#and this may be sacrilegious to say especially with me being who I am

[sexynetra]

Olivia Lux is collecting selfies with my favorite queens tonight like they’re fucking infinity stones

[sins-of-the-sea]

"Oh, don't be like that, Rashid. Around this time of year is important to the others too. You have Ramadan, the cousins have the Eastertide, and the twins have the Pesach."

"I have Qingming! 

“...Or I would if I could identify who my ancestors are at all."

"Look at me on principle: I'm the Sin of Gluttony. I am defined by insatiable hunger. My power is sacrilegious in its very existence. I am fully capable of creating tangible fabrications of sustenance all while being deprived of food and drink. I can keep it up from sunrise to sundown all month long if I have to. It won't be hard. I was a man of the world before I was a man of God. I only followed tradition at home because we literally were subjugated by people who enforced the Quran in everyday living.

"We're all hellbound. Literally. Nothing we do or say can get us any closer to our God(s), will make anything haram halal again, or forgive our sins, or free us at all. There are absolutely no points in making any appeal to the divine, regardless of which God and certainly of what holy book or faith."

"Fine. Fine. That's fine by me. I'm areligious myself, I frankly don't care about the notion of God's grace or whatever, especially considering what He did to me. If you're going to stay out of Ramadan, then that is your choice. But even with all that--

"I won't let you stomp all over the Twins' and the Cousins' reverence like that. We all may be hellbound, and not all of us are reverent to our faith, but they are, regardless of where they are going and the pointless of trying to appeal to God. Do you even hear their prayers, Rashid? Do you?"

"Do you? I don't know a lick of Hebrew or Latin, and I am certain neither you nor Rui do."

"I don't. But I don't need to understand Hebrew or Latin to understand their prayers."

"So what are you saying, Abena?"

"All I'm saying is....

"........................

"Forget it. Nothing I say to you will get through to you. Good night, everyone."

"Pfah. That woman. Can you believe her, Ruixiong? Are you stupid enough to try to appeal to a higher power that condemned you to begin with?"

".................................."

"What's with that look?"

".....I guess I'm just a little jealous."

"Jealous??"

"That they have someone to revere at all, even when rejected. That they'll keep trying. Not out of desperation, but humility. I wish I had that kind of faith."

"Hmph. Why don't you?"

"For one, as I said, I don't have ancestors I can identify with. And secondly, whoever I can revere? He constantly ignores me and even poisoned me to death. So as you asked: am I stupid enough to try to appeal to a higher power that condemned me to begin with? In some regards, maybe.

"But in others: no. I gave up. Fuck you, Rashid. Good night."

"Wait, what?? Ruixiong?? What are you saying?! Rui?? Ruixiong!!"

[cordonia]

Lovelink: Hugo Hornsby (Bored)

Rating: PG Word count: 1603 Summary: Hugo Hornsby is late, and Isadora can’t help but feel herself slipping out of his life. Maybe some love fizzles out just like this; tired and bored.

"The games you played were never fun You'd say you'd stay but then you'd run"

Bored. Isadora hunched forward over the diner counter and rested her cheek against her fist, very slowly rolling her eyes. He was late, again, and that was becoming an unfamiliar habit. She was getting bored. The last time she had seen him, she was walking around her apartment in her underwear, making him a coffee while he awaited on the couch. He stared at her hips while rambling on about planetary disease and she just nodded along. Two weeks later, he was...

"Late. So late. I know, I'm so fucking sorry." Hugo Hornsby scrambled onto the neighbouring stool and tossed his wallet down on the counter.

Isadora both cringed and laughed inside when his voice dropped to a whisper as he swore, then rose again with an emphatic sorry.

His cheeks were ruddy and the brown sugar hair upon his head was unkempt. He slept in. And regardless, she was charmed, hidden deep beneath her impatience. Hugo Hornsby was sort of ravishing.

"Good morning, Hugo."

"No smile for your best friend?"

She frowned, deeply, just in time for a waitress to set a cup of coffee in front of Hugo with a lightly toasted bagel with too much butter. They'd only gone to this diner for a few months, but everyone knew their orders quite quickly. It was just far enough from the city that they almost forgot about the real lives waiting for them back home. Almost.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't have time for friends, Hugo. You bailed on Taylor Thursday night too." He flinched, and Isadora braced herself for a pang of guilt, despite its truth.

"Taylor was a mistake, I already talked to him about it. If you two aren't dating anymore, why does he talk to you so much anyways?"

"Bitter-bug." If he was going to act like a child, so would she.

"What did you call me?" His brows furrowed, a crease forming behind the bangs that kept falling in his face.

"You're bitter that Taylor thinks I'm cooler than you. And why we talk is no longer your business, we're allowed to be friends. You introduced us to each other, it's not our fault we're close."

The dating ruse had been fun while it lasted, but soon it became clear that there was a lot more complexity to Hugo and Sally's relationship. They'd been so close, Sally almost gave in. But even if she had, would Hugo have chosen Isadora after everything that had happened? She wasn't sure she would have settled for being a rebound if it was Sally's decision to leave.

"I suppose that one is on me. And I am sorry I'm late, I spent my Friday night marking thirty science tests in my least favourite unit."

"You don't have a least favourite unit," she said bluntly. "How was date night with Sal?"

Hugo shrugged sheepishly, a bit guilty but mostly embarrassed by his lie. She knew he missed their original date night that week because there was no obligatory Instagram post about it. She hated that she knew the inside workings of his whole life. He was very predictable, even if he wasn't calling her as much anymore.

"I wanted to take her to the restaurant her parents brought us to when we graduated, but it was three hours away. We drove all of the way there and it was closed, then got stuck in traffic the whole way home. She's back to not talking to me, again."

"She should have killed you."

"Isadora?" He stared at her so earnestly her heart began to slow, anticipation like a heavy rock on her chest. Time was slow around Hugo, love took a lot more patience than she ever dreamed. "What am I doing?"

Breaking my heart, she silently lamented.

"You're living whatever life you chose for yourself. Very few people choose, Hugo. Don't you feel lucky?"

Maybe it was cruel, but she couldn't look at him as she said it. She wanted him to recoil, to show a glimpse of misery or regret for what could have been. She just didn't want to see it, it would make her too sad to sit next him and know he hurt just as much as her. For what? That was a good question.

Maybe the only look on his face was content and at peace with his choices. Maybe he wasn't hurting like her at all. She couldn't bear to see that either.

"I'm very happy for everything I have. I suppose I could consider myself lucky."

When she finally looked, she really couldn't read what he was feeling. All she knew was that she was soaking up every ounce of exhaustion clinging to the air like radiation. And it all came from Hugo. Who was he these days? Was everyone losing him like this or was it just her?

"I've been thinking about something lately. You don't text me anymore, I know we hang out here and there. I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I miss waiting to see your name pop up on my phone during a long shift. It used to make my day, talking to you about the little things. Once upon a time we were just friends on an app and nothing else mattered." Back when it was hopeful to fall in love with him, when he made promises.

Not promises, she supposed, declarations maybe. Ideas. Dreams that turned into bad ideas.

"I miss you too. I know it's been different for a while, I've been torn in so many directions I don't have a brain left to communicate with some days. It's a lousy excuse, but I know how different it's been. It's not just... I really do miss you, I promise."

"Just text me, if you think about me some days and have the time. You don't have to waste any thoughts on me, ever. But if you do," she shrugged.

Hugo rubbed his eyes, sighed a little. "No thought of you is ever a waste, and if I were to text you every time I thought about you, you'd swear I was obsessed with you."

A sad smirk curled Isadora's lip and she leaned a little into his side. They sat facing the kitchen, not looking at each other, shoulder to shoulder.

"Not if I answered back to every one. Then we'd both be obsessed, that would be pretty pathetic I suppose."

"Incurably pathetic." His voice was smooth with a gentle authoritative tone that came from years of teaching.

The romantics dream, a very simple foundation to it at least, is to find someone who actively chooses you. Hugo Hornsby woke up some days and chose Sally, as he had for about a decade prior to meeting Isadora. Then there were other days, when he came over for dinner with her favourite snacks in a bag and sleek button up shirt, almost always green, with a smile just for her. And she swore, however delusional she may have been, that he chose her over and over again.

And then he'd leave. Rinse... repeat.

"Taylor mentioned that they have more auditions on Monday night, I was hoping you'd have time to binge Ito's new cooking show. Netflix gave him a wicked budget; there's a whole episode about trying to teach the prince to make desserts for his fiancee."

Hugo's dimples framed a wide smile, his deep blue eyes sharp under the harsh diner lights. "That sounds perfect! How about I bring some of the wine Sally and I made last summer?"

Isadora nodded, despite the notion of drinking that wine seeming slightly sacrilegious. They'd only ever gotten drunk together one other time, and during a particularly harsh wind storm. She fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 4am, holding Hugo's hand from where he laid unconscious on the floor. No matter how tight she had squeezed, he hadn't woken up. Isadora had cried silently for what seemed like ages, wondering if it was her first and last time to ever hold his hand.

She could never hold his hand in public, never kiss his lips in private, never feel his body curl around hers in a bed they couldn't share. Hugo Hornsby was not her fiance, or boyfriend, or lover.

He was just her friend, shoulder to shoulder with her in a diner on the off-beaten path outside of town.

"If you're bringing wine, I'll provide the cheese. Actually, I'll grab some back up wine too, the temperature drops Monday and we're in for a cold night."

"Perfect!" He cheered excitedly, earning a dirty look from a rather tired looking waitress.

"You're perfect," Isadora smiled. She swore Hugo even blushed. Did he blush for Sally? Did she ever try to get such a reaction from her partner?

"Isadora?" She stared at him expectantly and wondered if she could ever get sick of hearing him say her name. Her arm was still pressed tightly against his side, to the point that she was almost falling off of the stool.

"Yes, Hugo?"

"The butterflies don't go away," he whispered. Those blue eyes were dimmer, dimples disappearing into a tightened jaw. Isadora looked away and rested her head on his shoulder, for just a second. She pretended it was to comfort him and not herself.

"Everything dies, Hugo. Especially the butterflies."

He should know that... it happened with Sally, didn't it?

"And when you walk out the door and leave me torn You're teaching me to live without it"

[loveswickedpitch]

i listened to starry session! here are some thoughts. and to be clear: i enjoyed it a lot, and also these are just my personal opinions. you may disagree! that's totally fine. there is no value judgment here. i think sometimes people can't tell whether what i say is an opinion or like, something i think is an absolute truth, so. this is an opinion.

Song of Blooming Flowers: this one was just kind of okay. like i liked it! but it didn't feel all that interesting.

Jounetsu no Mezameru Toki: i think this might be one of the most forgettable songs in the franchise and this cover did not change that

Procyon: now we're fuckin talking. karen and claudine give nana and maya a break from being villains. it's very cute, and i think the song greatly benefits from having a deeper voice in there... the characters' register in the original song are all way too similar and imo it's kind of exhausting

Pride and Arrogance: hell fucking yeah. futaba has one of my favorite singing voices in the franchise (shoutouts to Teru, how is her voice so sexy) but Kaoruko is the real star (lol) here. the girl has got RANGE.

Fancy You: i think i might like this better than the original? it just doesn't have the 'wow' factor that some of the other starry session tracks have. like, it sure is kuromaya doing a love song! it's good but doesn't really stand out.

RE:Create: i love junna but it's a shame that this is so little of the song. like i get that the original is like 6-7 minutes long or something but still... it would've been nice having someone doing nana's part.

Circus!: i think i like the original better, especially since the original is one of my favorites. i think that maya and hikari just don't play off each other well here, especially when compared to the kaotaba version

Driving the Auriga: this one's fun. i need an isolated sound clip of claudine saying "yo!" so it can go in the claudine sound clip hall of fame with "goddamn!".

Chasing Sirius: i didn't think it was possible to find a pair of characters as funny to imagine arguing in an ikea as kaotaba but damn if they didn't prove me wrong. nana and maya playing off of each other always rules, especially since they've got pipes.

GANG☆STAR: not as good as the original, but it's fucking GANG☆STAR. you can't go wrong, no matter who's singing it. but i think that this suffers from not having maya and futaba to be on the low end.

Bonds of the Stars: HELL YEAH GO OFF QUEEN. i had no idea what to expect from this going on but holy fucking shit, Ayasa is so fucking talented.

Onikurenai: I'm sorry, i love mahiru, but she just doesn't work here. the song ends up being a lot more bland than the original fumirui version. I'm sorry haya-chan

Love's Wicked Pitch: i could listen to Teru literally all day and never get bored so. also, imagining futaba chasing hikari around is extremely fucking funny. absolutely incredible

Rose Poems: fucking S tier. watered my crops, cleared my skin. one of the covers that i think might be better than the original. akishio is incredible but. moepii. and junnanana. you can't compete with that.

You are a ghost, I am a ghost: mahiru gets her redemption, because holy shit, this one's incredible. i think it's actually be better than the original, which feels sacrilegious, but like... it's so good. teru and ayasa do fucking work as the ghosts and haya-chan is great too. A+

Arbitration of Zeus: teru... good.......

so there you have it! again, i liked it a lot! I'm curious to know what other people think. anyway

I'm going to become a kaotaba stan solely bc of how good teru and ayasa are as singers

[cno-inbminor]

adsentio - bonus letters

a/n: written in the royalty!au. i would recommend reading adsentio for context, but it’s not absolutely necessary. as suggested, this is just a little add-on/bonus snippet that popped into my head. 

summary: prince akaashi suddenly begins writing letters to you on the months you’re not there. you’d be lying if you said you weren’t beginning to look forward to them.

royalty!au: adsentio (pt. 1) | bonus letters (pt 1.5) | the masque (pt. 2)

-

Dear Princess (Y/n),

My mother plans to arrange a ball in your honor when you turn 18 next summer. It appears that she and your mother already started making arrangements a few months ago while you were still here. They plan on inviting other nearby kingdoms – I believe many other dukes and princes will plan to attend. Your coming-of-age is worthy of celebration, but I thought I could help relieve some of the pressure by periodically filling you in on the plans. In fact, I believe they’d like to make it a masquerade ball. Is that something you would enjoy?

I hope this letter has been safely given to you. There is no rush for a response, but if I must be honest, I look forward to receiving your letter soon. Again, there is no rush. I hope you are in good health.

Sincerely,

Prince Akaashi

-

Your Highness,

It is very kind of you to go through the trouble of sending correspondence of your mother’s plans. However, wouldn’t you think that I would know of these arrangements? After all, it is held in my honor. Forgive my forwardness, but were you looking for an excuse to write me a letter? Do you enjoy my presence at the castle more than I’m led to believe?

While I do believe the ball is too much for something as simple as turning 18, I appreciate the sentiment. I actually brought up the idea of a masquerade to your mother when I was there – it’s nice to hear that it’s still in consideration. Wouldn’t you agree that the air of mystery would be much more enjoyable?

Many princesses and ladies will be there as well. Why only mention the other dukes and princes? I have a possible idea, but perhaps I’ll keep it to myself. It seems more enjoyable that way. As of now, I am in good health. We are beginning to prepare for the frost, as well as ensuring that our citizens have the food and shelter to overcome it. The harvest was good to us this fall, and I only hope that spring comes quickly. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from you, and I was quite eager to write back.

I look forward to hearing back from you as well.

Princess (Y/n)

-

Dear Princess (Y/n),

If I may be bold, wouldn’t you believe it appropriate to address me by my given name? Even in written correspondence, you find the need to be formal. As I recall, you’ve addressed me by my name in person, so why not in letters? But should you find that uncomfortable, I will understand. There is no pressure.

I’m genuinely happy to hear that you’re still well. We are preparing for the frost as well. Should your kingdom ever need aid, do not hesitate to send for us. I will see to it that I personally help deliver any resources that you may need. Merger or not, our kingdoms are good allies, and should do as good allies do.

I suppose a masquerade would be more entertaining. It’d be interesting to see what everyone’s masks will look like, though I’d be less likely to speak to anyone. It wouldn’t be hard to find Bokuto in the crowd with that hair of his, but I suppose it’d be a little more tricky to find you. Not that my purpose of the ball would be to find you, but I’d at least want to bid you a happy birthday. That’s all.

As you know, I find no need to beat around the bush. I did, somehow, desire to write to you. You stayed a month longer than you usually do this past summer – I suppose I had grown accustomed to your presence, though I wonder why I never wrote you before. I hope you can forgive my forwardness as well.

