#and it's just universally understood as this sacred place where anyone may come who needs help or even just wants to see him

[handgiven]

Where does fear reside in your body?

somewhere else;; what is known is what is safe. your fear is never inside you, always somewhere else. your home is the best place in the world; all other places are scary. the people you already know are better than anyone else. so you go on, playing with broken toys, wearing dead people's clothes. you can be torn down to shreds, abused, tortured and miserable. but at least you know where it comes from, which gives you a sense of comfort and even control. the unknown hides dangers you don't understand, so it scares you. but alongside the dangers, you miss the wonder, adventures and opportunities that you could've otherwise had. my guess is that you've dealt with grief and loss.

tagged by: @spookyagentfmulder tagging: @talentforlying @void-foxy @jefuiitor && anyone else who sees this and feels inclined to take this uquiz (tag me! i'll love to see your results !!)

[lavaffair]

A Miko's Fantasy - Rated Explicit

A collaboration fic with my dear friend Emmy (@/emmyyasha) on Twitter! You can find her profile here

A very HUGE thank you to @akitokihojo for guiding us through this journey, and for editing this monster fic! She helped so, so much and I am so appreciated and thankful that I get to call her my friend. <3

____________________

A miko, a hanyou, and a forbidden love affair. These were all part of a fantasy that Kagome's could not help but drift back to again and again. Tonight, her deepest desires will finally become reality with a little help from her own hanyou boyfriend, who is all too willing to play the part she has given him.

you can find it on AO3! (13k words)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36622453

Kagome drew back the curtains overlooking the street in front of her house just enough to sneak a peek at her empty driveway.

He’s still not here yet. It should be any minute now, she thought to herself, anticipation looming in her belly as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. She didn’t know why she was reacting this way. It was only her boyfriend coming over to her place to spend the night, like he always did. However, tonight would be slightly different, the thrill of trying something new weighing over her.

It had even been her idea, just a fantasy she had come up with while her mind had wandered when she was supposed to be helping out with the duties at her family’s shrine. But, one look at the Sacred Tree that had kept watch over the Higurashis for generations sent her thoughts drifting to a different time. A different place where she would be helpless to fall in love with those same golden eyes and silver hair. She would find him in any universe that they existed in together and that knowledge gave her a daydream that she kept coming back to time after time.

When she finally revealed it to her boyfriend, she had expected him to laugh or tease her relentlessly about how she read too many romance novels. But instead, he just shrugged and told her the idea wasn’t half bad. That had honestly surprised her.

While Kagome was, without a doubt, a hopeless romantic, Inuyasha was very much not, often struggling to express how he truly felt and instead choosing to show how deeply he cared for her through his actions rather than words. To someone on the outside, he may simply appear grumpy or emotionally unavailable, but she knew that couldn’t be farther from the truth. After their three years of dating, Kagome was able to read him like a book.

Inuyasha was kind, brave, fiercely strong, yet gentle when the appropriate time came. He made her laugh, made her feel safe, made her feel so loved that she really had no choice but to fall for him hard and without any logical reason. He was her best friend and confidant. Her person. And, even though they fought sometimes, since the both of them were as stubborn as a mule, they also admired and understood each other, harboring a connection deeper than anyone could comprehend. Kagome hardly comprehended it herself, but that’s the crazy thing about love. It’s simultaneously completely without reason, yet is the surest thing in the entire world.

All this to say, Kagome loves Inuyasha and he loves her in return. A human girl and a hanyou, born from two separate worlds that just so happened to meet one seemingly normal day and ended up sealing their fate for the rest of their lives. Now here she was, anxiously tapping her foot against the hardwood flooring of her entryway waiting for him to literally fulfill her fantasies. But, he was late. She was going to have to make him pay for that later.

Kagome looked down at the phone she held in her hand, the last text messages from her hanyou staring back at her, not revealing anything out of the ordinary.

[Inuyasha ❤: about to head out. need anything else?]

[Kagome: Nope. Just don’t forget the firerat.]

[Inuyasha ❤: stupid, that was the whole reason for me to stop by my dad’s. mom gave me grief for ten whole minutes for not visiting more often]

[Kagome: You really should, you know. I’ll even come with you!]

[Inuyasha ❤: yeah, yeah. soon as i get you two in the same room you both gang up on me and i cant get either of you to stop blabbing to each other]

[Kagome: Not my fault your mom loves me 😉] [Kagome: Now hurry up, I miss you.]

[Inuyasha ❤: i literally saw you yesterday]

[Kagome: And that was too long ago 😘] [Kagome: Plus I’m just excited for tonight.] [Kagome: I’m so wet for you already.]

[Inuyasha ❤: shit, kagome. be there in 10]

That last text was 25 minutes ago and Kagome was going stir crazy. Her heart was racing, butterflies in her stomach, thighs pressing together to dull the longing ache to be touched. She was ready for him, already wound so tight that a well-placed breeze could make her come undone. If she didn’t calm herself down, she wasn’t going to be able to last as long as she wanted. And, she wanted to savor every moment of what was to come.

But, if her damn boyfriend didn’t get here soon she was going to lose it.

As if on cue, she heard the telltale signs of his car pulling into the driveway. After a quick check out the window to confirm, Kagome raced to the door to meet him. Before Inuyasha could even take out his key to her house, she was flinging the door open and throwing herself into him like she hadn't seen him in weeks, reveling in how strong and solid his body was against hers. She could tell he was startled at first, not expecting his girlfriend to attack him before he was even inside, but she felt him wrap an arm around her before pressing his nose into her hair to breathe in her scent. This was his way of showing that he had missed her, too.

Snuggling closer, arms wrapping tighter as their pause in life came without thought, the two reveled in the sensation of being in each other's presence, simply hugging and enjoying the feeling of being in each other’s presence again, a comfort as easy as breathing But Kagome, knowing they had a long night ahead of them with plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company, was the first to pull out of the embrace, taking his hand instead and leading him inside while he followed with stumbling feet. After shutting the door behind her, she turned to him and noticed the backpack he had slung over his shoulder.

“Did you bring it?” she asked him, unable to hide the excitement she felt bubbling up.

“Obviously,” he responded, shrugging his backpack off and unzipping it just enough so she could see the bright red fabric that was hidden inside. Kagome had nearly squealed at the sight, somehow managing to keep it down.

“You were so late I almost thought you had changed your mind,” she told him. It was a relief when he rolled his eyes at her.

“As if. No, as soon as I tried to walk out the door, my mom started chatting again. Even forced some leftovers from dinner on me.”

“You poor thing,” Kagome teased while the image of Inuyasha literally trying to run out the door without revealing to his mom that he was actually trying to go have amazing sex with his girlfriend made her stifle a chortle. “Must be hard to be a momma’s boy. She’s got you wrapped around her finger and you know it.”

His scowl at her all but confirmed that he did, but she just giggled at him and placed a kiss to his downturned lips.

“Go put your food in the fridge and get changed. I’ll meet you in my room in five?”

“Eager, are we?”

“Yes, you made me wait long enough.”

He chuckled at her and leaned back in for another kiss, this time letting his lips linger. Kagome could feel the searing heat between them where they touched, and from the growl that rumbled low in Inuyasha’s throat, she knew he was feeling it, too. If the tension from just a simple kiss between them was any indication of how their night would go…

Tingles ran down her spine from anticipation.

Against her desire to just forget the plan and strip Inuyasha of his clothes and ride him right there in the entryway, she broke the kiss with a gentle push to Inuyasha’s chest.

“Go,” she told him, not able to raise her voice above a low hum. He reluctantly obeyed, heading into the kitchen with fiery eyes that were hungry not for food, but for her.

She was really going to give it to him tonight. But first, she had to go get ready, herself, as she was still in her normal ensemble of a sweater and skirt, not wanting to give away the outfit when she greeted him at the door. So, she scurried to the bathroom connected to her bedroom where her other clothes were already waiting for her to change into. After she donned the flowing white and red traditional miko robes, she gave herself a once-over in her mirror. The clothes were not what she would call sexy, covering more of her body than her usual short skirts and dresses did, but it went with the narrative of the fantasy that Inuyasha was helping her fulfill tonight.

After combing her fingers through her unruly, wavy hair, she decided this was as good as it was going to get. She let out a sigh and patted her flushed cheeks to amp herself up before stepping out of the bathroom and into her bedroom where Inuyasha was already waiting. As soon as she saw him, her breath caught in her throat.

Even in the dimmed lighting, he was a vision straight out of her daydreams. As a hanyou, he was already an ethereal creature with long, silver hair that was so silky she could run her fingers through without hitting a single snag. Those piercing, amber eyes that had the ability to see right down into the depths of her soul. Claws that could tear a person apart, yet were so gentle when he stroked them across her skin. And her favorite, a set of dog ears perched on the top of his head that not just allowed him to hear the tiniest whisper, but also gave away how he truly felt about things, twitching when he was confused or swiveling in her direction so he could always keep at least part of his attention on her. He was simultaneously the most adorable and the hottest thing she had ever laid eyes on. And, she couldn’t believe he was all hers.

Usually, he opted for simple jeans and a t-shirt, accompanied by a hoodie or a leather jacket. But now, he stood before her looking like the hero out of a historical, fantasy drama, clad entirely in the red robe of the firerat that had been passed down his family for hundreds of years. The draping sleeves and ballooning of the hakama pants completely hid the rippling muscles of his arms and legs, but she was all too familiar with the build of his body to be disappointed. She would see them soon enough.

Kagome could tell he was taking in her outfit as well from the way those predator eyes were looking at her up and down, a faint smirk turning one corner of his lips upward.

“You get that from the shrine?” he asked her, and Kagome’s breath hitched from his gruff voice alone. She tried to calm herself by smoothing out the fabric of the pants at her hips.

“Yeah, I wear it sometimes when I’m working there.”

“You sure you won’t be desecrating your family’s honor or whatever if you’re wearing it tonight when we…?”

“What my grandpa doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”

He let out a breathy chuckle that had Kagome’s hands fisting the pants she had just tried to smooth out. God, she wanted him so bad. But first, they had to have a conversation to set their ground rules; possibly the most important part of the night, and something that they both took very seriously.

Kagome stepped in to close the distance between them, letting her hands rest on his chest while she felt his own settle on her waist. Tilting her head up to meet his gaze, she knew he was thinking along the same lines when he asked her, “Safeword?”

“Osuwari.”

“Nonverbal?”

“Three snaps.”

And finally, “Colors?”

“Green, yellow, and red,” she replied with confidence.

“Good girl,” he said in that low rumble of a voice that had Kagome’s toes curling. He must have noticed her strong reaction to his words because he lowered his head to place a tender yet burning kiss to her forehead. If he hadn’t been holding her at that moment, Kagome’s legs might have turned to jelly and given out beneath her.

“What are you not comfortable with tonight?” he continued.

“No gagging, but blindfolding and rope play are ok. How about you?”

“Same. This is your night so I’m happy to let you take the reins, ok? Just nothing painful, like hitting or slapping.”

Kagome nodded, knowing that really wasn’t her thing anyway, but it was important for him to tell her exactly what he wanted, or in this case didn’t want, so they could both be comfortable with whatever happened between them.

“No hitting or slapping, got it. Touching the ears is fair game though?”

He rolled his eyes at her but nodded. “Not sure why you like them so much, but yes.”

“I like them because they’re yours. You wouldn’t really be the Inuyasha I know and love without them.”

“Keh!” Inuyasha visibly grew flustered, “Just set the scene for me again so we’re on the same page.”

Kagome knew Inuyasha was trying to move on from the subject because he was still so shy when it came to openly talking about his feelings even after all this time, but he actually loved hearing Kagome give him small compliments and words of affection. He would show her just how much he loved her tonight. The fact that he was even doing this for her in the first place said enough.

“Ok, I’m a miko, you’re a hanyou, and we live in the Warring States era of Japan. We’ve met a few times before and I’ve always felt this pull towards you, like we have some kind of unbreakable connection. However, I’m forbidden to have a relationship of any kind with you because it’s my duty as a miko to rid the world of youkai, so we’ve never given in to our feelings. But, tonight you can’t resist any longer and find me in my room at the shrine I live at. Think you can work with that?”

“Seems easy enough. Should I come through the window?” That idea and how close they were to this all becoming reality had Kagome’s heart pounding.

“If you can, yes.”

“Then, I’ll see you in a few minutes, miko,” he lowered his head and purred into her ear, his breath sending goosebumps down her arms. “Wait for me on the bed.”

Kagome could only nod in compliance as he pressed one last kiss to her temple before exiting the room. She released a ragged breath that she didn’t realize she was holding and clutched her shaking hand to her chest. This was it. This was happening.

She quickly raced to the window to double-check that it was unlocked and Inuyasha would actually be able to get in. Practically leaping back onto her bed, Kagome rolled over to stare up at the ceiling. More than anything, she wanted to feel the familiar weight of him on top of her right now, those fiery eyes boring into hers as he pounded her into the mattress over and over. The thought of that alone had her hand creeping down her body, beneath the waistband of her miko pants and into her folds, already slick from longing for him.

She was so wet that she had no issues spreading her honey to her clit, slowly circling the nub to slightly ease the ache that had been building up all day. Her lips parted at the sensation, imagining that her fingers were his own instead. He was gentle but strong, the pads of his fingers rough from a lifetime of hard work. The thought had her stroking faster, an image of him pressing hot kisses down her body behind her closed eyelids fueling her desire.

“Inuyasha…” she moaned out, not realizing that the window she had purposefully unlocked was now wide open, a hungry pair of eyes watching her.

“Missed me that much, didja?”

Kagome ripped her hand out from inside her pants and sat up with a start to see her hanyou perched right there in her window, his form silhouetted in shadow against the full moon behind him. The only feature she could make out on his body were those amber eyes that practically glowed as they bore into her. There was no hiding what she was doing or how his name had fallen from her lips like a wish. One that he was now making come true.

“How long were you watching me?”

“Long enough.”

Kagome’s lips pursed and she moved as slowly as she dared to draw her legs over the side of the bed and rest at the edge, afraid any sudden movements would set off his predatory instincts. He was already watching her as if she were his prey, like he could strike at any moment.

“How long?” she repeated herself, desperate for a definitive answer.

“Let’s just say I’ve been watching you for a while now, miko.”

They were in character now. Right.

She eyed him up and down where he sat so casually in her windowsill, one leg dangling over the side like he was totally at ease and not in any danger of falling out. She envied the natural sense of balance and grace that his youkai blood gave him, completely the opposite of her, the hopeless klutz that she was.

Just the sight of him before her had that ache between her legs renewed, the yearning for him increasing tenfold. The glint of fangs in the light of his devilish smirk did nothing to calm the blood that was rushing in her ears and she longed to grip him by the forelocks of his perfect hair and just drag him down with her already. But, that piercing gaze of his kept her glued to her spot at the edge of the bed.

“Well, are you going to come inside where it’s warm? You’re letting out all the heat.”

“A hanyou you barely know trespasses onto your sacred shrine and you invite him into your room like he’s a welcomed guest? Is that how poorly they train the miko these days?”

“I know you won’t hurt me.”

“No,” he said as his head tilted slightly to the side, “But, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself if I come any closer.”

Her thighs pressed tighter together to soothe the pressure he was causing her to feel with his words alone. She wanted to confess to him that that was exactly what she wanted, his hands all over her, caressing the most tender and secret parts of her that she would never allow anyone else into. But, the words caught in her throat and she, instead, peeked her tongue out to wet her dry lips before pulling the bottom between her teeth, all too aware of how his eyes dropped to hone in on her subtle movement.

She finally found her voice, “Why did you come here? Why risk getting killed just to spy on me?”

He released a breathy chuckle, “Because, just getting one, small glimpse of you would be worth it.” Her heart fluttered at his words and she couldn’t help but clutch at her racing heart.

“You don’t know what you’re saying. What could a hanyou like you possibly find interesting in a miko like me?”

“Plenty,” his arms folded across his chest as that smirk of his widened. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to tear it off of his face or kiss it until he was moaning her name.

“I’ve seen how you look at me when you don’t think I’m watching, miko. You could have easily killed me. It would’ve been your duty to. But, every time our paths crossed, you let me go. Now, why would that be if you weren’t so interested, yourself?”

“It’s not too late. I’d prefer not to wake the others, so I can make your death swift and painless right now as long as you keep that mouth of yours shut.”

“Oh, I think you know that tonight will be anything but swift and painless. And, my mouth will be getting plenty of use.”

It took everything in Kagome's power not to grab Inuyasha and kiss that smug look right off his face. But, she managed to maintain her calm. The only clue that she was affected was the tiny intake of breath that she had no doubt he could still hear. Inuyasha could likely smell how aroused she was already, anyways. There was never any hiding from him when all of his heightened senses were so attuned to her.

Deciding she was done with just talking, Kagome slowly rose Each step she took in his direction was like he was drawing her to him against her will. She could see his eyes dip down to watch the swaying of her hips beneath the flowing fabric of her robes, his gaze so piercing that she sometimes wondered if his demon sight let him see right through her clothes.

As she approached him, his eyes lifted back to hers and she could practically feel the tingle of electricity in the air as his amber connected with her gray. Reaching one hand out to him, he stayed completely still as she stroked the smooth skin of his cheek ever so delicately with the pads of her fingers. She almost had expected him to pounce, but he didn’t move. Only continued looking at her as if she was the only thing keeping him from crumbling away into nothing.

Although Inuyasha towered over Kagome, could tear her to pieces with a single swipe of his claws, she wasn’t afraid. She let her fingers trace down his jaw, his neck, past his collarbone that she could feel jutting out beneath the thick cloth of the firerat, and fisted her hand in the fabric. His eyebrows furrowed in curiosity as he watched her, but said nothing.

“You should come inside now before someone sees you and they’ll have both of our heads,” she told him in a soft tone before tugging on his haori. He offered no resistance, lowering himself from his perch and onto the floor with ease,making sure to close the window behind him. She pulled him a few more steps into the center of the room before she released him.

“Do everything I say tonight, hanyou, and I may let you leave here with your life.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her and placed his hands on his hips, leaning in dangerously close. “Who said anything about leaving? By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to stay,” he teased, but when he took in the sizzling flame in Kagome’s eyes as she refused to back away or cower, he relented. “What would you have me do, miko?”

“Kiss me.”

“You would want me, a lowly hanyou, to kiss those pretty lips of yours?”

“I would. I don’t think anyone, human or demon, would kiss me in the way you could. And, I know you want the same.”

“I do.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Kiss me.”

He didn’t have to lean in far to brush against her lips, his parting ever so slightly before connecting in a whisper of a kiss before pulling back just a hair to rest his forehead against hers. Inuyasha’s hands found hers and he took them in his own, fingers entwining. For a moment, they simply breathed each other’s air, noses brushing as the tension between them grew so thick it could be sliced through with a flick of his claws. Then, as if he knew that this would never be enough for him, he drew back into her and she met him with equal force, lips sliding across each other over and over until they parted and he slipped his tongue into her open and eager mouth. Kagome released a soft moan from the back of her throat as he claimed her from the inside, and she wanted, more than anything, for him to use that tongue in other places on her body.

He released his hold on her hands to snatch at her hips, pulling her flush against him so she could feel the hardened length between his legs that was all too obviously pressing into her. Inuyasha towered over her small frame, showing just how easily he could dominate his miko by using one of his hands to slide up to the base of her neck and grip the hair there, tugging her head back.

He pulled back from her lips just enough to murmur, “Do you understand how deeply I yearn for you now, miko?”

Kagome could only whimper against him before he was crushing himself to her again. She couldn’t help but get lost in him, the scene they were in becoming the last thing on her mind. Everything else faded away until all she knew were his searing kisses and how she was burning anywhere his hands touched her. It would’ve been too easy to let him take control for the rest of the night, but if she gave herself over to him, then he would be the one to hold power over her. She couldn’t let that happen. Not tonight.

“Get on your knees,” she commanded against his lips. He drew his head back enough to look at her face, a brow cocked at her.

“What?”

“I said, I want you to get on your knees.”

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Yes, now do what I say,” she told him as her hands slid up his body until they reached his shoulders and she pressed down, urging him to follow her lead. And, he did with no resistance, slowly sinking until he found purchase on his knees before her, his hands still resting on her hips. She saw him close his eyes and breathe in, no doubt taking in the scent of her desire now that he was right before it.

“Give me any more backtalk, and I swear I will not hesitate to purify you,” she ordered. His eyes snapped open into an expression of ire, one meant to challenge her.

“You think you can purify me? Little miko, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

Kagome placed a single finger underneath his chin and tilted his head up so his beautiful, amber eyes could meet her own. It was her turn to tower over him now, the power entirely in her hands.

“I have various ways to purify you, hanyou.”

The adam’s apple in his throat bobbed with his gulp. His fingers involuntarily squeezed her tighter and he spoke, his low voice like honey, “What can I do for you now?”

“Undress me. Without using your claws,” she told him, adding on the latter when she felt his fingers flex. She did not want to have to explain how, exactly, her sacred miko clothes had been torn to shreds.

Inuyasha’s lips briefly pulled into a pout, but he did as she instructed, using his hands to untie the knot at her waist until it came undone. When he let go, her red pants pooled at her feet, and her top parted enough for him to see that she was completely bare beneath. His eyes darkened at the sight and he looked ready to pounce at any moment, but he didn’t move just yet, waiting for her next move.

Without breaking eye contact, Kagome lifted a leg. She could tell he knew exactly what position she was requesting from the way he didn’t hesitate to support her. One of his hands cradled her smooth thigh as she hitched it over his shoulder, the other just below her hips, claws barely stroking against the flesh of her ass so it sent goosebumps up her spine. This position they were in wasn’t just her favorite, but also one of his as well. And, it was exactly where she wanted to start.

“You talked a lot of big talk earlier. Can you back it up?”

Inuyasha said nothing, waiting on edge for her orders.

“I want that filthy mouth of yours on me. You know what to do.”

Kagome watched Inuyasha take in another quick inhale of her scent at the apex of her thighs. She was incredibly aroused from the anticipation alone, and he could no doubt see it from the way her sex glistened in front of him. He glanced up at her, his gold eyes locked onto her gray, and slowly ran his tongue up from her wet opening to her most sensitive bead of nerves.

“Again,” Kagome sighed, her command breathier than how she would have liked, revealing just how much he was affecting her when he was supposed to be the one coming undone. “Do that again.”

With a fiery glint in his eyes, Inuyasha did as he was told, his hot tongue continuing to lick and spread her folds apart, curling to drink up her essence in its purest form. Kagome thought if he wasn’t careful, he could get drunk on her and forget the entire scene just to make her cum repeatedly. She was almost tempted to let him.

His grip on her tightened while he continued to swipe his tongue around her sweet vulva, his eagerness to eat her out only getting her more slippery and wet. The white robe that still clung to her shoulders perfectly framed her entire body and it made the bulge that had tented in his pants even more pronounced. Inuyasha’s eyes drifted from hers down to her full tits as they gave a slight bounce with every jolt she reflexively made.

“I want you to look me in the eye while you taste me, hanyou.” Kagome spoke as her fingers stroked through the hair on top of his head, successfully bringing his attention back to her face.

Inuyasha continued to lap at her, his tongue finally swiveling around her clit after teasing her for so long. She jumped at the new feeling, entirely out of her control, and she involuntarily threw her head back from the sudden pleasure with a gasp. He smirked against her and continued to circle around her clit, nearly touching it but not quite there yet. The lewd sounds of his mouth on her sex echoing around the room as he sloppily and languidly teased her were driving her crazy, his chin coated with her delicious, wet slick.

Tiny, breathy whimpers left her lips as her body shivered from his touch, but his hold on her was so strong, she knew she would never lose balance within his tight grip even if her legs gave out.

He was so in tune with how she was reacting, his ears were sticking straight up to take in every breath, every sound that escaped her. His pure attention allowed for her to lose complete control of herself while her body moved on its own.

“Stop teasing, hanyou, or we’ll stay like this all night,” Kagome breathed out. “Until you make me cum.”

