levi launches himself at Mammon and the room erupts into utter chaos.  

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

I open the door to my room as quietly as I can and sigh in relief when I see Luke is still asleep.  I pass my hand over the closed door, murmuring the words to the spell that Solomon taught me to ward the door against demons.  Only humans and angels can pass through. 

I can’t handle seeing the boys or Diavolo right now.  

I numbly gather up some clothes as I make my way to my bathroom.  Belphie’s sweats.  Beel’s t-shirt.  Levi’s hoodie.  

I drop the clothes on the tile floor and softly click the lock.  I lower the robe Asmo gifted me and look at myself in the mirror.  

Fat arms.  Thick legs with cellulite on my thighs.  Love handles.  

I pinch at the excess skin and fat on my stomach and feel the oncoming sting of tears. 

It’s stupid to be surprised by this.  So fucking stupid.  Stupid to get your hopes up.  Of course he doesn’t care about me.  He’s right.  He’s absolutely right. 

Panic starts to rise as my shoulders tense up and my stomach clenches.  I struggle to control my breathing as I remember everything I’ve ate and drank tonight.  

Get it out, get it out, get it out.  Do better, be better, be worthy. Get it out.

I turn on the shower to drown out any noise and I reach for my toothbrush on the sink.  I kneel in front of the toilet as I gag myself.  I’m vaguely aware of someone knocking on the door and I think I hear Luke’s voice.  I ignore it.

Get it out.  Do better.  Have more control.  Be better.  Be worthy. 

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

Luke runs out of Arianthi’s room and down the stairs, speeding towards the living room where he can hear raised voices.

“Hey!”  He gasps, screeching to a halt just inside the doorway.  

He’s momentarily speechless watching the scene unfolding.  Mammon has a bloody lip, while Levi has the beginnings of a black eye.  Beel restraints Levi and Lucifer holds onto Mammon.  Everyone is screaming except for Barbatos and Simeon who are backed into a corner, out of the fray.

“Hey!” Luke shouts.  He shrinks back as every gaze in the room turns to him. 

Simeon crosses the room to stand next to him.  “What’s going on Luke?  Is everything ok?”

“I-I woke up in Arianthi’s room and I heard her in the bathroom.  I think she’s sick,” Luke answers softly.

Levi’s head snaps up.  “What do you mean sick?”

Luke hesitates at the intensity in his voice. 

“What do you mean sick!”  Levi shouts. 

“The shower was on so I couldn’t hear very well but I’m pretty sure she was throwing up.  And crying.  I knocked on the door but she wouldn’t answer me and it was locked, and I was worried so I came looking for you guys because I didn’t know-”

Levi wrenches away with from Beel with a sudden burst of strength and sprints out of the room, moving towards the stairs.  The brothers and Diavolo hesitate for a moment before chasing after him, leaving Luke, Solomon, Barbatos, and Simeon behind.

Luke looks at the others, worried and confused.  “What’s going on?  Is Arianthi going to be ok?”

“I really don’t know,” Simeon whispers. 

[flipomatic]

Dance With Me?

Summary: After a minute, Emira had to ask. “Why did you ask me to dance?” She looked down at Viney as she posed the question.

Viney slowly looked up at her, green eyes crisp and clear. “Do I need a reason?” She responded, taking a surprisingly teasing tone.

“No, but I’m sure you have one.” Emira countered. Everybody had reasons for doing things, without exception. Even the witch who stood her up, there was certainly a reason.

Author Note: I have no idea what I’m doing.

Word Count: 2500

__________________________________________________________

Though Viney wouldn’t admit it, she had been excited for Grom.

It was hard to explain, but she never felt like she had belonged before. Hexside, and by extension school events, had always felt limiting. When she was on the healing track, she never felt like she quite belonged. When Principal Bump moved her to the detention track, that feeling only worsened.