I didn’t forget of the other possible attendees of the ball. As you had said before, there are some men in line for your hand. I assume that they would take this chance to impress you and your parents. After all, your kingdom is powerful and strong – most would benefit from a merger with you. Politically, our forces combined would be best. However, if I may be selfish, I believe you would make a good companion. If I see the other men making advances, perhaps I should prepare to win you over. But the choice would ultimately be in your hands, and I don’t intend to take that away in any sense.

I am eager to receive your response.

Sincerely,

Keiji

-

Prince Akaashi,

Old habits are so hard to change. I will do my best to correct myself and address you less formally. Many would frown upon this, however. We are not officially engaged yet – I believe some of the more traditional, older handmaidens would find this to be scandalous. They would assume we were off doing something sacrilegious in the hidden corridors, or something that would warrant me addressing you by your given name. I must say I am moved by your want for me to address you as you desire, even flustered. I imagine there are many other ladies who long for this same chance – perhaps I am special to you?

Along those lines, I do not think you give yourself enough credit where credit is due. I have no doubt that you will be able to find me the night of the masquerade – in fact, I believe you will have very little difficulty in doing so. However, perhaps to make this more fun for us, I might make it harder on you. Let us see if you are able to find me before the clock strikes midnight. You are incapable of fooling me – you know as well as I do that you have more than enough time to bid me a happy birthday before the ball.

I admit that I miss being on your castle grounds. It is a place that I have called a second home for many years now, and staying the extra month only made my leave harder. I am happy that you desired to write me. I now look forward to your letters more than others’ correspondences. One trait that I have always admired about you is your honesty – you don’t care to mince your words (unless it would be more appropriate to do so). I must say that I’m quite tired of polite, bureaucratic talk, especially at it should hold no place in a friendship like ours.

I hadn’t thought to give much time to any suitors who would try to sway me in their favor, but I am curious to hear of your argument now. You should be prepared to make a good stance, though I must say that you have earned yourself some extra credit from me – you haven’t failed to forget how important the value of choice is to me. Many other men will fail to remember or even acknowledge this.

If I may be selfish, I hope that the summer months arrive quickly. I look forward to my annual trip to your kingdom.

Sincerely,

Princess (Y/n)

-

Dear (y/n),

The answer is simple. Yes, you are special to me. You are one of my oldest friends, and there are very few people that hold the same honor. Though I’d like to be bold, a bravery that I can only display through paper and ink, and say that you are more special than just an old friend. We have known each other for many years, and I am very sure that you know the meaning in my words. Should you not, I would be willing to explain it in person.

Must you make it more difficult for me to find you? If so, for your entertainment, I will indulge you. However, I am not one to back down from challenges. This will only fuel me in my search, and I will spend the remaining time until then to recall on everything that defines you. Even in sleep, I will study, as you do appear in my dreams from time to time. I do believe it would only be fair to receive a reward if I find you by midnight.

I, too, also anxiously await your letters. Though I know the delivery man is doing his best, I can’t help but wish for a way for letters to travel faster. The days spent waiting for your responses seem longer and less bearable. It’s akin to the feeling when you visit the gardens every day and feel that the flowers are delayed in their bloom. On days when your letters arrive, they seem to have opened substantially. They seem fuller, brighter, and stronger, and I often have to restrain myself from retrieving one for you (since you are no longer here).

You are free to be selfish with me. I, too, wish for the summer months. In return, I hope you accept this bracelet as a Christmas gift. I found it from a jewelry stand when I was strolling through the city and thought it would fit you. You are not one to care for the number of jewels or the material it is made of – I only pray that you will accept it, and I fully intend to compensate for all the previous Christmas holidays where I did not gift you something. It is regrettable, and I can only hope that you accept my apologies now.

Sincerely yours,

Keiji

[queenofnohr]

hi there! i've been wanting to learn how to read japanese for a long time now for video game purposes and was just wondering if you had any recommendations on how i should go about it. are there any resources/tools you recommend? thanks in advance!

Hmmmmmmmm.

This is a bit difficult for me to answer because I’m not really “self-taught” - I was lucky enough to attend a high school that offered Japanese as a foreign language, and then studied it more in university (though there was a gap in education where I did throw myself into reading/translating despite being rusty af........) So, I’m speaking as someone who had years of kana/grammar structures/vocab/kanji/etc. under my belt before jumping into like....... doing my own reading for fun/translating video games/etc.

(Putting the rest under a cut because this got long)

Basically, you need a good foundation. Obviously, you need to be able to read kana - kanji is......... a little bit like vocabulary, I guess? Obviously memorizing them - especially common ones - will be hugely beneficial for reading, but at the end of the day, you can look up what a specific word means or look up a certain kanji. So like........ learn words and kanji, but also your main focus should be fostering a strong knowledge of grammatical structures. And there is a LOT of grammar you’ll be learning, especially because Japanese has different levels of formal -> casual speech.

In any case, as far as resources go......

The Genki textbooks are, I think, the standard textbooks used in courses (at least, I was assigned them both in high school and university). Even though “textbook” does make me clutch my wallet in fear, Genki textbooks actually aren’t all that expensive as far as textbooks go - around $45 a pop (and you might find ex-students selling theirs for cheaper lol). They also have workbooks to go along with the textbook, though those are more or less impossible to find used due to being, well, workbooks - I know doing what is essentially homework on your own time sounds like death especially because you just wanna know enough to read, but writing, especially when learning kana, is really good practice that will help ingrain the info in your brain. You can even find answers online!

I don’t personally know how effective it is, but Udemy often has discounts on entire language learning programs with a pre-recorded instructor and everything. I bought a couple lessons (to help my younger brother who never ended up using them 🙄) that a friend uses now, but like I said I can’t personally vouch for it because I’ve never had to use it.

I’m assuming you found me because of Fate translations so I will say this. Do not start on Fate. Do not do that to yourself. Pick a game with a lower reading level that isn’t going to kick you in the shins repeatedly, and start with that. Personally, I started with Fire Emblem, and aside from like...... weird fantasy terminology, it was a pretty easy read (though I again have to stress that I had years of schooling under my belt even if I also had a couple years of rust)

Speaking of reading levels, there are like........ Japanese children’s books? That you can read to get yourself comfortable and reading “naturally” as well - aka just like a toddler would, having to figure vocab out from context clues, etc. I experienced this kind of thing as an after-class method for getting some extra credit with like... physical books my sensei had, but this looks like it links to websites with either children’s stories typed out or actual full pdfs that you can read! The 3rd link looks particularly helpful in regards to that, though the site is a little intimidating (and you need to register). The trick here is to not use any dictionaries at all or anything. Just your own knowledge and context clues (which is why picture books are so helpful). If a book is too hard, go down a reading level and do those instead until you have the knowledge level to increase your reading level. Remember that it’s okay if you struggle a bit! You don’t want to be in a level you’re breezing through, but you don’t want to be in a level where you don’t know anything that’s going on either.

Dictionaries - mmmm there was a dictionary I literally lugged around with me for a while to use for translating on the go, but that was obviously a pain in the ass so I ended up paying for an app lmao. The one I got is just named “Japanese” in the app store (the icon should be red and the seller is Mark Gansicke?). I think there are other free ones and online there’s jisho.org but I like my app because, at least when I bought it, it was the only one that let me pull up kanji really fast just by selecting the appropriate radicals.

Okay, so you’ve got your foundation, you’ve got your dictionary to look up words you don’t know...... Now you’ve come across a kanji in a game and you are stumped. Flummoxed. You have no idea how it’s pronounced so you can’t just type it into your Japanese keyboard. You’re trying to use your app to search for the relevant radicals but for some reason you simply cannot find it. Have no fear - I have a solution, though it will be sacrilegious at first. Hear me out. Go to google translate. Change the input language to Japanese. (I am assuming this is on PC) Click the little pencil in the bottom right corner of the input box. This will bring up a box you can draw in. Draw the kanji you’re looking at. You may have to draw it a couple times for google to find it (knowing general stroke order helps!!!!). When you see your kanji in the suggested kanji box on the bottom, click it. It should now be in the input box. UNLESS YOU CAN VERIFY THAT THE INFORMATION GOOGLE TRANSLATE IS TELLING YOU IS CORRECT OR NOT, IGNORE THE TRANSLATION. But now you have your kanji or kanji compound available to copy+paste into your proper dictionary!

I thiiiiiiiink that’s it? Or at least like... all the advice I can give. Sorry I can’t offer more, but I hope this is at least somewhat helpful!

[angstchim]

Eros & Arrows | jjk

Eros Jungkook x Psyche Reader 

My retelling of the tale of Eros and Psyche

➻ !!: Hints of death, talk of suicide (Very brief), SMUT, angst, jealousy, 

➻ Rating M 

➻ Words: 15.1k 

Preview 

A/N: I am a huge fan of mythology and I thought I should try my hand at this tale hope everyone can enjoy it!!! Also, it may be helpful to know the original tale but of course you don’t need to in order to enjoy this fic!!!

დ Hyerin’s Pov ❦ Jungkook’s Pov, ۵ Your Pov 

The early spring sun generous as it blessed your father's garden with warmth. The sun's rays caressing your skin, your view over the bay down below was one very few got the chance to see. Being a daughter of the king you were one of the very few who could take this gift for granted. However, you knew better than that. Your sisters on the other hand. They felt differently. Your feeble hands gripping your clay cup, glazed and decorated, its rim greeting your mouth with the taste of freshly squeezed juice from the finest of grapes, and berries.

Your sisters frolicking in the garden, their laughs obnoxious as they tossed about a ball made of canvas and leather, all three of them dressed in their fine silk and lace. Gold head and body jewelry glistening in the sun as they tossed about the ball. None of them inviting you to play along. Their disdain for you was evident in their behavior and snide comments. At first, their words harmed your heart, over time the wound healed itself and grew stronger. Now it took more than a few harsh words and pettiness to hurt you. You didn't need them, as long as you had the love of your father you were set.

The guards ringing a bell as they entered the garden. In their hands a plush pillow, satin red and adorned with gold trimming, sitting atop the pillow a heap of roses and ripe figs. Addressed to you. Your sisters letting the leather ball drop as they followed the guards. Their eyes holding a green hue. Guards setting the satin pillow on your lap before returning to their post.

"How sacrilegious." Your sister Mina scorned her lip lightly curled as she glared at you.

"The fact that father allows this is beyond me." Do Ae chimed, her curly hair blocking her brown brows as she scorned, her trimmed nails jagging into your ribs as she picked a rose handing it to your sleeked haired sister Suni.

Suni's hair reaching her hips, her lavender silk robes slinging off her form slightly as she twirled the rose in her hand. Her eyes holding nothing but scorn for you.  "She's father's favorite after all. He will give her everything even if it means insulting the goddess Hyerin."

Your cheeks puffed as you swiped the rose from Suni's hand, while doing so a stray thorn from the rose pricked your finger,  "I'm not insulting the goddess!"  

Suni hissed pointing to the satin pillow, "I'll believe that when suitors stop sending you offerings that are sacred to the goddess!!"

Do Ae and Mina grabbing the pillow and tossing it off the gardens ledge. "Your pretty face and spoiled attitude are insults if only the men of this kingdom could see it. Father especially." Mina hissed, Do Ae giving a hum of agreement. The three returning to their abandoned leather ball, tossing it once more, purposely aiming at you. Harsh blows to your thighs and stomach.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear sister did that hit you?!" Do Ae feigned remorse. The other two cackling in their silks and lace.

Tongue swabbing the inside of your cheek, fisting your silk, and lace robe, eyes glossy you refused to give them what they wanted. Grabbing your clay cup tossing the juice it held in the direction of your witch sisters before running from the garden. Cheeks puffed and chest heaving your feet clambered to your chamber. The distant cries of anger coming from the garden giving you some satisfaction.

Running yourself a bath, water filled with rose and lilacs, a fresh tray of fruit at your side you slipped into the heated water. "It's best I stay here till dinner." Your voice tried, eyes peering at the doves and finches that rested on the railing of your balcony.

 დ

The sounds of harps and flutes dull to the goddess's ears. Her cheeks puffed as she looked over her temple. Her offerings looking rather slim, not nearly as many roses, figs, and peaches as there was usually. A seed of worry growing in the goddess's gut. "Alan!!!" She howled, her long and cared for nails poking at the soft skin of the peaches on her altar.

Clamboring feet entered the temple, in came a slim man, his hair a dark coral and his cheeks rosy. His robes white and trimmed with small bits of lace. His face one that would make many men and women cherry faced. "You called mistress?" His voice like that of a songbird.  Hyerin let out a huff, her flowing locks wavy and her robe covering her assets while sticking to her body. Her body covered in jewels and ornate paints and patterns carved into the jewels.

"Have you or your little birdies heard anything my that might explain why my offerings are so slim as of late?" Her voice holding authority as she peered at the peach haired man. His cheeks spotted with freckles.

He gave his goddess a smirk, "I have as a matter of fact."

Hyerin's eyes narrowing, "What is it you've heard?"

"King Hansol has his four daughters coming of age.."

Hyerin huffed, "What does a mortal king and his mortal daughters coming of age have to do with my offerings being so slim?!" She hissed, grabbing a peach from the altar, taking a small knife from her tray she began to peel at its skin.

Alan chuckled, "Well, my birdies whisper songs and tales about a fair maiden. That maiden being of King Hansol's daughters. The whole realm fawning over her and comparing her beauty to yours my goddess. So much so that her suitors have been leaving offerings meant for you at the castle's gates. Apparently, a mortal princess holds a candle to the god of beauty and love."

Hyerin's eyes flickering red, her peach tasting sour as she spat it out onto the tray beside her. "Bring me the window." She shrieked.

Alan gave a nod as he brought her a tray with water, the water clear but holding a glossy sheen. Alan gave a slight hiss as Hyerin plucked a hair from his head, tossing the coral strand into the water she watched with rage as the water portrayed your face and body as your bathed in your chamber. Hyerin could hear your slight hums and chimed as you bathed. "So this is the moral princess who has been taking my offerings?"

Alan nodded, "Moreso your worshipers my goddess, but yes that is her."

"Send for Jungkook, tell him to bring his arrows."

Alan gave a nod, "Will do mistress."

 ❦  

Teeth gnawing at a chicken bone, his eyes on the dancing concubines who stood before him. Taehyung, god of wine once again hauled him into a pleasure house for drinks and entertainment. "What did I tell you Guk? The nymphs here are the best in the realm."

He huffed, his chicken bone snapping as he gave it harsh bite, spitting the bone out into Taehyung's chalice. His friend giving him a harsh glare as he dumped his chalice and handed the tainted cup to the garden nymph who sat on his lap. "Rude." The god of wine sneered.

"I'm the god of love." Jungkook sighed.

"One would think you'd love pleasure houses." Taehyung chuckled.

"That's when I'm in the mood for a good nymph to toy with." Jungkook huffed.

Taehyung blinked, "There's plenty here take your pick."

Jungkook rolled his eyes as he took a sip of the sweet wine. "I'd love to but lately having a nymph feels bland."

Taehyung looked over at the god of love, "After all the nymph's you've taken to bed I thought I'd never hear you say you'd get tired of them."

As the dark-haired god was about to reply a familiar head of coral hair waltzed into the pleasure house. The nymphs all giggling gleefully at the presence of Alan. Alan is more than well known in the pleasure houses across the realm.

Jungkook looking up at the coral haired servant. "My mother sent you?"

Alan gave a nod, "Correct."

Jungkook tossed a grape into his mouth, "What for?"

"My mistress requests your presence at her temple. She asked you to bring your arrows."

Jungkook gave a sigh and ate one last grape as he got up from the sofa. Taehyung letting out a mumble, "More for me."

"Off to see mother." He huffed, his arm reaching for his bow, his arrows strapped to his back, he followed the coral haired servant back to his mother's temple.

Kicking his sandals against the tile of his mother's temple.  He looked to where his mother sat. her face a bitter one as she ate her peaches and figs. "A bitter face like that one doesn't suit you mother. What's causing you to have such a frown?" He shrugged, setting his arrows against one of the pillars.

"I need you to use those arrows." She huffed.

Jungkook chuckled, "I figured a much, on whom?"

"This mortal King Hansol has a daughter, a beautiful one."  

Jungkook furrowed his brows.

"You'll know her when you see her according to Alan shes the most beautiful out of her other three sisters. Sneak into her chambers at night, and shoot her with an arrow. I'm dooming the child to love a beast."