Inuyasha continued as he was and licked teasingly. He quickly backed away from her glistening sex and placed a tender kiss to her inner thigh. “So then, we won’t be here long.”

Kagome’s body was engulfed in hot tingles at his response, his swirling tongue on her inner thighs sending goosebumps down her arms. She was about to open her mouth to order him to pleasure her already when she felt his lips finally place a slow, wet kiss on her clit before wrapping around it. All words became lost as a breathless moan was released.

“Ah, mmm-“ she mewled while his tongue flicked against her rapidly. He was relentless in his ministrations as he lapped and suckled in a way that had Kagome dismantled, fingers finding their way to Inuyasha’s ear to rub it in time with his movement on her. Kagome’s high-pitched cries were only growing louder as he worked and Inuyasha’s ears were twitching as he picked up on every single one of them.

“Yes!” She cried in ecstasy. “Oh god, it feels so good!”

Her eyes were pinched shut, too focused on the feeling alone to look down at him, her praises being needy whines and the quivering of her thighs. She began to ride his face involuntarily, her hips bucking and grinding on his tongue while he focused all his attention on her clit. Her hand continued to toy with the ears on top of his head while the other squeezed her breast, rolling her nipple between her fingers to heighten the sensation.

She was so lost in the feeling of chasing her orgasm, and Inuyasha could tell she was close. With his hands full as he held her steady, he flicked her clit even faster, the speed only making her breathing evolve into heavy panting as she babbled incoherently. The hand on her ass moved up to wrap around her waist securely, so he could use his free hand to gently slide his fingers along her dewy slit.

Kagome’s breath hitched in anticipation when she felt his fingers form a V to spread them apart.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do this? How I’ve longed for you?” he whispered against her skin, “And god, you’re so wet. Just for me.”

“Mnuh,” she cried out, his hot breath against her skin only adding to the mind-numbing pressure that was building up inside her core. Carefully, he slid one clawless finger inside her, the wet slickness coating her walls making it easy for them to glide in, and they immediately curled. Inuyasha doesn’t typically trim his claws ever since Kagome mentioned how much she enjoys the feeling of them touching her skin, but with the knowledge of what was happening tonight, he wisely cut two for this moment.

He tucked in a second one, careful of the nails that remained, not wanting to accidentally cut her as he drove in at a steady pace. Kagome rarely ever gets to have him touch her so intimately, and they both would take any chance to watch her get fucked by his long fingers. Inuyasha’s pace now grew faster, pumping her for everything she was worth, touching a place deep inside as her sopping, little hole clenched against his fingers, making her cry above him.

“Please, yes, yes! I’m so close.” He watched her continuously grind into his hand before leaning forward and suckling her small nub with a contented groan. Her hips bucked to meet his fingers and tongue as she continued her chase, the miko robes now hanging off of her elbows, completely exposing her body to him as it shook and shivered.

Feeling the pulsing from her clit on his tongue and the throbbing of her walls from his fingers, Inuyasha knew she was just about to reach euphoria. Kagome’s grip on his ear moved to tangle her fingers into his silver hair while she melted into him, her thighs squishing his head as she reached her peak. Inuyasha took the final initiative to suck on her pulsing, pink nub, flicking it against his tongue for added measure. He fucked her faster, pumped his fingers even deeper into her heat at the same speed.

“Oh god, I’m- Inu- I’m cumming! Iー!” Kagome was lost to the feeling of her body on fire, the knot in her stomach finally coming undone. Her eyes were still pinched shut to the world but she could feel Inuyasha’s secure grip on her tighten as she completely shattered in his arms.

Inuyasha kissed her puffy clit languidly through it all, slowly moving his fingers inside of her, allowing her to ride out her orgasm and feel the extra jolts of pleasure shift through her body.

“That���s it, little miko.” He traced his tongue against her clit again and her body writhed, causing his grip on her plush thigh to tighten against him so she didn’t fall. “You look so beautiful when you cum. And, now I finally know that you taste as delicious as you look.”

He emphasized his words by sliding his fingers out from inside her and taking them into his mouth instead, his sparkling eyes never leaving her own. He dragged on his soaked fingers before releasing them with a pop, letting his hand then wrap back under the thigh still perched on his shoulder.

Kagome’s chest heaved as she continued to fight to catch her breath, utterly entranced with the half-demon before her. One hand held onto his shoulder to support herself while the other now gently rested on his head, fingers weaved effortlessly into his silver strands of hair. She needed a second to get back into character; her climax had ripped through her so intensely that her brain couldn’t catch up. Thankfully, her wonderful boyfriend patiently waited for her as she recuperated, his understanding making her fondness for him grow all the more, even in the middle of a scene.

“Color?” He finally asked her with raised eyebrows, running his hand up and down her thigh soothingly.

“Green,” she huffed with a lazy smile, her cheeks flushing a cute shade of red.

“That was a poor attempt at purifying me, little miko,” Inuyasha started back in character with a quirk of his lips. “I know you aren’t as dumb as you seem, so you must have another idea.”

Taking in a quick breath, Kagome shifted back into the scene and delicately traced her fingers through Inuyasha’s bangs. “Not satisfied? It seemed like you were drowning in my essence, half-demon.” She lifted her leg off of his shoulders and backed away to take in his kneeling form. “I was thoroughly convinced. I bet you touch yourself at night to thoughts of devouring me like that.”

She heard him chuckle, “And, if I do? Weren’t you doing the same thing just a few minutes ago?” Kagome’s lips pursed into a pout. He really wasn’t going to let that go. “It’ll take more than just devouring you to satisfy me.”

“The night is far from over, hanyou.” She was sure Inuyasha could hear the excitement in her voice, even though she was trying so well to stay in character. Turning her back to him, she could feel his eyes piercing into her while he watched her remove the remaining white robe from her body and carefully hang it off her chair. Knowing exactly what she was doing, her bare back and the swell of her ass was an enticing view for him to have, and she was secretly hoping he would just grab her from behind and eat her out again.

But, he only watched her pick up two sets of rope that they had bought together a while ago, an easy tell to what was coming next. After all, they did briefly talk about what the scene would play out as, and Kagome had confessed she always wanted to tie him up for her own benefit. Tonight was as good of a night as any to make that happen.

“What do you think you’re doing with that?” he asked for the sake of the scene. Kagome smiled seductively as her hips swayed deliciously when she padded her way toward the kneeling half-demon.

“Tying you up, of course,” and at the suggestive raise of his eyebrow, she added, “There’s a big, scary hanyou in my room threatening to devour me. It’s for my own protection.”

“Something tells me you're not the one who’s in any danger, though,” he retorted with a devilish smirk.

Kagome raised her leg and softly pushed his chest with a pointed toe, causing him to fall back onto his butt. “Get up and sit on the bed. I won’t tell you a second time.” She looked him up and down as he continued to sit where he’d landed instead of moving. “Now.”

Finally obedient, Inuyasha stood and made his way to her bed under Kagome’s watchful eye, sitting back against the pillows that were stacked along the bed frame. She simply observed as he made himself comfortable in a reclined position, sitting up halfway while the pillows provided plenty of support.. It wasn’t until he stilled and looked at her expectantly that Kagome began the next steps of the process.

Inuyasha seemed to be completely lost in a trance as he watched her sensually approach. He often told her he would never get tired of looking at her body with how full and curvy she was, and she took full advantage of it. The view of her hips, thighs, tits, and ass could make him do absolutely anything. The way her wavy, raven hair framed her beautiful face and cascaded down her back was otherworldly. Never had he considered that he would ever be so lucky to have a woman as incredible as she love him just as much as he loves her. He would do anything to keep her happy, whether it was little, mundane tasks, sharing small moments together, or even completing her sexual fantasies.

“Arm,” she commanded before climbing onto the bed and lifting a leg over his hips to straddle him, successfully bringing him back to the present as he intensely watched her every move.

He did as she ordered, his cock painfully hard as she hovered over him to tie up each of his wrists and secure them within the rope. She spread his arms apart and tied them against each bed post. As she fastened him in, she allowed him the view of her supple breasts directly in his face, pulling on the knots to make sure they weren’t too constricting that they would cut off circulation.

“Color?” Kagome asked him.

“Green, baby.” Inuyasha licked his lips at the sight before him, then met her eyes. “Very green.” He didn’t miss her sweet, little smile and the rosy blush on her cheeks at his sincere answer. She bent her head down to place a tender kiss to the biceps of each of his bound arms, a silent thank you for indulging her in this fantasy.

Kagome sat back up straight and cleared her throat in a poor attempt at getting herself back in control. “How does the rope feel, hm? Tight?” She knew they weren’t in the slightest, but the context of their scene required the little, white lie, and she wanted him to know that he needed to play along. She watched him flex his hands and pretend to struggle against the ropes.

“Extremely,” he answered with a snarl.

Kagome bit her bottom lip to hide her eager smirk, “Perfect.”

“Is this your other plan to purify me?”

“Very perceptive. Is it not to your liking?”

Inuyasha gave a dark chuckle. “What demon would like being at the mercy of a weak shrine maiden? Even if she is as delicious as you,” he added while his half-lidded eyes gave her nude form a quick once over.

The renewed aching between her legs had Kagome thighs trembling on either side of Inuyash’s hips. “Hanyou, you have no idea what I have planned for you,” she paused and leaned in close to his white, fluffy ear. “But trust me, you will like it much more than when I made you use your sinful mouth to pleasure me.”

Inuyasha had to swallow a whimper from escaping his throat at the thought. “Then show me, miko. What do you have planned for me?”

He bucked up his hips into hers and she could feel how hard he was from underneath the cloth, his fire rat the only thing dividing them from being skin to skin. He continued, “Will you be able to successfully purify me? Or, will you fall victim to me; a big, evil demon?”

Kagome huffed in mock offense, her pussy only getting wetter as he spoke. “Hanyou,” she corrected. “Now stop with your teasing. Your words will not work on me.”

Inuyasha scoffed before giving the air a sniff, “Your body says otherwise.”

Kagome said nothing and fought back against the blush that tinted her cheeks as she worked with haste to untie the red robe of the fire rat, for once unable to meet his knowing gaze. She peeled back the folds of his top and was met with his naked torso, giving herself ample time to run her eyes up and down and appreciate his beautiful form. Inuyasha had to have been created by the hands of an artist with all the gorgeous muscles he carried. If she could, she would run her hands all over him for the rest of her life, and she knew he would happily let her.

“Speechless?” he asked all too smugly when she stared for just a moment too long.

“Be quiet,” Kagome ordered in defense of her ogling, moving to untie the last set of knots for the red hakama that was still secured to his waist. With practiced ease, the knot came undone and she looked into his eyes with a smirk of her own before speaking. “Looks like it’s time for me to have some fun.”

She pulled his pants down slowly as she shimmied her body backwards down the length of the bed, his hips lifting to assist her. At long last, his erection sprung free with a relieved hiss from Inuyasha, and she bit her bottom lip to resist the urge to take his length into her mouth right then.

Inuyasha remained silent as he watched her stand at the foot of the bed and stare at him hungrily. She could tell he wanted her just as much as she wanted him at that moment, but as he was currently tied up, he was completely at her mercy. Just how she wanted it. His throbbing cock was in dire need of being touched, but she was forever grateful that he stayed in control in order to give his girl her moment.

“You gonna stare at me all day?” He challenged her. “Or, are ya gonna do something about this?”

She moved like a cat, graceful and seductive, as she crawled her way up the bed and over his lap to hover just above his needy cock before she leaned into him to crash her lips against his. Her hands cupped his jaw delicately in contrast to how they kissed with a fierce hunger that revealed just how desperate they were for each other, tongues sliding across each other in a sloppy dance.

Kagome took this time to run her fingers along the burning flesh of his neck and chest to draw closer to him, and the rare goosebumps forming along his skin only egged her on. The heat radiating off of her sex as she rubbed it down the length of Inuyasha’s cock caused him to groan into their heated kiss.

“Miko,” Inuyasha moaned against her lips. “Your mouth is sinful.”

Kagome giggled, the sound making his cock twitch beneath her. “You haven’t seen what else my sinful mouth can do, hanyou.”

She slid off his lap and scooted backward until she was in between his legs. Inuyasha bit back another groan at the view of her back arched and her ass in the air. She giggled again at the sight of him now openly ogling her while she smoothed her hands on his thighs to spread them further apart.

Kagome eyed his full length with hunger, the precum that was already forming on the tip causing her mouth to water. With a slow and hot lick, she moved her tongue from the base to the top, making sure to keep her eyes locked on his.

The feeling of her wet tongue on his cock had him moaning loudly as his head rolled back against the headboard with a thump. He was so fucking hard and unbelievably turned on just by the way she looked. If he wasn’t such a dominant person by nature, she would have to tie him up more often.

“That's all you got?” he tried to taunt, but the way he pathetically mewled revealed just how much she was affecting him.

“Not even close,” Kagome smiled sweetly at him before swirling her tongue around the head of his cock while her fingers wrapped delicately around the length of his shaft.

Dipping her head down, she took him into her mouth entirely until it hit the back of her throat and began bobbing her head up and down in a sensually slow pace, never taking her eyes off his. Inuyasha groaned loudly and his body twitched out of his control as her hot, little mouth took him. Her tongue swirled and swiveled while she sucked him at the same time with hollowed cheeks, and his hands jerked against the ties holding him back, as if all he wanted to do was gently move her hair out of her face while she worked him.

“Look at you,” he rasped, “Such a dirty, little miko. Who has the filthy mouth now?”

Kagome released his pulsing erection with a wet pop, watching him as she spit back onto the tip and spread the saliva with her hand. Her fingers wrapped around his slick length, feeling his heartbeat against it as she pumped him at a hypnotizing pace.

“It’s still you, hanyou.” She rolled her palm over the head in a circular motion. “I’m just an innocent miko trying to purify an evil demon.”

“Fuck,” Inuyasha whimpered. “Innocent? Innocent mikos don’t play with a demon’s cock this well.”

Kagome met his eyes with an innocent expression. “Oh? Then I guess I must be the first.”

Bending back down, she continued to pump his slippery member with one hand and began to gently fondle his balls with the other, simply watching him writhe with an insatiable hunger. The sight of him as he jolted and shook while tied to her bed made her feel so powerful and in control, now fully understanding just why Inuyasha loves it so much. If she was having this much fun pleasuring him, then it’s no wonder he always took his sweet time with her.

“You look so pretty with your hand on my dick,” he praised as he watched her lower head and part her swollen lips around his cock before sinking it back into the heat of her mouth.

“Aw, shit,” he helplessly moaned out. “So good.”

Judging by how he was beginning to react, Kagome knew he was close. She licked up his length once again from the base before focusing solely on the head and massaging the rest of his shaft with her hand in a relentless rhythm. She sucked the tip and caressed it with her tongue until it became a pattern that had Inuyasha groaning and moaning until he was practically snarling.

“Fuck, yes. Use your filthy mouth,” he grunted, “Such a good, little miko. Sucking my cock so fucking good.”

Praises continued to fall from his lips as he twisted and flexed his arms in a failed attempt to reach her. She could tell he was trying his best not to buck his hips into her mouth, knowing how much she hates it, and rolled his head back against the headboard instead.

“‘Gome-” she heard him whine. “Gonna cum in your fuckin’ mouth.”

Kagome looked up at him and her heart soared with pride. Inuyasha looked wrecked as his climax ripped through him, his chest glistening with sweat as he released a guttural groan and heaved for air while his muscles tensed. Spurts of hot cum shot out of him and into her waiting mouth, Kagome happily taking in everything he had.

When he was spent, she released him and made sure he was watching while she swallowed his seed down in one gulp.

“Shit,” he whispered, though she wasn’t sure if he even meant to speak the curse out loud. Kagome maintained his distant gaze and lowered her head back to the tip to gently suck and lick, causing him to twitch in overstimulated pleasure.

“Mm, f-fuck!” He sputtered as his hips spasmed. “You’re not done with me yet? After swallowing my cum like a good, little slut?”

Kagome pulled back and bit her bottom lip innocently. “I was only ensuring that the demon was fully exorcized.” She crawled upwards to his chest and hovered over his softened member. “And, you did so well. Don’t you agree, my hanyou?”

The press of her lips against his has her sighing against him. The sultry sound of her voice had Inuyasha’s cock twitching underneath her already, his ability to go again so quickly one of the many reasons why she was so thankful for the demon blood that coursed through him. His hips ground up into hers, and with it, a moan tore from his throat.

“Now that you believe you’ve purified me. Why don’t you untie me from these enchanted ropes so I can show you just how badly I burn for you?” Inuyasha asked.

Ignoring his question, Kagome leaned back in and slipped her tongue past his parted lips before he could speak again. She continued her assault on his mouth and he willingly joined her, both too overcome with the feel of each other to even think of anything witty to say while in character. She hoped Inuyasha could still taste himself off of her tongue as his hardening length pressed against her slick folds, eliciting a soft moan of her own.

Inuyasha took the initiative to move down from her mouth to her jaw and neck, kissing and licking whatever he could reach until she understood what he wanted to do next. Kagome read his movements rather quickly and rose up a bit higher on her knees in order for him to continue kissing down until he reached her tender breasts. There, he stared up at her as he slowly licked and kissed around each of her tits, completely avoiding her pebbled nipples until the very last second.

“Stop teasing,” Kagome commanded. She stared down at him and held her breath as she watched him flick out his tongue and lick a rosy bud.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Please, yes.”

Inuyasha gave her nipple a long suck, letting her breast fall with a pop. “It seems you fall victim to my mouth each time, miko.”

Kagome shoved her breast back into his mouth to shut him up. “As if you’re one to talk, half-demon. Now keep going until I tell you to stop.”

Taking the instruction, he continued to suck on her full and beautiful tits without any further retort. Her moans became breathier as he sucked each nipple interchangeably while all Kagome could do was grip his strong shoulders for support.

“Mmm, you use your tongue so well,” she cooed at him. “You deserve a reward.”

Without having him dislodge from her breast, Kagome slowly sunk her body onto his lap, his erect dick laid comfortably near his stomach making for the perfect seat. The searing heat from her soaking wet opening made Inuyasha choke while he sucked. Without any hesitation, Kagome sensually rocked her hips up and down his length, the sweet slick from her folds allowing her to slide from the base to the tip with controlled ease.

“Fuck.” Inuyasha moaned. “You’re so hot.”

Kagome whimpered in reply, his girthy cock giving her the friction against the wetness of her sex and bundle of nerves at the apex that she was so desperate for.

“Your reward,” she whimpered as she gripped the hair at the base of Inuyasha’s neck, pulling him closer into her. “For doing so well.”

They were both lost for a moment in the feeling of her pussy grinding against his entire cock. The pleasure was so good that Inuyasha’s arms inadvertently flexed harder against the ropes that bound him, a groan falling past his lips and into her flushed skin.

Kagome whined pathetically, “I never told you to stop!”

Aroused as hell, Inuyasha gladly continued to flick his tongue on her swollen, pink buds while he groaned. Her tits bounced against his face with every forward grind of her hips on his lap, and her drunken expression told him that she was going to cum again soon.

Kagome felt everything all at once, the pleasure of his mouth on her tits while she used him to rub her clit to reach her precipice. Her entire body was on fire, the heat becoming so intense that she slid faster and faster in order to reach higher temperatures. And, Kagome was certain that if it weren’t for the ropes, her boyfriend would be holding her waist to help her cum quicker on top of him. Her body was tingling and shaking with every move she made as she climbed to her peak, her clit and hole throbbing with desire for him while she danced on his lap. It was beginning to become too much, too hot, too high, and as her toes curled and her head rolled back, her second orgasm washed over her in white-hot pleasure.

“Mmm, so good! So- mmm!” She cried and whined through it; the only thing keeping her tethered to earth was Inuyasha’s lips as he placed open-mouthed kisses down the length of her neck.

“So beautiful. Fucking ethereal,” Inuyasha praised as he helped her come down. His voice was laced with a tense huskiness as his dick twitched beneath her dripping opening, just begging for something for it to fill. Still riding her high, Kagome leaned forward and met his lips in a fevered kiss. She gently cupped his face between her hands as she flicked her tongue with his and bit down on his bottom lip.

“Say my name,” Kagome whispered against his mouth. “Say my name and you’ll get an even better reward.”

Getting impossibly harder, the half-demon balled his hands into fists and exhaled as she pulled her head away from his, just enough for him to speak, “Kagome.”

Her head lowered to lick at his jaw. “Again.”

“Kagome.”

She ravaged his neck, sucking and kissing on his pulse point, right where he liked it, and he hummed his approval at her. “Say it again.”

Her hips began to grind themselves against his once more, and she received a low moan in return. He gasped out almost in a whimper, “Fuck, Kagome.”

She smiled against his neck before raising herself onto her knees, gripping the base of his cock that was dripping in her slick. She positioned herself over him, reveling in the sight of his disheveled appearance, firerat still hanging off of his frame. The way it draped off the rippling muscles of his broad chest and toned abdomen had her thanking fate itself for giving her such a man to love and to be loved by in return.

Carefully, she slid downward and, inch by beautiful inch, completely sheathed himself inside of her warm, plush walls.

“Ah, yes!” She cried. “Again, hanyou. Say it again!”

Inuyasha hissed loudly as his head fell back against the headboard, the warmth of her wrapped so tightly around his girth, sending shockwaves down his entire body. “Holy shit! Kagome-“ he cried her name like a prayer.

With unbearable need, she began to roll her hips back and forth, causing stifling chokes and groans to leave her boyfriend's mouth as she took all of him deep into her at an agonizingly slow pace. Her hands were splayed out on his chest for support while she gyrated on top of him, the feeling of finally being completely filled making her want to sob pathetically in relief. She had been so turned on all day, well before they even began roleplaying, that riding him almost felt overwhelming.

Inuyasha, himself, could not stop from moaning every single time Kagome moved. With her full breasts bouncing with every roll of her hips, and the delicious sounds coming out of her lips, all he could do was enjoy the ride and grip the ropes that bound him for dear life. He seemed to be lost in a trance as he watched her hump his painfully hard cock.

“Fuck- if only you could see yourself,” he purred out, low voice like honey despite the crude words he spilled. “My pure, little miko using me to fuck herself. This is what you call purification?”

“I want to be-“ Kagome gasped. “ Your dirty miko. Only yours.”

Inuyasha growled so deep within his chest that she could feel the vibrations through the palms of her hands. “That’s right. Only mine.”

Kagome saw the fire erupt in his golden irises and she knew she was done for. Roleplay or not, she awakened something within him. A wild side that she was the only one who got to see, and she grew wetter at the thought.

She switched the movements to begin lifting her hips before slamming back down, the shift making her lover cry out, “Ah, fuck!” as his hips pushed against her own anytime she lowered down. The ropes tied around his wrists creaked as they were beginning to tear from his resistance, and she knew he could easily break them right now but she was too wrapped up in him to fix anything.

“I love it when you say my name, hanyou. Say it again!” Kagome cried instead. Her thighs were burning, but she refused to stop. She could feel her movements were beginning to slow down and she wouldn’t be able to keep this up, but she was enjoying this power too much. The indescribable view of her boyfriend tied up against the headboard, who moaned her name and twisted his face in pleasure, would keep her going until her legs gave out.

“Kagome- fuck!” Inuyasha growled through gritted teeth, the desperation in his expression and movements only making her eager for more. She wanted to cum on him one more time without any of his physical help, and he was going to do it for her with his words.

“Tell me how much you want me!”

“So fucking bad! Look at you, you’re so sexy, how could I ever stay away?” he rasped out, picking up on exactly what she needed from him. “And, such a fucking good, little miko. Using me to fuck herself like this.”

She couldn’t stop the cry from his praise as her cheeks burned a beautiful shade of red. “With such a pretty fucking pussy, so wet and ready for me to fuck her with. Isn’t that right, Ka-go-me?”

She mewled again in response, grateful for the verbal help her boyfriend could provide her.