Now that she was on two tracks, Viney finally felt like there was a place for her at school. Sure, her class load was higher than before, but she enjoyed the work. Getting to work with Puddles and then go to a class about healing was something she’d only dreamed about before.

As such, Viney was optimistic about Grom this year. She didn’t go with a date; there wasn’t anybody she was interested in asking. Instead, she went with her friends, Jerbo and Barcus. When Viney discussed it with them, they agreed. Barcus even checked with an oracle potion to see if it was a good idea. Viney didn’t know what he saw in the future, but he barked that yes, they should all go together.

Viney even bought a new dress for Grom, one that matched her usual look. The edge was stylishly jagged, and the dark blue fabric brought out her eyes. She decided to wear her hair in a much tighter bun than usual, so that not a single strand could escape.

On the day of Grom, as she got dressed and did her hair, Viney regretted not asking someone to the dance. Sure, she would have fun with her friends, but dressing up like this for someone felt different. Not that she had any experience in that area. Nobody ever wanted to date the girl who didn’t fit in.

But that depressing thought was to be dealt with on a different day, and Viney put it out of her mind as she walked to Grom. She had her friends, and she was going to have a good time with them. She met Jerbo and Barcus at the school, both of whom had also dressed up nicely, and went into the dance with them.

They stood near one of the walls, chatting until the Grom fight. Luz was going to be the one fighting it, so Viney was going to cheer her on. Luz was really strong, and quick on her feet, so Viney was confident that she could win the battle.

Once the fight started, Viney and her friends rooted for Luz the whole time. When Luz fled, bringing Grometheus with her, the whole dance followed.

By the time Viney made it out to the cliffside, the battle was over. Luz and Amity were crowned joint Grom queens, which was unheard of, and then carried back to the school.

After that, the party could truly begin.

Barcus had enough standing and watching, and insisted that the three of them dance. Neither Jerbo or Viney could resist his adorable puppy eyes, so they did.

The three found a spot on the now crowded dance floor, where they could stand in a small circle, then danced to an upbeat song. Viney wasn’t confident in her dancing skills, but Barcus seemed really into it. Jerbo was refusing to make eye contact with either of them, his movements choppy and cheeks flushed dark red.

As they danced, Viney took a look around the room. Most of the other students were on the dance floor, but there were a few sitting up in the bleachers.

Two spots of green and bright yellow stood out, way at the top of one of the sections. That could only be the Blight twins, two troublemakers in the same grade as Viney. Viney had taken a good look at their outfits earlier, their matching yellow look. It suited them well, she had to grudgingly admit. When she saw them earlier, Viney had watched Emira walk past for a few seconds longer than she intended to.

They were hard to see from here, but even at a distance Viney could tell that they looked upset.

It was satisfying to see the twins get knocked down a peg, especially considering how they ran rampant all over the school with no consequences. It was fitting for them to come to the dance alone.

“The Blight twins don’t have dates?” She asked Jerbo, who stopped dancing to respond. His face was still red, but not as much as before.

“Umm, I thought I heard that they did.” He looked down at Barcus, then remembered he was supposed to be dancing and started moving again.

“Woof.” (They were asked out on a dare.) Barcus provided the missing information, not missing a beat.

Viney had a hard time believing that. “Seriously?” She looked back up at the twins, squinting to try and see them better. Edric seemed to be scowling, while Emira was resting her head on her arms, eyes locked somewhere in the distance.

“Woof.” (They stood them up.) Barcus added that detail. No wonder they looked so upset; Viney actually felt bad for them now. That wasn’t something she was used to feeling, especially not towards the Blight twins.

Jerbo shook his head, this time keeping his feet moving while he spoke. “Nobody deserves that, not even them.”

“Yeah…” Viney’s voice trailed off as she responded, turning that knowledge over in her thoughts.

As they kept dancing, she tried to put it out of her mind. What did it matter to her that they were stood up? It didn’t, it shouldn’t.

But still, as Viney looked up once again at their forlorn figures, she remembered what that was like. She knew how it felt to be cast aside, to be left behind. Even now that she was more accepted, she still experienced it.