Jungkook nodded, his eyebrow raised, "Of course mother, just one question."

Hyerin raised a brow, "Get on with it."

"What has the maiden done to deserve such a fate?"

Hyerin hissed, "She and her father have had no qualms with stealing my worshipers and offerings. This ought to teach them to not think of the gods so lowly. Now go."

Grabbing his arrows and bow, strapping them to his chest he made his descent from the heavens while whistling a tune. "Mhm, another day."

۵

"Mistress?"  your servants chimed from outside your corridors.

"Yes?" You called back, your hair getting braided, your stomach growling.

"It's time for dinner."

"I'm heading out now!" You chimed, very much hungry. With light steps, you followed the servants to the feast. Your three sisters sneering at your from where they sat. Your father seated on his sofa, his plate resting on his lap, the sound of harps and flutes filling the hall. Fools spouting their jokes with vain attempts to make your sisters giggle. Your servant Mel, his coco hair, and thin form carrying your tray, loading it slices of cooked meats, and spreads. Food served you too a seat far from your sisters.

Your father raised his hand and the dining hall died down. "I have news that I'm sure you girls would love to hear."

"You're sending your favorite away?" Mina sneered.

Your father sighed, "No, all of you are to be married soon."

The room silent, a look of joy on the faces of you witch sisters.  Your stomach fluttering as a small seed of excitement rooted itself in your stomach. "Tomorrow suitors will be entering the gates so please look your best to represent me." Your father smiled, his eyes on you while he spoke.

With that the hall became boisterous once more, the music louder, the fools even more foolish and the wine sweeter. You could feel the harsh gaze of your three sisters boring into you, your servant Mel taking a grape from your plate and bringing it to your lips.

"Mistress don't forget to eat." He looked up at you.

You gave him a smile, "You wouldn't ever let me forget would you Mel?"

He chuckled, "Of course not Mistress."

Do Ae hissing, "Look at her, her servant the only one who can tolerate her. Pity."

Cheeks puffed as you ate the grape. "Thank you, Mel." You chose to ignore the snide remark. Mel doing the same only he hadn't any other option.

"You'll be getting married soon." Mel held another grape to your lips.

"I hope to a good man."

"Your father wouldn't marry his favorite daughter to anyone less I hope." Mel smiled,  "I've lived a very good life with you as my mistress. With you getting married soon my days are numbered."

You looked at Mel, "Don't say that, once I leave I will order my father to have you live out your days on our fields, you can be a shepherd for a living. I wouldn't dare let you beg on the streets."

Mel smiled as he handed you another grape, "I'm happy to hear mistress."  

Once the music died down and all that was left at the dinner were the leftovers you left to your chamber. Pep in your step and jolly as tomorrow you had the chance to find your potential husband and you couldn't have asked for anything more.

 ❦  

With a sharp eye, the god of love crouched himself on the edge of your balcony.  His footing firm as he peered into your dark corridors. After mingling with the common people a few of the men who left you gifts were able to point out which side of the castle belonged to the much-rumored maiden. After slipping into the three rooms belonging to your sisters seeing rather average looking faces, he knew this room had to belong to you.

Peering into the dark room, he kicked off his sandals so that his step would be light. His bow positioned and arrow drawn he entered, the smell of roses, lilacs, and peaches surrounding him. His nose loving the scent, with light steps, he inched closer to your bed. His eyes looking at your sleeping form, a burning oil lamp not doing you justice but it was more than enough for the young god to pause and admire the beauty before him.  You plump lips, sheer robes doing your silhouette justice, your hair spawled into your sheets. He loved the look of you.

He understood why so many men flocked to you. He himself would have been guilty had he been mortal. He rested his bow, arrow still in place. His eyes taking you in before he sealed your fate. Your form turning as you let out a small gasp in your sleep. Your sudden movement startling the young god and tip of his arrow grazes his thigh as he struggles to take aim. He bites his lip as he knew how clumsy he had just been. He had just changed everything. "I-I'm so d-daft."  He huffed as he stumbled out of your room, back to the balcony.

His arrows where special, he was the god of love and so his arrows when shot at a person the wounded would fall in love with the first person they see. Normally that was the case, except this time Hyerin was planning to send a beast come morning to sneak into your chambers and thus cause you to become enamored with the creature.

However, due to his own clumsiness, he cut himself with his own arrow and the first person he saw was you. His heart and soul egging him to crawl into your bed, his stomach filled with dread at the thought of having to tell his mother of his failure. Collecting his sandals he ascended to the heavens. His heart told him to return back to you and his morale plundered as he only thought of the punishment he could receive.

Heading back to his mother's temple he knew from the second he set foot in her temple that she knew the news. Her dish with water reflecting him. Alan by her side as she sneers at him. "God of love shoot those arrows every day and never misses a shot but when the time comes you miss?" She hisses, looking at the gash on his thigh. "Not even the gods can undo that mistake. However, I can handle this. That girl..." she looks at her window, the glossy water dish displaying your sleeping form, "is cursed to marry a beast, that beast is you, my son. "

Jungkook furrowed his brow, "I'm no beast mother."

"That's something she doesn't know, I will visit her father tonight in his dreams and tell him my terms. From what Alan's little birds have sung, seems like tomorrow she was said to find a suitor? Well, come morning her father will be taking her down to the shore to hand her off the "beast" otherwise I will curse that entire wretched kingdom. Once she is brought to your home you will not be able to visit her at all during the day only at night. She will be doomed to never the face of her husband." Hyerin's words harsh and cold, her glare dark as she glared at her son. "Go rot in your pleasure house with that hooligan god of wine." She scowled.  

Jungkook huffed but he knew better than to spar words with his mother grabbing his arrows and bow he trudges off to his palace. He ought to prepare for his new arrival.

 ۵  

A harsh thud against the entry to your corridor caused you to stir. Heart beating fast, gripping your sheets, "Grab your things you are leaving this place before you cause the demise of us all!!"

Your heart sank as you recognized the voice of your father. "Father?!" Your voice shaky as he stormed into your corridor, in his hand a brown sack as his guards gathered your things tossing them into the giant woven bag. Your father's eyes holding a glossy sheen as he watched his guards storm your room, your heart sinking. "Father what's happening?!"

"I need to send you away." He pulled you close, his hand atop your head. "I had a dream last night."

Your tears racing down your cheek, confused, "Dream about what?"

He huffed, trying his hardest to stay composed, "Hyerin came to me in my dreams last night enraged, she cursed you to marry a beast and that that beast would be the cause of your death. She said to lead you down to the docks and there a messenger would take you if I refused she would curse the town." His voice broken as the guards pulled you from his arms. "You must leave my daughter."

Your heart sinking, trying your hardest to make a fuss you just couldn't bring it out of you. If was as if your body and your soul had given up on you. "Father don't let them take me!!" You cried, arms reaching out to your father in a vain attempt for him to pull you back but he turned his head. Betrayal, and hurt filled your being, your fuss and resolve dying down as guard hauled you and your belongings down to the docks.

The breeze crisp as you were left at the far end of the docks. That way no one recognizes you the guards left you draped in a dark hooded robe, your sack in your hands.  You stood on the docks, the guards ordered to retrieve you if you ran. The wait for the messenger began. Temperature by the dock dropping as the winds grew harsher coming from the west. An elusive figure making its way in your direction, the closer the figure got to you the more you could make out its godly appearance and handsome features.

His hair a striking blonde, his robes a deep crimson and his lips full and plump. A gust of wind surrounding his as his wispy hair framed his face. "You must be the maiden I'm said to travel with."

You gave a shy nod. "Where am I going? Who are you? Are you my husband?" You looked up at the handsome man.

He chuckled as he lifted you into his arms, the wind carrying the two of you over the bay's waters. "The goddess Hyerin would be called Hyerin the merciful and she made you my bride." He smiled at you as he carefully kept you raped in your robes to keep you warm. "I'm Jimin, god of the West Wind. A little shocked you didn't recognize me." He pouted as he carried you.

Your cheeks heating, a sense a dread in your stomach knowing that this handsome man wasn't the fated you were doomed. Your eyes glossing over the deity whom held you. "Hyerin can be quite the petty goddess, she's so jealous I wonder how her betrothed handles her." Jimin joked.

You gave a nod, not really one for small talk in your situation. All that flooded your mind was how ill of fate you were doomed.

  ❦  

He let out sign as he sipped on wine, the god of said drink at his side, as once more he was brought to a pleasure house. "Taehyung you do know that I'm being married?"

Taehyung gave a nod, "To the mortal woman who is fated to endure the wrath of your mother's jealousy? The whole heavens know Guk."

Jungkook gave a sigh, "I feel bad for the girl."

Taehyung caressed the thighs of the water nymph who sat on his lap. "Why? It's not like you are a bad match at least you aren't that west wind god Jimin, he would sleep with a different woman every day before returning to her chambers to consummate the marriage. Besides you aren't a beast like she expects."

Jungkook bit his lip, "Yes, I'm no beast but it's not like she'll know that. I can't see her in the day and I can only play with and spend time with her in the cover of night. That's no marriage."

Taehyung took a sip from his clay cup, "You love her after seeing her once, she might learn to love a "beast", you are the god of love and if I learned anything these past thousand years it's that love always finds a way." The drunkard gave him a smile, his hands on the thighs of the water nymph.

Jungkook feeling a bit better about the situation, "Well said, but when will you find a wife? I'm sure you don't plan on wedding a nymph."

Taehyung chuckled, "I have my eyes on wine, for now, my friend."

Jungkook have his arm a light swat as he laughed, "Very well, I have to head back and make sure everything is prepared for my wife."

Taehyung smiled as he looked up at his friend, "I hope everything works out, in the end, Guk, everyone even the god of love deserves a happy end don't you think?"

Jungkook stretched as he slid on his sandals, "I think the god of love is someone who deserves a happy end the most. After all, I make sure everyone else has theirs, I deserve mine."

Taehyung chuckled as he walked off with his nymph, "Well said, my friend!!"

 ۵  

"This is where I leave you pretty maiden." Jimin sighs, "The journey was enjoyable." He chuckled before jumping back into his gust of wind. Leaving you at the gates of a large palace, it was the most inviting palace you've seen and you felt conflicted knocking on its gates.

After two knocks the gates opened to reveal no one standing there. Your brows furrowing, "Does the beast live here?"

A welcoming and light voice belonging to a female answered you, "He does, please enter mistress."

Your step was timid as you followed the voice as it led you through the courtyards of a splendorous garden. "Why can't I see you?" Your voice showing your worry.

"We are invisible nymphs mistress, here to serve you and the master. You are to meet him at night in the cover of the dark and during the day you are to not see him." The female voice responded as you were led to an open bath in the garden. It's water littered with rose and lilacs petals just like the one from your home. "We ran you a bath mistress, disrobe please, we must have you in the best conditions for the master."

A blush across your cheeks as you let your robes drop, invisible hands taking your hair down from its updo. Slipping into the hot water you watched with awe as rags and buckets seemed to move on their own.  With deep breaths, you began to relax. "After your bath, we will serve you dinner and show you around the palace mistress. Master will return home come night to consummate the marriage."

Your cheeks reddening and stomach filling with dread. "Is your master nice?"

The soothing voice responding, "For a "Beast" he is splendid mistress."

That response eased the nerves. Your eyes trailing up the sky, not a cloud in sight and the breeze made the trees swoon. "Mistress?"

"Yes?"

"Your bath is finished, please stand so I can dry you."

Giving the invisible nymph a nod, you stood, plush and dry cloths where held to your skin. Gentle touches and swipes drying while another wrapped your hair. "What is your name?" You asked.

"Ari mistress." The light voice responded.

"Thank you Ari."

"It's my job mistress."

You smiled, "Of course."

Once dry, rose robes were presented to you with gold trimming. The silk was so soft that being the daughter of a king you were shocked at such extravagant clothing. "F-For a beast he is well off don't you say?" Your brows furrowed and cheek red.

Ari's voice light and a bit comical, "Yes, he is a "beast",  but he has taste mistress."

Your brows furrowing, the servants at this palace had some knowledge about the beast that they weren't telling you. "Does the beast have a name?"

Ari paused, knowing that telling you Jungkook's name would give him away she went for the next best option. "Yes, ..his name is Guk."

Your lips slightly pouted as you followed Ari's voice to the dining hall where a spread was set and served for you. "Guk?"

"Yes, mistress, the master's name is Guk."

"Such an odd name." You commented as you took a seat looking at the spread of chicken and greens that lay on your tray.

"He is a "Beast" I doubt his mother put much thought into the name he was given."

You nodded as you continued to eat, "Very true Ari." Taking a sip of wine you looked up at the setting sun. "What is there for me to do during the day?"

"The master has brought many scrolls, paints, games, and animals for you to pass the time mistress, fabrics included if you are fond of weaving."

"That's so thoughtful." Your voice showing your gratitude.

"The master is very thoughtful." Ari giggled. The sky darkening. "Once you are done eating mistress it will be time to take you to your chambers."

You gave a nod, wondering what was so beastly about your husband when he put in so much effort to receive you. Finishing dinner, you let Ari lead you to your chambers, it's walls lit with candles, a bed covered with furs and silks, next to the bed a tray of water with cotton squares, next to it wine, and fruits. "This is where I leave you, mistress, the master will be here soon."

Cheeks red you took a seat on the bed. Its plush mattress filled with the finest of feathers, its warmth engulfing you.  Senses heightened as you waited for the arrival of your husband. A gust of wind entering from the balcony of the room, the gust warm and carrying a scent of timber, the gust strong enough to put out each burning fire in the room leaving it pitch black.

"G-Guk?" You whimpered, a bit frightened.

"Yes lovely?" A deep calming voice responded.

Your fists gripping the fur of the blankets, "Why is it I can't see you?"

He gave off a light chuckle, one that calmed your nerves, "Why would you want to lay eyes on a beast?" You could hear the unclasping of the gold clamps on his robes. The ping of them hitting the tiled floor of the room. He was undressing. Teeth nibbling your bottom lip. "You are my husband, shouldn't I see you?"

You could feel the edge of the bed sink as an added weight made it pivot. "There will be a time for that lovely, just not today." His voice soft, a warm hand caressing your cheeks. Your hands sliding over his, you expected fur, scales, or claws, but instead, you felt soft skin and trimmed nails. The hands of a man. Curiosity taking over as you rested your hand against him, finding the bare chest and muscle belonging to a fit man, your hand traveling his torso searching for anything that could have warranted this man being called a beast, instead your hand came into contact with a protruding, thick and well-endowed member. A squeak escaping you.

He let out a chuckle, "Sorry about that lovely, your beauty has an effect on me." His voice deeper as leaned closer to you, his shadowy figure more noticeable as your eyes adjusted to the dark. Your breathing heavier as you felt his lips connect to yours. His skilled mouth claiming your innocent one. His warm hands disrobing you with fluid movements, his lips not leaving yours once. He let out soft grunts and groans as the kiss blossomed into something more intimate. His tongue prodding into your mouth, breathy groans and gentle caresses, his wet muscle tangled with yours. His tongue reining a dominance over yours, he claimed your wet cavern as his.

Your hands continuing to roam his body, feeling nothing but flesh and muscles, that of a man. Your soft moans filling the room as he lay claim to your mouth, his large hands spreading your legs, gentle caresses to your thighs as his mouth began its journey down your body. His lips feathering down your neck, his teeth lightly grazing and nipping at the soft flesh. His hands gently massaging into the supple skin of your inner thigh.

“May I touch you love?" His voice groggy as he huffs, your panting echoing throughout the room.

"Y-Yes." Your whimpers were airy as he uses the tip of his fingers to gently prod at your clit, having never touched yourself there before the feeling was electrifying, his fingertips circling the bud before giving it a gentle flick. He gave a groan of pleasure as he felt a shudder from you. Your breathy heavy and a wetness started to gloss his finger.

"Do you know what this is called love?" He grunts, his voice a tad deeper as he tapped on your clit.

"N-no" You whined, back arched and nipples erect as he flicked and pinched your poor bud.

"Shame such a beauty doesn't know how to please herself, but no worries love. I'm here to teach you." He chuckled as he let his finger dip to your slit, a soft squelch as he did so. Had there been lights your cheeks would've been set crimson. You could feel a burn in the apples of your cheek and two fingers gently pushed into you. Your sensitive bundle of nerves attacked by the pad of his thumb as it worked in circular motions. Your hands fisting the sheets and he kept your legs spread. "I'll be teaching you a lot of new things love." He chuckled, a finger slipping into your virgin walls, the stretch tolerable as he gently pumped into your wetness.