“You’re taking me so well, pretty miko. Imagine how good you’ll be when I fuck my cock into you until you scream. Hmm? How does that sound, my sexy girl.”

“Yes!” Kagome begged, feeling the tension in her core winding tighter from his vulgar words. “Yes, please, I want-“

“Want me to ruin you? You won’t be pure anymore.”

“I don’t care anymore!” she sobbed. “I just want you! Only you!”

“Then cum on my dick like the good miko you are. Without my help. I want to see your pretty, little face as you cum on me again,” he ground out. His voice was deep, laced with pure arousal and self-restraint, as if he wanted nothing more than to take her right then and there.

With one hand now steady on his shoulder, Kagome used the other to rub her clit at the same speed she rode his cock. The fiery hot pleasure scorched her entire body, and soon the familiar feeling of the knot in her stomach completely unraveled from within her with high-pitched, little mewls falling out of her lips like a song. Even with electricity coursing through her body down to the tips of her fingers, she was completely transfixed, never taking her eyes off Inuyasha’s, an expression of pure pleasure of his own on his face while he watched her come undone on top of him. At her peak, her vision went white as her back arched and toes curled, the waving pressure from her orgasm so strong she collapsed onto Inuyasha’s chest for support.

Her legs were shaking and her chest heaved for air as she pressed her face into Inuyasha’s skin, breathing him in while she came down from another powerful orgasm. Her body needed to recover before her next move, but she wasn’t sure if her legs could continue to carry her at the moment. Instead of dwelling on the matter, she tilted her head up to kiss her lover’s lips. He had no hesitation kissing her back sloppily and languidly, the smell of her arousal only feeding the hunger he had for her even more.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered into her lips.

“Yes?” She continued to kiss him lazily as she came back into her still-needy body.

“Color.”

“Green.”

Instantly, he began to rock his hips into her while she could only cling to him, her blunt nails digging into the skin of his shoulders. The tip of his cock was hitting the deepest parts of her walls, and all she could do was whimper and cry in his ear. He always loved the sounds she made for him and she wanted to give him everything, just as he was doing for her, the pace he was fucking up into her at never giving.

“Yes, yes, yes, ah, fuck!”

“Such a dirty mouth,” he laughed. “I ought to tell on you for being so sinful.”

Kagome whimpered. The way he was pumping into her was too good to think of any snarky reply.

“See what I meant, miko? Instead of purifying me, you became a half demon's plaything.”

“Yes!” she cried. “All I wanted-“

“God, I can’t wait to touch you. You wanted to be my little fuck toy?” Inuyasha growled. The rope around his wrists were on their final string, and with one more move they would be torn apart.

“Just wanted you! It's always been you!” she cried.

The ropes broke away from his wrists, followed by a snap from the bed frame that went unnoticed by either Inuyasha and Kagome. His hands were on her faster than she could blink, holding her waist down as he continued bucking his hips into her relentlessly. Loud slapping sounds of skin-on-skin rang in their ears as her juices dripped down his thighs and balls to coat them in her essence.

“You’ve had fun teasing me and being in control tonight, haven’t you, pretty girl? But, now I’m going to make you mine. That what you want?”

“Oh god!” Kagome screamed, “Please, yes!” Once again, the knot in her stomach was about to unravel, more and more with every thrust of his hips hitting that place deep inside her.

“It’s your turn, Kagome. Say my name,” all honey was gone from his voice,now replaced with a feral growl.

“Inuyasha!”

His cock twitched inside her at the sweet sound. He mimicked the very same words she had used on him, “Say it again.”

“Inuyasha- please, yes! Inu-“ she gasped, her words faltering and body going taut as he sent her fourth orgasm crashing hard through her exhausted body.

He kissed her. Roughly and passionately while he swallowed all her moans and cries. Gentle, shaky hands moved from his shoulders to cup his face as she kissed him back with returned emotion. They both stayed that way for a while, connected by their most intimate parts as their heated kiss turned slow and tender. But, they both knew the scene wasn’t over. He wasn’t done with her yet.

Gently, he shifted her to lay back onto the mattress, seemingly completely unphased by the lack of muscle ache he would have felt if he were human from having his arms bound for so long. Hovering over her so he could see how blissfully fucked his girlfriend looked, she took in his lean form and his intent to continue until he found his fulfillment as well.

“I know you didn’t ask,” she spoke sweetly as her hands roamed the expanse of his strong chest. “But, it’s so green. So very green.”

Inuyasha chuckled and gently kissed her forehead as a silent reply.

“My sinful little miko, I love how easily you cum. You still have one more left in ya? Cause I’m about to fuck you so hard you may not have a choice.”

Although Kagome was absolutely fucked out, she was definitely ready for the final round if he was going to take over. She delightfully hummed her approval into their shared kiss, the movement of his lips on hers providing her one last dose of energy for the final move. His mouth continued to move down her jaw and onto her neck, licking and sucking her pulse point and collarbone to purposefully leave bruises for later.

He continued lower down until he reached her breasts and gave them more much-needed attention by flicking the pink buds with his tongue before randomly sucking them to catch her off guard. After lightly nipping at each pebbled nipple, she was helpless to arch her back and crush her milky tits into his face just to feel more of his touch. Reading her every desire, he continued his assault on her breasts, incorporating his hands to squeeze and play.

Kagome mewled and whined underneath him as she floated up to cloud nine. Inuyasha worked wonders with his tongue and he proved it every single time he used it on her. She could feel her pussy pulsing over nothing, the anticipation of being filled again overcoming her.

“Inuyasha, please-“

He playfully bit her nipple again before sucking on it to soothe the pain, his ears twitching at the whiny moan she released. “Please what, miko?”

“Please take me!” she begged breathlessly, her hips grinding in little circles underneath him in an attempt to release some of the ache.

“So needy for me,” he teased before placing a kiss on her stomach. “But, I will reward you since you asked so nicely.”

In a flash, he flipped her over to her hands and knees, the quick movement making her dizzy. But, it didn’t take long to right herself before she rested her head on the bed and arched her back for him, allowing Inuyasha a full view of her most vulnerable state.

“Beautiful,” Inuyasha soothed as ran his hand down her spine and gave her ass a squeeze. He gave his cock a few pumps to relieve some pressure and groaned. “That’s it. Stay just like that. I wanna keep looking at your pretty little pussy.”

The bed shifted as Inuyasha lowered himself off and kneeled down beside the edge of it before grabbing her thighs and dragging her backward towards him. The sudden movement made Kagome yelp, taken by surprise, but as soon as she realized why he did it, her toes curled in anticipation.

She could feel her pussy slick dripping down her thighs and wet folds. Had she not been so comfortable with Inuyasha, she would have been embarrassed. But instead, she peeked her head around just to see his reaction. He was practically drooling at the sight of her, and it was making Kagome blush madly. She was absolutely soaked, and it was the hottest fucking thing knowing that he was the only one who could make her this aroused.

“What’s taking you so long, hanyou?” Kagome asked, finally finding her voice.

“Just appreciating my meal. Stay still, miko.”

He grabbed the plush of her cheeks with both hands and spread them apart for better access before he dipped his tongue into her pussy and curled, the juices completely coating his face as he quickly got lost eating her out from behind.

Kagome loudly gasped, her hands fisting into the sheets at the immediate sensation. “Oh god!”

She arched her back further, the pleasure completely taking over her entire body as he lapped at her. He was fucking her with his tongue while his finger rubbed her clit from below, and it was taking everything in Kagome not to press her hips harder into his face.

“Yes! Like that, so good!” she squealed into the bedsheets. She could feel her own drool pooling onto the blanket but she was too into the moment to care.

Inuyasha pulled his tongue out of her and plugged in his two fingers instead, fucking her fast and hard while he continued working her clit with his other hand. “Fuck yourself with my fingers, pretty miko. I want to watch you use them.”

Doing as she was told, Kagome began to move her hips and fuck herself just as he commanded, her pussy practically sucking his fingers in with a squelch from each thrust. “Yes, yes, yes!”

He dipped down to bite her ass cheek, adding a kiss to it afterwards to dull the sting. “That’s it. You’re wringing my fingers like a good, little slut. Is that what you are?”

“Mmhm!”

“Miko, I couldn’t hear you. What are you to me?”

She could imagine the huge smirk on his face without even having to look at him. “I-I’m your little slut. Only yours!”

His fingers felt so good as she moved on them, desperate to drive him deeper, but she wanted him to fill her completely again.

“That’s right, only my slut. Only my dirty miko. No one else’s.”

She felt his fingers come out of her as soon as the pressure in her stomach was starting to wind and she groaned in protest, crying out in eroticpain as he slapped her ass from her whine.

“Complaining now? When I’m about to give you what you want, huh?” He dragged the head of his dick on her wet pussy and she shuddered at the feeling. “I can easily take it away and leave you needy and waiting.”

“No, please no! Please fuck me, I take it back- ah!”

“Shhh,” he soothed as he slowly pushed himself inside of her, “I’m here. I forgive you, my little miko.”

Inuyasha’s fingers dug into her as he started pounding her from behind, hitting her ass with his hips to get deeper with every thrust. He kissed her back and shoulders to keep her level with the scene, reminding her that it was still just him and her in the moment.

Little moans and whimpers fell from her lips as she could only grip onto the sheets while he fucked her well, goosebumps running down her arms as he covered her back with his kisses. Her body was hot and cold at the same time while he pumped into her, the sensation of being filled by him in this position overwhelmingly delicious. Kagome could feel him so deep inside of her like this, hitting the spot she wanted the most over and over again.

His hands left her hips and grabbed the loose strands of hair that had fallen down her shoulders, the light touch sending shockwaves down her spine. Her hair pulled back as he held her steady, causing her to hover over the bed until her grasping hands found purchase on the broken headboard to stay in position.

Like this, she felt so vulnerable and used and she absolutely loved being at his mercy with her mouth hung open as she cried for him. She knew he only held her so roughly like this because she loved being submissive to him in bed. Outside of the bedroom, he respected her too much to ever make her feel less of a person. Inside the bedroom, however, she loved being treated this way. Used until there were tears pricking her eyes.

“You feel so fucking good,” he praised through gritted teeth. “Your pussy was made for me.”

“Yes, only you!”

He let her hair go and she collapsed back into the sheets before he started fucking into her even harder, the grip on her hips so tight she was sure there would be welcomed bruises tomorrow morning. The rutting of his hips hitting her ass was so fast and hard she was seeing stars.

She wanted Inuyasha to cum in her now, but she wanted to look at his face as he did so. “Turn me over, Inuyasha. I want to hold you when you-”

Taking no less than a second, he pulled out of her and flipped her on her back before quickly sliding himself back inside. He lifted one of her legs over his shoulder while he loomed over her and pounded into her sopping hole. Kagome could see how his eyes focused on her tits bouncing in a hypnotic rhythm with every thrust before he bent down and popped a nipple into his mouth to alleviate his craving, the sensation jolting through her to her very core that was beginning to tighten.

“Inuyasha, I’m so close!” Kagome gasped just as she realized it. He looked up at her with lust-filled eyes and a beautifully flushed face.

“Fucking cum for me then. Cum all over my cock. It’s all yours. Just like you wanted.”

“Oh god, yes!”

Inuyasha gave a primal snarl as he continued his unabaiting pace, the trembling all over his body was telling Kagome he was also going to cum soon.

Kagome’s walls clenched around his length as she felt herself ascending, and her breathing turned ragged with desperate cries for more, more, more. Her moans were nothing but tiny, high-pitched yelps as she gripped the pillow behind her head. Inuyasha looked wild from above her, amber eyes shining bright with lust while he drove into her. It was enough to make the growing pleasure in her body hit her abdomen, and she spread her thighs further apart for him to fuck into her deeper.

“I’m—“ She screamed, “Inuyasha!”

Her entire body went stiff and her back arched as pure heat spread over the length of her tired frame. Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulder when she blindly reached out to find any part of him she could grab, lips forming in a little ‘o’ as her eyes and head rolled back.

“Fuck, you look so pretty when you cum,” the half demon moaned and with one last, powerful thrust, his own release came tumbling right after hers,her walls spasming and clenching around his girth. She felt his hot seed spilling out inside of her as it flooded and slowly dripped out of her overly sensitive pussy. He continued to grind into her while she inadvertently shook and shivered from a round of such intense lovemaking.

“I can’t-“ Kagome gasped. “Inuyasha, please!” She pushed him out of her and squeezed her thighs together as she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm. Her body was so sensitive that she couldn’t take another thrust of his cock.

“Osuwari,” she whimpered.

Inuyasha simply smiled down at her with all the love in the world, gently pressing kisses to her cheeks and forehead, his fingers stroking through her hopelessly messy raven hair.

“Kagome, I was done with the scene as soon as we both came.” He kissed her again and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard.”

Kagome sighed contentedly and leaned into his gentle touch. “Please don’t apologize. I loved everything about it. I just can’t take any more. It was so good, you were so good.”

Inuyasha sweetly placed a kiss to her lips. “I should be telling you that, babe.”

He removed his fire rat robe from his shoulders and reached out his hands for her to take. “Up.”

With slow movements, Kagome was hoisted up so she could sit up straight, her body already sore from the number of positions they had worked through tonight. Inuyasha, always attentive to her every move, noticed this and immediately covered her in his robe. It was a comforting warmth and it smelled just like him—rain and cedar and the salt from his sweat.

Kagome snuggled into the fabric with a satisfied smile, “Thank you.”

Quickly, Inuyasha undid whatever was left of the messy bed sheet and climbed onto the bed, patting the empty side before grabbing his girlfriend gently by the waist and dragging her to his chest. “Baby, you did so well. You deserve some rest.”

He grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the both of them. Kagome hummed as she curled into his chest, the warmth radiating from the firerat, his body, and the blanket allowing her body to relax as her shivers calmed down. Inuyasha’s free hand gently rubbed down her back in soothing circles while the other held her flush to his body, their legs entangling beneath the sheets to get as close to each other as possible.

“Thank you for tonight,” she said in a little voice, knowing his hearing would have no problem picking up her words.

Inuyasha leaned in to place a tender kiss to the top of her head. “If you’re ever up for it, we can do it again. Or, anything else you want to do. But right now, you need to sleep. Then, I’m feeding you as soon as you wake up.”

“Mmm. That sounds nice,” she hummed, pausing, “We need to fix the headboard, too.”

Kagome heard him laugh, the sound of it making her feel happy and complete. She thanked every higher power in the universe that she had found someone who thought her comfort was his absolute top priority. It made her body stop shaking and seep deeper into his.

“We’ll worry about that later. I love you,” he whispered.

She was almost in the throes of sleep, but she managed to place a little peck on his chest before she fell. Kagome smiled as she was reminded, once again, just how lucky she was to have Inuyasha. Her hanyou.

“And, I love you.”

[michaelevans27]

I've got to leak somewhere at this point regardless of the vulnerability of the dodgy 1 way mirror that can exist. When you're in a position of trust with another person and depth of entanglement and deliberate growth around and with someone and yet consistently have the vines of life leave the sunlight and spread sidewards and pull the sweet fruits/berries into the shade or start to find this vine you are building with help question where you can flourish and blossom it leaves you with so much uncertainty with what you have left when the growth works to pull apart. Sometimes plants have to be seperated for the benefit of their respective health. Sometimes they take too much of each other's sun or they struggle to work synchronously. Sometimes plants will grow and find themselves tangled again. Vines and gardens and plants all beautiful but all unable to know their own needs. It takes a skilled gardener to know what's best and sometimes even then it's not an absolute.

Humans are not plants, we are far more complicated, we are filled with emotion, judgement, issues and conscious thought. Who are we to know what in the fuck we want? How are we supposed to trust in others when we can't even trust our own opinion or struggle to form one? Whether through my own twisted lense of perception, gaslighting or struggles and moments of first experiences and dealings with the many complications to any moment with many people and feelings and topics all that came to my mind was feeling like a robot like maybe my emotions aren't with as much depth or good enough or come out wrong. Yet without the comparison of the past and the need to be clear and therefore properly understood, with the simple and only requirement being to myself... well it doesn't get easier to know your own thoughts but at least it's clearer the depth and strength of feelings one has. The kind of feelings that make you question what feelings are and how you might interpret them.

The ones that are so fiercely strong that you can't tell if you're angry because you're upset or upset because you're angry, whether you're upset because you're thinking about a happiness or upset because you're thinking about the pain, the kind of feelings that tell you you're an idiot for not protecting yourself sooner while also telling you that you ought to not need to protect and all emotions and thoughts between. They say pain makes you stronger but they fail to ever say how it makes you stronger. How one converts or ignites strength from or through the pain, whether pain is to be replaced or forgotten or constant. At what point do you stick true to who you are or maybe were, possibly either foolishly trusting and quick to do so whimsically or refreshing and positively quick in trusting or maybe even both at once since it comes with benefits and goodness but through enough exposure and unfortunate chance you'll be able to have it taken advantage of.

Are there any right answers in the end? Any correct paths to take? In such a perfectionist world high on emotions low in patience and so particular and picky in tastes will there be any humanity able to step back and be hopeful but not condemnful? Any chance of understanding and fair expectations while not sacrificing oneself and not settling for less than ideal but the composure and treatment one would hope in return in this world? I want to be myself, my ideal self in this world, the young man with dreams to do it all and be around for all, to be interactive and caring and trusting with all as I can be, to do as much as I can with my time and to build a pure family with no distances with energy to spread something further with cosiness and trust and openness I was so ready for all of that, I was so ready I took on more than I could, I rushed about the place, I grew tired and pulled in my sphere expanding from a quiet furnishing floater to much more too quickly. I saw my vision in even the worst of times even with each moment of collapse where it would feel like there was a poisonous atmosphere out to get me, with little mind of my mind but there was always enough to keep me going. Didn't matter whether it was external or internal when it mattered most it was internal, when my mind and opinion wavered on whether my feelings were in need internally if needed I'd smooth over and repair as best I could whether I was reckless and blind excusing the damage or smoothing over without the proper external material or against external or internal counterparts is a matter somewhat. What matters to me the most though is having a hold on understanding, ironic how often it can be to feel misunderstood and to not quite understand the new or unknown around you and yet worst of all not have enough perspective and capacity or perhaps too much of the capacity to think so much and not understand yourself.

So much blabber that might not make sense but ultimately it comes to this, I've felt deeply, and strongly regardless of how many times I've felt empty from depression and of the opinions of others. How do I know I've felt that strongly about something? Well for starters I already knew it in each moment where there was effortlessness and yet knowing the moments that had and would take all the effort which meant so little amounting to effortless when achieved. It was clear in the way I'd feel when things would seem to co-incide literally with moments that would match and I'd tell myself that it's a tie at a level deeper with fate, souls, voodoo whatever shit you can think of that becomes your own metaphor keeping minds and states and moments as one or close to one. It's so much more that told me so much about myself and my insides that it'd be a disservice and silly to bother for many reasons to go on.

The biggest thing that told me about the strength of my feelings and opened the Pandora box and decided to make me feel like I finally understood my robot belief and build the knowledge of not knowing what I know or feel or what to trust even within my feelings as to which is central rather than which is in control, the biggest thing that ripped it all open was playing to my biggest weakness, my desire to help anyone that needs it, especially those important to me. My eagerness to drop everything for now and focus on what matters to me most, being there for someone that I trust and I see as positive as a person who simply feeds that fuel of what's good and feeds into a future I know I can keep working for because those people can show me or make me feel there's a positive world and that I am not fighting against an ocean but a stream wide as you want but never endless. I trusted and eagerly took into place the most important and sacred and meaningful things to me in being there and I always will trust in even people that in now way or form have had a chance to earn it, but yet that trust was broken, it isn't often I let my upset take control of me, I keep my emotions in check as much as I can so I'm not hurting others because you can be upset and share upset without doing harm. The most important thing and pure thing I can ever feel like doing, something I struggled to do in moments that I was never prepared for, something I'd do without even noticing in smaller moments, something I do no matter the distance or the positional issues and yet my trust was taken freely advantageously whether maliciously or not, my feelings plain and simply feeling shit on all the while sharing the best of them freely.

Knowing what you truly are feeling and thinking, wanting or needing is hard enough on a basic unaltered state, figuring it out while having no real trust on your own understanding or trust in your ability to trust alongside the deservedness or maybe the potential usage of that trust is an entire different level. People will do all sorts of things in life and may change who they decide they'll be whether it follows their best version of themself, their best vision for themself or just what they feel they ought to be or can only be. There's no way of ever knowing whether someone is reaching out to you and asking how you are to simply do their part in the world, to spy on you and judge or wonder and simply update their info on you, potentially care about you, keep you at arms length as a controlled growth that's simply a body to have contact upon just due to having been part of their life or hell anything under the sun. There's no knowing if it's in your interest to respond and be accomadating to become the next generic and used person in their life that is simply kept up on tabs to know for the sake of knowing or if you'd be accomadating the a simple position where you'd be simply supplying gratification or comparison to their journey, maybe it's in your best interest to share with them regardless since it's progressive in some way? No idea what way or maybe through accomadating the asking of how you are and asking back it would do some good to them and you or even just good for them and it'd be better to do the non-selfish thing and likely what you'd want being good for them by helping them out by doing so but leaving yourself with no betterment from the exchange maybe even worse off. You're supposed to wish people well if you care about them but if you care about them that much don't you also know that it'll hurt ever knowing that would be a case.

Maybe I'm more emotional than I ever realised or maybe people would call me emotionally immature or say that I'm toxic or selfish to not immediately stray towards the most beneficial befitting accomadation of another but last time I did that it made me feel like an object a used object. When it's constantly on loop and stuck on your mind is their a reason? Is there a purpose or direction the universe is pushing you deliberately with all this stuff all these strong deep entrenched thoughts and feelings never giving any long pause of rest? Is it supposed to be a reason to go against in spite of it and trust and respond and engage or is it to follow and close up to, is it stupid to trust someone without constant proof and effort from them showing trust? Is it supposed to stick around and be the way it is for any connections made? Or is it a shitty curse among a strong memory that keeps so much in long term storage that never let's you forget anything. Am I supposed to avoid or forget about or hate or enjoy or be indifferent of little details that I couldn't forget even if I tried, should I be able to forget details. Thinking about it a robot was never a good representation of myself because it focused on a lack of or a disconnection with emotion, feeling miles away from emotion capable and shared by so many more normal people who fit into society or whatever dodgy society may be around, it didn't focus on the confusion of and difficulty with emotion, it didn't focus on the overly believing attitude the childlike expectancy to things working out no matter what and to everything being possible without any sacrifice, the sensitivity to even some violence and small issues among bigger moments thinking everything can be perfect with some ease the rarer of the idealistic over the top optimism moments. At least a robot can know or think and decide in a certain way. It will always make a decision based off of something and wouldn't be unsure of itself. At the end of the day I don't care about it's label because it's the outside world or the stagger into the dark that'll eventually tell me something about my thoughts even if it never comes or my mind is changed more than once. I do really hope it being the first birthday I'll be so seperate from that it'll somehow be as personal and enjoyable as any before, I wish I could somehow have any factor on it but I also wish I'd stop wishing because there's plenty of reason or stories I'm sure to explain that there's nothing good from such stuff being wished since it's at my own detriment maybe. I think that's enough to look back at and know roughly my own thoughts and hopefully give me some peace on it all for a while. Maybe I'll not have to use this ever again.