Viney knew what it felt to be alone.

After a few more songs, one of the twins stood up. It was Edric. He walked down the bleacher steps, heading out into the hallway. This left his sister, Emira, all alone.

It didn’t feel right, watching her suffer.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Viney said, looking between her two friends. “I’m going to talk to her.”

__________________________________________________________

To say the evening had gone poorly would’ve been an understatement. Sure, the Grom fight had ended without Amity or Luz being harmed, which was good, but everything else had gone terribly.

Before the fight, Emira still hoped her date might show up for the dance. Being fashionably late was a thing, after all.

But after the fight ended, she knew that was an empty dream. Both her date and Ed’s hadn’t shown, had stood them up for the dance.

As the party raged on, the two ended up sitting up at the top of the bleachers. Ed wanted to leave and go home, but Emira reminded him that they had to wait for Amity. Their sister was still having a wonderful time at the dance, so they shouldn’t ruin it for her.

Ed had grumbled, but complied.

For many songs the two sat there, not speaking. Emira rested her head against her arms, and wondered if there was something she could’ve done to prevent this, besides not accepting the offer to attend the dance. She should start planning revenge for this, but couldn’t focus on any specific ideas.

Emira felt like crying. She couldn’t; this wasn’t the place for it.

After a while, Ed got fed up with sitting. He said he’d be back and stormed off down the bleachers. Emira stayed right where she was, eyes locked on a point somewhere in the distance.

“Excuse me.” A female voice startled Emira out of her daze, and she snapped her eyes towards it.

A witch in her class, her name was Viney if Emira remembered correctly, was standing nearby on the bleacher stairs. She had come all the way up and had her piercing green eyes locked on Emira. She looked stunning tonight, Emira wasn’t ashamed to admit that, a far cry from her usually messy look.

“Hi.” Emira wasn’t sure what to say to her, why she’d come all this way. They hadn’t really spoken before, maybe once or twice in class. She always got the feeling that Viney didn’t like her, which wasn’t unusual among her peers.

“I, umm.” Viney glanced away and then back at Emira as she searched for the words. “Are you okay?”

Emira chuckled lowly at that, forcing the sound out. “Not really.” She answered truthfully, a half frown on her face.

“I’m sorry.” Viney apologized, though Emira wasn’t sure why. Her horrible Grom experience had nothing to do with Viney. Viney’s cheeks dusted pink as she opened her mouth to continue speaking. “Dance with me?” She asked it as a question, much softer than she’d been talking before. Emira could barely hear her over the music.

Emira stood, brushing off her dress, and stepped closer to her. “You want to dance?” She needed to make sure she heard right; this was certainly a strange occasion.

Viney nodded once, firmly. “Yes.” She sounded more certain now.

As someone who had been stood up, who was Emira to say no? “Alright.” She agreed, slipping on a façade of a smile. If Ed was going to do his own thing, she might as well too.

Viney’s eyes lit up at the acceptance, and she turned to walk down the stairs to the dance floor. Emira followed her, still not quite sure what to make of this turn of events.

When they reached the floor, they moved through the dancers to an open spot. Then Viney turned back to Emira, reaching out to take her hand. Emira accepted, noticing how much smaller Viney’s hand was as their fingers intertwined together.

Emira then stepped forward, placing her free arm around Viney’s shoulder. The other witch responded by placing a hand on Emira’s waist. They started to move to the music, slowly swaying in place.

Over Viney’s shoulder, Emira could see that Ed had reentered the gym. He raised one eyebrow at her, in an exaggerated way. She rolled her eyes at him, and he waved one hand in a dismissive fashion.

Emira couldn’t see it, but behind her Viney’s friends were doing much of the same. Jerbo was flashing two thumbs ups Viney’s way.