"A-ahh, y-you're good at this." Your whine breathy and your thighs trembling as he had his waist between them. His one finger becoming two as he slows his pace for you to get used to the added width.

"I'd like to think I'm good at this love, mind letting me know once we are finished?" He chuckled, your giggles in unison with him, his fingers increasing pace, the tips of them starting to curl as they started to search for that special spot in you. Your back arching and his fingers delving into your core, your soft pants soft encouragement as he finds the special spot he was looking for when you give a small yelp, your thighs closing around him only to have him spread you once more. "Keep your legs open darling, closing them makes it harder for me to touch you." He chuckles, his soft lips planting a soft kiss in the mound of your breasts, his tongue giving a gentle lick to your nipple before he added a third finger.

The stretch accompanied with a light sting as he slowly thrusts his fingers deeper into your core. "S-Shall I stop?" He asks, his voice husky as he tries to retain his self-control, having been with experienced nymphs for all that he can remember your innocence struck a fire in him that he had a hard time taming.

Your walls tightening around his fingers, your hands gently clawing at his chest, your breaths ragged, "N-No, I can take it."

He found you endearing, his lips connecting to yours he continued to pump his fingers into you, soon the stings were forgotten as he curled his fingers just the way you liked. Your lips pressed against his with confidence as you pushed his fingers away gently, your timidness disappearing as you found his throbbing shaft and led him to your core. "You're that eager my dear?" He chuckled, feeling the bed pivot as he uses his hands to support his weight, your hands leading his crown to your slit, your confidence vibrant but your knowledge of what to do next not as vibrant,

"W-What do I..?" Your whimpers quiet but he heard.

Planting a kiss on the lobe of your year his deep voice vibrating against the sensitive flesh. "Line me up with your opening Love." You have a nod, your heart hammering and his tongue lapping at your lobe wasn't calming your heart. Lining him with your opening, "N-Next?" You whimpered.

"Gently push me in Love, just a tad bit I'll take over from there." He feathered his kisses down your neck and collar bone. He could feel you nod as his tip pierced your walls. His crown giving your core a stretch, your gasp and whimpers ringing in his ears as your hands tangled in his hair. "Shhh." He nosed your cheek, slowly he sank himself further into your core, a tightness squeezing him, his control spread thinly as he tried to maintain still for your, your thighs wrapped around him the deeper he sank into you. Your hips reaching his, his mouth on yours to distract from the ache between your legs. The kiss welcomed.

His tongue once again caressing yours while doing so he gently bucked his hips, a moan escaping from you was the only signal he needed to know that it was okay to move. With his hands intertwined with yours, his mouth gently nipping as yours he pulled out only to sink into your warmth once more. His strokes long and deep and yours moans breathy and euphoric as he aimed his thrust towards your special bundle of nerves. Your soft mewls and whimpers increasing as his pace did, his mouth feather kisses along your neck and chin. His thumb rubbing your hand as he pressed you deeper into the bed.

His soft grunts in your ear, his cheek against yours, frivolous heat between your hips, and a bond sprouting between the two of you. "Taking me so well." His voice was guttural as he began to thrust with more force the bed starting to creak under the two of you.

"S-So big." You whimpered, back arching as he ran the pad of his thumb over your clit, with soft tugs and pinches his thrusts jetting into your core, your gasps short and high as you felt an unknown but not unwelcomed heat in your abdomen. "D-Don't stop!"

You felt the heat, his ministrations continuing and increasing as he let out a chuckle, "Of course Love." He let out a groan, as he thrust himself into you deeper and harder, the new edge to his thrusts throwing you into bliss. Your back arched, toes curled, and hands tangled in his lock your walls enveloping his shaft.  "G-Guk!!!" Your cries loud and filled with pleasure.

"S-Shh L-Love." He growled as he continued to thrust himself into your core only to pin your legs back, and slam into you. His control gone as he slammed his hips into as vigorously as he needed, your hands clawing down his back as your head thrown back, your cries bouncing off the walls, his groans accompanying them. Hips stuttering, his shaft buried in you he filled your heat, his head thrown back, his hand giving your nipple a gentle pinch as he collapsed next to you. His strong arms found their way around your hips, his chin finding it's place in the crook of your neck. "How was it, Love?"

Your lower half having a dull ache but the bliss and warmth you felt made up for it, pulling the silks up to cover the both you, your chin nuzzled into his chest "It was lovely Guk."

Jungkook kissed the tops your head, a frown stretching his lips, he couldn't tell you his name nor could he show you his face in such a precious moment like this. It ate him from within.

۵  

Come morning his side of the bed of was empty.  Your lips pursed as you gave a pout. You knew he had to leave as that was told to you the very moment you came however after the previous night you wanted nothing more than to lay on the chest of your husband the "Beast." You hadn't known what he looked he looked like but last night proved you hadn't the need to see his face for a special bond to form. The sun's light piercing you through the balcony, next to your pillow lay roses, your heart fluttering as he left them before he departed.  

Steps light you jumped from the bed. Hips heavy as they reminded you of last nights activities, a soft pattering entering your corridors. "Ari?" You called out.

"Yes, Mistress?" A soft voice responded.

"Why are you here so early?"

Ari gave a giggle, "It's midday Mistress and it's time for me to draw you a bath before you dine."

Your cheeks crimson. "Oh, Hush."

"I assume the master treated you last night?" Ari asked as the water began to fill the bath.

Rose and lilacs seeming to float themselves into the bath even though you knew that wasn't the case. Slipping into the bath Ari began to gently wash you. "Guk was lovely, I wish I could just get a glimpse of his face.." You pouted, "His stature and body seemed so fit I'm baffled as of to why he's considered a beast. Have you any idea Ari?"

Ari shook her head, "Heaven's knows.." she mumbled, trying her hardest not to give Jungkook away.

You nodded, and gave a sigh, "I can't wait to see him again."

Ari giggled, "You will tonight, the master left you gifts before he left."

"He did?"

Ari scrubbed and washed you, "Yes, he did some of the finest robes and paints I've seen. He said he didn't want you to be bored while he was away."

"How in heaven's did I get so blessed to have him?" Your heart fluttering as Ari dried your body. You were still puzzled as to why he was called a beast. Getting dressed you followed Ari's steps as she led you to the dining hall, there next to the breakfast lay the most lavish robes you had ever laid eyes upon, for more lavish than your father had given you and your father was a king. Next to the robes, were sandals, jewels, parchments, and exquisite paints.

A warm heat in your cheeks as you ate your figs and cheese spread, small pieces of chicken cooked and laid on your tray, Ari's invisible hands leading the food to your lips. The other nymphs carrying your gifts to your corridor, leaving the parchment and paints for when you finish eating.

 ❦  

The god of love once again perched in his lounge, Taehyung next to him once again two nymphs on his lap. Jungkook's eyes to himself, his lip ensnared between his teeth as he thought about the previous night.

"How was consummating the marriage?" The drunkard asks, a spared jug of his wine as his side, it'ts top tightly sealed.

Jungkook's eyes blinking at the drunk god, "It went fairly well, I wish it could've occurred where she could see me.."

Taehyung gave a sigh, "Maybe it won't always be like this, she thinks she's married to a beast maybe this is what is best?"

The god of love gave a growl, "I'm not a beast though, I just want my wife to see my face, I want her to hold my face, lay on my chest.."

"Let her see then.." Taehyung muttered.

"And risk my mother punishing her?" Jungkook spat, "My mother would condemn her.."

Taehyung nudged the jug full of wine towards Jungkook, "Not even the god of love can have the one he desires, isn't the irony sickening?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes as he grabbed the jug of wine and took a swing, a warm buzzing in his gut from its taste. "My mother won't be able to pull her scheme off forever.."

Taehyung nodded, "Either way it's an unpleasant situation, drink up friend I know you'll return to her tonight at least you have that."

Jungkook nodded, "I wish I could share her bed the entire night before having to flee before morning's light."

Taehyung took a swig himself, "You are the god of love fate lives in you. I'm sure your mother's petty grudge may bore her soon."

"I hope so." Jungkook gave a defeated sigh as he took one last sip from the jugs sweet neck.

 ۵

Using what was left of the sun's light, your brush strokes light against the parchment.  An outline etched with your brush, eyes squinted as you lightly bit your lip,  your breath held as you drew an outline of a man's back to the best of your abilities, wisping a head full of hair, outlining his spine, back and all the muscles your hands touched the night before. Your brush decorating the background with roses and lilacs the same type he left for you. You painted a man. You painted your husband, having expected a beast, you were given something else entirely and you were glad. Guk had taught you so much you felt this was the only way you could repay him.

The sun's light too dim, you let out a sigh, the painting was in it's beginning stages as the relationship you had with Guk, mumbling a prayer to the gods you hoped the painting would turn out beautiful in the end. Covering it with a cloth so Guk wouldn't see and slipping it behind your robes in your corridor you returned to your bed, popping grapes into your mouth sipping on nectar freshly squeezed from figs.  

The candle's in the room dimming and going out a breeze entered the room, your thighs tingling as the room dimmed. "Guk?"

"Yes, Love?" A deep voice responded you felt the bed pivot and a warm hand journey up your thigh.

Your stomach tingling with excitement, "Thank you for the roses this morning."

He gave a chuckle, "You can expect that and more Love, did you like the gifts I left you?"

"Very much." You giggled, pulling him close, you could his robes over his chest, your nimble fingers stripping him of them.

"You seemed to have missed me." He chuckled, letting you disrobe him, your head resting on the hot flesh of his chest.

"I did. It's lonely here during the day." Your finger tracing over his muscular chest, his finger twirling your locks.

"I'm sorry about that Love." He pouted, his hand unclasping your robe, your hot chest pressing against his as the two you cuddled under the silk sheets.

"Do you think I can visit my family, my father?" Your lips pressing chase kisses on the small of his neck.

"Your father?"

"As far as they know I'm dead and I'm really close to my father, do you think I can visit him, let him know I'm doing just wonderful?" Your voice was curious as you tested the waters with your new husband.

His lips pursed, his fingers still twirling in your hair. "I can give you an escort to take you over tomorrow for the afternoon, then return come sunset?" He offered, willing to allow you to leave only if he was certain you'd return to him.

You gave a happy chime, "Sounds lovely, I can't wait to see my father." Your arms around Guk's neck, your lips nuzzling his jaw.

Jungkook gave a relieved sigh, he nosed your cheek as his hands traveled down to your bum, giving it a gentle pinch and tap. "Now that, that is settled.." He began only to be cut off by your lips connecting to his. His eyes widening with surprise but he was quick to reciprocate your advances.

You coyly pulled away, "I- I want to learn how to pleasure you."

Jungkook's heart hammering in his chest when he heard those words leave your lips. "Pleasure me? W-what brought this up lovely?" He asked as he felt you straddle his lap.

"I want to learn how to make you feel good.." Your lips pecking his check, "Teach me?"

"Alright." He replied his chest starting to heave at the idea, "Get on your knees Love."

Bed pivoting under your weight as you did what he told you to your hands brushing over his abdomen, his length stuff as it twitched at the brush of your hand.

"Go on, grab it, Love." Your face heated, your hands wrapped around his length. He gave a light hiss, "Not so tight." Your grip loosening slightly, "That's it, move your hands up and down for me." You did as he said, your hand pumping him, wrist lightly flicking as your hand traveled from his base to his tip. Your core throbbing as you did so. "Suck the tip for me."

"S-Suck?" You gave a curious response, never hearing of such a thing. The idea seeming so intimate, your cheeks hot.

"Yes Love, it's okay, you can suck it, be mindful of your teeth." A new coiling forming in the pit of your stomach as you gently lapped at his throbbing tip, the taste foreign but not unwelcomed, hand at work and your eyes lidded as your timid licks turned into languid sucks. You weren't the most graceful, your jaw and cheeks getting glossed your tongue wrapped around his twitching crown, his shaft throbbing as you tasted him. His fingers tugging your locks, the soft ache on your scalp ignored as you focused on the way he felt in your wet tavern.

"T-That's it, ahhh" He groaned, his hips gently meeting your head as you began to bob, your mouth taking him deeper and deeper as your hands retreated to the base of his shaft. "You're doing so good, s-so so good, your mouth is o-ouuh ahhh." He growled as your hands found themselves fondling his balls, your head bobbing taking him past your mouth to the beginning of your throat. Your eyes pricked with tears but your ears craved the praise you heard him ooze.

You felt powerful and satisfied the ache in your scalp and jaw log forget as you continued to bob your head, picking up your pace, tongue lapping at the underside of his shaft. There your wet muscle twirled around a protruding vein, this caused him to twitch, his moans louder. 'I-I'm close!!" Head bobbing more, your hips stuttering as he loses himself in your mouth. Your core throbbing with pleasure, dripping wetness running down your thigh as you clenched around nothing.  "A-Ahhh!!" Hips stuttering, a hot pool filling your mouth, his taste pleasant, not exactly knowing what to do with his release you swallowed. Coiling in your stomach, your walls clenching around nothing the feeling euphoric as more wetness pooled down your thighs. You came.

His hands leaving for hair to cup your core, your slick coating his fingers. "You're soaked." He chuckled. Your mouth leaving his member, heat in your cheeks as your arms wrapped around his neck, his hand still between your legs. Chests pressed together, your lips molding into his has gently spread your legs, his fore, and middle finger delving into your slick mound. His fingers curling as they gave you relief. With your orgasm keeping you in a euphoric state his ministrations sent a shockwave through your body.

Lips escaping his, your chest heaving you let him continue to attack the buddle your sensitive spot. Head resting on his chest, eyes heavy as his fingers continued their dirty work. He pleasured you to sleep.

۵

Come morning your husband once again had left his side of the bed vacant. A frown on your face as you missed his warmth. However, such feelings were quickly forgotten when you remember today you'd be returning home for a visit with your father. A gentle knock came from the entrance of our corridors. "Yes?"

"Mistress the master gave us instructions to get you dressed for a visit?" Ari chimed.

Your stomach filled with excitement, "That's correct!"

"Then let's start with getting you dressed shall we?"

You gave a nod as you rose from your bed, already in the nude as Ari went to your wardrobe pulling out the finest, jaded, silk robe you had at your disposal. With it the most luxurious gold sandals and accessories. "Em braid her hair."

"Yes, Ari." Em chimed as you felt fingers gather your hair before giving it a comb through, fresh flowers on a tray nearby as the nymph by the name of Em began to weave the freshly cut flowers into your hair.

Ari's invisible presence got your dressed, her hands fastened the clasp of the silk robe, next she tied the sandals around your smooth legs. "Which perfume shall we use Mistress?" Ari asked while holding out a tray of scented oils.

Your eyes glossed over the tray trying your best to decide on a fragrance. One smelled of timber, the same smell Guk had the night he met you. Grabbing the oil you placed a generous amount on your arms, neck, and temples. After a bit of pampering to your face, Ari and Em led you down to the docks where once again you found yourself face to face with the god of the West Wind, Jimin.

"On my, you are twice as beautiful from when I last laid my eyes on you." He gave you a small bow and flirtatious smirk as he opened his arms.

"And you all the bolder." You walked closer to the winded god, his fluffy blonde locks and royal blue robes stood out from his sunkissed skin and muscular build, his lips crimson as they pulled into a smirk, his hands pulling you close, and he held and lifted you into his arms.

"Shouldn't we be on our way?" He chuckled.

"I'd like it if we were."

"It's whatever you like lovely." He chuckled as he began, gusts of wind carrying the two of you over the large sea that separate you from your old home. Nuzzled into the chest of the winded god he couldn't help but chuckle. "That "beast" of yours is immensely lucky to have you. Had you not been promised to him I would've taken you for myself." He commented as he leaned his mouth close to the lobe of your ear. Even with the crispness of the winds surrounding your his hot breath against the shell of your ear gave you shivers.

Your cheeks cherry as you decided it would be best to ignore the casanova god as you had no rebuttal to his bold confessions. Your eyes widening and a pit of excitement grew in you as just over the horizon you could see your old home, your father's palace. Reaching the shore Jimin sat you down on the very docks he took you from. "I'll be back at sunset as promised, meet me right here lovely."