P.S Michael you might not even understand half the crap you're writing but at least it's been written also there's a wasp and who cares about readability or thinking more about this until it has a reason to be thought about more with a wasp

[deerth]

my first mistake in witchcraft

yes i’m going to be petty over religion for a second here.

i have been slowly inching out of the broom closet as i now consciously move on from the atheist mindset to the pagan one. i was looking for more resources to research my path, and i ended up on a witchy server... woe unto me as i try to fit in once more, for it seems that not even witches are unified.

forget about all that shit about garden, cosmos and whatever witches. the religion actually broadly branches into two practices - Wicca and regular witchcraft. so you are primarily the one or the other, no matter what flavour of ritual you practice.

the primary difference between Wiccans and general witchcraft is your belief of whether religion can be used for harm or not. in short, Wiccans state “an it harm none, do as ye will” (as long as you don’t hurt anyone [including yourself], go bonkers), therefore you will not find Wiccans casting curses or hexes. we know the responsibility of our faith and we know that if you radiate bad vibes, it will come right back around to bite you in the ass later. that said, most Wiccans don’t mind witches who do curse or hex. some cultures use practices like voodoo, and even old eastern European practices were not free of rituals that were made to directly interfere with someone’s will (love spells that were supposed to make someone love you). therefore, a disclaimer: I’m not anti-hex. I would not use a hex because I feel that hate will not solve hate, and as long as you’re an adult, I trust you know what you’re doing with your power. maybe you are of an oppressed culture and have good reason to exact revenge on someone who severely hurt you, especially if you have a long-standing tradition of hexes. even Nina Simone sang “I Put a Spell on You” (albeit this is also a love spell). I know curses and hexes and even spells affecting with another’s free will are an inherent part of witchcraft and I won’t deny it. I follow my doctrine, you follow yours, that is fine by me.

what is NOT fine with me, however, is propagating hex culture among minors. why? because minors are not ready to take on that responsibility!!!! just like they are not truly ready to make healthy decisions about sex, alcohol or other substances, they cannot take true responsibility over causing harm, be it spiritual or otherwise. “what’s a little hex do?” you might ask, if you’re a minor. not to sound like a boomer, but when I was 16, I was edgy as fuck. I hated everyone while claiming to love everyone. I was in NO correct mental state to make decisions about the aforementioned things. even without casting any hexes, I made many mistakes. big ones. I hurt a lot of people. yes, I regret it all deeply. I wish I had thought things over rather than stay stubborn. in fact, most people under 20 are not ready to enter discourse, drama or a vicious cycle of hatred purely because it will always turn into “all bite but no bark”. I purposefully say it that way because although youngsters are admirably spirited and ready to take on the world... they often bite off more than they can chew. I see girlies straight out of high school trying to solve huge problems like racism, and although, again, admiring these young people, they have researched their stuff. to an extent, they know what they’re talking about... but I do believe hate will not solve hate.

one of the moderators of said server retaliated with it not being a universal truth, and claimed my take to be “unverified personal gnosis” (what is a verified gnosis, anyway? how do you measure it? especially in a practice like witchcraft where every bloody individual practises it differently and there are no priests or churches?). if the moderator happens to read this and wishes to elaborate, i’d be welcome for a bit of constructive discussion over what is and isn’t personal gnosis. I acknowledge that “hate cannot be fought with hate” is not a universal truth... that is perhaps where I went to the extreme. but believe me, I did not say it to be holier-than-thou. I was actually shocked to be called out by not one, but two moderators on my behaviour, instantly. I did not read in the rules that one would be forbidden to state their opinion or softly disagree, but perhaps it is so and I did not pay enough attention.

there comes another food for thought: is it possible to socialise without being opinionated in any way? would shutting down opinions truly prevent conflict? because I’m feeling very bitter and left out now. I know everyone on that server is not Wiccan. but to get slapped in the face right after I attempted to be friendly (laconic and feeble as that was), among who I considered to be my own people... I feel conflicted. now mind, I’m not going to leave witchcraft behind. it is my religion, and thanks to this experience, I learned that Wicca is the right thing for me. I don’t want to advocate for violence and a vicious cycle of hatred. my grandfather was Romani, therefore I believe I know a thing or two about mislabeling and hate enacted upon minorities and outcast people. does that mean I want to kill and hex every white in sight? the answer is no. if anything, me being both Wiccan and Romani, it would just add fuel to the fire. especially because Romani are stereotyped as evil witches in the first place, so it would be a double suicide. by propagating violence, I would give these people more reason to hate pagans and Romani people. both cultures are already feared and hated upon as it is. I am not going to give people more opportunity to hate me.

coming back to the minor I disagreed with in the server. I was shocked that the first thing that came to a teenager’s mind was a revenge hex. it screams of naiveté and irresponsible behaviour towards your faith. and not JUST your faith. as I am a student of psychology, I am well aware how mind patterns work, and here’s the funny thing: psychology has proven that witchcraft’s law of returns is somewhat true, not on a magickal level, but on a mental one. if you ponder over violence and revenge excessively, you are reinforcing those neural pathways in your brain. there is a reason why they say “hate breeds hate”. it is the same reason why depression is so hard to deal with. anything you obsessively ruminate over reinforces it again and again until escape seems impossible. I’m not only speaking as a witch, I’m speaking as a human being. is it correct to propagate petty violence among minors when we as adults can do better and guide young people to better paths?

I’m not saying young people shouldn’t use hexes. but I am questioning their ability to take on the responsibility of potentially hurting someone, or even just thinking of hurting someone. you plant a seed of hate and it may just grow. you knock on the devil’s door enough times and he will answer (disclaimer: I’m not Christian either, I just like the saying). soon there shall be nothing left but hate. if the person in question had not been a minor, I would have left it at that. but religion is sacred. a witch’s magick is essentially making something important to you sacred. it’s not a plaything. it’s not to be used light-handedly. it’s not a trend. and hexes should be the last resort if all else fails OR the person you hate has a damn good reason for being hated.

is it wrong to vote for love and peace? yeah, I sound like a hippie, but I think they’re right. love was not born from continuing to fight each other - love was born from unity, from coexisting. how does one fight racism? psychology says see more poc, interact with them, understand their struggles. how to fight religious fear? spend time with people of different views. how to get over homophobia? spend time with the gays and try to understand their views, and like, actually understand them. spending time with someone just to berate them is still bigotry. the interaction I mean here is coexisting with minorities in a shared space and them slowly, but surely becoming more accepted and normalised because we finally see them. even a bigot can’t stay a bigot if they are brought out of isolation. if they’re forced to see people different than them.

unfortunately, not even your own faith can comfort you sometimes, mostly because the community is still divided. there are rules on what should and shouldn’t be done, and woe upon thee if you dare to even peep one of your thoughts. I merely said thank you and sorry and left, as I always do when I feel misunderstood. it was a valuable yet harsh lesson, and I regret hoping for acceptance or even offering me a moment to be understood without being shut down without a second thought. I regret hoping for a little discussion where it is seen as a violation of rules.

again, as long as you are ready to bear the responsibility of harming another, do whatever you want. as a Wicca, I prefer staying benevolent and kind, even to those who traumatised me. you might argue that this essay in itself is not benevolent... after all, Wiccans don’t slander people behind their backs, you might say. but it is not my intent to slander. it is just me expressing sheer confusion over what I expected to be a community to hear out all voices, because why have a community at all if you allow for no discussion? do we shut off discussions entirely in fear of fights? but alas, it is human nature to be opposed, but it’s also human nature to still hold hands despite the differences - one just needs to acknowledge it.

blessed be.

[crusherthedoctor]

Can we have some unpopular Sonic opinions?

I tried to cram in a lot, so I hope this satisfies you. :P I tried to stick to the ones that I haven't brought up quite as often, since by this point, we all know that I think IDW's storytelling is dire, SA2's story is overrated, X Eggman is an embarrassing portrayal (at least from season 2 onwards), Blaze shouldn't be handcuffed to Silver, Shadow's backstory had issues with or without the Black Arms, Neo Metal Sonic looks silly, etc. But anyway, here we go:

- Knuckles may be tricky to incorporate into plots that don't relate to Angel Island, but making him obsessed with his duties is no better than having him forget about Angel Island entirely.

- I like Marine, and never found her annoying. Oh, I understood what they were trying to do with her, but I honestly wasn't put off by her, and found her Aussie lingo more endearing if anything. Since her debut was during the period in my life where where I couldn't stand Sonic himself, I instead thought he was irritating (and hypocritical) for getting annoyed with her for doing shit he would often be guilty of.

- Silver is just as guilty of being shoehorned into games and plots as the Deadly Six are. Having more fans than the latter is irrelevant, since we're still talking about a character who constantly has to time travel in order to be present.

- Speaking of Silver, if he has to stick around, please do something different with him. They've pulled the doomed future routine multiple times now, and it's been boring every single time. I wasn't interested when it involved Iblis. I wasn't interested when it involved Knuckles drinking the edgy Kool Aid. I wasn't interested when it involved a council of dumbasses... give it a rest already.

- The Tails Doll can work as a mildly creepy thing, with maybe more to it than meets the eye when it's time for a boss fight or what have you. But the memes about him stealing your soul are just dumb, and I thought it was dumb even back in my teenage youth.

- “Eggman is supposed to be clownish!” Yeah, well he's also meant to be a genuine villain with a 300 IQ. These qualities don't have to be mutually exclusive.

- “Sonic is supposed to have attitude!” Yeah, well that's not the same thing as being an absolute cunt. Sonic was only ever meant to come off as having an edge compared to Mario. He was never meant to be a GTA-tier protagonist.

- Rouge is not a villain, and never was a villain. Literally the whole point of her role in SA2 was to reveal that she was working against Eggman and Shadow the whole time, albeit using sneakier tactics to do so. You'd think all those people who exult SA2's story would remember this, but apparently not. She barely even qualifies as an anti-hero, since aside from stealing the Master Emerald, she rarely does anything morally questionable otherwise. She's got a lot more good in her than people give her credit for.

- Captain Whisker is a better Eggman Nega than the actual Eggman Nega. And as far as robot characters in this franchise go, Johnny's design is pretty underrated.

- I don't like Iblis or Mephiles, but I DO like Solaris, and it annoys me that it was out of focus for most of the story due to all the time spent on its less interesting halves. Had they kept the backstory with the Duke and his experiments, and worked from there, I think they could have provided an interesting contrast with Chaos (since Solaris can also qualify as a monster with a sympathetic backstory) instead of recycling the surface level schtick.

- Black Doom may technically be just as bad as Mephiles, Nega, Scourge, Mimic, etc, since he's yet another villain with one-note characterization and fucked over Eggman. But because he never gained a disproportionate fandom, he doesn't annoy me to the same extent. It's easier to ignore him by comparison, and his Dr. Claw voice and face shaped like a lady's delicate part make him enjoyable to mock.

- Likewise, while Lyric is also on the same level as these other villains, it's easier to dismiss him because I was never invested in the Boom games anyway, and being an obvious alternate universe (compared to Sonic X or IDW, which retain the Modern designs and plot elements), it never had an effect on the main series. I also unironically like his design, and if nothing else, at least this snake didn't start a hypnotism fetish across the internet.

- Sally - and the rest of the Freedom Fighters for that matter - have had their importance in the franchise severely inflated. They may have been lucky to be the face of popular media (SatAM and Archie), but they're not these magnificent entities that the game characters are but a speck of dust in comparison to. Having a “legacy” doesn't make them more entitled to shit than any other character, old or new.

- Conceptually, the treasure hunting gameplay is one of the better alternate gameplay styles IMO. But it was let down in SA2 by its one track minded radar (the levels may have been big, but I don't think that would have been an issue on its own if the radar was better). If they brought it back and made it more like SA1's treasure hunting, I'd be all for it, although it would probably be better suited for a spinoff title.

- This goes for a lot of games, but when it comes to 2D, I prefer sprites over models. Not that the Rush models are bad (though the ones in Chronicles sure as fuck are), but the sprites in Mania and the Advance trilogy are just so charming and full of character.

- I actually like Marble Zone. Yeah, the level design is a bit blocky, but I love the concept of an underground temple prison, mixed with lava elements in a zone that otherwise isn't a traditional volcano level.

- I also like Sandopolis Zone. Again, completely understand why it's not the most popular zone around, but I've been a sucker for the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic since childhood (you can thank Crash 3 for that), and Act 1 is visually stunning.

- I prefer the JP soundtrack for Sonic CD over the US version overall... but I also prefer Sonic Boom over You Can Do Anything.

- SA2's soundtrack isn't bad by any means - I love Rouge's tracks, and The Last Scene is one of my favourite pieces of music - but as far as variety goes, it's a step down from SA1's soundtrack.

- If Sonic X-Treme had been released, it probably would have been unenjoyable and confusing. Whatever your thoughts on SA1, it was probably the better option between the two as far as Sonic's first legitimate translation into 3D goes.

- I have no qualms with Modern Sonic and the other Modern designs and characters, but I also fully acknowledge that changing gears from Adventure onwards - and doing it with a great amount of fanfare - was always going to create one of the biggest divides in the fandom, and fans shouldn't act surprised that this happened. The fact that they felt the need to hype up a new design and direction in the first place (compared to Mario, who has mostly been the same since the beginning, with only the occasional minor change with little fanfare) also indicates that they weren't confident enough in Sonic and his universe being the way it was, which often gets ignored by all the “SEGA have no confidence!!!” complaints you see with their recent games.

- Unleashed did not deserve the incredibly harsh reviews it received back in the day... but it doesn't deserve its current sacred cow status either. It had more effort put into it than '06 to be sure, and I can respect that, but much of it was misguided effort, and even if you like the Werehog, you have to admit that the idea came at the absolute worst time. The intro cutscene may be awesome, as is the Egg Dragoon fight, but 2% doesn't make up the entire game. Chip was also quite annoying, and I wasn't particularly sad when he pressed F in the chat at the end.

- On the other hand, while Colours definitely has its shortcomings, and people have every right to criticse those shortcomings, a lot of its most vocal detractors tend to have a stick up their arse about the game because people actually enjoyed it, and it had a gimmick that people actually liked. Yes, it may have been the first game to have those writers everyone hates, but then SA1 was the first game to give the characters alternate gameplay styles and have other villains upstage Eggman, so...

- Forces is absolutely not on the level of '06. It's nowhere close. A game being flawed does not make it the next '06, clickbait YouTubers. Or should I say, the game they want to retroactively apply '06's reception to, since they've been trying hard to magically retcon '06's own quality...

- To echo @beevean, ALL of the 3D stories have their issues. SA1 is probably the most well-rounded of them on the whole, but even that one isn't perfect.

- To echo another opinion, although I do love SA1, I'm not crazy over the idea of a remake, and would prefer them to just take Sonic's gameplay from SA1 and work from there. Because with a remake, you're stuck in a hard spot: Do you keep it the way it is bar the expected graphical upgrades, and risk accusations of not doing anything to actually improve the experience? Or do you try to address past criticisms, and risk the wrath of the fans who will inevitably go on a #NotMyAdventure crusade about it? What people fail to consider is that the Crash and Spyro remakes were accepted gracefully because their original iterations were still unanimously beloved for the most part, whereas SA1 - and especially SA2 - have always been divisive, and have only gotten moreso over the years.

- People take their preferences for the character's voice actors too seriously. I have my own favourites like anyone else, but I don't make a big deal out of it.

- And with fandom voice actors, they usually focus too much on doing a basic impression of their preferred official voice actor, and not enough on the acting. So you end up getting a lot of fan voices who sound like decent impressions of Ryan Drummond or Jason Griffith on the surface, but they sound utterly empty beyond that impression, because there's no oomph or depth to the actual emotions. They think about the actor rather than the character, when it should really be the other way around.

- The thing with Ian Flynn is that he is capable of telling a decent story, and he can portray some characters well. But he's proven time and time again that everything will go off the rails if he's given too much freedom (ironic, given how quick he is to point the finger at mandates when something goes wrong).

- Ian Flynn and Shiro Maekawa are not the only people in the world who are allowed to write for Sonic. I understand that one should be cautious when seeking out new writing talent, but for all the fandom's accusations of playing it safe, they sure aren't in a rush to experiment outside of their own comfort zone.

- And of course, the big one: You don't fix the franchise's current problems by crawling back to its previous problems. It's much more helpful and constructive to discuss the good and bad alike with each of the games. Less “THIS GOOD, MODERN BAD”, and more “This could work, but maybe without that part...”

[homogrimoire-archive]

Lu Vresha Eend Howyethnsch

[Excerpt] Long after the lives of the lovers had past, the kingdom fell to ruin, stuck by a great disaster out of anyone's control. Another kingdom would rise, and fall, in its place, just as others had in the past. It would face problems like its predecessors once did, and would be given hope by the few glorious souls that rallied the masses and dared to fight for their values. Yes, the kingdom they fought for would fall too. Yes their hardship would essentially equate to nothing in the ultimate infinity of the universe. But, in their short existences, they tried and did their best to make a difference in their time. They made a difference to those around them. They made a difference in the course of history They made a difference in each other’s lives. And in their end, they had love. What other end could be more joyous than to die in love?

[Ana and Jack rejoin Overwatch. Jack finds himself becoming closer and closer to Reinhardt, who had been pining for years.]

AO3 Link

Long ago, there existed a kingdom in a forest. It was breathing the breaths of life in it's newfound status and growth. It was prosperous, stable. At some point in its history, it began a cruel conquest, fueled by the memories of it's suffering from a recent war. It feared that suffering, and sought to ensure that it would never suffer again.

-

Reinhard stood at the resting place of his master. He remembers his sacrifice. An honorable death. A death that perhaps could have been avoided if he wasn't so cocky and such a honor hungry glutton. That bit of guilt always resided in him. This is part of the reason he fulfilled his master's last duty. It was the least he could do.

It is bittersweet, but his master's unfortunate death allowed him to become a better person. It was this passed down, sacred duty given to him from his felled master that led to him experiencing and learning so much. It allowed him to meet many great people who he would never forget. It was for the gift of those memories that he would always honor his duty and answer the call. He would keep the memory of his master alive. He would not let it be forgotten.

The scans were completed a while ago, so all that was left to do was pay his respects. He left the medallion entrusted to him all those years ago on the armrest. A piece of those memories for his old friend to hold onto, memories that perhaps could have been his.

-

Long ago, there existed a forest kingdom. It was ruled by a king favored by many. He brought forth a new era. He was spurred by the memories of old stories he heard in his youth, among them, stories of a grand and prosperous kingdom. He desired to bring those stories to life as much as he could, and he did.

-

Jack stared at the photo, an old thing that managed to withstand the passage of time and preserve distant memories. So many memories, all filled with so many emotions, many of them never to be felt again, forever just a memory. Yet, it was the memories incited by that photo that spurned him in a seemingly distant past. Even in the present, they still provoked him to fight on.

Ana understood this well, perhaps even more so. Her husband, her daughter, available to her only in memories. Yet, they compelled her to continue the fight more than anything. She never needed to ask why he stared at it in silence for so long, caressing the worn edges. She knew that despite wanting more, they were still content enough with their current lives. He had kept tabs on Vincent, and learned that moved on, and was living a good happy life. She had kept tabs on Fareeha and Sam, and saw that they had come to do just fine.

All was well in the end. The ghosts who were kept alive by memories were accepting of their afterlife in the physical realm. That was, until their shared ghost had come back to life to haunt them. A recall was issued for Overwatch, and suddenly, there was an opportunity to face the present and future, to no longer be bound by the past. At least, that’s how Ana saw it. She wanted to see her daughter, even if she was doing what she had never hoped the girl would do. But, what child always listens to their parents?

She expressed her desire to Jack, just to learn that the stubborn fool desired differently. She honestly expected as much. Their time as ghosts were over. The Shrike and Soldier: 76 had to cease their existence, even if just for a moment, so that Ana Amari and Jack Morrison could face the present: the reality where their dreams were long gone, replaced by the truth, cold and hard it may be at first. Cold and hard it may even always be, but it is the truth.

She decided that she would leave, with or without him. She wanted to face reality so that she could have a decent future, what would remain of it, at least. She wasn’t getting any younger, and she knew it. Still, she tried to convince him one last time. She was his friend, and only wanted the best for him, be it a whack to the back of his head, or a hug.

“Overwatch was our home, Jack. It still is. It is our family. Are you really going to abandon it now that you have this second chance?” she questioned.

“You know as well as I do it was a lot more than just that.” he replied. There was Blackwatch, for starters. And Overwatch was an international organization with the power to help and hinder many, for better or worse. Eventually, it toppled under the weight it carried. When it fell, it was evident it was something the world no longer needed. Talon and its adversaries had bested the organization as well, proving to Jack that it could not be dealt with in the light. Yet…

“Even so, we have a chance to live, to help others learn from the mistakes we made. Will you even abandon that duty just so you can mope all day and beat someone up now and then? The dead can only affect the living so much, Jack. There will come a day when you will truly die. Will you be content to die as someone forgotten, content to die a miserable, delusional old man? You know when I’ll be leaving. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like, and know that you’ll be missed, again.”

With that, she left him to think. He had been alone for so long, it hardly seemed to matter anymore. But, she had a point. Was he really alright with dying alone. In the crisis, he had his fellow soldiers to live and die with. He was fortunate enough to be among the survivors. In Overwatch, he did not enter the battlefield much anymore. It was indeed lonely at the top, being pulled away from his friends, family, and love. For what? He wasn’t sure anymore. Even so, he was never truly alone. Gabe and Ana were still with him, more often for work related reasons than not, but still. Vincent, the understanding man he was, still loved him despite how often he was away. Jack loved him too, still did, in a way different than before, but it was love all the same.

He considered that she was perhaps right, calling him miserable and delusional. His time as a ghost among mortals was miserable. Even as Strike Commander, working seemingly endless hours, he was able to find moments of repose. A calm night with Vincent, a huge dinner with Ana and Gabe and their families, a simple thank-you letter handed to him from a promising trainee. There was none of that as a ghost.

He missed that, more than he wanted to admit. Did he really think this was how he wanted to live? Even if he wouldn't have any of that if he returned to the living, there were other things life had to offer. He feared he could lose even that too. But, he had to try, didn’t he?  That was what he had always done. There was no reason to stop now, especially not in the name of fear. What kind of soldier would he be otherwise? A dead one, that’s what.

-

The kingdom went across the lands, conquering and destroying any who opposed it. Soon, their conquest had ended. They gained a vast amount of land, inhabited by an array of peoples. These people were now people of the kingdom, and the people of the kingdom did not suffer. The people of the forest forgot this.

-

Reinhardt and Brigitte were the first, aside from Lena, to respond to the call. After their short flight, they were at their new base, the base of the new Overwatch. Reinhardt had been there at Gibraltar before, though not often. He remembered it as mostly uneventful, but great for his tan. There, he and Brigitte met up with Winston and Lena. By all definitions, this was the gorilla’s home, and a second home to Lena. It was great to see some familiar faces. Being the only ones to have currently “officially” rejoined Overwatch, Winston and Lena were excited to give them a tour of the new base of operations. It was a work in progress, one knight and his squire would be happy to help complete.

That night, over dinner, they discussed who they thought would answer the call and show up. Winston noted that Angela and Genji were likely candidates, and Mei was en route after a trek through the Antarctic and traveling across the world. They also imagined Torbjorn would be joining, and Ana’s daughter if she caught wind of the revival. Aside from them, it was anyone’s bet as to who would answer the call. It may not be a lot of people, but it was a start, and that was all they would need. Their first mission was already set for a few months time, leaving plenty of time for people to answer, and to work on the base.

Torbjorn was the next to arrive, to the great joy of Brig and Rein. His engineering expertise was invaluable. After that, came Mei. Only Torbjorn and Winston knew her beforehand. Tracer, Brig, and Rein had found her very agreeable, very clearly a wonderful woman who would fit right in. She became incorporated into their friend group in no time. After her, to everyone’s surprise, was Echo, renowned creation of Mina Liao and overall a great companion.

Before they knew it, their first mission came and went, a stunning success. It was no surprise that Fareeha showed up at their doorstep soon after. Rein remembered her very well. She was an adorable little one who loved heroism, and grew into a fine,strong woman. He would play with her with Mcree every now and then.

While he was glad she was among them, fulfilling her lifelong dream, he could not help but feel that he was a bit alone. Among brilliant minds and an advanced AI, he stood out. Fareeha was similar to him, just a simple soldier, but much younger than him, so not as relatable. He was very close to Torbjorn and Brig as well, but he still could not help but feel that something was missing. He realized what it was when Torbjorn had bought it up one night, when it was just them sharing a few drinks. Or rather, Torb had directly said what it was.