Edric vanished back into the crowd, leaving Emira to focus on Viney. The two swayed and spun slowly, their bodies kept chastely apart. Viney was looking at a point over Emira’s shoulder, her face maintaining that pink from earlier. As Emira looked at her, her eyes flicked over, causing Emira to quickly glance away. The side of her neck felt hot, though that could’ve been from the heat of the gym.

They continued to dance.

After a minute, Emira had to ask. “Why did you ask me to dance?” She looked down at Viney as she posed the question.

Viney slowly looked up at her, green eyes crisp and clear. “Do I need a reason?” She responded, taking a surprisingly teasing tone.

“No, but I’m sure you have one.” Emira countered. Everybody had reasons for doing things, without exception. Even the witch who stood her up, there was certainly a reason.

A small smile crept onto Viney’s face. “Would you be offended if I said I felt bad for you?” She leaned in a little closer with those words.

Emira loosened her arm, frowning as she took half a step back. “Yes.” She didn’t need pity.

“Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.” Viney stepped closer to close the new distance, tightening her grip on Emira’s waist. “I just, I know what it feels like, to be left out.” Her eyes, fierce and vibrant, were locked onto Emira’s. It was impossible to look away, to retreat. Even to breath felt like a struggle.

Emira slowly moved her hand back up, back to where it was before. “Oh.” Was all she could say, as she resumed moving with the music.

“I always wanted someone to reach out to me.” Viney spoke slowly, like it was an admission. “So when I saw you up there, all by yourself, I couldn’t stay away.” The words were raw, honest.

Emira smiled slightly, her first genuine one since the end of the Grom fight. “I see.” She mused over the idea. She had never given Viney much thought, perhaps she should’ve. “I guess, I’m not offended then.”

“Good.” Viney’s eyes softened, and she pulled Emira slightly closer.

Emira let her.

The song ended, and then rolled on into the next. The two continued dancing.

They talked as they did, about tracks, magic, and siblings. They didn’t have much in common, but the conversation flowed quickly. Emira learned that Viney was an only child, but she thought of her beasts as her family. That she wanted to open her own clinic someday, with Puddles the griffin as her assistant.

Emira told her about the antics she got up to with Ed, and the trip they took with Mittens to The Knee. It felt easy to talk to her, as if they’d known each other longer than just an hour.

By the end of the night, as the last song played, only a few inches separated them.

When the last notes faded, Principal Bump came to the mic the thank everyone for attending.

Neither Viney nor Emira moved.

For a minute, they just stood there with their arms still in place, staring at each other. They had been dancing all this time, focusing on moving their feet and talking, but now they those distractions were gone.

There was no more music, no more motion. There was only them.

Viney’s lips, which Emira hadn’t spent any time dwelling on before, were open slightly as she looked up at her. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing; Emira’s were too she was certain of it. The air between them seemed to spark. Emira felt as if a switch had flipped inside her, drawing her to not let go, to just lean closer and…

“Ahem.” A low, dry voice interrupted Emira’s musings. Both her and Viney snapped to look. Ed was standing to her right and had one eyebrow raised even higher than before, with Mittens standing next to him. She was still wearing her Grom crown. “It’s time to go.” He said bluntly, clearly irritated. At least Mittens looked happy.

“Oh, right.” Emira reluctantly stepped back from Viney, creating space between them and finally allowing their hands to fall apart. Her palms had become sweaty from the exertion. “Thank you, for reaching out.” Emira turned back to Viney, her heart full.

The other teen smiled back in return. “Any time.” She said warmly. As she turned to go, Emira realized she didn’t want it to end like this. She couldn’t just let Viney walk away, and go back to being alone.

“How about I take you out after school on Tuesday.” Emira called after her, a clear hint of desperation in her voice despite her efforts to not let it show. “As thanks?” She had lost some of her confidence by the end, but when Viney turned back she was beaming.

Viney practically glowed in the dim light of the gym.

“I’ll see you then.”