You gave a frantic nod as your hands fisted your robes, with eager feet you began an exhausting trek up the trails to your old home. Grubbling about the walk. Coming to the steps of your old home, the guards held up their spears before lowering them once seeing your face. "Mistress?!" They shouted bewildered, eyes wide as if having seen a ghost.

"May I enter my home?" You gave a nod, in good health and covered in the wealth of your husband.

"You should be dead?!" One of the guards exclaimed.

"It's not your place to make that assumption, now let me enter my home." You gave a snarky reply, the guards caught by surprise but with a curt nod and signal to those managing the entrance the gates of your old home opened. Upon entering all the servants in the garden froze. Their eyes bore into your, gasps and whispers filled the garden. A few servants having run off to bring either your sisters or your father you'd assume. Head held high with narrowed eyes you walked through the garden to the dining hall where you were greeted with the displeased faced of your sisters.

Their eyes laced with envy and hatred. "Green isn't a color that suits you sister." Mina scorned as she turned her nose as your luxurious jaded robes.

You took a look at the robes you had, giving smirk. "You're right the color may not be the most flattering on me but it suits you rather well sister."

Mina, Do Ae and Suni quickly circles you, Suni's hand running over your gold crest that held your robes in place. 'When that beast kills you I'll be sure to collect whatever it is he gave you. He may be a beast but he has taste."

Do Ae giggled, as she poked at the flowers in your hair, "You'd look great in funeral garb dear sister." She gave a snide comment. Before you had the chance to reply you were cut off.

"Dear is that you?!" Your father called out as he rushed over, your sisters stepping aside as he pulled you into an embrace. His form shakey, his hand cupping your cheeks, "Let me have a look at you!" His eyes frantic as he checked you for any wounds or bruises. "H-How is it you are here?!"

"My husband let me return for the evening." You gave a smile as your father looked at the robes you worse, such fabrics fit for a goddess he looked puzzled.

"Husband? You are married to a beast aren't you?" He asked, his arm around you as he led you to the dining hall, where you saw your old servant Mel setting out a tray of figs, he looked well fed and carried for just as you wished him to be. Meeting his eyes he gave you the warmest of smiles which you returned.

"He is a beast, however, I haven't seen him." You responded as you took a seat with your father, your sisters in the room as well, quiet as ever they listened.

"How is it you haven't seen him?" Your father raised a brow.

"That's because he doesn't wish me to. He comes and talks to me in the cover of night and during the day he is gone from sight, every day he leaves me gifts, robes, flowers, paints, fabrics, rare delights..." You spoke.

Your sisters smacking their lips and hissing as they heard of pampered you were at your new home.

"But in my dream.." he began, "the goddess Hyerin told me that he would be the cause of your death.." He sighed, the sadness heavy in his voice.

Your eyes traveling to the floor. "He's treated me with nothing but kindness even if he is a beast."

Your father shook his head, "Don't be fooled, my daughter." He waved Mel over and whispered into his ear words you couldn't decipher, "As much I'd love to be devoted and follow the will of the gods, seeing you here now has changed my mind."

Your brows furrowed as you looked up at your father, Mel returning with a wrapped cloth, he set it on your lap. Unraveling the cloth was a dagger. Your gaze hard as your father spoke once more. A sense of dread filling your being. "His kindness is fake, the beast doesn't love you. Tonight when you return to your palace, hide this dagger and keep an oil lamp nearby."

"F-Father but why?!" You shouted

Your father gave you a stern look, "Listen to me, once the beast is sleep take this dagger and cut his throat. Kill him before he kills you and then flee that palace and return to here and I shall send you into hiding."

Your hands shaking around the dagger, a sense of fear, and pain filled your heart, as you looked out at the clearing to see an orange sky. The sun was setting. Your father's eyes following your gaze. "I take it that it must be time for your return?" His large hands took the dagger carefully from your hands and he wrapped it in its cloth. "Take it with you and do as I told you. Between you and the beast I'd rather see my daughter thrive than a beast."

Your mind blank as you carried the wrapped weapon with you to the docks where once again stood the fair-headed god in his royal blue robes. "A parting gift?" he asked.

Snapping from your trance. "Yes."

Jimin chuckled, "Your father is very kind I see." His arms open for you once more. You were a bit shakey as the god carried you into his arms, the crisp winds surrounding the two of you as he carried you back over the sea. A salty taste in the ear, and the threat of tears from the sting. Jimin chuckled once more, "The salt does sting the eyes, makes the tears bitter."

You felt dread and pain, your tears weren't from the salty breeze but if imin believed they were you weren't going to correct him. Reaching the docks of your new home, eyes puffy with the clothed weapon held to your chest you gave the winded god a nod of thanks and quiet goodbye as your feet dragged you back to your palace. Time ticking as the sun retreated further and further west. Upon entering the gates of your home, Ari was quick to make herself known. "How was visiting your family Mistress?"

You gave a shy giggle, "It was lovely." You lied through your teeth and hope it was confusing.

"Did they feed you or would you like me to prepare something? Would you like me to draw you a bath Mistress?" Ari chimed. She hadn't seemed to notice a change in you.

"Oh no, I'm fine take the rest of the night off Ari." You ordered as you slipped into your corridors. Ari hummed her response as you heard her feet panter off. Carefully you slipped the dagger under your pillow as you set one of your oil lamps nearby, slipping out of your robes your hair still decorated, hands busy taking your hair down as the lights went out? "Guk?"

"Yes, my love?" His voice pleased as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, your back sinking into his chest.

"Where do you go during the day?" Your voice soft and a bit shaky, you could hear his robes hit the floor and his hands roam your thighs as he plastered your neck with chaste kisses.

"I visit a friend's and help him sort matters out?" His hands cupping your breasts, a soft moans escaping your lips.

"W-What kind of matters?"

He chuckled, "He has problems with drinking too much." His hands slipping down to your slicked mound. "Goodness, So wet and I've barely touched you." He growled as he pressed you against the bed, your face and stomach pushed into the sheets as he raised your hips.

"Y-You make me like this.." You whimpered.

"I'd be hurt if anyone else did." He growled as he traced a finger over your wet slick, his fingers gently pinching and flicking your sensitive nub. "For last night, I thought it I should return the favor. Would you like that love?"

Your hands fisted your sheets, your chest heaving. "Y-yes please!"

Jungkook licked his lips, "Mhm, Very well Love." He spread your thighs and gave your bum a smack. A squeak escaped your lips. Both of his hands keeping you spread for him as his tongue tentatively lapped at your folds. The feeling new and welcomed as your back arched and your mound pressed itself against the flat of his tongue.

His breathes ragged,  as he moved his head from side to side, his tongue and lips ravenous as he tastes you. The tip of his wet muscle flicked your rose bud as the flat of his tongue spread your folds. His growled muffled as he sucked on your bundle of nerves, a cry escaping you as your fisted the sheets, knuckles white, and body trembling.  "You taste so sweet!" He growled his voice low and rugged.

His sucking harder as his finger traced your folds but avoided your opening leaving your core twitching with anticipation. "G-Guk!!" Your mewls only encouraging the "Beast" to continue his ministrations. His sucking faster, his tongue dipping into your core, tongue lathering your walls and his hands keeping a firm grip as your ass he forced it open. Hips pressing against him, his tongue abusing that special place inside you, his breathing heavy. A familiar coiling underway in your abdomen.

Your lips bruising your lips and tears pricking your eyes as you gifted him your pleasure. "S-So sweet!! I wish I could taste you like this always." He growled as he lapped up the slick that ran down your thighs, his lips glossed. He was satisfied. A dull pain coming from his hard member but he brushed it off as he climbed into bed with you. His tip poking your side.

"You're going to sleep like that?" You giggled, your hand wrapping around his tip, giving it a few languid pumps.

"I planned to but if you insist hold your hand right there for me love." He gave you directions with a soft voice as he began to move his hips, his member sliding in and out of your hand. In and out. Your cheeks heated as he continued to lose himself in the palms of your hand. It wasn't long before he spilled himself in your hand, his hand taking yours as he lifted it to your lips. "Open up love."

Your mouth opens at his command and your tongue laps at his arousal. The taste a tad bit salty but you didn't mind that in the slightest, once you had finished he pulled you into a sloppy but heated kiss, the flavors of the two of you mixing into a lewd cocktail. Chests heaving and exhausted the two of you slipped into slumber. Well he did, you were wide awake as you thought about what your father had told you.

The fear for your life and the love you felt tore you to bits. Apporximently an hour passed till you heard the soft snores and slow breathing of your husband. Heart hammering your chest you hand ventured under your pillow. After a quiet struggle to free the dagger from the cloth you carefully slid the dagger down to your slide. Your other hand fumbling to find the oil lamp you set nearby.

The snores of your husband drowned out as all you could hear was the thunderous thumping of your heart in your ears. Carefully turning on the lap, dagger gripped tightly in your other hand, you shined the light on the body of your beloved. His body godly and sunkissed, his muscles lean, and his skin unblemished, his member causing you to blush as you looked at its pink crown and pronounced veins. The light shining on his face you were greeted with a full head of silky black hair, rosy lips and a handsome face. A face so handsome it made him ... godly. His chest rose and felt as slept, his hands large and well cared for, not a single callous.

You were in awe at the sight before you. Your husband was no beast, he was the finest man you ever met. The lamp which you had held in a tilt hovered over his sleeping form. WHich you learned was a mistaked as a drop of boiling oil splattered onto his chest. Your husband's eyes opening with terror as he spotted you with a dagger in your hand.

"W-What are you doing?! Do you have any idea what you just did?!" He shouted as he leaped from the bed, his robes sloppily draped around him as he jumped from the balcony window. His heart ached, and he felt betrayed as he ran from the palace, he knew he would face the wrath from his mother as would you, but now all trust he had in you disappeared. He felt betrayed.

Your eyes were wide with shock and your body filled with dread at the realization of what you just did.

۵

Come morning there wasn't a gift let for you. You knew better than to expect one but the absence of one made the events of last night all the more real for you. He really fled and you had no idea where he went. As per usual Ari entered your corridors asking to draw you a bath.

"Mistress? Did you hear me?" Ari asked in a concerned tone.

"I-I did." You answered dejectedly. "Ari, yesterday I made a mistake with Guk, I did something I shouldn't have."

Ari paused, "What would that be Mistress?"

"After visiting my father's he warned me that the "beast" would kill me as the goddess Hyerin told him in his dream. Thus he gave me a dagger and told me to slit his throat in the night. I was hesitant but took the dagger and last night when Guk was asleep I used an oil lamp, the dagger in my hand and I shone the light on him and saw the most beautiful man, not a beast. However, oil from the lap dropped onto Guk and he woke and saw the dagger in my hand and fled and now I have no idea where he is, I do want to apologize and make things right. Ari please if you aren't upset with me is there any way you can help me fix this?"

Ari gasped but remained calmed as she did her best to empathize with you. "Mistress, I suppose this does require some explaining. Your husband was never a beast, he is the god of love, Eros, or as you would know him as Jungkook." Your mouth agape as she continued her explanation.  "He is the son of the Goddess of Beauty, Hyerin, and thus she heard of how your father let you be worshiped as a god even though you were a mortal and this was beyond unacceptable in the eyes of Hyerin thus she arranged for Jungkook to use his arrows of love to make you fall in love with beast, but he failed and accidentally let his arrow graze his thigh and thus now he became enamored with you. Knowing very well the power of those arrows Hyerin came to your father and fabricated the tale of the beast as you were then going to marry Jungkook under the impression of him being a beast. Hence why you weren't allowed to see him during the day. But now that rule has been broken and Hyerin will be furious, as of Jungkook's whereabouts I can't be certain. But your old home and here is no longer safe." Ari sighed before continuing.

"Please head to the temple of the goddess Celestia and ask to be her subject for the time being, under her protection you'll be safe from the clutches of Hyerin, grab your things and go, I'll take you there but with urgency no time for questions!!!" Ari ordered as she ushered you to grab your things. Breakfast and the bath long forgotten and she once again grabbed a sack and filled it with your items.

You were silent as Ari's invisible force dragged you through the woods and trails of the palace, following the winds for what seemed like hours the two of your arrived at a temple, with white doves guarding its gates.

"Who goes there?" One dove spoke with an unearthly, female voice.

"The wife of Eros!"

The dove asked, "What would the wife of Eros have to do with Celestia the goddess of purity?"

"She wishes to become a subject!" Ari responded

The dove laughed, "She has already been bedded how can she devote herself to Celestia now?"

Ari stood her ground, "The temple of Celestia is a haven for all women not only virgins, now open your gates."

"Open the gates." A deep, mature voice cut off the dove. There on the other side stood the goddess Celestia draped in white and gold. Her robes were loose and modest, and her hair kept braided atop her head. "Wife of Jungkook what business do you have at my temple?"

"I-I wish to reside here and do whatever work I can while I sort out issues with my husband."

Celestia furrowed a brow, "I assume this had to do with his vain and childish mother Hyerin?"

You gave a nod, not knowing the proper way to respond to that.

"Enter child, this temple is a safe haven for all women, Especially those victim to Hyerin. Virgin or not." Celestia welcomed you with open arms. "You may stay here but you will work caring for my flock, tending to the garden and scribing shall be your daily tasks till I tell you otherwise."

"Yes My Goddess." You responded with a sniffle, thankful for her kindness yet pitiful for your situation.

❦

Jungkook gave a sigh once more as he sipped Taehyung's wine. "S-She saw me."

Taehyung looked at the brokenhearted god, "It was only a matter of time till she got curious about what her husband looked like. If I was her and had a man like you bed me every night I'd want to see his face too."

Jungkook growled, "Would you be holding a knife to me as you gandered?"

Taehyung took a sip of his wine. "Don't be too hasty you can only be killed by another god and she isn't that. But if I recall properly she visited her father earlier that day?"

"What of it?!" Jungkook snapped.

"Her father from what I know is very fond of his daughter, even this drunkard god had heard the rumors of King Hansols favorite daughter. Then in the dead of night Hyerin appears to him and tells him his favorite daughter is to marry a beast and then be killed by that same beast. After sending his daughter away, sending her to "die", she returns at his front gates in good health, knowing that, that same night she was to return to a beast." Taehyung explained, "Would you send her back with a blessing or a dagger to slay the "creature" who may be the cause of her death?" Taehyung asked as he took another sip from his chalice.

Jungkook pondered, "But my wife, she knows I wouldn't dare."

"Jungkook's she's under the assumption you are beast who may kill her, and not only that she just met her father who I assume his word means a great deal to her. I'm not trying to say her actions were right, but there is a reason for them."

Jungkookm sighed as he knew Taehyung may be a drunkard but his logic and senses never led him astray. "She still betrayed me."

"She did."

"I don't know where she is." He sighed

"I'd give it time, and send out familiars too look for her, you can borrow my sparrows to accompany your finches in looking for her." Taehyung nodded.

"Thank you Tae," Jungkook nodded as there was a bud of hope in his chest. Later that night he sent out the birds.

۵

Months had passed since you seen Jungkook, yet not a day passed that you hadn't thought about him. Your once delicate hands now calloused from work in the garden, work for the flock, and work copying texts for Celestia. However, under her protection, you learned a great deal of wisdom and matured drastically. Celestia being someone you harbored a great deal of respect for and owe lots to.

Once again you were in the garden tending to the roses. Each time you looked at the roses you thought back to the roses Jungkook used to leave on your pillow. Not a day passed where you didn't miss him. Your eyes glancing up to seen a group of Sparrows and finches perched as you worked. They gave small chirps to you while you work. Their soft chips encouragement to you as you carefully planted more roses into the garden.  The flock of them flying off as Celestia approached you. "I Have a proposal for you. "

"That is?"

Celestia looked at you before looking at the directions the birds flew. "I think it's time you leave me and head to the temple of Hyerin."

You froze and looked up at Celestia, "H-Hyerin's temple?!"

Celestia looked at your, bending down her gentle hands over yours, "I know how it sounds but go there with a sincere, and modest attitude and apologize to her and tell her you wish to earn forgiveness for your crimes against her. Hyerin is childish so don't expect a warm welcome, expect pretty behavior but do apologize. Getting in her good graces is the only way to get your beloved back so the two of you can live in peace. I thought about this a great deal and you are mortal, you don't have time to waste before your youth fades." Celestia spoke with love as she pushed a strand a hard behind your ear. "Go child."