Ana, Gabriel, Jack. Things were just not the same without them. Even as things got rough towards the end, they were still family. As Torb had put it, they were as core to Overwatch as “a nano-thermal heat sink was to a intra-dynamic processor module.” Reinhardt could only assume the man was correct. His knowledge of technology and such was minimal, just enough to keep up his armor and hammer by himself. Even then, he trusted Brig to take care of it better than himself. He was just a soldier after all. A Crusader, yes, but a simple soldier all the same. He was only taught what was necessary for battle, same as his long dead companions.

Yet, they still stood out among even the best. Rein supposed he was much the same though. By all means, he was an accomplished man. He could have retired and lived the rest of his life as a distinguished soldier during the Omnic Crisis and honorably discharged member of Overwatch. No. He decided to continue fighting on, to eventually die a warrior’s death, as Balderich had, as Jack, Ana, and Gabriel had. He imagined they would have done the same, except for maybe Ana. In all fairness, she did not have super soldier juice in her, and had a family. Rein certainly wouldn't have blamed her.

That night, as he lay in his bed, he remembered back to the days and nights they all shared together. The revelry of a victory, the woe of loss, the small moments that are difficult to remember, but the feelings they contain never forgotten. Eventually, his mind wandered to the first time he met them, there in Gibraltar.

It was a great honor to be working with them to aid in the creation of a better world for all. They all responded accordingly, in their own way of course. It was when Jack greeted him did Reinhardt swear he fell in love. He did not realize it at first, but he would realize it soon enough. He knew it was a bad idea to fall for your superior, but he did nonetheless. There was something about his smile and the way he spoke.

Hearing that the man had a boyfriend both gave him hope, and crushed him a little. On one hand, he wouldn't be pining after a straight guy, on the other, Jack was taken. Rein might wield a smashing hammer, but he was no homewrecker. Over the years, he would only fall for the Strike Commander more and more.

Yet, for all his bravery, he never told another soul. It is the simple things that time takes away: small yet warm memories, the first time he ever kissed another some time while a soldier, the voice of a friend from his youth. However, his love for Jack was not simple. Thus, it persisted.

-

The king, fueled by the memories of stories, forgot he resided in the present, in reality. His enemies knew where they resided. By the time he realized he could not attain the greatness he desired, he was fine. He had learned how to deal with reality, and did his best to bring what he could of those stories into reality. It was not easy, but with the memories of his people, he did what he could, and created new memories in the process.

-

When Jack and Ana had arrived at the Watchpoint, it was well on its way to sliding into the ocean. Smoke bellowed in places as agents, many of them familiar faces, fought off what were obviously Talon forces. Ana rolled her eye, always sure the organization would have collapsed without her. It did fall after she was “killed,” so she might have been onto something.

Without hesitation, they joined the fray as unknown, masked combatants, proving who they sided with very quickly. They eventually found themselves split from each other, nothing concerning in the slightest. Ana found herself working alongside her daughter, the memorable cowboy, and an omnic she recognized as reminiscent of an OR-15 model. She made sure to keep her children healthy in between getting acquainted with the omnic and sleeping any fools who dared get close.

Meanwhile, Jack found himself fighting alongside the Crusader, an ancient bastion unit, and  one very talented, very short, engineer. The giant crusader tried to make small talk with him, but Jack repeatedly responded with a noncommittal grunt or with something basic and unrevealing. Despite this, the German remained as friendly as ever, just as Jack had remembered. He had found the man to be loud, but never really minded so long as he wasn’t having a bad day. If it was one of those days, which were frequent towards the end, he would kindly lower his voice, which honestly wasn’t particularly quiet. Regardless, it was a greatly appreciated gesture when he felt so underappreciated himself.

Eventually, the battle reached its conclusion. Talon robots lay defeated, their remains would later reveal useful information. A few enemy ships were making their escape, Tracer chasing after them in hopes of being able to land a tracker on at least one of them. And to top it all off, Widowmaker had been captured. However, the one known as the Reaper had escaped, as they would learn in a hastily thrown together meeting with some refreshments. It was then that The Shrike and Soldier: 76 spoke up.

“The Reaper is a strong foe, though a dumb one.” the Shrike spoke. “Dumb fool…”

“We also know him as Gabriel Reyes, former head of Blackwatch.” 76 revealed. He was immediately bombarded with questions of how he could say such a thing without any evidence. Not only that, Gabriel had been long dead after all.

“You’d be surprised at how hard it is to kill an old soldier.” she responded, taking off her mask to reveal her face. Of course, her daughter was the first to recognize her.

“… Mom?” Fareeha asked. “You’re… alive.” Her mother nodded her head. A wide variety of emotions covered Fareeha’s face as she stormed out the room. Ana sighed.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to deal with this. I’m sure you all understand.” she said with the nonchalant wave of a hand as she went after her daughter. A moment of silence followed, all eyes eventually shifting to the masked man who arrived with her.

“You… I know who you are then! You’re Jack!” Reinhardt shouted, pointing a large finger at the man.

“…”

“Ahh! Your silence isn’t hiding anything old friend!” he bellowed, moving a few steps to give him a heavy pat on the back, making the smaller man slightly off balanced for a moment. “It is great to have you back.” he said more softly with a warm smile. Somehow, it made Jack soften up a little.

“It…” he began, taking off his mask before continuing. “It’s nice to see you too Reinhardt.”

-

It was not until they saw their memories played out by the people they conquered, who were now people of the kingdom, that they remembered this. The conquered lands were given an option, they could receive reparations and sever their ties to the kingdom, or receive one half of the reparations and join the forest kingdom in a coalition. They would form a single kingdom, each land in the kingdom equal in power. Many refused. They survived just fine. Those that joined experienced the mixing and melding of their memories that, as a result, birthed new memories reminiscent of their old ones

-

In the following months, things began to return to normal. The base was quickly rebuilt thanks to the help of friends around the world. More recruits, of faces old and new, had joined as well. Sojourn, Genji and the cyborg's brother were now a part of Overwatch. Other new faces included a friend of Winston’s from the moon, a freedom fighter who utilized the power of music and sonic technology, and a combat medic who was once a part of Talon. Meanwhile, Angela was making progress towards reverse engineering the brainwashing process so she could help Amile.

Ana had slowly been warming up to Fareeha, who was rightfully angry at her mother for deciding to leave. It saddened Ana, but was sure things would be alright in time. In the meantime, Overwatch provided her with a decent amount of work, be it missions, training, or catching up. It was decidedly better than being a ghost, but Hawai'i seemed much more tempting at times. However, she did find much joy in sharing what she had learned over the years to the younger ones, and had definitely missed gossiping at a base over tea. Vishkar representative Satya and former yakuza prince Hanzo proved to be good company in such a pastime.

Jack, on the other hand, was well in his element. He was no longer the Strike Commander, back to being a regular old soldier. Though, his insight from his past experience proved valuable of course. He soon found himself being happier with a smile on his face more often than not. He had Reinhardt to frequently thank for that. They seemed to bond over being two stubborn old soldiers. It was something Jack wished he had the time for back then, but, he had the present to do that now.

Rein was funnier than he remembered. There was also something about him that made Jack want to spend more time with the Crusader. Perhaps it was his hearty laughs that captured the attention of all, or the frequent nights they would spend together sharing a friendly drink, talking about the good and bad of their pasts, ultimately finding comfort in each other through the virtue that they weren’t so alone anymore. Perhaps it was because the man was an inspiration, a glorious sight to those who wished for hope. Jack had been one such person for a long time.

-

It was during these times did the great king reign. During all this, he was aided by many people who cared for him dearly. His mission of dreams and reality left little room for love in his life, even refusing beneficial marriages as he did not want to be an absent husband. Yet, after many years, he came to realize that there was in fact someone he loved: a knight of great renown who hailed from a conquered kingdom that joined the coalition. However, the king did not confess his love. It was only when the knight lay near death did he reveal his feelings. Perhaps it was that admission that spurned the knight to fight off death. Perhaps he would have lived regardless. What is known is that they kept their taboo love a secret.

-

This mission was supposed to be an easy one. Both soldiers should have known better than to expect things to be easy, but they were so confident in their teammates, and each other. They had been separated from the group, fighting their way to the drop point to escape. Comms went down after the order was issued to retreat and the coordinates were given. Hacked. Hopefully, the ship they were using to escape wouldn't be hacked.

The Talon machines were typically weak things, but plentiful. The sheer volume of them was what made things difficult. Jack could shoot all day, Reinhardt would hold his shield for as long as it could, and turn machines to scrap when it came to it. It was when his shield was down did his friend get hurt. A bullet to the chest, another to the leg with lots of blood flowing from it. He immediately rushed to the man, scooping him up, holding him close as he ignored the enemies and charged for the escape point. Rein didn’t know if he himself would make it.

“You know… you’re a good man, Rein.”

“Save your breath. I’ll get you to the doctors soon.” he assured.

“Heh. I think… this is fate. A warrior’s death… Honorable, and all that.”

Reinhardt remained silent. A warrior’s death was indeed honorable, but also sad, so very sad. But, at least Jack’s would not be lonely. No. There was no room for such thoughts. He steeled his resolve.

“No. You won’t be dying today! I love you too much to let you die like this!” he announced. I don’t want to lose you!

Just then, the machines froze, as if by command, their glows shifting from red to purple. Rein did not care why. If they were down, they were down. That’s all that mattered. He eventually arrived at the ship, Baptiste and Angela already there. Quickly, they shifted their attention to Jack. Fareeha was already patched up, leaving her to check Rein for any major wounds, thankfully none. His armor had served its purpose. Winston had suffered only minor injuries, and could patch himself up.

Rein could only pray and watch as the two doctors worked their gruesome yet incredible magic. Hearing that he would need a blood transfusion was concerning, but he had faith in the doctors, and hope. He could not bear the alternatives. He did not want to have to actually bury his friend again so soon like this.

It was fortunate that he and Jack shared the same blood type. He did not hesitate to offer his blood. He would never hesitate to sacrifice his blood for those he loved and wished to protect. All he could do was somberly wait, his eyes fixated on the man pale as a ghost.

They arrived back at the base where he was given more thorough treatment. Rein hated that he had to be pulled away from his fellow soldier, but he needed to be examined too, and they couldn’t risk his blood levels getting too low. They had all they needed at the base. All he could do was wait once more.

When he returned to Jack, he was still asleep on the bed in the medical ward. That night, he stood by Jack’s side, falling asleep in a chair was just barely a bit too small. He had the oddest dream that night, one of an ancient king and his lover, a knight.

When he awoke, Jack was still asleep, machines methodically beeping and droning quietly. But, Jack was still alive, and some color had returned to his face. Throughout the day, many came to visit, Brigitte and Torbjorn bringing breakfast, Ana, Winston and Lena drinking lunch, and Fareeha and Mcree bringing dinner. They all recalled old memories and stories, wishing for the best when they left.

It was a few hours after Fareeha and Mcree had left when Rein noticed that he began to stir. He shouted for one of the medics as he quickly returned to focus on Jack. Baptiste was the one to show up.

“What…”, Jack groaned, “Where... am I?”

“Safe and sound, that’s where. You took some pretty nasty hits back there. Let’s see…” the combat medic said as he pulled up the patient notes. “Major blood loss, damage to a major artery, punctured lung. Yup. Pretty nasty. Thanks to our friend here, you’ll live. Hmm, and thanks to some super soldier serum, apparently.” he noted. “Well, you should be good as new by the morning. Rest until then, and take it easy after. We’ll go over it tomorrow.”

“Right. Thanks doc.” he said as Bap began to walk away.

“Finally!” he gasped. “Someone thanked me! You’re welcome. Oh, and maybe get some actual food in you. Holler if you need anything, One of us will answer.” he finished with a wave goodbye.

Once the doctor left the vicinity, Rein practically jumped to pull Jack into a killer hug.

“Ah, thank goodness you will be well!” he rejoiced.

“Ack! They just fixed me!” he shouted.

“Right, sorry.” he sheepishly apologized. Jack let out a light huff.

“It’s alright. It’s nice to see you though.” he said with a friendly slap to the tank’s back. “So, uh, thanks. For helping me out back there.”

“Bah. Think nothing of it. It is what comrades do for one another. But, you are welcome.”

When he left Jack to get him some food, which ended up being warmed up leftover burgers and fries from the night before, Rein got to thinking. He wondered how much Jack remembered. Did he remember getting wounded? The declarations of love? The robots being hacked? How he held him tightly in his arms? Or even what happened in the ship? Rein hoped that he at least remembered the declaration of love. He didn’t think he'd ever get the courage to do it again, even after knowing Jack had moved on from Vincent.

When he came back, he noticed that Jack seemed lost in thought. But, he seemed to snap out of it once he noticed Reinhardt, thanking him for the food.

“It seemed as if there was something on your mind.” he said.

“Yeah… I need your opinion on something.” Jack requested. Rein was eager to give it. “I’ve been thinking, maybe I am getting a bit too old for this.”

“You know, I had been thinking of retirement as well.”

“You have?” Jack asked, shocked. Rein gave a lighthearted laugh.

“Yes, I have. A warrior’s death is honorable, but it would be missing something I want.” he replied.

“It’s love, isn’t it?” Jack questioned. So he did remember. Rein sheepishly turned away.

“Yes. It is love.”

“I think… I love you too, Reinhardt. Sorry, if I read things wrong, I─”

“No! You didn’t!” Rein quickly responded. Jack laughed, his bright smile the apple of Reinhardt’s eye.

“I’m glad then. I’d be honored to spend the rest of my life with you, if… that’s alright with you.”

“There would be no greater honor, than to spend the rest of my life with the man I love.” he said, placing his hand gently on top of Jack’s. They softly smiled at each other, gazing warmly at the man they loved.

-

Long after the lives of the lovers had passed, the kingdom fell to ruin, stuck by a great disaster out of anyone's control. Another kingdom would rise, and fall, in its place, just as others had in the past. It would face problems like its predecessors once did, and would be given hope by the few glorious souls that rallied the masses and dared to fight for their values. Yes, the kingdom they fought for would fall too. Yes their hardship would essentially equate to nothing in the ultimate infinity of the universe. But, in their short existences, they tried and did their best to make a difference in their time. They made a difference to those around them. They made a difference in the course of history. They made a difference in each other’s lives. And in their end, they had love. What other end could be more joyous than to die in love?

-

The honorable beings, who time and time again would arise to help their world, were fueled by the memories of others. And in turn, they fueled the memories of others as well. In a never ending cycle of despair. But, this is where hope and love are reborn, time, and time, again.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

This post is based on my knowledge of traditions of the north and center mainland of Greece. However, I am pretty sure most of those things apply to Greek Orthodox people universally. Needless to say, each village and town can has its own local traditions when it comes to religious occasions.

I am a Greek Orthodox living in Greece, raised into the religion.

I will translate some phrases directly, hoping to give a more “raw” meaning.

If you are not sure you understood about certain information in the post, feel free to ask me on Tumblr!

Google Drive Link for the post in .docx format

Table of Contents

Philosophy.

The Church as a building and as a center of faith.

Chapels and even smaller churches.

The Communion.

Livanisma / Thimiama – Incense burning.

Home Altars.

Clothing.

Komboskini - The prayer rope.

Tama - Votive

Crosses in high places.

Wedding

Baptism

Wedding & Baptism.

Burial customs and honoring the dead.

Agiasmos - Blessing.

Protomaya.

Martis - The protective bracelet of Spring.

Easter Traditions.

Vasilopita on Christmas

Kalanda

Mount Athos

Pilgrimage to Tinos

The Catching of the Cross

More customs

Random Information

1.   Philosophy

Love and Forgiveness are the main pillars of the faith. Some people follow the Bible to the letter, others pick the parts that think reflect our age and most of people keep the general message of the teachings. The Holy Texts are interpreted differently by different people and there can be contradictions in lifestyles and believes. However, the notion that having love and forgiving is what makes you a Christian is widely believed.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. - 1 John 4:18

Don’t say ‘I am hated, and that’s why I do not love‘. For this is why you out to love the most. - Ioannis Chrysostomos

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” Luke 6:27

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” -  Luke 6:37    

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' "  -  Matthew 18:21-22

 2. The Church as a building and as a center of faith

Jesus and the Apostles gave us some directions for the worship but most of practices, as well as the architecture of worship came from the Greeks themselves. I jokingly say that Greeks are low key pagans, because religion didn't change the culture. (It did, but only a bit). Christians first worshipped inside the old temples of the Hellenic gods (the Parthenon was once the temple of Virgin Mary) and they built their first churches in that style. The architecture changed with time but it still carries the mark of ancient temples.

Agios Demetrios Thessalonikis

In this link you can view the different styles of architecture for Greek Orthodox Churches. (Link)

In Orthodox churches you don't have to have a feeling of the dominance of God, like in the Catholic or protestant churches, but a feeling of warmth and belonging. In the hall you can buy a candle to light on a display of candles in the hall, to get a blessing for yourself and the soul of anyone you want. Nobody supervises you there.

You can also not pay but I haven't seen anyone not giving money, so far. After that you kiss all the icons displayed in the hall and cross yourself.

As you enter church, men on the left side, women on the right. There is also a special place for women, an interior balcony which is really cool and women go there if they want to. Nowadays man and women can go there.

 3. Chapels and even smaller churches

Chapels serve the same purpose as churches but liturgies rarely happen in them. You can get married in them sometimes.

They can be carved in stone or into a cave - even in a tree or in between multiple trees.

The also exist in big hospitals to bless the patients and invite people to pray for their sick.

They can be seen in some big hotels, too!

But the churches can become even smaller!

Traveling the roads of Greece you will see dollhouse-sized roadside chapels. Some are elaborate little things made of terracotta or even marble, plonked in the middle of nowhere, high up in the mountains; no village or houses for miles, and yet impossibly, most of them are faithfully maintained with a candle always burning inside.

There’s a number of reasons for these heartfelt shrines, some as old as the roads themselves. Placed by the roadside, an initial assumption is that they’re built to remember a victim of a traffic accident victim, and sometimes this is exactly the case. But just as often, shrines will be built by survivors of accidents, thanking a saint at the location of their ordeal.

They can be found in home yards of people who want to come closer to God

4. The Communion

We all take part in Communion with the same spoon. The Communion has bread crumbs in. Even babies drink a tiny bit of the wine (blood of Christ). Traditionally you were "unpure" if you had your period - others believed the blood of Christ would come out of you as period blood if you drunk it, so generally getting the communion during your period is a no for many.

 5. Livanisma / Thimiama – Incense burning

Today, Orthodox Christians use incense throughout the church services. The priest “censes” certain areas at certain parts of the liturgy. The incense is placed inside a device known as a “censor”, which is fairly ornate in appearance and has bells on it so that we not only smell the fragrance, but hear the jingling sound as the priest uses it. This action is meant to remind us that are prayers are rising to the heavens to be heard by God.

Typically in the Orthodox Church, dried incense cones are used. In order to provide the heat needed to allow the cones to burn, a special type of charcoal is used. You also may burn resin, such as Frankincense or Myrrh, directly in an incense burner using charcoal without taking the extra step of mixing it with a binding agent.

Churches often get their incense from special suppliers and maybe even monasteries where the monks or nuns make their own. Typical scents that are used include Frankincense, Myrrh, and Rose.

The believers can also burn incense in their homes and say prayers to ward of Evil.

6.  Home Altars

An Orthodox Christian is expected to pray (to be connected with God) constantly. According to Bishop Kallistos Ware, "In Orthodox spirituality, [there is] no separation between liturgy and private devotion." Thus the house, just like the Temple (church building), is considered to be a consecrated place, and the center of worship in the house is the icon corner.

An icon corner is normally oriented to face east. It is often located in a corner to eliminate worldly distractions and allow prayer to be more concentrated. Here is where the icons that the family owns should be located, normally including at least icons of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Patron Saint(s) of the family.

An oil lamp normally hangs in front of the icons. The careful trimming of the lamp to keep it burning at all times is interpreted as symbolic of the attentive daily care faithful Christians should take over their souls. Relics of saints (if the family possesses any) and a Gospel Book and a blessing cross would be kept there, as well as incense, holy water, palms and pussywillow from Palm Sunday, candles from Pascha (Easter), and other sacred items, as well as a personal Commemoration Book (containing the names of family and loved ones, both living and departed, to be remembered in prayer).

7. Clothing

People should enter the church in modest attire. No shorts and no short skirts. Women don’t need to cover their head. In fact, almost no woman under 80 covers her head in church.

With special occasions being the exception, Greek Orthodox Priests wear a black himation because of the fall of Constantinople. They wear it all the time, even to grocery shopping. They have long hair and beard. In rare cases you will see women dressed with a long black cloth - something like a burqa but the whole face is uncovered. They are nuns or devoted to Christ.

 8. Komboskini - The prayer rope

The prayer rope, known in Greek as a κομποσκίνι (komboskini), has long been a powerful weapon for the Orthodox Christian. It has a very simple design, but is filled with meaning. The rope typically comes in one of three lengths, 33 knots, 50 knots, or 100 knots, though there are some in use which are as long as 500 knots. The 33 knots of the shorter rope symbolize the 33 years Christ spent on earth.

It is used in conjunction with the Prayer of the Heart. On each knot is said, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This prayer is occasionally shortened to, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," and other prayers are sometimes said, such as, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Prostrations can also be made with each prayer or after a certain number of prayers. By carrying a prayer rope on us discreetly, we are reminded to “pray without ceasing”.

The prayer rope is attributed to St. Pachomius (4th century). The devil would untie the simple knots he would make to count his prayers. Inspired by a vision from an angel of God, St. Pachomius was able to create a special knot composed of nine interconnected crosses (representing the nine angelic classes), that the devil was unable to untie.

 9.   Tama - Votive

Tama is a form of votive offering or ex-voto used in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, particularly the Greek Orthodox Church. Tamata are usually small metal plaques, which may be of base or precious metal, usually with an embossed image symbolizing the subject of prayer for which the plaque is offered.

The tradition comes from the ancient years, when Greeks offered metal or marble plaques to the gods, often for the cure of an ailment. Eyes may indicate an eye affliction, hands or legs may indicate maladies of the limbs, a pair of wedding crowns may mean a prayer for a happy marriage, etc.

Tama also means Promise. Usually the believers promise something to a saint in exchange for their help on something. My aunt made a tama to the saint Anastasia Farmakolitra ("saves through medicine") to change her name day from the day of the Resurrection to the day of Anastasia Farmakolitra's day if her daughter passed to Pharmaceutical School. Many promise to light big candles (Lambathes) as an offering to the saint or make a donation to their church. Making a lambatha in your height is a standard tama.

 10. Crosses in high places

The Greeks want to feel watched over by the Divine but also leave their mark in the area they live. A way to show their devotion is to place big crosses in hills and mountains which overlook their city, town or village.

In some cases you find those crosses in high, remote places.

Some crosses light up at night!

 11. Wedding 

When the priest says "and the woman should     fear the man" in a wedding, the bride may step on the groom's foot to     show dominance. 

In the bride’s shoe sole her unmarried friends     write their names. The woman whose name fades first will be the first to     marry

The relatives also put money into the shoe of the     bride “so it can fit better“ - but really it’s just a gesture to give     money to the couple

The Crowning is the highlight and focal point of     the Sacrament of Holy matrimony. The priest then takes two wedding crowns     (stefana), and blesses the bride and groom in the name of the Father, and     the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then places the crowns upon their heads.     The Best Man or Best Woman then interchanges the crowns three times as a     witness to the sealing of the union. People keep their stefana in their     house and even frame them.

12. Baptism

Greeks take their names from their grandparents (since ancient years) and the name is kept a secret until the baptism.

It is a ceremonial moment because prior to the Christening, the individual is not yet part of the church family. In the church hall the priest asks the person to be christened to renounce Satan. If the individual is an infant, the godparent does it for the child. In the next major part of the ceremony, the person being baptized is immersed in the water three times, which is symbolic of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. The person is oiled - so they can be blessed and slip from the hands of Satan - and a tuft from their head is cut - to symbolize new beginnings, devotion to Christ and to give Satan less hair to grab them from. If baptized as an infant, after immersion the child is placed in the arms of the godparent with a white sheet, which symbolizes purity. Then, the child receives the sacrament of Chrismation.