[amisbro]

Alright kids

Its TIME we go to school cos a friendo of mine on tweeter a.k.a. @baku5ds wanted to know WHAT my plan for a 5th season of UtaPri would be...well First we have to look at the way UtaPri has been wrote so far.  Now if we looked at UtaPri in the form that its in and the way it was being wrote we would notice THIS! In its current form UtaPri has been wrote with 2 Arcs of about 2 seasons + an OVA which ,all told, run 52 episodes (53 if OVA is counted).  When one Arc was finished they had to find a way to bridge to the next story they were going to write which...isn’t easy because how many events can you write for in the idol world unless (I think) you start thinking globally So far the Arcs they have been going with were UtaPri Awards Season 1 - Formation of STARISH Season 2 - The first encounter with HEAVENS Bridge - Shining Star Xmas (OVA) Triple S Season 3 - The Cross-Units/1st Entry Concert w/ Return of HEAVENS Season 4 - The 1st winner announced/duet project/2nd Election w/ Winner Now we have an interesting situation BECAUSE of the fact that STARISH won the big concert at the end of Season 4 so one would think the show is over Not...quite! If we are to assume that the Movie is going to “Bridge” to a new season and project then what we have coming is going to be interesting as far as the next Arc cos we have to assume its going to be another 2 season run (this is based off off the way they have basically done the show from this point before) So what would I do with Season 5?  Its a gamble BUT the big thing would be to do something that starts to establish HEAVENS more than what Season 4 did.  I firmly believe that HEAVENS was supposed to be focused on MORE in the last season but the producers got cold feet and went with the “safe idea”...even if the Oricon in some ways showed differently but EYYYY! The ideas that I had for the next season of the show were based originally around the idea that in Season 4 STARISH won first and then QN would take on HEAVENS OR The idea was going to be that HEAVENS would have faced STARISH in a best of 7 solo and then the winner was going to face QN...that was my original idea as convoluted as it was but now we basically have QN and HEAVENS it seems chomping at the bit...what do we do? Well here is an idea One of my big ideas for the season/arc would have been that HEAVENS stayed with Raging (and it looks like that IS happening) BUT they got a new composer to write for them.  Raging felt that Nanami’s songs WERE GOOD but not good enough to beat STARISH and QN so he needed someone with a bit more “Edge” to them.  He gets a new composer whom graduated from a music school not far from where HEAVENS is located (I have had it in my head that Raging and Shining have had studios and agencies pretty far apart from each other) and this person (let’s go with the idea that its another female but my original idea was a male composer) for some reason which gets explained through  the season HATES Nanami and wants her gone from the industry BUT... Eiichi had other plans Eiichi’s driving goal is to have Haruka as the composer of HEAVENS even if his Father wants this new girl.  He comes up with a plan to try and make this a reality He challenges QN to a contest at a NEO DREAM SPECIAL which would take place at the end of the season and if HEAVENS won they would get Nanami BUT if they lost...gone and DONE! QN agrees to the contest and through the episodes leading up to the final we get to meet the QN boys a little more and we get to meet EVEN MORE of HEAVENS’ character as each character got a solo episode...this works because of the idea that now we can really start to break down and learn the motivations of the HEAVENS boys and what makes each tick.  Yeah we got to learn A LITTLE through the duet project but that was mostly a rushed info dump or a third party.  This would be THEM giving us the info we never got and would build up the anticipation for the season finale. Finale comes and HEAVENS would win this round BUT it is going to make sense because NOW (as if they weren’t before) QN is pissed off because they lost Nanami to HEAVENS and now are desperate to get her back...to do THAT however they would need STARISH’s help and now its simple:  One final match between STARISH and HEAVENS whom, even if HEAVENS has yet to beat STARISH they had been the proverbial thorn in their side! STARISH would face HEAVENS one more time at the end of Season 6 and this time its a final!  