You nodded, once again you gathered your things in a sack and followed one of Celestia's doves to the temple of Hyerin, with timid steps the dove left you at the entrance. Along the way, you gathered figs to offer the goddess as you entered her temple. There inside you saw the most beautiful woman perked with confidence on her alter. "Look who we have here, my son's beloved wife. Looking like a commoner." she laughed.

You bowed to her setting the figs on her alter. "I'm here to apologize for the sin's I've committed against you and your son. I wish to earn my forgiveness."

Hyering huffed, "You've humiliated me..." She began before smirking, "But I suppose I can give you one last chance to prove yourself." Her hand raising as she pointed behind her, "Follow the hall behind me and you will come across a garden, in the garden, there's a shed full if spices, move the spices from the shed and separate them in the garden. Have this task done by supper and I shall give you another task. Fail and I send you away and all hopes of forgiveness and reconcile with my son will be tarnished." Her grin Cheshire as she looked down on you. "Get going each second is crucial for this task."

Quickly you sprung to your feet and headed to the garden. Locating the shed, opening it's doors there were indeed spices. Tons of spices, all of them mixed, a task that would take even the best of sorters months if they worked day and night. The task cruel and meticulous. Hyerin clearly had no intentions of forgiving you. However, you quickly moved the crates of mixed spices to the garden, your sorting beginning.

Unbeknownst to you, there were a pair of eyes watching you from the other side of the garden. Jungkook thought he was dreaming as he saw you in the garden, his body filled with rage at the task his mother had given you. Not one to feed into her pettiness, he saw ant mounds in the garden an idea coming to mind. With a snap of his fingers, the ants left their mounds and filled over to you.

Your eyes widening as the ants covered the spices, your brows furrowed as you watched the millions of them sort through the spices for you. A job that couldn't be done, now looking hopeful as your six-legged helpers had you finish the task in no time. Jungkook knew to flee the scene as soon as the task was finished, sending the ants back to their mounds.

Task completed you ran back to Hyerin, giving her a bow. "Task  Completed My Goddess." You gave a humble nod to her showing her your work. Her face red and lips pursed, she glared at you and then to Alan, "Alan take these and prepare for dinner." She spat.

Her eyes on you as she had you follow her back to her alter. A box in her hand. "Head down to the River Sticks, enter the underworld and ask the goddess An for a bit of her beauty, I feel mine withering. You froze but nodded. Knowing the gravity of this task.

Leaving the temple you ran into the winded god who appeared to be paying the goddess of beauty a visit. "Darling?" Jimin asked with surprise.

"Jimin?"

"It's been a while, are you headed somewhere?"

You gave a nod. "T-The River Sticks, Hyerin gave me a task."

Jimin gave a growl as he knew of her Hyerin's pettiness but having witnessed it first hand made him sick. "Let me take you there."

You knew better to refuse as you had no idea where the River lay.  Jimin whistled and before him came a songbird, after whispering to the bird it flew off. "Well now that, that's set come with me." Jimin asked as he once again opened his arms. This time you willingly ran into them, clutching the box Hyerin had given you.

The crisp winds causing you to shiver as the two of you traveled farther and farther from the likes of people and deeper and deeper into the wilderness. Then the two of you came to a dim and dark part of the forests, the trees withered and the earth dead. The roaring River Sticks lay before you. "You do know about the River Sticks darling?" Jimin asked.

You nodded, "Only gods and the dead can pass.."

"That's correct and you are neither." he sighed.

"I know but I'm determined to complete this task."  You responded sternly as you clutched the box Hyerin gave you.

Jimin glared at you, "Darling tell me you don't plan to.." His eyes wide.

You shook your head, opening the box you hid the very dagger you once held up to Jungkook taking it you jabbed it into your stomach, keeping it ledged there as you clutched the box, you began to wade through the river, turning its blue waters red.

"You fool!!!" Jimin yelled as he waded in after you, doing his bed he pulled the dagger from your gut. Your eyes losing their color as Jimin looked to the sky frantically. He may be a god but he wasn't one with the power to heal. His hands pressed over you wound he tried his best to keep you from bleeding out. Your hand grasping his arm, your grips tight, knuckles white. "J-Jimin, I have.." You coughed, "I have to complete this task for Jungkook!!"  The pain nothing to you as you glared up at the sky, seeing it blue hue fade as Jimin's voice began to fade.

A finch flying over Jimin's head, landing next to you. Your eyes were dark, your body weak. Jungkook changing from his finch form, in his mouth he held a herb, ushering Jimin's hands from your gut he placed the herb on your wound. His movement was frantic as he yelled.

"What's wrong with you!?  He shouted as he healed you. "Fool! Fool! Fool!" He shouted. "I fell for a fool!!" He growled as he healed you the best he could. Sending Jimin away he pulled your lip form into his lap as he waited for you to come too.

The pain was gone and your mind was hazy as you came to. The night sky greeted your eyes as you opened then. "Don't you ever do that again you fool!!" Jungkook shouted as he cupped your face, his eye pricked with tears.

Your lips pursed, 'I-I couldn't cross the river otherwise!" You weakly responded.

Jungkook shook his head, "I don't care... Never again do you hear me?! You aren't immortal your life is nothing to toy with." He glanced over at the box, taking the dagger he held it to his hair snipping off a chunk, "Hold this and cross with it, you have to be a god or dead to cross but having a part of a god is an exception not many know about."

You took the hair, grabbing the  hair, "T-Thank you."  

Jungkook grabbed the herb he used to heal you, "Take this it will put Yoongi's three-headed mutt to sleep so you can pass without trouble, just tear the leaf and let the fragrance fill the air. He also gave you a coin. Give this to the boatsmen, he will provide you safe passing to An."

"Thank You Jungkook." You sniffled, the ebony haired god pulled you into a kiss.

"I'll be waiting right here for your return. Please do as I say, one mistake and you'll be dead, and then never be able to leave the underworld."

"I will." You nodded taking the hair, you waded across the river with the coin, box, herbs, and hair. Reaching the other side, you followed the trail which led to the gates of the underworld and sure enough, there was a giant three-headed canine there, the beast growled and lunged for you. Frantic you broke the leaf and the aroma was quick to put the snarling beast to sleep, clutching the box you passed the beast and were greeted at a docking station, there in the dock. A single boat.

"Have you a coin?" a gruff voice asked.

You gave a nod handing him the coin, He skeleton of a man looking at it. "This coin provides you passage to the gods and back. " With that, he gave a nod and cleared the boat for you. "Enter." He stated, entering the boat you kept a close eye on the man as he steered the small boat across the glowing lake. He took you down a small strait which ended at another docking station. there he tired the boat while extending a bony hand to you. "Follow that trail and you will meet the master and mistress."

"T-Thank you." You nodded.

"I shall wait here for your return." He gave a gruff reply. You gave him a nod before following the trail, there at the end of the trail, the drake caved rounded off into a dark and eerie temple. There at the end of the temple, the altar, seated there was once again a beautiful goddess draped in rose robes that contrasted greatly from the black temple. Next to her with ebony hair and pale skin was a handsome god draped in black robes.

"G-Goddess An?"

"Come forth child." She spoke, "Who sent you?"

"Goddess Hyerin, I am a helper of hers and she sent me here to ask if you have beauty to spare for her?" You asked while holding out the box to her.

The goddess laughed, "It was about time I expected a messenger from her." She held out her hand for the box. Quickly you handed the box to her. The goddess held the box up to her lips. She gave a gentle blow into the box before returning it to you. "Keep the box sealed and do not open it no matter what." The goddess spoke. You gave a nod.

"Thank you, My goddess."

Goddess An gave a giggle and nod. Once again you trekked down the trail and were greeted with the bony man who led you there. "You are heading back to the gates?"

"Yes." You nodded, and with that, the man once again steered the boat towards the first set of docks you were met with. Upon arrival you quickly sped past the sleeping beast, wading your way across the river where Jungkook pulled you into his arms.

"Did you get it?" He asked, as he prodded and checked you.

"Yes, I did." You smiled, happy to be in his embrace once more.

"Let's head back." He smiled.  

❦

Having returned from the underworld Jungkook was furious and at his wits end with his mother's pettiness. Knowing what her true intentions were when he heard that his mother sent you, a mortal to the underworld made him sick. And after consulting with Taehyung, Celestia, The Goddess An, Jimin and among others he took his worries to the Heavens, to see Namjoon. The god who ruled them all.

"Get dressed." Jungkook chuckled as he set out a luxurious robe for you. "Today I'm taking you somewhere no mortal has been."

Your brows furrowed but did as he asked. "Where?"

"You'll see." And with that, he grabs you in his arms as he made his way to Heaven's he and many other gods made their way to the heaven's today.  Your eyes wide,  a palace of gold stood before you, it's gates swinging open for Jungkook as he arrived.  

There he walked you through a golden garden, till you came face to face with a number of different gods. Your mouth agape and eyes wide, there before you was Celestia, Taehyung the god of wine, Jimin of the West Wind, The Goddess An & Yoongi God of the Underworld, Hoseok God of Fire, Seokjin God of the Forest, Yugyeom God of War, Jun God of the Arts, the list could go on. Lastly across from you stood Hyerin goddess of beauty looking shameful as she stood before Namjoon, god of Air and God of them all.

"Hyerin, it appears to me that for one petty crime this mortal indirectly committed against you, you repaid her back tenfold, and even schemed to unfairly end her life? A life that is not yours to take? That alone is committing a crime against Yoongi, and his three servants, Mey, Lin, and Rin." Namjoon spoke sternly as he spoke loud for each god to hear.

Hyerin had no words.

Namjoon continued, "You do realize you are a goddess, and thus you have immense power a mortal doesn't yet you resort to torturing one. Is that the way of a goddess? Not only at the expense of this Mortal but at the expense of many gods here?"

Hyerin was still silent as she knew there was no justification for her actions and that if she had any dignity she wouldn't dare try to justify herself.

Namjoon turned to you, "You are married to Jungkook?"

"Y-yes."

"Is the marriage consummated?" he asked

"Y-Yes?"

Namjoon then turned to Jungkook, "Do you intend for her to bare you a child?"

"I do," Jungkook stated loud and clear, his glare throwing spiteful daggers at Hyerin.

Namjoon nodded, "This mortal had been wronged by one of our own and one day will bare us a new god or goddess. Gods of the Heaven's what measures shall we take?" Namjoon spoke to the entirety of the gods there.

Jimin stepped forward. "Make her one of us."

Your eyes widened.

Taehyung chiming in next, "I second that."

"I've seen the type of person she is and I can say she'll make a fine goddess,"  Celestia spoke.

Jungkook stepped forward, "She will be the mother of a child of mind when the time comes and I would love for my children to be born from a goddess."

Hyerin's eyes filled with horror when a plethora of hums and chimes of agreement came from the gods and goddesses. Namjoon waved a hand to silence them. "If it is said then it shall be done." Namjoon motioned for you to come closer. Your timid feet led you to him. He filled his chalice with wine and held it to you. "Sip child."

With shaky hands you took a sip and returned the chalice, a glow excluded from you as you gazed at your hands, your calloused hands renewed, your skin soft and your body growing slightly, your chest growing slightly, hair thickening, bum rounding, your robes fitting you perfectly and you face having a glow.

The gods giving Jungkook whistles and howls as they watched you transform. Namjoon giving you a smile, he turned you around to face everyone, "She is wed to the god of passionate, erotic and long lasting love. Yet here is a goddess, reborn from her mortal form and from her character is fair to name her goddess of loyalty, determination, and rewards. Her determination and hard work against the unjust deemed her worthy of this title.

۵

Once again you were back in the bed you shared with Jungkook, expect now the lamps were lit and his hands cupped your breasts as he thrust himself between your hips. His eyes looking into your, his hand pushing yours into the sheets. Last time the two of you lie together you tried to kill him, you were mortal and feared you were wedded to a beast. Now you were face to face with your husband the god of love and his gaze was dark as he slammed his length into you. His lips connecting to yours.

"J-Jungkook!!" You whimpered as he increased his pace, he no longer was as delicate as he used to be since you became a goddess he showed you just how erotic the god of love could be.

"Take all of it!!!" he growled as he slammed himself into you, your chest heaving as he gave your breasts a harsh smack.

He gave you a smirk and chaste kiss. "I love you, I love you, I love you." He grunted.

"I-I love you too!" You clenched around him whimpering. No longer had you needed to fear for your life, no longer had you needed to hide in the darkness. Now you could face your husband and he could face you. All the two of you ever wanted.  

[elsewherewitch]

hello! i hope this isn’t too odd but i have a few questions about practicing witchcraft/wicca and being a christian. i am a young adult and researching wicca heavily and am extremely fascinated by it, but i was raised christian and i am struggling with my faith. how do you incorporate wicca into your christianity? could you tell me more about it? it would be extremely helpful and appreciated!!!

Hello friend! I have some information that may help! (I speak to a lot of brand new witches, so I often explain things as if you have just heard about it. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude, I just don’t like to assume levels of expertise and then send an explanation that makes no sense.) Onto the extremely long reply!

I am actually not Wiccan at all, I am a Christian who practices witchcraft, though! So just in case you don’t know, Wicca is a religion, not witchcraft. They are not really interchangeable terms. That is why the the term for somebody being in Wicca is Wiccan and not Witch. :) Here’s the classic saying to help understand, “Not all witches are Wiccan, and not all Wiccan are witches.” I have seen people say Wicca is a way of life, but I will be using the Wicca definition specifically. You can do witchcraft without Wicca, because witchcraft is a craft and not a religion. Witchcraft also has a category of non-religious witches, who keep their craft separate from their religious worship/views. They call that secular witchcraft. You can practice witchcraft in any religion, or even without religion, since it is a craft.

If I am misunderstanding your question, and you are saying mixing Wicca (the religion) and Christianity, I honestly don’t know what to say? I haven’t really encountered people mixing religions, mostly because usually religions have rules within them that basically say “I’m the one true religion, etc etc etc.” I do know that there are people that believe all religions are true, which is cool. But I am not knowledgable enough about mixing Christianity with Wicca, so I can’t give advice on that. I can give advice on mixing Christianity with witchcraft, though! So here that goes:

Disclaimer: I am not super duper religious with my craft. I’m more secular, but I do use christianity more now, so I can get closer with my faith that I had struggled with.

I suggest if you want to stay specifically Christian and just be a witch, don’t become Wiccan at the same time as Christian, as that is a different religion and they are pretty contradicting. Do secular or Christian witchcraft! I think starting out secular is easier, since you can learn more about the craft, and then when you’re more comfortable you can put your religion in.

What I do as a Christian Witch: (Bolded- things I do to mix my religion and witchcraft.)

Personally, I don’t call upon my god to help me in spells/rituals. However, I do pray in the morning and give thanks at night. My faith is not as strong or the center of my craft, as some Christian witches, which is fine, you do whatever feels best! 

You can make a religious altar, or praying closet of sorts. I do have a cross on my altar, so it reminds me that I am Christian, and to not accidentally go into other religions I am not knowledgable in, when doing my craft.

 I also use God as a means of protection. Like protecting me from harm, or protecting me with spirit work, I even ask for protection with warding. 

You can ask God to bless something, or anything you are comfortable asking. 

I do not worship saints, angels, or that type of christianity, so I can’t really advise you on that. 

There are some religious candles in some shops you can use.

 Since I have been trying to get back into the faith lately, I’ve been trying new things. I really like the idea of bible verses as poems or spell sentences, to make something stronger. Or even making sigils out of bible verses. Pretty cool results. Plus, the Bible just sounds ancient and powerful in itself, so once you find meaning and relate to one of those verses and use them, you feel more connected to your faith (at least I did :) ).

I believe prayers can be powerful for your craft. 

You don’t need to use god/jesus/angels, for things if you don’t feel comfortable. Some Christians like to keep their deities holy and almost untouchable, so they would rather just use prayer, and the occasional check-in, rather than ask god/jesus to do something for them. Whatever floats your boat. :)

Religion and Witchcraft:

 What is surprising to hear (at least it was to me) is that practically every religion practices some form of witchcraft, even if not under that name. In Christian churches, we light candles for purposes, and in some denominations, do exorcisms. Just comparing things: prayer closets and witch altars, candles lighting up a sacred place, the idea of a sacred place that evil cannot enter, offerings, wine and bread as body and blood, symbolism, and crosses are like protection sigils, singing, praying for the sick/injured, holy water and blessed water, and many other traditions churches carry out that are like witchcraft. In the Bible, practically everything God/Jesus and churches do for worship is witchcraft. I know that sounds sacrilegious, but just by thinking about it, its pretty cool. Also most religions were influenced by each other. Christianity was a major force through history, they stole, pillaged, forced people to change religions, and toke peoples holidays and morphed it with their own, practically reclaiming it (I’m looking at you Christmas tree). Christianity is heavily influenced by witchcraft and other religions. Even our holidays and celebrations were from other cultures. (That is not implying that the religion is false, but history and religions, objectively, intertwined with each other and changed as time went on.) I am a huge history geek and love reading about the convergence of witchcraft and Christianity. Very interesting. Take a look at what your bible says, or church does, and some of the traditions. You’ll see hints of witchcraft everywhere. Especially Catholicism and Lutheranism. Religions change as times change.