The godparent gifts a golden cross to the baptized and, as long as the baptized is young, they buy them shoes for Christmas and an Easter Candle for Easter.

13. Wedding & Baptism

You can do a wedding-baptism to save money. First     the marriage, then the baptism. If the child is about to die before a     baptism gets arranged - God forbid - they get baptized in the air (and not     in water) by a priest.

Koufeta (Sugar Coated Almonds) are mainly served     in weddings but also when wedding and baptism happen in the same day. They     are placed in little bags in odd numbers and are served on a silver tray.     Odd numbers are indivisible, symbolizing how the newlyweds will share     everything and remain undivided. Tradition holds that if an unmarried     woman puts the almonds under her pillow, she'll dream of her future     husband.

After wedding and/or baptism there is - of course     - a feast with hundreds of guests. 

 14. Burial customs and honoring the dead

Pouring wine on the graves during the burial, as an offering or to prevent the dead from coming to life. (I am not sure but that is probably wine blessed in the church).

There is a feast after every mystery. Even funerals.There are more feasts for the dead as time passes. You have to do them in 3 days, 9 days and 40 days. You don't have to do all of them but it's showing respect to the dead and most people do them. 3 and 40 days feast are very important. For the 40 days feast - as for the funeral - there are flyers on the area, which invite people. When 1 year and 3 years pass you go to Church and the priest mentions the name of the dead in the blessings and later comes from the grave to chant.    

During the Sabbath of Souls you have to bring koliva (wheat) to offer to the dead in the family. Supposedly the dead "feed" from them. So it has to be boiled!

Charon is the one who takes souls in our recent tradition.

Graves stones often have sketched pictures or photos of the deceased on them.

15. Agiasmos - Blessing

The start of the New Year in the tradition of the Orthodox Church is marked with the blessing of homes and businesses with Holy Water, or an Agiasmos (literally, to make blessed). This practice commences immediately following the Feast of the Theophany (the annual celebration and remembrance of the Baptism of Jesus Christ – January 6). This blessing is not something done for good luck or to prevent bad luck, but rather a blessing to help strengthen and protect.

The following items are needed for the ceremony:

Small or medium size bowl, filled halfway with     cold tap water

Small twig of fresh basil (floral kind)

Icon displayed behind the bowl

Hand censer, lit and burning incense during the     service

The service is also provided in schools when the new school year starts. This is a particular occasion which can be annoying but also fun for the students because... water shower! Please watch this video (Link). I love it because the priest comes too close to the children - sometimes they want to bless too much - and the kids try to avoid getting wet from head to toe!

 16. Protomaya

May, according to Greek folklore, has two meanings: The good and the bad, rebirth and death. The custom celebrates the final victory of the summer against winter as the victory of the life against death go back at the ancient years and accumulated at the first day of May. This day was also dedicated to the goddess of agriculture Dimitra and her daughter Persephone, who this day emerges from the under world and comes to earth. Her coming to earth from Hades marks the blooming of nature and the birth of summer.

Another ancient celebration that Protomagia has its roots is Anthestiria, a celebration in honor of Dionysos (the Greek God of theater and parties) a festival of souls, plants and flowers, celebrating the rebirth of man and nature.

The custom of May 1st  is to decorate the doors of houses with flower wreaths in a way to welcome the power of nature into our home. The wreath is made ​​from various flowers, handpicked and knitted together. In some parts of Asia Minor, people put on each wreath, except flowers, a garlic for the evil eye, a thorn to protect the house from enemies and an ear for good harvest. The wreaths adorn the doors of the houses until the day of St. John the Harvester (June 24) when all the wreaths of the neighborhood are gathered and burnt in a big fire, the fire of the saint.

See my hashtag #protomaya for more

17. Martis - The protective bracelet of Spring

It’s said it’s an ancient tradition dating back to the cults of Demeter and Persephone. Eleusis was the ancient city where the ancients performed secret rites for the cult. As a form of initiation into the cult, which was one of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the faithful wore a bracelet called a “kroki” around both their right hand and left ankle. Amazingly, the ancient tradition still lives on today in modern Greece. However, there are certain rules that one must abide by when creating and wearing the symbolic bracelet which celebrates the arrival of Spring.

Most importantly, the bracelet must be woven on the last day of February and it must be made of white and red thread. The white thread of the bracelet symbolizes purity while the red represents life and passion.

In ancient times, people believed that the bracelet helped protect the person who was wearing it from diseases, as well as the strong rays of the spring sun during the month of March. Today they say it protects from the strong rays but also the cold of March. Since it’s a transitional month you can burn from the sunrays but you also need wood for your fireplace!

Part of the ancient tradition in Greece calls for the person wearing their red and white “Martis” bracelet to take it off and tie it to the first flowering tree they see in March, in order to yield a healthy harvest and to keep the tree healthy.

Another practice with Martis bracelets occurs when the first swallow of the Spring is sighted. The first person who sees a swallow upon the bird’s return from its winter migration, ties their bracelet around the nearest rose bush to encourage the bird to make its nest there.

 18.  Easter Traditions

Easter is the biggest celebration of the Greek Orthodox tradition. The Holy Week, preceding Easter Sunday, is a time to ponder on Jesus’ Passion and Crucifixion. It is often regarded as an opportunity for body cleansing through fasting, visiting their town of origin and embracing local traditions.

We fast for 40 days (cutting more and more foods every week). Before the fasting we have Tsiknopempti when we eat as much meat as we want, to give our body what it needs before cutting it for 40 days. (It's sort of a celebration and people go out). University restaurants and private restaurants always have fasting options this period. The first day of the fasting is called Clean Monday and it's also like a celebration. It’s the first day we start eating “fasting” food and we also fly kites!

Kyra Sarakosti - Lady Lent

She can be made out of paper or dough. Lady Lent has seven feet. They represent the seven weeks of Lent. Each passing week, on each Saturday, children get to break off one foot. This is a great visual way to countdown the weeks until Easter.

Lady Lent has no mouth. The missing mouth symbolizes fasting. No consumption of meat, dairy products or eggs. She has no ears, this means that she refuses to listen to gossip. Her cross represents the easter religious services in the church, her hands are folded for prayer.  

After the last foot is cut off, it is tradition to place this foot in a bowl with fruits and nuts and whoever finds it receives a special blessing.

You don't have to fast if you don't want to. Fasting from bad thoughts and words is equally - if not more important - than food fasting.

Epitaphios threnos (funerary lamentation) is the name of the matins of Holy Saturday, served in Good Friday evening. Within a liturgical context, this is also the name of an icon, usually made of cloth and richly embroidered, depicting the body of Christ being laid in the grave, often by the Virgin Mary and some disciples.

On Good Friday morning, the icon is placed on a platform, resembling a bier, typically topped with an elaborately carved wood canopy. In most cases, the canopy is heavily decorated with ornate flower arrangements, ribbons and sometimes candles. Young girls (the "virgins") have to adorn it with flowers.

Throughout the day, people can come into the church and venerate it. Kids have to pass under the platform in order to take a blessing.

In the evening the service begins; near the end of the ceremony, the canopied platform bearing the icon is lifted on the shoulders of priests or churchgoers (usually four to six people) and carried through the streets followed by the believers.

In towns with more than one parish, the processions starting from different churches may converge to a single spot (usually the town square), where they temporarily stop and a common hymn is sung before they resume their routes. In large towns, the chants are often performed by a marching band.

The epitaphs in the Central Square of Larissa (Short Video)

These practices have numerous variations according to regional traditions. On the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian, instead of an embroidered cloth, a lamb is used: this is a figure of the dead body of Christ, cut out from board and painted from both sides, placed vertically so that it can be seen from either side of the bier. Another famous custom, the “burning of Judas”, where an effigy of Judas is set aflame on a bonfire, is usually regarded as an Easter Sunday ritual; in some parts of Thrace and Macedonia, however, it takes place on Good Friday, after the procession. In some coastal towns, most notably on the islands of Hydra and Tinos, the men carrying the Epitaphios march right into the sea, until they are at least waist-deep in water, where they may remain for several minutes, often holding the platform high to protect it. During this time, prayers are said for the welfare and safe return of the many seafarers coming from those communities.

Watch footage from the Epitaphios procession in Kaminia, Hydra (Short Video Link)

Τhe flowers used for the adorning of the Epitaphios are considered blessed and women used to put them under their pillow for protection or to dream their future husband, or to put them in talismen for their beloved or use them as medicine, or they put them in the home altar.

On 00:01 on Easter Sunday the priests happily chant "Christ has risen from the dead!" in one of the most known and iconic chants in Greek Orthodoxy. There are fireworks and we kiss each other on the cheek having this exchange: - Christ has risen! - True! This exchange is used by many as a greeting for 40 days after the resurrection. In the Resurrection the priest offers the Holy Light and people go to get it and pass it to their own company or anyone else who asks for it. The candle is held in candles you buy yourself but for children their god parents buy them. With the smoke of this fire you make a cross above your door and you don't clean it up - never. A door can have multiple black crosses above it. With the Holy Light you light up the lamps of your home altar. Some people have breaking eggs contests right after the announcement of the Resurrection, others do them when they come home. We also eat a special soup that night called Magiritsa. It has meat so with this we cut our feast. When the morning comes we host family gatherings and eat as much meat as we want.

19. Vasilopita on Christmas

The Greek word Vasilopita is directly translated as “Sweet Bread of Basil”. When the Vasilopita is prepared, a coin is baked into the ingredients. When the observance begins, usually on New Years Day, the bread is traditionally cut by the senior member of the family, and the individual who receives the portion of the Pita which contains the coin is considered Blessed for the New Year.

Vasilopita is also cut in educational institues and the workplace. Whoever finds the coin usually receives a gift.

This age old tradition commenced in the fourth century, when Saint Basil the Great, who was a bishop, wanted to distribute money to the poor in his Diocese. He wanted to preserve their dignity, so as not to look like charity, he commissioned some women to bake sweetened bread, in which he arranged to place gold coins. Thus the families in cutting the bread to nourish themselves, were pleasantly surprised to find the coins.

20. Kalanda

Caroling (kalanda) has roots in ancient Greece. Children would carry small boats and sing songs honoring Dionysius. In Ancient Greece the children would praise the head of the household. At this time in history they would also gift the head of the household with an olive branch, which signified prosperity. Greek Christmas carols date back to the Byzantine times.

After singing for the household, the children receive money (and sometimes sweets). Before the financial crisis one could gather hundreds of euros from Kalanda.

Children say Kalanda on Christmas Eve, on New Years Eve, on Epiphany Even and Lazaros Sabbath. The songs are different for those four occasions.

21. Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in northeastern Greece and an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism. It is governed as an autonomous polity within the Hellenic Republic. Mount Athos is home to 20 monasteries. It’s commonly referred to as Agion Oros (Άγιον Όρος, 'Holy Mountain').

According to the Athonite tradition, the Virgin Mary was sailing accompanied by St John the Evangelist from Joppa to Cyprus to visit Lazarus. When the ship was blown off course to then-pagan Athos, it was forced to anchor near the port of Klement, close to the present monastery of Iviron. The Virgin walked ashore and, overwhelmed by the wonderful and wild natural beauty of the mountain, she blessed it and asked her Son for it to be her garden. From that moment the mountain was consecrated as the garden of the Mother of God and was out of bounds to all other women.

22. Pilgrimage to Tinos

15 August is a national holiday in Greece and sees a mass departure from the cities to the islands and holiday homes in the mainland. However one island in particular witnesses more activity than most; the island of Tinos. Across Tinos are churches and shrines, the most famous of which is Panagia Evangelistria, the most holy church in Greece which houses the ‘Miraculous Icon of Virgin Mary’. In the Greek Orthodox religion, the Icon is considered to be the protector of all of Greece.

In the Orthodox Church the 15th is ‘Virgin Mary Assumption Day’ where the Virgin is believed to have ascended to heaven. The ritual of travelling to pay homage to such a sacred Icon at this time is highly emotional for Pilgrims, with the Holy Icon in Tinos serving as a main passage between the Virgin and the believers who seek comfort and miracles on their trip.

Often pilgrims crawl to the church from the boats that they arrive on on their hands and knees to show their devotion and pray for compassion, good health and healing. The final part of the pilgrimage often happens in the blazing heat which makes the effort even more momentous.

The atmosphere at and around the Church in the days proceeding the event is sincere and intense. Other pilgrims will arrive at Tinos the night before and sleep in front of the Church to ensure they have the opportunity to see and pray to the Holy Icon.

On the day itself the Holy Icon is carried through the streets of Tinos by members of the Greek army and navy, followed by the Greek Orthodox priests, political figures and the public. The procession leads down to the port when the Icon is stationed on a marble podium and speeches are made. The desire of members of the public to touch the icon often leads to a frenetic atmosphere as pilgrims try to touch the Icon itself. After the procession and speeches the Holy Icon is returned to the Church.

__________________________________________

In the same day Epitaphs of the Virgin Mary are honored and are taken to the streets so everyone can pay their respects. 

23. The Catching of the Cross

On the sixth of January, the Christmas holidays in Greece officially come to an end with the ‘festival of light’ (‘ton foton’ in Greek), also known as Epiphany.

In the Greek Orthodox Church, Epiphany is celebrated as the revelation of Christ as the messiah and second person of the trinity, at his baptism, by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan. 

Another cause for celebration in the Greek Orthodox Church on this day is that Christ’s baptism was only one of two occasions when all three persons of the trinity revealed themselves, at the same time, to humanity:

 God the Father, speaking from the clouds, God the Son, being baptized in the River Jordan, and God the Holy Spirit, revealed as a dove, descending from heaven.

On Epiphany, the Greek Orthodox Church performs

 the ‘Great Blessing of the Waters’.
 This ceremony is usually performed twice, once on the eve of Epiphany which is performed in the church, and then again on the actual day outdoors with priests blessing large bodies of water, sea, rivers, lakes etc.

The tradition is that

 a priest, surrounded by brave young men and boys, throws a cross into the sea, either from the harbour or from a boat at sea; the minute the cross leaves the priest’s hand, the divers jump into the freezing water to catch the cross. The lucky one who finds and returns the cross is blessed by the priest. As the cross is victoriously brought back, the priest releases a white dove, as a symbol of the holy spirit. 
This tradition is carried out to commemorate the baptism of Christ and to bless the waters.

  24. More customs

Each city, town and village is protected by a different saint. When the saint of the area celebrates a fair is organized. There is music, dance and stalls where the peddlers sell their merchandise.

But Greeks know that some of their customs are not approved by the church. We do it anyways and sometimes the priests join, too!

Το celebrate the Epiphany and chase away the evil spirits some residents dress up in scary attire and make a lot of noise with their voice and bells. They drink excessively, they dance and even fight with each other “to the death“ (it’s fake, don’t worry!). This custom exists in many areas of Greece, from Thrace to Cyprus. Even though the people who dress up have many names - momogeroi, babougera, ragoutsia etc - they all symbolize the carefree spirit, childish fun and trickery. Don’t get in their way because they will chase you though the village!

In these festivals there are different characters like the bride, the devil, the cop etc, who can symbolize fertility, the New Year, the Old Year and other concepts.

Sometimes the bride (usually played by a man) is abducted and it’s said to be a remnant of a re-enactment of the abduction of the goddess Persephone by Hades.

In other areas the Dionysiac character of the festival is eccentuated by the presence of a man who pretends ot be the god of wine, vegetation, happiness, Dionysos.

In some areas there is also dancing around a gaitanaki!

In some areas a fake camel (three people under a cloth) is presented on the streets. It probably started as a spectacle for kids but in some cases today it’s a symbol of resilience and patience. It can also remind us of the magi who rode camels to visit baby Jesus.

There is also the story where a Greek woman is abducted by a Turk and three young men pretend to be a camel to enter the Turk’s wedding with her and steal her back! (Something like the Trojan Horse!)

25. Random Information

Namedays are the days when the saint who has your     name died. It's said that you actually take your name from them - even if     it comes from your grandparents the saint is the reason you have it.     In that day you bring treats to your school or work, or you treat your     friends to drinks or coffee. People give you wishes ("enjoy your     name" is the most common) and they call you on the phone to wish if     they are away. The most common name in Greece is Maria and in Maria’s     nameday everybody has to call half of their relatives and friends to wish.     It’s a bit offensive if someone doesn’t remember your nameday or if they     don’t call.

We bring food to the workplace in happy events -     like when your child was accepted into a university.

Lots of people cross themselves when they pass     outside a church.  They could be passing on foot, on the bus, or even     when they drive a motorcycle.

You also cross yourself when you call god for     protection or when you hear something strange (accompanied with "come     Christ and Virgin Mary!")

Making embroidery with the face of Jesus and/or     Virgin Mary is a thing.

40 days after the pregnancy women and their     newborns can     woman can go out of the house but they have to go to Church to be blessed     by a priest first.

We say "Christ!" when a person is     chocked and "Small healths!" when someone is sneezing.     When a baby is yawning bad spirits could come in so we cross their mouth.     We also give them eye bendants so the Evil Eye won't get to them. People     spit (just saying "ftou ftou ftou") the child after saying good     words for them so they can protect them from others who will flatter them     with malice. The Evil Eye is recognised by the Church. See more in my #mati     tag.

Bell ringing every day before the morning and     evening liturgy. It also chimes every hour. On Good Friday it rings solemnly all day.

Priests are considered spiritual leaders by many     in the sense they can listen to you and guide you like a psychologist. "My spiritual" people     call them.

You don't have to have your mind unguarded,     that's why Greek orthodoxy is against yoga which teaches the emptying of     mind 

Mondays and Wednesdays of all year are for     fasting - just meaning you don't eat meat. Some people also fast sexually on those days.

Hatzis- (from middle eastern "hajj") is     for people visiting the holy land (Israel) on pilgrimage.

The icons of saints you buy have to be blessed by     the Church before you hang them, so they can offer you a connection to the     divine.

Every day at school children gather in the yard     and one child says the Lord’s Prayer

We don't know the hymns by heart. They are too     many and long. But there are books you can read and older people (usually     women) usually study them.

All the saints in hagiographies look kinda     malnourished because they are supposed to avoid the earthly     pleasures. 

We give epithets to the saints according to their     characteristics - like we did with our ancient gods.

Lots of saints probably “covered” the dominions of older deities because Greeks were used to having smaller powerful entities for different stuff (there is even a saint who helps you find stuff if you dedicate a pie to the church)

We have a set of explanations for dreams (Ονειροκρίτης). For example, if you see something very good in your sleep about a person, misfortune will find them. If you see them dying, they will live for many years.

We read the future in the bottom of the cup of Greek coffee.

From the Byzantine era and today people buy holy wood - from the cross of Christ they say - and bones of saints. In the old time those were also used for witchcraft.If you are born on a Saturday you     don't see creatures or ghosts. Also people born on Saturday are lucky and     whatever they wish comes true.

Dick festivals are a thing in some areas and they mostly happen on Greek Carnival. Traditional sex songs with dances are also a     thing.

Virgin Mary is the mother of Greece, and you see her as a mermaid even. We are pretty chill with our divine figures - we use them in swearing a lot, too.

Many people cross themselves before and after     eating.

We take oil blessed from the Church and we put it     in the lamps of our home altars. We also anoint people who want to keep     safe with it. (My grandma made a cross in my forehead, for example). Many     take it home the myrrh produced by the bodies of saints.

We place a bone of a saint on the ground where a     church is going to be built.

Sometimes we call a priest to bless our new     vehicle!

Also, it’s not a very safe practice but a lot of people hand crosses and icons from their front mirror.

Notice that the #mati is also there!

[lisinfleur]

Sweet Little Thing

Author’s Notes | Man… I don’t know how I wrote this. For real. It became pretty more than I was expecting and I hope you like, dear anon, cause I’m afraid of myself hahaha Universe | Vikings Pairing | Ivar x Wife! Reader Info | Viking Age AU, Dark! Reader, requested by anon for 5CW2 Words | 2096 ⁑ Warnings: Mentions of massive murder, blood, violence, and cursing. Caution is recommended: the following content may be triggering!

She came with a deal with one of the Viking Kings that composed the Great Army he and his brothers had assembled to avenge their father. At the time of that war, Björn left to t Mediterranean Sea with a great part of the men and this king wanted to follow his older brother, but under the marriage of his daughter to a son of Ragnar, he agreed to leave half of his men behind with the army Ivar now called his own.

He was sure King Urd never imagined his daughter was marrying one of (if not) the most successful of his brothers, now king of Kattegat he recovered from his older brother's hands and York, he conquered and took back from the Saxons by himself.

A place where he and his beloved wife were temporarily installed to warrant the reconstruction of the settlements and reorganization of the city under his iron hand.

However, the Saxons weren't easy to shove away. Wave after wave after wave, the men under Wessex's flag were coming to his doors and walls, creating a rug of corpses around the town that his men were cleaning every day after the battle, to avoid diseases and the bad smell to spread around the town. His men were burning the bodies in pyres around the city, what was causing rolls of black smoke and fire that granted the town the tender nickname of "Hell's Gate" among the Saxon people.

Ivar was satisfied with the meaning of this. It was funny to see the fear in the faces of the few Saxon men that survived long enough to be brought into his town as prisoners; looking around as if they were being dragged into their feared Hell and facing him with their bodies shaking as if he was their Devil itself, ready to devour their so precious souls...

But his true satisfaction was in her hands.

His true moments of pleasure were after the battles, torture and all the terrible stuff he had fun doing out of his castle's doors - the beautiful construction the Saxons used as a church, and Ivar converted in a gorgeous personal refuge, with his own great hall at the principal hall of the church and the dependencies that used to serve the priests, serving himself, his closest ones and the servants he considered well trained enough to walk freely under his roof - when he would come into his room and find his precious little thing, usually already waiting for him in one of the handmade gowns she embroidered by herself with the golden threads he found somewhere into that place and gave her as a gift.

A warm bath recently prepared to wash the blood from his face and body, slowly; fresh bread and meat she cooked by herself to his delight, served by her soft hands dedicated exclusively to make his life happy.

His beloved (Y/N), who folded him as if he was made of the soft silks she brought from her kingdom to his bed.

That woman was his own Freya, tending his needs as if he was a god into his room, pretty more than he already felt outta there.

She was sweet, delicate. Her hands were made of satin and she was sculpted to care for a blessed man.

The major proof he was beloved by all the gods was that woman in bliss under his sheets, moaning his name like a ritual chant of pleasure and lust that could drive any man - even himself - completely insane.

She was his heart, his everything, and his doom was to cockily admit it in front of everyone, boasting about the precious treasure he had into his room.

Hail to the King of Kings and his beloved wife that sits like a goddess in a throne into his heart.

Hail to the King of morons and his beloved treasure who was now in danger because of his swollen ego and big open mouth.

They had left in the morning to the front, Ivar and some of his men, to lead the army a little forward and push the Saxon camp a little further, for Ivar intended to build a new wall, swallowing some more lands and expanding York's territory to increase the production of goods with the new fertile fields - the city was already self-sustainable, but Ivar wanted to create a trading line in between York and Kattegat, to explore the fertile lands of his new territory in order to supply the needs of his homelands.

The battles against the Saxons were never too hard for his men. Nevertheless, something felt wrong about this one. They weren't enough to defend the front line and unless the Saxon King has decided to freely give up on his fields and was thinking about proposing a deal; and those pitiful forces were composed of men who didn't agree with their king; something was really wrong in that battle or they weren't even trying to protect anything.

Those men weren't really putting on a fight for his men and, for a second, something crossed Ivar's mind, causing him to freeze over his chariot: Those Saxon weren't even serving to distract his men...

Not even to distract...

And since when the Saxons were able to do something right?

"STOP FIGHTING!" He yelled.

His men stopping swords, surrounding the few Saxon men that were still alive.