It ends up being all groups goodbyes BUT STARISH would go on to get Nanami back one final time and that would wrap up the series! NOW....things have changed slightly! We still go with the idea of HEAVENS getting a new composer (Again female) but I thought about “softening” the character for this reason: The new composer from Raging’s Agency would work with HEAVENS but under QN’s watch as Juniors.  The idea is that QN knows how close HEAVENS was to being on the brink of elimination AND beating STARISH so they wanted to get to work with them.  Whilst the new composer might NOT be the biggest fan of this idea he/she goes along with it to get an idea of how QN works as a unit and then tries to incorporate that with the HEAVENS charges.  The season would MOSTLY focus on HEAVENS both Solo and as a group but we would definitely see QN help out their new kids to try and improve them before their next big test which would could down the line As the season progresses we do learn a lot more about the boys and how they work musically and in other ways to see what they could use to motivate them with their new songs.  The big thing though is that by the end of Season 6 (and yes this is only season 5 we are talking about) they have to be ready for one big test which we will call the “NEO DREAM SPECIAL” You remember Neo Dream right?  That was the show that MasaToki appeared on when they performed Original Resonance (one of my fave performances both in Animated and live form BTW)...yeah that!  Well the idea is that for the “Final Test” for his group Raging wants HEAVENS to perform on this special and if they won...they didn’t just win the contest but they won their freedom from their contract with him. Back in Season 5 for a minute and as we go and we learn about the new girl’s methods we find out she actually isn’t a complete militant and she actually is worried sick for HEAVENS (apparently Eiji told them about the tensions during the Triple S season) and vowed that no matter what they were going to make sure they were happy and they were safe from his abusive practices. By the time Season 6 comes their “Beginner’s class” with QN is over and now its onto the Master course and this time its when Shining AND Raging make it perfectly clear the end goal which becomes the NEO DREAM SPECIAL at the end of the season.  Shining also does inform them that the judges would be in fact his prize group in STARISH BUT...he makes one thing perfectly clear Should STARISH show ANY favoritism to QN they would be disbanded publicly at the show and he wouldn’t blink DOING IT!  He wants it to be a true fair fight and while the winner would be in the hands of his prize group that DOESN’T mean that he would let them just pick QN just because HOWEVER... During the season Raging legit lives up to his name and his temper starts to get the best of him!  He wants Shining in ruin SO BADLY that he starts to take out his frustrations NOT JUST ON HIS KIDS but also on Kira, Van and anyone within an arm’s reach! Eiichi panics and comes up with a plan with HEAVENS’ composer and Nanami whom he and Eiji call out of fear The NEO DREAM SPECIAL that they were working towards...he wanted a new condition put on it with Shining’s Blessing HEAVENS wins the contest at the NDS and HEAVENS can leave Raging and go to Shining’s agency HEAVENS LOSES and they become Raging’s slaves for all eternity Nanami gets a ho;d of Shining whom hears about the problems at Raging’s and agrees to the condition but he would have to go talk with Raging himself and Raging whom is so DONE with his Son agrees because he knows WHEN HEAVENS lets him down again it will be their grave! Now its an all or nothing fight for the freedom of a group that has been through hell and back to get out!  If HEAVENS wins they are free and if they lose its over for them...and STARISH IS THEIR PAROLE OFFICER! the NEO DREAM SPECIAL would be either the life sentence for HEAVENS...or their way COMPLETELY OUT of the hell “Daddy dearest” put them through...I think...we know how this ends up!