Struggles I had as a Christian Witch: (Sorry if this sentence sounds like a straight white male taking about how hard life is compared to others or something)

I had trouble coming to terms with accepting being a Christian witch. So let me tell you: practicing witchcraft is not throwing away being Christian. Don’t feel like you need to, if you don’t want to. And if you every feel like your craft is a sin, then repent if you need to. (Here’s a bible lesson from a Christian to another Christian :) ) If you’re scared witchcraft will keep you from heaven. Don’t be. In the Bible Jesus died for our sins. What does that mean? He died for us to sin and not go to hell for committing them. Yes sinning is still bad to purposefully do with no remorse, in the eyes of the church. But Jesus died so we had the option to repent and the option to sin. Repent if you feel that you are sinning, but don’t forget you won’t go to hell for sinning. God loves us no matter the mistakes we make. (All of this according to the Bible of course.) Rant over. Sorry I just wanted to put that out there since I struggled myself with feeling like I was doing something wrong. Now I don’t, but it is still comforting to know that Jesus/the Bible got my back. lol And honestly, I feel like witchcraft has helped me come back to Christianity, which is something I’m sure God is cool with.

I am a secret witch. My religion and family is probably a big part as to why I am a secret witch. Christianity can be an intolerant religion, depending on your church, family, and other variables. My church isn’t super intolerant, but my family would definitely not understand/accept my craft. They wouldn’t be mad, they would just think its stupid, or a waste of time. So I am a secret witch, but I am not ashamed. Its the safest option for me. Do what is safest for you. Don’t risk safety for witchcraft. Don’t feel like less of a witch if you are secret.

Wicca/Paganism in the witchcraft community, is everywhere, because they tend to use witchcraft in their religion. Don’t think you have to be a certain religion to be a witch, you don’t. It can get hard to find parts of witchcraft that do align with your views. That is a struggle most witches probably have. Personally, I am not comfortable with using the directions (Like east, west, north, south) for my craft, and calling upon my deity for spells. So I don’t. I just alter things a bit, to fit me! If you’re not comfortable with something, don’t do it, or change it! Be careful and safe, of course. If something isn’t feeling right, things may not go well, so always be attuned to yourself.

Don’t let the haters drag ya down. There are many people who hate the idea of christian witches. Sometimes people have reasons and sometimes they don’t. There is no religion out there that has been built perfectly on love and kindness. (Unless I am wrong? I would actually like to know if there is?)Wicca has its bad parts and good. Christianity has its bad parts and its good. The thing you need to remember is that you were probably not responsible for the old history of the religion. You can’t help/change the past. It is up to you what you uphold and believe. Also is somebody comes at you with their bible thumping and bible verse reciting arguments remember: the Bible has been translated and re-written by hundreds of people. Those people were not free of bias, and translations are not always perfect. The Bible actually contradicts itself often. You choose what you believe. Even churches may be disapproving of witches. (Even though they do rituals often lol) Churches can’t tell you you’re not christian. They can’t stop you from believing in whatever you believe, so don’t let them stop you. Don’t let people drag you down. Live your life! Believe what you want to believe!

Using secular witchcraft, you can add in your religion if you want! Thats why I like secular witchcraft. You can just focus on the craft, but if you want to, later, you could add your religion and make it not secular.

Since there are so many Christian denominations, there isn’t one way to be a Christian witch, and practice it. I know there are major christians into angels, arch angels, and saints, and all that jazz. That is not what I worship or use in my religion. Often times I just put my religion in my craft in any way that feels right. Basically what I am telling you, is that there is no right or wrong way to be a christian witch, just like how there is no right or wrong way to be a witch. Do what feels right and is the best for you. As long as you are safe and not hurting anyone, do what you want! All witches are different, even if they share the same religion. Witchcraft is all about crafting your own practice. Theres no handbook for that. You have to go through trail and error to see what you like and works for your life.

So sorry for the Bible-length reply, but we all know I am physically incapable of summarizing. 

Please no hate, this is all my opinion mixed with some religious beliefs, take it with a grain of salt. I am not a religious expert, I am just speaking from observation and experience. 

If any other Christian Witches out there want to put in their two cents, you are more than welcome to!!!

I hope this answers your question! Many blessings

[chinatea]

Jikook AU #3. (WIP)

Tags: Supernatural AU, Prince Jimin, Innocent Jimin, Sand Master Jungkook, Sand, Lots of sand, Deserts and Dunes, Aesthetics, Dreamy, Stalking, Seduction of the Innocent, Dark Ending.

(Updates will be irregular and short, tbh, because this is a short fic, I dunno why I’m splitting it even further, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Will be posted on AO3 when done.) 

(THIS IS A NON-PERSONA FIC, OKAY. YEAH, I WRITE THOSE, TOO.)

Part 1. 

The king has been writing letters for as long as Jimin remembers.

Their kingdom is dying, but here, in the safety of the palace, it is but a muted echo, a whisper shared in secrecy between the serving folk.

Jimin was born in the palace, raised in the palace and is destined to die here, too. The outside world is as ephemeral to him as a dream, existing only in the meandering stories of his mentors. The stories of warm people and treacherous dead ends, hidden among the streets so narrow one could barely squeeze through. He wishes he could experience it all, if only for a day, breathe in the smoky spices of his people, drown in the daily hubbub of a bustling bazaar, but come next morning, that dream escapes through the cracks of the ancient walls somewhere Jimin could never possibly follow.

For he is the youngest prince - he belongs here. As moon belongs in the sky, as fish belongs in the sea.

(Here, in the world of sand and wind, the sea, of course, is nothing but another dream wisp.)

Being the youngest means to bring luck and good fortune into the family. That is his sacred duty. The reason he is alive. That is also why he is prohibited to ever leave the palace grounds. The moment his feet brush the stones that are not of the palace, his family is doomed. Or so the story goes - a mere legend but who would dare to disobey and taunt the Fate herself? People in power are most superstitious.

Fettered he may be, still, Jimin has been raised with kindness, his wishes indulged, his whims obeyed - all but one, of course. The affairs of the outside world have also been kept out of his concern. The king and his letters, the occasional visitors, his brother’s sudden disappearance and his mother’s tears - all of that existed in a different world from his. Might as well be another dream.

He has his own reality, instead - his routine devoted to studies. Music, dance and sacrilegious reading. Tending to his mind as well as his body. He is the soul of the palace and his beauty reflects the vitality of their dynasty that has been prospering for a thousand of years now. Truly, the gods have been gracious.

It’s not often he is called to the great hall, the heart of their palace, where the king holds his daily sittings. Oftentimes Jimin feels lost in such a vast open space, a tiny speck surrounded by massive columns that soar high and imperious as in a vain attempt to bring them closer to the sun - they say the titans build them, long before humans were even in the picture. That is why they’re so humongous. That is why every word uttered travels great distance before echoing off the stone, magnifying it in intensity.

It’s no coincidence that only the king is allowed to speak in full voice here, the rest of them resorting to humble whispers. And Jimin barely utters anything at all. He’s only ever invited to play an instrument - a lute or banjo. And Jimin loves doing it. It brings a smile onto the king’s face - his father’s face.

The day he’s summoned again makes his heartbeat quicken just so. As much as he’s removed from the matters of their kingdom, he is not completely oblivious. Not long ago, his ears have caught a whisper of a whisper - something is happening outside the walls. The City’s walls. Somewhere far away where only dreams dwell.

Spurred by his curiosity, he hurries out of his midday bath, giddy with excitement as his attendants wrap him into layers of gauzy fabric, their movements ritualistic and solem. As much as he’s impatient, he understands that the youngest prince is the soul of the palace, hence he must look impeccable, especially in the eyes of the outsiders.

The sight that greets him in the great hall upon his arrival, however, dampens his spirits. The king seems...Jimin can’t really ascribe an emotion to his face. Maybe it’s grief, although Jimin could never be sure - grief exists in a place beyond his comprehension. He only knows the occasional melancholy of things.

Wordless, Jimin bows and lowers himself on one of the pillows by the king’s elevated seat, reserved for the members of the royal family - they are the only people who can remain seated in the king’s presence, the rest of the court keeping their distance respectfully, their heads lowered.

As he picks up a light lute, ready to start on a melody that his father finds most pleasurable, he’s immediately hushed with a brisk wave of the king’s hand, his eyed lidded in deep thought. Jimin’s fingers stay still, barely touching the strings, as the silence becomes their only music.

“Bring him in.” The king’s tired voice is barely above whisper. It barely cuts through the heavy silence of the hall.

Jimin waits with bated breath as the thudding of marching footsteps reverberate through the space like thunderclaps. It’s sinister and Jimin has half a mind to slink back into his chamber - the comfort of his books and blankets, only his curiosity gets the better of him.

The man the guardsmen bring forth is not of this land, that much is certain. His clothes are well-traveled, dusty from sand and grime, his looks have a rough edge to him, which strangely only adds to his handsome allure. Jimin has never seen a foreigner before, let alone so striking, that he allows himself to just stare, agog, at the stranger, along with the rest of the court.

“What good a single man would do us?” the king mutters under his breath, as if musing to himself. “I asked - I begged - for an army. Is this how my brother owes his debts?”

The stranger smiles at him and it’s not a kind smile - it’s not an evil smile, either. But there is something wicked behind it, something ancient - the smile of a man who knows many secrets.

“I am the army.”

Spoken with the conviction that cannot be wavered. Jimin doesn’t doubt it for a second, but the king slams his fist on the armrest in fury as a round of gasps rolls through the crowd. The king never - never - shows anger.

“How dare you mock me.”

Unperturbed by the outburst, the stranger, then, brings up his hand and opens his palm - a handful of sand dust piled in the center of it. Jimin almost leans off his seat in order to get a better look; almost rolls off it, a silent gasp of surprise caught in his throat when the sand rises off the palm, shaping up into a miniature whirl, its enchanting dance leaving Jimin riveting with awe.

A wave of whispers disturbs their court. Even his mother, ever the serene matron, loses her composure for a moment, lips parting in wonderment.

The king, however, begs to differ.

“Am I supposed to be impressed with your parlor tricks?”

“Perhaps not,” the stranger admits. “But are you sure you are looking in the right direction, my king?”

He points, then, towards the murky horizon, many eyes following the smooth flow of his hand, as if enchanted - there are gasps. There are voices, murmurs of wonder.

Jimin rises on his knees to peer beyond the open balcony into the vastness of the desert, encroaching onto the city from all sides. There is always something predatory about the sands, the dunes holding them in their clutches, waiting for the day it could swallow them all. And today...

Jimin is startled to realize that it might not be as far-fetched a truth. The sight leaves him invigorated as he takes in the sand columns in the distance, streaming down from the skies, all of them mirroring the dance of the little whirl on the stranger’s palm. They are too far to cause any real damage to the city walls, but if they were to reach them, the city would be left in ruins, no doubt about that.

Jimin shivers, as the cold fingers of tangible fear grip at the base of his spine.

“Are you impressed now, my king?” his voice runs as smooth as the sand between his fingers the moment he lets his hand fall - the distant whirls dispersing just as effortlessly, evaporating into the thin air. “Or maybe you think it’s some kind of trick? An illusion? Maybe you want me to raise one in the middle of this hall?”

“No. I believe you.”

The king’s face is pale, hands gripping painfully at the armrests of his throne. He looks like a tired old man. “If you swear to protect my land, you can have any reward you want.”

“I’m sure we can arrange on a suitable price.” The stranger’s eyes find Jimin’s, for the first time, burning through him like incense - it leaves him breathless. “In due time.”

“What should we call you, magician?”

“Jeongguk.”

The name is carried through the hall in reverence - Jimin, too, can’t help but test it out on his lips, soundless to anyone but Jeongguk himself as his dark eyes burn through his very core, sparkling feelings that leave his limbs heavy, pinned to the ground - it frightens him.

He darts before he can change his mind, leaving his flute and his family behind - escaping while all eyes are on the newcomer. Once out of the Great Hall, he sprints all the way into his private quarters, uncaring if the guards see him run like their palace is on fire. His step is light and muted. He doesn’t look back even if he desperately wants to - even if he feels eyes on him. Many, many eyes watching him - the feeling doesn’t dissipate even in the safety of his own bedroom.

Somehow he doesn’t doubt for a moment, whomever this man may be, he’s here to stay.

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

And this is end of the only decently written part for now. Sighs.

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

SPN 14x13, Lebanon (Yes, That One) -- Thoughts (Spoilers)

It's finally here, guys. The big 300. I've now seen 300 episodes of Supernatural. Phew...what a crazy ride its been. But let's dive into this, shall we.

I'm going to be a little different with this one. This is going to follow a little more of a recap structure. It's the big 300, so of course I had to change it up a little. As I recap this episode, I'll be inserting thoughts I have here and there. I will be recapping from memory so things might get a little out of order. It should go without saying but there will be spoilers. And keep in mind, this is just how I feel and how I interpret things. You may have a completely different interpretation and that's perfectly valid. These are just MY thoughts.

We open up with Sam and Dean in the midst of a hunt. A hunter friend of theirs died and Sam and Dean are trying to recover what was stolen from their friend as well as avenge him. They corner the murderer and in a really cringey fight scene, the murderer meets his maker. Typically, SPN fight scenes are, while not fantastically well put together, but at least put our heroes in a competent light. Honestly, I don't think I've seen such stilted choreography since season 13 in the vamp cave. But anyway, the murderer uses dragon's breath (which is essentially a flamethrower) to escape from Brothers Winchester and it sends them flying in different directions but apparently dragon's breath isn't that hot. Just a small little thing, but if you're standing that close to the fire, you should've had some burn marks, I'm just saying, at the very least, soot on your face. But whatever. Dean gets thrown across the room, Sam ends up on the floor with our villain monologuing to him and I'm uncomfortable with just how incompetent Sam appeared to be in this scene. The villain is monologuing and Sam is just sitting there and doing nothing. What happened to Sam's gun? Why didn't Sam sweep the leg or go for a gut punch? So many things he could've done to get the upper hand in the situation especially since the villain only had a sword. While swords can be very deadly, they're also easier to dodge as opposed to bullets or throwing daggers. But Sam just sits there in fear for a good 5 seconds (and 5 seconds is an eternity both on screen and in a fight) and Dean then shoots the guy and talks about the villain monologuing problem. I'm not mad that Dean got the kill or anything. I don't believe in "staning" culture but if you could at least have made Sam appear competent, that would be nice.

But with the murderer dead, Sam and Dean find out he has a lot of magical junk so they decide to take it back to the bunker. In the files, they find a magical pearl which apparently will grant your greatest desire. Obviously, the boys think, "this is great. Our greatest desire is to evict the douche currently residing in our nagen." But before this greatest wish can be made, we have to make a little side trip because one of the teenagers in Lebanon (the town where the bunker exists) stole the impala. Sam's all, "that kid is in danger, we gotta find her, there's dangerous shit in that car" -- and much to my annoyance, Dean is all, "how dare she take Baby, she better not hurt Baby". *Takes a deep breath* This is an aspect of Dean's character I find super irritating. This weird romance he has with the damn car. How he places the car above things that, realistically, are a little more important. Maybe he should be less concerned about Max scratching the car and more concerned about the fact you have a teenage girl you don't know (or barely know at the very most) in a car with deadly objects and deadly weapons. I get it, this is supposed to be a funny quirk of his and at one point it was but now it's been so overdone that it's more irritating than it is endearing. I really hope the show goes into Dean's character development, and approaches the car as a mirror of how Dean feels about his father and his childhood and as he grows to accept his father more, he'll eventually realize that just like he doesn't need his father, he doesn't need the impala. I'm sure I said something absolutely sacrilegious in the fandom but I'm not going to apologize for it. This whole obsession with the impala is immature and creepy and it makes me worry for Dean's mental health.