"Bring me a Saxon. Bring me one of them. This one... It serves." Ivar pointed one of them, wounded, his men dragged from the center of the circle towards his chariot, placing the man on his knees in front of their king. "What is it your king is doing, uh? Tell me, and maybe I can spare your miserable soul. What is it? Why there are so few men among you?"

The man gasped when Ivar pulled his face up, forcing him to look into his eyes. But beyond fear, Ivar saw resignation and loyalty of a man who chose to die for his own king.

He could read it in that man's eyes.

And It was never a good thing when shown in his enemy's side.

"If you want to kill a lion..." the man said, catching Ivar's attention "Strike him straight to the heart. It doesn't matter how big it is... It will die in a single strike".

The Saxon smiled. Ivar understood their trap too late and in that man's mind, he was dying for something noble, for while Ivar was sinking his dagger straight into his chest, right into his heart, almost testing the theory exposed in his last words; the men they had infiltrated under the city, in the church's subterranean halls were probably leaving with his precious wife in hands.

Kidnaped to be exchanged by the freedom of those lands.

They took the lion by the heart and Ivar growled infuriated when that wretched man died smiling in his hands.

"Kill them all!" he ordered, turning his chariot to run back home while his men were slaughtering the last Saxon men standing in the middle of their circle.

He had no time to lose torturing or killing those men slowly. This time, he had to run the faster he could.

Of course, the Saxons had spies into his lands! What the damn fuck was he thinking, completely forgetting the way he used the Saxon spies himself to keep York for the second and third time he shoved the Saxon army away from his town?

He should have known they would try something against her! He should have predicted!

Ivar went the entire way into the town cursing his own self for not to think about this obvious and treacherous possibility. He left his crutch at the chariot, dragging himself into the church, finding bodies of slaves and some of his men, accusing he was too late and the Saxon's plan was working well since no horn was sounded and the invasion wasn't noticed outside of his personal chambers.

Those bastards!

The anger was growing stupidly, building a desire for Saxon blood in his core that was becoming bigger the more bodies he found in his way to his room. From the beginning of the hallway, he saw the door half opened and the trail of bloody footprints were going into his chambers.

Into his personal refuge.

His sacred place, the temple of his precious goddess...

Ivar swore the gods he would stop the mercy and slaughter every single damn Saxon he could find, painfully, until he could drag himself into the halls of Wessex's castle to personally castrate the Saxon King and sink one of those crosses they worshipped so bad down into his throat!

He dragged himself towards the door, ready to kill anyone who dared to touch his wife; even ready to find the room empty and marks of fight everywhere; Ivar was ready for everything!

Except for the scene that froze him at the door.

His glassy blues looking around, seeing everything stained in red. Drops of blood in his canopy, his furs; the ground was covered in large blood puddles; his locker, the drawers...

There was blood everywhere. And corpses he wasn't waiting to find.

Four Saxon men caused enormous damage in his place and now, three of them were dead, spread in his floor: one of them with one of his daggers sunk in the left eye; one of them eviscerated by a large cut in his lower belly and the other was stabbed to death clearly trying to get rid of something that was mounting his body.

Ivar still had time to see the fourth Saxon man's face, looking frightened to the tiny woman in front of him, walking back until his back hit the wall and he saw himself locked in between Ivar's bed, the wall and his wife.

His tiny sweet and delicate wife who walked forward until the Saxon soldier was shrunken like a boy in the corner of his room, begging for his life.

His sweet little wife who showed no mercy, tugging that man's face up by his hair, slicing his throat slow, just like he was used to seeing her satin hands slicing meat for his evening snacks...

Ivar saw, fascinated, the way she bent herself near the Saxon, observing while he was gasping, choking in his own blood, as if she was enjoying the last moments of a man who invaded her sacred chamber and dared to touch what wasn't his.

He saw the way she turned the man's chin aside when the life in his body finally ceased, appearing to be bored for his last moment didn't last long enough for her pleasure to be complete.

Like a goddess among the goats sacrificed in her honor, his beautiful wife walked among the bodies with her tiny fingers spreading the blood around.

She smiled when she saw him at the door.

"Husband!"

The same smile she always had to receive him. Not a single trace of fear, or annoyance.

She was happily smiling at him, genuinely happy he was there, covered in blood from her head to her toes after slaughtering his enemies as if they were nothing but the pigs she was used to slaughtering for his dinners...

"They made a mess into our room," she mourned, almost justifying the dead bodies spread all over his room.

But all Ivar did was to drag himself into the room, close the door behind him and come towards her, seeing with pleasure when the smile in her face became lustful while his movements were guiding her towards their bed.

She fell on the furs with a sexy and delicious giggle, getting him even hornier than the scenes already have done. And when he covered her with his body, her silky satin hands embraced his neck.

"Don't you mind if they see?" she joked, sickly smiling.

Ivar smiled.

"Put on a show for them, my love."

She licked the corner of her mouth and shared the rusty flavor with him, kissing his lips roughly and smiling against them. And his hands ran her body, feeling the stickiness of the blood over her skin.

And the slaves, under his men orders, cleaned the entire church building, taking out corpses and cleaning the blood from the ground under the sound of his wife, moaning louder than the bells ever sounded in that place, chanting their song of lust into his room and remembering everyone in York how satisfied King Ivar the Boneless could make a woman be.  

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[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

🌟 SCENARIOS / PREFERENCES: FIRST MEETING WITH THE DS9’S CREW 🌟

「 Star Trek DS9 x Neutral! Reader Drabbles  」

* This is the first part, then there will be others!

SECOND PART: http://randomnessunicorn-imagine.tumblr.com/post/181775707668/scenarios-preferences-second-meeting

✯  Benjamin Sisko  ✯

The idea of spending your life in this space station did not thrill you a lot but you had to be positive and maybe it was not going to be a bad experience, at all, because you felt something.

“I welcome you in Deep Space Nine, I hope your permanence will be pleasant.”  Sisko, the commander of this space station, said with his friendly but professional tone.

“Thank you, Mr. Sisko. I’m glad you’ve accepted my recruitment.” You answered, nodding.

“Your Curriculum is impeccable and I wonder why an officer like you decided to serve this old and abandoned space station.” He asked you, reading your credential on his PAD.

“Well, I think it may be interesting. I need to make a new experience and this place doesn’t seem bad. I have a feeling.” You smiled, politely.

“A feeling? I hope it’s a good one.” He asked, smiling back.

“Yes, a very good one but it’s only a feeling, anything scientific, I’ll see.” You answered, looking at him with a curious expression on your face and the Commander nodded and he hoped you could share your feeling with him one of these days, maybe it would make brighter his gloomy days on this station.

.

✯ Julian Bashir  ✯

It was a day like any other on the space station called Deep Space Nine and you were relaxing in solitude and boredom. Maybe you were not really relaxing.

Certainly a little company would be pleasing now, because you felt so alone, you arrived here recently and you had not made friends with anyone yet.

Just when your hopes were disappearing, evaporating like the steam coming out of the hot drink you were drinking, someone seemed to have listened to your social desire.

"Is this place free?" A gentle voice asked, then you looked up, seeing the owner of the voice. He was a dark-haired young man with a friendly and cheerful expression on his face.

You greeted him with a surprised look, shaking your head at his request.

"Not anymore. Good morning!” You told him, watching his smile went wide.

“Morning, my name is Julian.” He said without losing his bright smile not even one time and, somehow, it was contagious because you could not stop smiling, too.

“I’m Y/N, nice to meet you.” you introduced yourself, sipping your hot beverage.

“It’s always beautiful seeing new faces, especially as beautiful as yours, Y/N.” he said, flirting but you did not find him annoying, his way was kind and gallant.

“Thank you! I think I’ll enjoy the time in this station.” You said, finding him too nice to deny.

Then you and Julian started talking about this and that and you found out he was the medical officer of Deep Space 9.

Interesting, you thought, maybe you would meet him again. You were definitely meeting him again.

.

✯  Kira Nerys  ✯

You were not really a bad person but sometimes you were forced to do some innocent little criminal acts. You had to be bad.

Yours were not real dangerous or violent actions because you would not have hurt a fly but they were certainly not honourable things to do. Someone would have defined your actions as pranks or just the beginning of a bloodiest criminal life. Points of view.

The first officer was walking towards her quarters when she saw you running away, you ran in her direction.

In the background there were the screams of an angry and worried ferengi, "Someone took that thief. They stole my gold! Where's that useless Odo when you need him? "Quark said jumping and screaming at the top of his lungs.

His screams reached Kira's ears, and she did not hesitate to intervene, blocking you and she hit you with a martial art movement.

You hit the ground, the gold nuggets you held in your hands were rolling down on the path and you did not even have time to realize what was happening that Kira grabbed you by force, looking at you with hostility.

"What were you doing with that gold, eh?" She asked, arresting you.

"They were stealing it! An honest man can’t even work in peace without risking to be robbed, such a shame. Seems there's nothing sacred anymore." Quark appeared from nowhere, speaking with his disgusted tone of voice. Then he collected the gold nuggets from the ground, caressing them as if they were his children.

"Why? That’s what he was doing, you should arrest him, too. I'm not a thief!” You screamed, trying to free yourself but the woman was too strong.

"Shut up, let's go" Kira said, dragging you towards the prisons.

“Yes, put them in a cell and throw away the key!” Quark said, laughing and mocking you.

You looked at him with hate, following the woman who walked proud and angry because she did not expect her day could be ruined by a good-for-nothing thief like you.

You just hoped this day would end soon.

.

✯  Jadzia Dax  ✯

You were a very curious and smart scientist, and nothing got past you.

How could a charming and intelligent woman like her eluding your eyes? It was impossible.

You were not interested in her beauty, actually, but to something else. Something much more surprising and fascinating, namely her nature. She was such an interesting alien, she was different from the others. She hid countless secrets, perhaps more ancient than the universe itself.

"Jadzia Dax." Just whispering her name made you euphoric.

You had to know her. You had to meet that woman and discover all her secrets, the enigmas of her innumerable lives. Maybe she was just an object of study for you, the curiosity of a scientist, but you could not say that you were not attracted by her. A form of life so fascinating and complex, a Trill, new wonders to explore.

Then you decided to approach her, greeting her with a smile and asking her if you could take a place.

“Can I?” you said with a calm and serious voice even if you were exulting inside.

“Of course.” She said, politely and then she kept reading her PAD and you kept observing her.

You did not care if she was ignoring you, it was still surprising, you were still able to observe her closely. You could count every single stain on her skin and the movements of her eyes while she was reading. This was enchanting but not enough.

Then you started sipping your cup of tea, looking in another direction just not to look like a sort of freak or a maniac.

In that moment, when you were distracted, Dax stopped reading. She looked at you. She smiled, placing her eyes on her digital book one more time.  

.

✯  Odo  ✯

You were living a bad time, another broken heart and new broken promises. The beautiful lies and the horrible truths, you should be used to this now. You should but you never learned from your mistakes just like the ferengi on the other side of the bar. He was taking advantage of your broken heart because the broken people were the most vulnerable, they were too busy crying and so they did not count the money in their pockets. Quark was here to help, to support you and he wanted to be paid handsomely for it.

Surely, one more glass would be helpful and you would have paid him later and when you were sober, he was not so bad, he could wait, he did not forget but for his money, he was patient.

"Come on, drink it more. Let the alcohol console you, it's the only friend here that you have because we’re born alone and we’ll die alone.” Quark spoke, he always knew the right things to say, even if it was the worst thing he could say and at the worst moment but your mind was too busy thinking about horrible thoughts to pay attention to his words and so you nodded, giving him your glass.

"What's going on here? Why is your silly bar still open?” A voice Quark knew very well, the one he did not want to hear, spoke.

The Ferengi snorted, "Ah, business never sleep, but how would you know about it?" He said to Odo, and then Quark filled your glass, "Here, drink, and drown your sorrows in alcohol." And fill my wallets as well, Quark thought, snickering.

Odo looked at you, you were crying and he realized that the ferengi was taking advantage of your weakness, evidently, you were having a hard time and this crook had no mercy for anyone.

"Now you make people cry?” Odo said, looking at you with his severe expression.

“No, they’re crying for other reasons, I just help.” Quark said, with a false innocent tone of voice.

“Helping them to get sick? The party is over, and you should come back to your quarters…” Odo stopped, “What’s your name?” he asked you.

“My name is Y/N…” you said, sighing.

“Ok, Y/N, go back to your quarters! This place at night is not safe.” He ordered you.

“Yes, it’s not safe if bad guys like you walking around to ruin other’s life.” Quark complained but Odo ignored him.

Then you tried to stand up but you were unable to walk alone. You took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do anything right, can I?” you looked at Odo, memorizing his face, you did not know him but, somehow, you trusted him, he seemed an honest person.

“You’ve more chances to change than someone else.” Odo said, looking at Quark.

“Thank you.” you said and then you came back to your quarters.

The moment you looked at Odo so intensively, he could read the sadness in your eyes, he understood you were not a bad person, since you were only broken apart.

Odo followed you from afar because he thought it was not safe to let you walk alone during the night, you were drunk and some other people could take advantage of you because any place was totally safe here. This was his duty, after all.

[lazulimaya]

Warrior Cats and Paganism: A Long Post of Ideas on How to Incorporate Warriors into a Pagan Practice

Reading these books as a young girl, I revelled in its world-building and characters and what the Clans went through as they lived through the moons and seasons. Back then, I understood that this organization of societies reflected Pagan societies of old. Now Neo-Pagan myself, and adhering to Celtic and Norse cultures for my practice, I feel like I can include these cats’ world into my practice to inform my seasonal cycle and elemental practice. With the rise of pop culture in Paganism informing spells and ways of looking at the world, I figured that Warriors is a great way to look at nature and understand its phenomena and patterns. Warriors created the foundations for my way of thinking about faith and religion, and I am grateful for it. Thank you, Erin Hunter, for making that world real for me.

What is Warriors, for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about?

Warriors is a multi-generational series that follows the adventures of feral cats living in the forest and its adjacent moorlands and rivers. They are organized into four Clans with distinct identities: ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan. Their ancestors live in StarClan, also known as the Silverpelt (the Milky Way), and the cats feel a connection and reverence for their departed. There is a developed hierarchy within each clan, consisting from kits, apprentices, warriors and queens, medicine cats, a deputy, and a leader. Political intrigue, strife, but also connections happen as it would in any ancient society. 

Ethics: The Warrior Code

They follow The Warrior Code, a list of sixteen rules that govern their day-to-day lives. I will present the Warrior Code as the cats know it, and understandably, their rules are a bit harsh due to their organization and environment. I’ve deleted #13 since that can be seen as too authoritative. In italics, here’s my ideas of how a Pagan can follow these within their human context. Here is the Code right here:  

1 Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle. Family comes first, and though friendships are the key to learning new things (be careful of people who take advantage of you, I think this is how this rule would translate) it is important to take care of all your loved ones. 

2 Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory. Do not disrespect others’ traditions and beliefs, or try to change anyone’s path. It’s just plain wrong. 

3 Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating. Respect and take care of your elders and sickly members, your mother and your children. They matter in the grand scheme of things.

4 Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life. Only take what you need and thank the Universe for its gift of life.  

5 A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice. Know that patience is a virtue, and that learning comes when you’re ready. A level of maturity needs to be attained to be taught. 

6 Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name. It is important to meditate on your magical name, and to understand its implications. What does your role as a witch mean to you within your community?

7 A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice. If you want to gain perspective and wisdom, it is wise to teach what you know to a willing student. 

8 The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled. It is important to respect those with wisdom, and to take their place when they pass on. (Again, this is also interpreted if you follow this in a coven structure.)

9 After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before Moon-High. (I honestly don’t see relevance in this unless you’re in a coven organized practice.)

10 A Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time. Gatherings are instrumental to keeping the connection with your deities and community open. This is a peaceful time of reflection, sharing and appreciation. 

11 Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats. Guard your secrets well, but don’t turn away a genuinely curious person. 

12 No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan. Children are the most sacred part of the community, for they follow in our footsteps after we are gone. It is imperative to treat and raise them well. 

13 The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code. (um. no. Don’t recommend this one. Led to a bunch of awful things really.)

14 An honourable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defence. An honourable Pagan seeks diplomatic and rational ways to deal with misunderstandings and arguments. If a fellow Pagan is experiencing persecution, it is our duty to lend them a hand. 

15 A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet. Nothing in life is easy. Keep learning and expanding everyday, and be humble. 

16 Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall. It is okay to respectfully disagree on things and to follow your own path, but when another Pagan is experiencing troubles, bullying and/or persecution, you need to step in and help however you can. 

Seasons

Leaf-bare: Winter

Newleaf: Spring

Greenleaf: Summer

Leaf-fall: Autumn

Times of Day/Month

Sun-high: noon

Moon-high: midnight

Moon: month

Half-Moon: two weeks

Quarter-Moon: one week

Lunar Events

Each Full Moon, all the Clans have a gathering at Four Trees to discuss pertinent issues to their respective Clans, and to socialize. This is similar to a community gathering, where accomplishments are celebrated and the newly dead are respected. The Truce is a highly revered principle, and if the Truce is broken, signs can appear like huge gusts of wind or clouds covering the Moon. 

Translation for Pagan Practice: Each Full Moon, organize a social event for your deities/spirits, ancestors or community witches that are down. Celebrate, communicate, share in peaceful ways!

The Medicine Cats have their own gathering place, though they can tag along at Gatherings if they wish. They gather at the Moonstone, where they meet StarClan every Half-Moon to receive messages and dreams from their ancestors. They communed through a huge piece of quartz stone in a cave. When the cats moved to the Lake, they found the Moonpool, a spring in a cave. 

Translation for Pagan Practice: every Half-Moon, research about your ancestors, or work with scrying, magic, dream-work, meditation and divination.

Magical Names

These are more flexible than a Warriors fan might think. After all, the first cats from the mountains had dual names, while ‘modern’ mountain cats have elaborate descriptive names. Warriors living in the first Forest and around the Lake have dual names because of their mountain origins, but perhaps the mountain groups diverged along the way. Also, some rogues joined the Clans and kept their rogue names, like Boulder. So therefore, your magical name can be anything that resonates with you, given the many naming traditions of that universe.

(See following posts for more!)

Characters, plot, and book concepts are credited to Erin Hunter. My contributions were the Pagan Translations bits. Erin Hunter is not aware of my musings of course, this is just fun for me and my personal practice. 

art: by me! 

[hellostarlight20]

I’ve Missed This

For @paigenotblank who wanted: For the two word prompt list: Nine x Rose, #19.

Nine x Rose Jack Harkness Running Sewers Actual Plot (I know, right?!) Doctor in love

They’re running through the sewers, away from the guards chasing them, with a dangerous artifact in their possession, and grinning like loons.

I’ve missed this AO3 part of the If Only... series

 Contrary to his oft-voice criticism, the Doctor didn’t mind Jack Harkness, or whatever his true name. Then again, the Doctor knew all about hiding one’s true name. The Doctor also knew all about redemption.

 No matter what Jack said—or didn’t say—about his past and about the reasons for turning conman, the man sought redemption.

 Who was he to deny anyone that?

 Rose, racing through the barely-lighted tunnels beside him, caught his gaze. She grinned widely and reached for his hand. The Doctor adjusted his pace to match hers and eagerly, gratefully grasp her hand.

 He might understand Jack on a fundamental level Rose didn’t, hopefully never would, but that didn’t mean the Doctor wanted the Human anywhere near his Rose. Nope. Their fast friendship aside, Rose was—well, maybe not his-his, as in his lover, his wife, significant other, girlfriend if one wanted to use a word wholly inappropriate.

 But Rose was his. More, he was irrevocably hers.

“Oh, I’ve missed this!” Jack shouted.

Rose giggled, breathless. They’d need to slow down soon if he didn’t want to lose her. As well as she kept up with him, and their constant running, even this prolonged trek taxed her Human stamina.

 “Missed what?” she asked, laughter outweighing the breathlessness. “Running through tunnels? Running through sewer tunnels? Wearing a dress?”

 Jack barked out a laugh and the Doctor thought that might’ve been the most unburdened he’d ever heard the man. Granted it’d been not quite a month—Rose time—since meeting Jack. “All of the above!”

 “Halt!” The words echoed from behind them.

 The Doctor automatically yanked Rose against him and instinctively slammed them to the ground. No more than a heartbeat later, he heard Jack do the same, landing in unidentifiable muck with a loud squish. Barely a double beat of his hearts later, the ricochet of a projectile weapon whizzed by their heads.

 From the sound of it, the angle would’ve gone straight through Rose’s heart.

 Hot fury blinded him. It was one thing to threaten them, one thing to chase them—they’d stolen a rare artifact from the museum that was, in actuality, a Terrilian weapon Jack instantly recognized and the Doctor concurred. The Pholythes thought it an ancient ceremonial urn. Problem was, the weapon was still active.

 So, yes, the Doctor understood why they chased them from the ceremonial gardens where Jack dressed as a native in order to take the urn-weapon. He understood the Pholythes didn’t understand why they’d done so.

 It was quite another matter, and one the Doctor did not tolerate, to shoot at Rose. The Doctor could handle it himself, nothing new there. But not Rose. Never Rose.

 “Stop!” He roared, standing and pulling Rose with him. Lower, wrath vibrating under the surface, he crouched slightly to look her in the eye. It didn’t matter her eyesight wasn’t as keen as his, the Doctor knew she understood.

 “Are you all right?” He ran his dirty hands over her checking for injuries, bruises, a scraped knee.

 “Yeah.” In the darkness of the sewer tunnel she tiled her head. “I’m fine, Doctor. Just, you know, filthy.”

 He almost smiled at her obvious joke, but someone shot at Rose. The Doctor kissed her forehead, ignore the muck on her skin and on his own, and turned around to face their pursuers, keeping Rose safely behind his own body.

 “You shot at us.” His voice echoed around the tunnel, ricocheting as sharply as the shot. “Why?”

 The guards, a pair of blank-faced men in their early manhood, froze. To their credit, they didn’t look at each other but kept their gaze on the Doctor. They did, however, lower their weapons.

 “You stole our sacred urn and dare ask us why?” Guard #1 demanded.

 “I appropriated a dangerous weapon from another planet,” the Doctor snarled. “It was still active and could go off at any minute.”

 “The urn speaks to us,” the other admitted, voice trembling the slightest. “When the beam of light activates, those nearby are blessed.”

 “It’s killed before?” The Doctor shouted. “And you kept it?”

 Rose stepped beside him, hand resting on his arm. “Doctor.”

 “The Word is not always verbal, many times we must listen with our other senses.” Guard #1, voice righteous, said.

 “Great.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 “Lads, if I may?” Jack stepped beside them. “How many has this urn killed?”

 “Untold thousands have been blessed since the Times of Urich,” Guard #2 said. “My grandfather was one and our family was elevated to the Temple where I now serve.”

 The Doctor opened his mouth but paused. “The Temple? So if the laser—the beam of light—touches someone, their family becomes, what? Part of the Temple?”

 “How?” Rose demanded. “You’re a guard. What was your grandfather before—well before his death?”

 “Master of the Flotilla.” Guard #2 whispered. “Being part of the Temple, guarding the urn, is far more prestigious.”

 “We are called to serve,” Guard #1 added, but his voice lost some of its luster. “My great-great-grandmother was a well-admired weaver. Her creations are still displayed in the Museum. Even the mighty emperor is not immune from such a calling.”

 “So the urn shoots a person and that person’s immediate family moves into the Temple, yeah?” Rose tilted her head. The Doctor loved that look on her, that deducting, figuring it out look. Fantastic she was. “What happens to their positions? Their possessions?”

 Both guards shifted, their feet shucking at the thick muck.

 “And the Temple, those leaders gain, what, exactly?” Rose paused but her hand dug into his arm. The Doctor didn’t stop her, nor did he interrupt. He knew where she was going, had come to the same conclusion himself.

 “The Temple—it is the Temple.” Guard #1 floundered. “Our most sacred and revered—”

 “Yeah. Yeah, I get it. But who’s in charge? What do they get? Tribute? Extra food rations? Gold and silver and the Koh-i-Noor?”