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

4th September >> Mass Readings (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & Southern Africa)

 for

Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time 

 or

Saint Mac Nissi, Bishop (Ireland)

or

Saint Cuthbert, Bishop (England)

or

Blessed Dina Bélanger, Virgin (Canada).

Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95(96):1,3-5,11-13

R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.

R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise, to be feared above all gods; the gods of the heathens are naught.It was the Lord who made the heavens,

R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise, let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth.

R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.

R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or

Luke 4:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,for he has anointed me.He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,to proclaim liberty to captivesand to the blind new sight,to set the downtrodden free,to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

   But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’

   And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

   ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

   When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

-----------

Saint Mac Nissi, Bishop (Ireland)

  or

Saint Cuthbert, Bishop (England)

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Exodus 32:7-14

The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. “Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.’

   But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.’

   So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 88(89):2-5,21-22,25,27

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him.My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘My truth and my love shall be with him; by my name his might shall be exalted.He will say to me: “You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.”’

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 9:35-37

The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

   And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

--------

Blessed Dina Bélanger, Virgin (Canada)

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Song of Songs 8:6-7

Love is strong as death,

jealousy as relentless as Sheol.

The flash of it is a flash of fire,

a flame of the Lord himself.

Love no floods can quench,

no torrents drown.

Were a man to offer all the wealth of his house to buy love, contempt is all he would purchase.

The Word of the Lord.

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17

R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

or

R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:

   forget your own people and your father’s house.

So will the king desire your beauty:

   He is your lord, pay homage to him.

R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

or

R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.

The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,

   her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.

She is led to the king with her maiden companions.

R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

or

R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.

They are escorted amid gladness and joy;

   they pass within the palace of the king.

Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:

   you will make them princes over all the earth.

R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

or

R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

John 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’

   They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’

   The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

[ges-sa]

Wonder Woman Review

New Post has been published on http://ges-sa.com/wonder-woman-review/

Wonder Woman Review

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”25603,25604,25607,25599,25600,25601,25605,25602,25606,25623,25624,25625,25626,25627,25628,25629,25630,25631,25632,25633″][vc_column_text]Wonder Woman has finally arrived, in more ways than one! Marking the fourth film in the current critically mixed DC Extended Universe, and the first big budget blockbuster film for the character, there’s a lot of extra attention on this movie and rightfully so. With hopes of fans and big plans of DC Films’ parent company and distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures on the line, as well as being the first female lead superhero big budget theatrically released movie, which is also the first of the genre to be directed by a female, this is an important film in so many ways. Despite carrying the weight of so many burdens on its shoulder like Atlas himself, it seems as though in the end, all that was needed was a women’s touch.

Director Patty Jenkins hits it out of the park (or bats a six to use cricket terms), notching an important win under her belt not only for herself but for the newly lead Geoff Johns and Jon Berg lead DC Films division. While ‘Man of Steel’, ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Suicide Squad’ enjoyed good returns at the box office and through home video releases, they received mixed and lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike due to scripting and editing choices which broke up the flow of the stories and fundamentally missed the mark on some of the characters themselves, changing their personalities to suit the script rather than craft the movie around them instead. Both those instances appear to be addressed in ‘Wonder Woman’. No doubt a fresh director and vision helped as the narrativ is tighter and brings Wonder Woman’s personality to the big screen in ways we had only dared hoped for while staying fundamentally true to her comics back-story and character.

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers and her true destiny.

Framed by scenes in the present, this story is focused firmly on Diana’s origins in the past which was a smart decision, giving this movie room to breathe and set its own tone without largely having to worry about the continuity with ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ in the present. This structure is not unlike ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ in this way, and not just because of its later war setting, which should be taken as a compliment.

The scenes on Themyscira (Paradise Island) are visually stunning in both scope and visuals, with the Greek influenced style of their architecture mixed with some original designs. The Amazon warriors are portrayed as every bit as fierce as they are in the original comics through the years, with the depiction of their fight style being something new we have not yet seen on screen and is on full display during earlier battle scenes, with some creative camera angles to convey the action. Wonder Woman herself shines in later battle scenes with similar explosive might and fierce style, leaping into action with force and everyone attack or defence has such weight behind it, you’ll almost feel sorry for the Kaiser forces having to fight her…almost. Everything from her fighting style, to her protective gauntlets/bracelets, to the use of the lasso of truth and her updated iconic costume all amount to a very faithful depiction of Wonder Woman which will make fans of her DC Comics adventures, animated appearances and general audiences alike very happy.  More than that, the early scenes are visually rich as well as the colour palette is bright and vibrant during our time on the island, while appropriately less so as we enter man’s world and the battlefield of World War I, unlike some of the oversaturated, filtered and at times desiderated colours of the earlier DC Films movies. These mixed with the musical score of Rupert Gregson-Williams help to uplift this film right from the start.

More so than anything this film gets right for me, is the overall tone of the story which gels hand in glove with Diana’s personality. She’s strong, independent and more than capable of holding her own in battle or any given situation for that matter. As we delve through her origin tale, we also see how much she has a defined sense of right and wrong, presented through several choices made throughout, and a burning desire to help people due to believing in the best in humanity. It is this overarching genuineness and optimism that more than anything, lifts this film up above the others that preceded it above. After all, if she didn’t have hope that she was doing the right thing and making a difference in the world, why would she bother going on this journey at all? Complementing this optimistic feeling throughout is the right amount of humour, primarily in the interactions between Diana and Steve Trevor, as well as other supporting characters at times, in how they deal with Diana’s mythology and then her fish-out-of-water interactions as she learns about our world (in the mid 1910’s but our world nonetheless). It hardly ever feels forced and is a welcomed change of pace from the ultra serious and sombre ‘Batman v Superman’, as they pick and choose where and with which characters to sprinkle in the humour.

One could raise issues with the culminating battle in the third act but will not go into that to avoid spoilers. The rest is so pleasing that this seems rather minor compared to the rest of the overall film which carriers such heart throughout as the film focuses on Diana/Wonder Woman.

Gal Gadot, despite being a highlight in her brief appearance in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, was still a question mark for some heading into this movie. Question no more because she is without a doubt the best thing about ‘Wonder Woman’. She is able to convey the fierce warrior nature of Diana as well as the heroism, love and hope of the character as well. Whether in hard hitting action scenes or the quieter character moments, she proves equally capable of carrying both and holds our attention. Chris Pine turns in a great performance as U.S. pilot and spy Steve Trevor. He has great natural comedic timing and also some chemistry with Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince as they engage in conversation and explore the differences between the two contrasting worlds from which they belong.  Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen are great too, conveying the stoic Amazon warrior Antiope (Diana’s aunt) and the caring, nurturing Queen Hippolyta (Diana’s mother) respectively; both displaying traits that we later see develop in Diana as she progresses on her journey to becoming Wonder Woman.  Lucy Davis is a blast as Steve Trevor’s bubbly, comical and loyal secretary Etta Candy and we have some good performances by Danny Huston (General Ludendorff) and David Thewlis (Sir Patrick Morgan) as well as the other notable cast members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INLzqh7rZ-U

As a result we have an action packed story that is will please and make you feel a little sad and emotional at the right times, but also leave you hopefully and upbeat by the time you walk out of the cinema. Who could ask for more than that from a story like this? It doesn’t break the mould of the genre but still delivers a good story and movie going experience within it all the same. Anyone can enjoy this film from children, boys and girls, to adults as well. I think families and younger girls might get even more of a thrill out of this movie. DC Films gets a big win with ‘Wonder Woman’ and her future appearances in ‘Justice League’ will be all the more powerful and pleasing to audiences with the solid work of this film paving the way. There’s no post-credit scene but you can enjoy a pleasing song by Sia early on into the credits that helps solidify the whole journey and experience in your mind.  A highly recommended movie to see this weekend with friends and family and one that will earn a place in many people’s Blu-Ray collections.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Additional Information

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Reviewed on: Cinema 3D Available on: Cinema 2D, Cinema 3D, IMAX 3D Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Superhero Age Rating: PG 10-12 V Estimated RRP: R50 – R120 Release Date: 02 June 2017[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Likes

Optimistic, hopeful and packed with heart

Comic accurate depiction of Wonder Woman and some supporting characters too.

Costumes

Gal Gadot and Chris Pine

Dislikes

Third act reveal and final battle? (sorta / kinda)

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