 “What’s the Koh-i-Noor?” Jack whispered.

 “Giant diamond from Earth,” the Doctor muttered back.

 “They…the Temple is our repository for all things.” Guard #2, who sounded as if he all-too-easily followed Rose’s logic, sighed. “They are paid before families eat, before taxes to the emperor, before—”

 “Jareth!” Guard #1 snapped.

 “You know it’s true,” Jareth said to his friend. Turning back to them, he nodded in the bare light from their bayonets. “Many believe serving the Temple grants them food and clothing, medicine during the outbreaks. This is true, but at the price of the land. The people are starving, they can’t pay two tributes. The stock is dying, the rains haven’t come, the crops have all failed.”

 “If they hear you, we’ll all hang,” Guard #1 groused. “You know they have spies, even down here.”

 “We’re dying anyway,” Jareth snapped. “You know we are.”

 With a large, very put-upon sigh, Guard #1 capitulated. “Aye.”

 “So then why chase us?” Rose asked. “Why go to all this trouble, in a truly terrible sewer—seriously, this is one of the worst I’ve seen and I resent that I’ve seen so many—”

 “Oi!” The Doctor grumbled.

 “To chase us for an artifact you don’t seem to want in the first place?”

 “Because if they don’t come back with it, they’re dead,” the Doctor said flatly. “They’ll kill you for letting their prize run off. You’d have failed the gods, the emperor, excreta, excreta, ditto, ditto.”

 He sighed and ran a hand down his face. As much as he wanted to help, as much as he knew Rose wouldn’t let him get away with not helping, he hated the danger he put her in. How could he keep her safe and yet keep her with him?

 On the other hand, it was her fault he cared again. Perfectly happy leaving the universe to itself, wasn’t he. But oh, no, Rose Tyler fell into his life and he remembered what it was to care. Love.

 The Doctor cleared his throat.

 “Oh, I’ve missed this!” Jack crowed.

 “Saving the world?” Rose asked and dropped her hand from the Doctor’s arm. He missed her touch.

 “Breaking and entering.”

 “What?”

 “Yeah, Jack’s right. We’re going to have to put this back where we found it, no longer functioning of course—or a replica if I can’t disarm it safely—but Jareth, you there—”

 “Purtnich” Guard #1 supplied.

 “Jareth and Purtnich, you’ll need to do something. Rally the people, take a stand. Are you prepared for that?”

 “Yes,” Jareth immediately answered.

 “If I die, I’m coming back to haunt you all,” Purtnich grumbled.

 “Everything dies,” Rose said softly. Her words somehow echoed in the sewer tunnel, a strange song that made the Doctor look at her oddly. “Everything has its time, and everything dies. It’s not that you do so, it’s how you live that matters. You don’t just give up. You don’t just let things happen. You make a stand.”

 Pride choked him, and the Doctor grinned down at Rose. This beautiful, brave, daring woman who had most definitely captured his hearts. He took her hand, and she looked up, grinning that tongue-teasing smile that drove him mad.

 “Ready?” He asked the group at large but winked at her.

 “Ready.”

If only...

[gamearamamegathons]

Dragon Warrior III: I Retroactively Get Credit For This Peace Also

Circe here! So, now we come to the end of Dragon Warrior III. All that's left to do is to storm Baramos's castle and beat the shit out of him. At this point, how much I retain from particular dungeons is starting to lessen as I just follow a guide instead of mapping them myself. But Baramos's castle is pretty much as you expect, a big mean dungeon with monsters who are obnoxiously strong. Naturally, I spent most of this dungeon just fleeing over and over again and hoping I make it to Baramos in roughly one piece. Baramos himself is this angry crocodile face guy, and he's pretty tough, but with sufficient levels, the standard boss fight approach works pretty well for this guy, bolstered by the fact that we now have an array of support spells like Barrier (magical protection), Increase (defense boost) and Bikill (attack boost). After a couple tries, he goes down, and I head back to Aliahan to celebrate that the world has been saved.

The end.

...

...

Okay, just kidding.

Actually, once we enter the throne room, a voice echoes in the room, telling us that he is the true archfiend Zoma, and he's going to take over the world anyway. The king laments that he doesn't know how to break the news to his subjects, so he orders us not to tell anyone. What a leader. I guess we're gonna have to figure this out by ourselves. But we've pretty much explored every corner of the world. What's left? Well, there's two important places we need to go. First is the Castle of the Dragon Queen, a location tucked in a little ring of mountains that can only be reached by phoenix. There, if we poke around a bit, we can meet the Dragon Queen herself, who gives us a Sphere of Light. Hmmm. Anyway, the second place is the Great Pit of Giaga, a location near Baramos's Castle that previously just had a big pit with a wall around it. Well, now the pit has cracked open and split the walls apart, so we can just hop in, something which is clearly a very good idea.

In the pit, we find ourselves in a new land, where we immediately find a boat. Traveling a bit east, we come across a familiar town...it's Tantagel! That's right. The world of darkness beneath the earth was Alefgard all along. Now, this is cool and all, but it might raise a more pragmatic question: where does this leave our EXP curve for this new leg of our adventure? Glad you asked! The answer is that we're fucked for the rest of the game, basically. We'll be able to level up and ease things a bit, but basically the overworld has endgame-tier monsters, the ocean has endgame-tier monsters, the dungeons have endgame-tier monsters, everywhere we go for the rest of the game we're not going to want to spend too long in combat because almost every encounter has the chance to inflict massive damage to the party.

But leaving that aside for now, what do we need to do next? Well, you may remember that in the original Dragon Warrior, we had to get together the items to acquire a rainbow drop, so we could summon the Rainbow Bridge leading to the Dragonlord's castle. Here, the quest is roughly the same. Unlike in Dragon Warrior II, Alefgard isn't just a cameo, we are in fact re-enacting the quest of the first game in compressed time. And as much as I'd love to recount every quest item in detail, the effect of compressing and simplifying the entire original Dragon Warrior quest is that it's all just kind of a mush of poking around Alefgard in my head. I will say, despite the overly strong monsters, it's decently fun to go around and see what Alefgard is like and accumulate quest items like magical barnacles. There are a lot of important differences, though. The landscape is very different. Hauksness, the ruined desert town, is prospering. Garinham is just a single house, and Garin is alive. A lot of little details suggest not-so-subtly that we might just be, in fact, in Alefgard's past rather than its future. And that might lead you to a suspicion of who our hero is supposed to be.

But let's not worry about that for now. Aside from poking around the towns and collecting quest items and trying not to die a lot from every single monster, the only noteworthy dungeon before Zoma's castle is a tower west of Kol. It's absolutely brutal too, full of ruinously powerful monsters who can take out one or two party members very rapidly. It does have a very important monster in it, though. This tower is one place among many in Alefgard where you can find Metal Babbles, which are stronger, meltier versions of Metal Slimes. These things are EXP pinatas just like Metal Slimes, but they actually give an order of magnitude more EXP, in the neighborhood of almost 15K. The catch is that they're very, very difficult to kill. One good way of killing them off is a hilarious wizard spell called BeDragon, which...does what it says on the tin, I guess. Your spellcaster becomes a dragon and starts breathing fire everywhere. This attack ignores all defenses, so it's a guaranteed kill for all Metal Babbles on the battlefield. That requires them to sit still for two entire turns though, which is...not terribly likely, unfortunately. Still, it's worth it, even if it does make the experience of grinding fantastically tedious. Grinding is unfortunately not optional, though, as you need to get to around level 40 at least, before you really have a chance of taking on Zoma. And I kinda suspect that I was underleveled even by the time I got sick of this process.

So, as before, we get together the Staff of Rain and the Stones of Sunlight, and we scrounge together a sacred amulet or something to satisfy the mean old guy, who is weirdly not that mean this time, and finally, if we do all that, he will give us a Rainbow Drop. This lets us access Zoma's castle. Once again, this is kind of a retread of the same kind of constantly-running-away experience that characterizes late game Dragon Warrior dungeons. Along the way, though, we actually encounter...plot! Remember our dad, Ortega? He fell into a volcano fighting a dragon? No? Well he's here. Turns out that he didn't die, he just fell into Alefgard, and now he's fighting a monstrous hydra! Ortega's doomed battle plays out in real time as a non-interactive fight, which I feel is a...questionable design choice, seeing as this battle goes on for quite a while. Unfortunately, he dies, which seems like...I dunno, kind of an unceramonious way for things to go after the game strings out the chance that he might've been alive all this time. With his dying breath, Ortega, not recognizing you, instructs you to tell his daughter what happened to him. And then he's gone, leaving me with the impression that...not...much has changed, actually. I mean, it's not like we were questing to find our dad. We just thought he was dead, and just kind of incidentally found out he wasn't, except now he really is, actually, dead. Shrug? Okay.

Further into Zoma's castle is an important item that actually changes a lot about how we can approach the dungeon. It's a Sage's Stone. This item, when used in battle, casts a free healing spell that recovers a lot of HP to the whole party, and it can be used repeatably. This single object instantly obsoletes a huge swath of our Pilgrim's spells, which is hilarious. It also means that, since it can only be used in battle, there's actually a good reason to stick around in battles, since recovering HP faster than we can take damage will leave us in a place to spend less MP than if we tried to run and came out of it all beat up. But it reveals another problem, which is that this approach to the dungeon slows things down quite a lot. It is, objectively, the better strategic choice, and in theory, it's closer to the intended way to play the game than to run away from every single battle no matter what. But it makes the game seriously drag, which I think is honestly kind of telling. It's also still possible for your characters to get wiped out even though we're healing back ~100 HP per character per turn, which I think is *also* telling. You wouldn't think the boss would be takeable in this state, but don't be so sure. After crawling our way through the dungeon, surviving with minimal MP use by constantly waving a rock around, we finally get to Zoma. He's kinda huge, like, he's actually four times bigger on the map than a regular character, and of course he has a big dramatic speech about taking over the world, pretty conventional evil overlord stuff. He throws three bosses at us before we even get to fight him, but that's not a big deal, because the Sage's Stone is seriously just that powerful.

Zoma himself is brutal. He has a wide array of heavily damaging spells, does a ton of physical damage, and takes two turns per round. My first attempt at killing him went miserably. But then I remembered something I totally forgot about: you're actually supposed to *use* the Sphere of Light on him. Doing this causes the screen to flash and turn Zoma rainbow colors...for a while...but after that, he turns blue, which of course is the universally understood color of weakness. He's a lot easier now, especially since we're able to build up a ton of buffs like before, letting us deal tons of damage while my Pilgrim keeps furiously waving that rock to keep everyone alive. Zoma does have the ability to dispel all buffs, which sucks, but with perseverence, we pull it off, and Zoma falls dead.

Zoma's castle dramatically crumbles apart, as they do. We escape through a...hole that spits us out the bottom of a different dungeon...okay, I guess? Then we leave and go back to Tantagel to celebrate. This time, really for real, the evil is defeated. The way back to the surface is sealed off, though, so it looks like we're going to be here forevermore. The king of Tantagel bestows us with a title, though -- he names us the Hero of Erdrick. Yes, that's right! Erdrick is a title, not a name, and it's the moniker our hero will be remembered by for generations into the future. So...that's the big twist! This is the story that precedes everything that happened in the first two games. Admittedly, I was kinda semi-aware of that from the start, because it's hard to browse a wiki without accidentally stumbling upon this sort of information. But it's kinda neat regardless, and it makes for a nice way to tie up the Erdrick Trilogy. Even though the storytelling of these games are very simple, I can appreciate that, within its own context, it's built up a little mythology that's meaningful within its world.

So how does Dragon Warrior III stack up? Well...as I've said, it's very similar to Dragon Warrior II. Admittedly, a lot of my experience was eased by the fact that I moved to digital mapping, which means that it wasn't quite so slow and laborious mapping out things as I went. But putting that aside and focusing just on the experience of the gameplay...well, it's pretty clear that the game repeats its predecessor just a bit too much. The moment of getting boat in Dragon Warrior II was huge, but it really only takes one repetition for it to feel formulaic. Dragon Warrior II is a game that's being pulled in two directions. It still has a lot of the puzzle box design of Dragon Warrior, but it's also just way too big and way too open. Much like the search for the five crests, the search for the six orbs is something of a midgame slump where the devs clearly want you to see this big wide open world they've created, but it's so huge and meandering that trying to find and navigate the threads of half a dozen different mini-quests is overwhelming.

As much as I got excited about the new class system at first, it runs counter to a lot of the game's design. The game is so demanding in terms of grinding that taking a huge risk like starting a brand new character, or starting a character over to move them to a new class, feels ridiculous. As much as the game might suggest that you want to change your party over time to adapt and grow, you don't *have* to, and the game never gave me a compelling reason to try. At the very least, it's good that it lays the groundwork for future class systems in later Dragon Quest games, but here, it feels almost superfluous. I had my four party members and that was it, pretty much.

That said, I think I was too hard on this game's combat when I described it early on. Over time, you get a pretty expansive range of combat options...or at least, enough to feel like a standard RPG. By the end, the combat didn't feel quite so one-dimensional, although that isn't to say it wasn't still pretty simple. This game's repertoire of spells is pretty expansive as well, with at least a vague gesture at an elemental system, an actual multi-target healing spell, solid and useful support buffs, and a couple actually usable oddball spells like BeDragon. As a system, what really holds it back more than anything is all the cruft it still has to clear away from the NES era of RPG design.

And that's it for Dragon Warrior III. I think I want to do a post after this, taking a moment to look back on the Erdrick Trilogy as a whole. After that, we'll be moving on to Dragon Quest IV, the final game on the NES. And boy, you'd better believe I'm not going to miss the NES era once we're good and properly out of here.

[tipsycad147]

FULL WORM MOON,– EMBRACING THE SEASONAL SHIFT

This moon is lovingly known as the full worm moon because this is the month in which earthworms start to emerge in our hemisphere.  The name originates from long ago, when Native Americans would give the moons names based on earthly activities.  s located in the northern part of the continent called March’s moon, the full Crow Moon as the constant cawing of crows was a sign that winter had ended and springtime had commenced.  It is also called the Sap Moon, Lenten Moon, Crust Moon, Chaste Moon, and Sugar Moon.

In order to perform this ritual as written, you’ll need the following items:

Quarter Candles (yellow, red, blue, green) Large White Goddess Candle – (We prefer a three wick candle to symbolize the triple Goddess aspect) Paper and pencil for each participant Fire pit or cauldron suitable for safely burning small objects and paper Altar

This is intended to be performed outdoors, under the light of the full worm moon – dress appropriately and use proper fire safety.

<Anything in the ritual that is contained with <> should be understood as instructional for the ritual leader and should not be spoken aloud>

Ritual Begins

This circle cast fills the space around, to the sky above and below the ground, this area now a sacred place, neatly wedged between time and space!

Calling the Quarters

We look to the East where the great spirits of Air reside; unseen but powerful and intelligent.  Since the beginning of time, the winds have moved the clouds, changed the landscape, and moved mighty objects.  We look to them for the sacred breath to clear the pollution from our mental plane and allow for true cleansing and clearing of our spirit.   <light yellow candle>

We look to the South where the great spirits of Fire reside; too bright and too majestic for our eyes to focus upon.   Humankind has relied upon the great gift of fire for many reasons.  We are blessed to have heat in the cold times, light in the darkness, and on nights as tonight, we burn away our troubles in the all-consuming flames. <light red candle>

Turning to the West where the great spirits of Water spill forth across the universe; fluid, solid, or as an ethereal mist,   We are eternally mesmerized by the swiftness, the fluidity, and the ability to change without warning.  Our lives are filled with emotional and spiritual debris which are realized as stones in the great rivers of our lives.  Yet by your lessons, we see that with foresight, we can adjust our flow to move past them with ease. <light blue candle>

And now to the North, the direction where the great spirits of Earth; those spirits who serve at the terrestrial level.  As we gather in nature to cleanse and clear under the light of this full worm moon, we are aware that humankind can be destructive to the planet.  We seek guidance to help preserve and protect that which has been given to us so freely.  <light green candle>

Great Goddess, she who is the mother to us all and mother to those who shall come in the future, we call for your presence in this circle tonight.  We seek your wisdom, your comfort, your blessings, and your companionship on this night.  Through your teachings we learn more about ourselves and the ways of nature so that both shall live harmoniously.  <light Goddess candle>

Musical Interlude

Music is an integral part of celebrating; a practice which dates back as far as humankind.  I like to pick a song that suits the particular season or event, just to make it a bit more thematic.  This month I’ve chosen a gypsy song by Shantel called Borino Oro; it’s a lively and fun piece that will get your blood pumping and you’ll feel like dancing around the fire.

Opening statement

The theme of our ritual tonight is analyzing the Seasonal Shift.  As human beings, its no secret that our moods change with the weather.  I’m not talking about a weather event, like a snowstorm, but a seasonal change, such as we are experiencing right now.  As winter starts to pass, leaving the occasional pile of snow or two in it’s wake, most people’s moods will improve.  Now before you start to say anything, that does not mean that everyone was a grumpy troll during the winter.  Even those folks who are super happy all the time, like my wife, will feel even happier.  It’s an amazing sight to see when people are just starting to get back to the great outdoors.

The Seasonal Shift & Better Moods Ahead as We Move Into Spring

Lat month we focused on coming out of the darkness of winter into the light of spring.  Everyone was on the edge of their figurative seats, just waiting for that one day they could walk around outside without the encumbrance of a heavy coat, hat, and gloves.  Fast-forward 28 days later, and we are there; not everyday, but many days.  Temperatures in the norther parts of the country are in the middle 50’s and although the deep south had a severe and unprecedented freeze, it’s starting to become a memory to most folks.  Spring has sprung and you can almost feel the excitement in the air.

Tonight we’ll discuss the shift in our emotional selves that coincides with the shift in seasons.  Warmer air, the sounds of new life, and more sunshine all have a positive effect on human beings.  With the Vernal Equinox in our rear-view mirrors, each day will get longer.  Combine that with the controversial “Daylight Savings Time” and suddenly we’re seeing daylight long into the evening.  Although it will take several weeks until we see light in the early morning,  everyone knows its coming.    And speaking of light, let’s talk about the benefits of getting more sunshine.

Sunlight is a critical component to our overall health as human beings; more proof that we were not destined to be cubicle-dwellers or in our basements all day playing video games.  Human beings need sunlight.  When we are exposed to the sun, our bodies naturally produce Vitamin D, which by the way is important for calcium absorption, bone growth, and overall healing.  Trust me, speaking from experience, Vitamin D helps you heal from injury or surgery.  It also naturally boosts the immune system.  Of course, I should be the first to say, don’t be that person who decides to get a suntan on day one of warm weather.  You’ll get burned to a crisp and hate life for a few days.  (Look here for tips on when and how to maximize your sun intake).

It seems strange to be talking about the value of sunshine during a full worm moon ritual, but here we are.  But, since we are on the subject, lets also think about what the sun brings us in the form of delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other wildcrafted delicacies.  The seasonal shift causes a dietary change among most of us; usually one that is lighter, more nutrient rich, and has more water content.  As we shift to our spring/summer diet and start to get outdoors more, many of us will also start to shed those holiday pounds; you remember that extra helping of chocolate-covered cheesecake you had on Valentine’s Day?  Well it’s time to say bye-bye to it and fast.  Also we tend to drink more water in the warmer months, in part because we are hot or doing something which makes us thirsty, but the extra water does a body good.

Now if we take all these things and put them together; warm air, sunshine, less heavy meals, more water, and Vitamin D, it’s no wonder our bodies feel and perform better.  We get a reset to our biological clocks, see increases in our levels of serotonin and melatonin.  The former goes a long way to improving our mood and the latter helps with both our mood and sleep pattern.  So now that we understand the pathway to a happier self, it’s time to go outside and let Mother Nature lead us down the path of happiness.  With that covered, the only thing left to completely round out our selves is to release the last remnants of winter baggage through a thorough cleansing and clearing of our spiritual side.

Full Worm Moon Clearing, Cleansing, and Continuing

Every month we gather under the full moon to rid ourselves of unwanted baggage.  We take time in the days between to reflect and decide matters of the spirit and heart.  We seek to glean insight from the happenings in our lives and the world around us.  And for good reason.  For no event happens without a reason, nor does anyone enter or leave our lives.  We must always be observing and processing the great mystery of existence.  However on the night of a full moon, contemplating must eventually reach an apex and we need to make decisions.  Are there things which are hurting our personal growth that must be cast out?

The answer is most-always yes.  For negativity, anger, impatience, greed, manipulation, jealousy, lust, corruption, and laziness are always present.  We try to put up shields to defend ourselves from these loathsome traits, but sometimes they still slip in.  Likewise sometimes others purposefully inject them into our lives.  We may not understand how or why this manipulation is occurring, but it can be destructive to our spiritual growth.  Our minds become polluted and we can easily lose sight of our well-planned goals, and fall into a dark place.

Often times we know the exact root of our problems, but for some reason always hold back when it comes to clearing.  Other times we are almost-certain, but not one hundred percent sure.  Other times, we are clueless.  The best course of action is to start with the things we know are hurting us and clear them first.  In the time that follows, you can refocus on what is left and continue the process until all is right with your inner-you.  Cleanse, clear, and then continue – repeat as necessary.

If you are prepared to shed that weight, even a small portion of it, you’ll be back on the pathway of growth.  Spiritual growth surpasses any other kind of growth as it is the guiding force that oversees our existence.  It’s critical to keep moving forward.  So tonight, in the same way our ancestors did, we can wash away the negativity in our lives in the cleansing flames.  We can witness as the baggage of the past is completely consumed and the smoke travels far away.  What is great is that by burning the remnants of things useless and without value, we free ourselves to find new and positive things to fill those empty spaces.

<Offer each person paper/pencil to write things down that they want to rid themselves of forever>

Each of you may approach the fire when you are ready to cast the unwanted from your life and create an open space to fill with things that have meaning. As you burn each item, state the following, “I give up freely that which is no longer serving me”

<Once everyone has burned their items, have the group join hands and say the following>

On this night, under the light of the Full Worm Moon, we choose to rid ourselves of that which no longer serves us.  We feel the powerful lunar energy and how it supercharges our mind and helps to give us clarity of thought.  The cold reminds us that winter will remain, but it won’t remain forever, for as the great wheel turns, all things change.  Embrace the challenge of being a better you, tonight and into the future. As the moon above, so the earth below. So Mote it Be!

Cakes & Ale

Depending on the weather and the make-up of your group, you may choose to have a few libations and food at this time.  Talk, share stories, and get to know your fellow citizens of the earth.

Closing the Full Worm Moon Circle

Earth spirits, we offer our eternal thanks for joining us in our full worm moon circle.  Stand beside us as we prepare our lands for another season of growing.  Extend your blessings so that we shall have abundance and comfort. <extinguish green candle>

Water spirits, we wish you well as you take leave from our circle.  Leave each of us with the memory of adaptation, flexibility and the great understanding that all things can change, rearrange, and yet still remain the same deep within their core. . <extinguish blue candle>

Fire spirits, we bid you goodbye for now and again offer our highest and most humble thanks for all that you provide.  We have gathered on this full worm moon to burn away that which no longer serves us and are counting on your great power to consume and send them skyward and out of our lives forever. <extinguish red candle>

Air spirits, we bid you farewell as you take flight and ascend back to the realm of your existence.  We only ask that you convey the smoke to the furthest reaches of the universe as upon it rides those things for which we have chosen to release ourselves from tonight . <extinguish yellow candle>

Great Goddess, we thank you for your wisdom and love, for your guidance and comfort, and for your compassion and forgiveness.  At times, we find ourselves lost in the busy world around us, but even in that chaos, we know you are always there keeping watch.  Thank you infinitely! <extinguish Goddess candle>

This circle is now open!

By  Thegypsy

https://www.thegypsythread.org/full-worm-moon-2021-embracing-the-seasonal-shift/

[cookehenry90]

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