So they find the girl but not before the girl's actions releases a serial killer clown ghost (because in an episode dealing with past fears and insecurities, of course it's a clown). They kill the ghost but three of the teenagers see and therefore they get the "talk." And these three also appear to be seen as mirrors for Sam, Dean, and Cas. They weren't very subtle about it, let me tell you.

So after leaving the kids to process the information that the sounds you hear in your closet may actually not be in your head, Brothers Winchester arrive back at the bunker and try out this magical pearl. But behold! It would seem evicting au!Michael is not Dean's greatest desire because Father Winchester is yanked from the past (sometime before the pilot) and dropped into their time. And, I'm not going to say this a lot about this episode, but I like the cinematography used here. It was an excellent usage of the color red symbolizing Brothers Winchester's own repression and isolation they experienced from their father as well as John's revenge focused aggression, blindly lashing out at anything that moves even if it's his own children. And the scene was also shot in a very choppy way meant to be seen as a little confusing...also symbolizing the thoughts of confusion the boys harbor towards their father and much like the confusion John no doubt feels with the turn his life has taken.

Everyone eventually realizes what's up and they fill John in on what's been happening for the past 14 years. And it's a very nice, very touching reunion and then Momma Winchester shows up. John and Mary have a wonderful reunion kiss, its so beautiful. I completely understand how Dean got swept into the moment here. Witnessing something he probably only barely remembers from his childhood, thinking he'll never see it again, and there it is. And just like that it takes him back to a time when life was seemingly perfect. When he had hope, when he had dreams. His parents were alive, they loved each other, they loved him, he had an adorable baby brother. It gave him something he never thought he'd have again. And just the kiss in general, you know. Just so reminiscent of past lovers who never thought they would see each other again suddenly seeing each other and everything they used to feel all coming up at once. It was wonderful. Think Celine Dion, Its All Coming Back to Me Now and I think you'll have the tone of this moment nailed down.

But Sam and Dean leave these two to have their moment and Sam tells Dean there's going to be repercussions for this. Time travel is a funky thing. But they decide to have one family dinner and think about the consequences after that. Dean asks Mary for the ingredients to make her Winchester Surprise and John and Sam have a really touching moment. John feels the need to apologize to Sam about everything that happened between them. And Sam tells him it doesn't matter. Their fight happened a long time ago, he's put it in the past and moved on. Sam also tells his father that the biggest regret he has is never having the chance to say good-bye. Their last conversation being an argument and then Sam finding John dead on the hospital floor. This scene got me so choked up like you don't even know. I've been through this. Lost someone while we were on shaky terms, I never got the chance to say good-bye, so many things were left unsaid and I would kill for an opportunity Sam has here where I can finally tell that person it's okay and rectify the bad blood that occurred between us. And Sam acknowledges it as well. This opportunity he has right here and now is all he's ever wanted.

Sam and Dean go off to buy these ingredients but this is when they start noticing the time travel problems. The future is starting to change, but it's more of a ripple effect right now. They haven't changed yet, but time around them has and eventually the ripple is going to smother out and their new future will take hold. Sam calls it a time paradox. And because of the paradox, we're treated to season 4 Zachariah and Castiel. But in regards to Castiel here, it's important to note that he's more pre-season 4. He hasn't delved into hell yet to get Dean out so he doesn't really have any of those rebellious feelings yet. And no, I'm not going to quote THE Destiel line. In all honesty, I've come to hate the line. It's been over-used so much that it's basically lost all meaning to me. Fandom and canon just keep on poking at it, now it's just something I roll my eyes at whenever I hear it. I am sad that we got season 4 Zachariah. When they were saying we were going to get a different Zachariah, I was so hoping for a role reversal kind of situation but apparently the "different Zachariah" is meant to be interpreted as "different from season 13 au!Zachariah" who actually isn't all that different. PR is not show running, people. Take a grain of salt with everything they say. But the Wing Team is on a quest to find out who meddled with time. Even going so far as to threaten to murder a diner full of people. Thankfully, Sam and Dean stop that from commencing but are in a real shock that with this time paradox, it now means Cas is no longer the Cas they all know and love. That if John stays here, they're going to lose their best friend (in Sam's case) and potential lover (in Dean's case). But the scene plays out how you would expect it to. Zach is his usual douchey self and is giving Sam cancer just like he used to (good times, let me tell ya) but Sam remembers he has an angel blade on him and kills Zach. Nowhere near as badass as it was in season 5, but still cathartic. And next we get to see a re-creation of the tomb scene from season 8 with Dean and Cas in a match of fisticuffs. But this Cas has never met Dean so Dean really has no chance of reaching Cas. But Sam in some quick thinking rembers the sigil that will cast angels out and uses it. The boys make a break for the bunker and everyone gets filled in.

Sam and Dean realize that in order for everything to go back they way it was, they have to smash the pearl. Everything will be forgotten but everything will also revert back to the way it once was. Sam wishes there was a way John could remember everything but Dean tells him he prefers that John doesn't. John going back with knowledge of the future could change who they are and Dean doesn't want that change. He wants to be exactly who he is right here and right now which is just so much progress. John tells them to do it because if the timeline changes, Mary's resurrection could never have happened and she'll eventually disappear. Even though he's going back to a time where he will die, trading himself for Mary is more than worth it. He'd rather have Mary exist in the world and himself die as opposed to living the rest of his days without her. And maybe it's because I have so much Kingsom Hearts nonsense floating through my brain, even if he doesn't remember, this will have left a mark on his heart. It'll leave him feeling something even if he doesn't understand why he feels that way. Everyone has the family dinner they always wanted, John also apologizes to Dean for everything, he tells both of his sons just how proud he is of them, he and Mary have another moment and the pearl is broken. Father Winchester disappears and everyone is crying. Our most beloved Cas returns and remarks on why everyone is acting so weird and Dean tells him they have a story to tell him. I kind of wish we got to see them tell Cas but I understand why we don't. Story-Telling 101. Don't repeat information the audience already knows, instead, insinuate the character is being filled in off-screen. John wakes up in his time in the impala and remarks on the good dream he had and drives off to his dark future. And the episode ends.

So what did I think of this episode? Honestly, I'm of two minds on it. Narratively and character-wise, this was a really good episode. But structurally and production-wise, not so much.

It had a really good narrative, the acting was fantastic, but on a cinematic level, My Chuck, was this episode dull to look at. The directing was just extremely stilted, apart from John's entrance, I don't think there was a single scene I thought was visually appealing. The musical score was very bland. It makes me really sad that there was so much hype for this episode but so little effort put into the production of it. Of the milestone episodes, 200 is probably my favorite.

I also say this episode kind of faltered on a structural basis, as well. While I appreciate the use of the Lebanon characters, I feel like they were largely unnecessary for the actual plot. And when they were first pitching this episode to us last year, I was imagining the Lebanon townsfolk being more of a primary aspect of the episode. While I enjoyed the themes and the mirrors with the Lebanon element, I feel like this would've been a better structured episode without them and given the episode more time with the family reunion and the Wing Team.

But I do love the narrative themes in this episode. Choosing between your past family and your future family. Putting your past behind you and acknowledging yourself as an individual. I've seen a few posts lamenting about how they dislike that Dean didn't yell at John or anything along those lines and honestly, I feel like that's the point. Dean has grown past that. He's acknowledged that as part of his past and has moved on from it. We all have trauma we associate with our parents. And while yelling at our parents might make us feel better, will it really heal us? Will it give us what we really need? And that's the whole thing with Dean, isn't it? Want vs Need. Dean's greatest desire was never to face John again and tell him how much he hates him -- no, Dean's greatest desire was to face his father again and not see himself in his father. To realize he's become his own person that isn't his father and that he likes that person and he doesn't want that to change. That's what Dean wanted. That was the self-acceptance Dean needed and I'm really excited to see where this all heads for Dean as a character. Now that he's accepted himself, is he going to allow himself to be happy now?

Essentially, this episode was a beautiful episode about family, about the progression of family, about finding acceptance and forgiveness and being able to put it behind you and look towards the future and I thought that was extremely beautiful and well done. I'd give this episode a B+. Sadly, I do knock it down because of the production value.

[worldnewsinpictures]

Do it. Fuck you. Fuck you. You useless piece of shit. You absolute waste of space and air. You uneducated, ignorant, idiotic dumb swine, youre an absolute embarrassment to humanity and all life as a whole. The magnitude of your failure just now is so indescribably massive that one hundred years into the future your name will be used as moniker of evil for heretics. Even if all of humanity put together their collective intelligence there is no conceivable way they could have thought up a way to fuck up on the unimaginable scale you just did. When Jesus died for our sins, he must not have seen the sacrilegious act we just witnessed you performing, because if he did he would have forsaken humanity long ago so that your birth may have never become reality. After you die, your skeleton will be displayed in a museum after being scientifically researched so that all future generations may learn not to generate your bone structure, because every tiny detail anyone may have in common with you degrades them to a useless piece of trash and a burden to society. No wonder your father questioned whether or not your were truly his son, for you'd have to not be a waste of carbon matter for anyone to love you like a family member. Your birth made it so that mankind is worse of in every way you can possibly imagine, and you have made it so that society can never really recover into a state of organization. Everything has forever fallen into a bewildering chaos, through which unrecognizable core, you can only find misfortune. I would say the apocalypse is upon us but this is merely the closest word humans have for the sheer scale of horror that is now reality. You have forever condemned everyone you love and know into an eternal state of suffering, worse than any human concept of hell. You are such an unholy being, that if you step within a one hundred foot radius of a holy place or a place that has ever been deemed important by anyone, your distorted sac religious soul will ruin whatever meaning it ever had beyond repair. You are an idiotic, shiteating, dumbass ape and no one has ever loved you. Rhodes Island would have been better off if you'd never joined us. You are a lying, backstabbing, cowardly useless piece of shit and I hate you with every single part of my being. Even this worlds finest writers and poets from throughout the ages could never hope to accurately describe the scale on which you just fucked up, and how incredibly idiotic you are. Anyone that believes in any religion out there should now realize that they have been wrong this entire time, for if divine beings were real, they would never have allowed a being such as you to stain the earth and this universe. In the future there will be horror stories made about you, with the scariest part of them being that the reader has to realize that such an indescribable monster actually exists, and that the horrific events from the movie have actually taken place in the same world that they live in right now. You are the absolute embodiment of everything that has ever been wrong on this earth, yet you manage to make it so that that is only a small part of the evil that is your being. Never in the history of mankind has there been anyone that could have predicted such an eldrich abomination, but here you are. Its hard to believe that I am seeing such an incredible failure with my own eyes, but here I am, so unfortunately I cannot deny your existence. Even if I did my very best, my vocabulary is not able to describe the sheer magnitude of the idiotic mistake that is you. Even if time travel some day will be invented, there still would not be a single soul willing to go back in time to before this moment to fix history, because having to witness such incredible horrors if they failed would have to many mental and physical drawbacks that not even the bravest soul in history would be willing to risk it. I cannot imagine the pure dread your mother must have felt when she had to carry a baby for nine months and then giving birth to such a wretched monster as you. Not a single word of the incoherent, illogical rambling you may be wanting to do to defend yourself or apologize would ever be able to make up for what you just did. The countries of the world would have wanted to make laws preventing such a terrible event like this from ever happening again, but sadly this is not possible since your horrific actions just now have shattered every form of order this world once had, making concepts such as laws irrelevant. Right from the moment I first set my eyes on you I knew you were an absolute abomination of everything that is wrong with humanity. I was hoping I would have been able to prevent your evil from being released upon this world by tagging along and keeping my eye on you, but it is clear to me now that not even the greatest efforts would have been able to prevent a terrible event in this scale from occurring. You are the worst human being, or even just being in general, that I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing. Events like the infected plague apparently only happened with the goal of teaching humanity to survive such a horrible event as the one you just created, but not even mankinds greatest trials were able to even slightly prepare anyone for the insufferable evil you have just created. If you ever had them, your children would be preemptively killed to protect this universe from the possibility of anyone in your bloodline being even half as bad as you are, except you will never be able to have children, because not a single human being will ever want to come within a hundred mile radius of you and anything you have ever touched. You are a colossal disappointment not only to your parents, but to your ancestors and entire bloodline. The disgusting mistake that you have just made is so incredibly terrible that everyone who would ever be to hear about it would spontaneously feel an indescribable mixture of immense anger, fear and anxiety that emotionally and physically they would never truly be the same ever again. The sheer scale of your mistake, if ever to be materialized, would not only surpass the size of the world, but it would reach far beyond the edges of the known, and almost certainly the unknown universe. I could sit here and write paragraphs, nay, books describing your immense failure, yet even if I were to dedicate my life to describing the reality of what has just gone down here, and I would spend every moment of it until my heart stops beating working as hard and efficiently as possible, yet there is not even a snowballs chance in hell that I would be able to come close to transcribing the absolute shitshow you have just released upon the world. You are an irresponsible, idiotic, disgusting, unloved, horrible excuse for a living being whos soul contains less humanity than every ginger in history combined. The absolute disgust I feel when thinking about anything that has even a slight resemblance to anything that might have to do with you and your unholy actions is so incredibly great that when I am honest about it I think that even I do not posses a consciousness great enough to comprehend my own feelings about it. When people of Columbia fought to break free from Lungmen, countless soldiers fought and lost their lives in favor of a chance at a better future for their children, they did not give their lives to have you fuck the world up beyond repair to the degree that you are doing right now. Honestly, even when technology advances and studies on the subject become more and more accurate, I do not think humanity will ever truly be able to understand what your failure actually means for the universe. My hate for you and everything you stand for is so much deeper than the depths of Shambala that you could probably take the entire Lungmen population down there and back up around twenty million times before you would have sunk to the end of my hate, and honestly, I do not want to exaggerate, but I think that that insult was low balling it such a massive amount that all mountains in this world combined would not be able to stack up to this imprecise judgement in light of the fact that when being honest, my hate is almost certainly bottomless. There is no one in this world that has ever loved you, and especially after what you just did, no one will ever love you in the future either. There is no hope that your idiotic behavior and especially your crooked soul will ever change for the better, and in fact quite the opposite might be true. By making the mistake that you just did, you have shown me that you are so incredibly hopeless that you will only devolve into a more idiotic and wretched creature than you already are. The only possible way in which your future would be brighter than the black hole your existence currently is would exclusively be because there is absolutely no conceivable way that you would even be able to sink lower than the pathetic place your current failure has put you in.... Got an opinion about this? See what others are saying.... See MORE -> https://worldnewsinpictures.com/do-it #FuckFuck #FuckFuckYou #YouThe #YouTheEven #Jesus #JesusAfter #JesusAfterYour #YouYou #YouYouYou #Island #IslandYou #IslandYouEven #YouNever #YouNeverIts #EvenNot #EvenNotThe #YouEvents #YouEventsYou #TheYou #TheYouThe #Columbia #ColumbiaLungmen #ColumbiaLungmenHonestly #Lungmen #LungmenThere #LungmenThereThere #GotSee #GotSeeSee #useless #absolute

[binsofchaos]

I Am Woman | RIP Helen Reddy

I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back and pretend Cause I've heard it all before And I've been down there on the floor No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can do anything I am strong (Strong) I am invincible (Invincible) I am woman

You can bend but never break me Cause it only serves to make me More determined to achieve my final goal And I come back even stronger Not a novice any longer Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh yes, I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can do anything I am strong (Strong) I am invincible (Invincible) I am woman

I am woman watch me grow See me standing toe to toe As I spread my lovin' arms across the land But I'm still an embryo With a long, long way to go Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes, I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can face anything I am strong (Strong) I am invincible (Invincible) I am woman

I am woman I am invincible I am strong I am woman I am invincible I am strong I am woman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rptW7zOPX2E

https://genius.com/Helen-reddy-i-am-woman-lyrics#

Helen Reddy

b. 1941

She hit No. 1 with an anthem of female empowerment, and her own life was proof of what it took to get there.

           By Rob Hoerburger

       Any appraisal of 1970s pop music usually involves, and in some cases devolves into, some of the following arguments: disco versus punk; sensitive troubadours versus glam gods; Barry Manilow versus Led Zeppelin. Often lost among these discussions is just how rich a time it was for female artists, and especially for fans of female artists. In line at a record-store cash register one night in 1973, I looked down and realized that my selections, all four of them, were by women. These songs included the latest singles by Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and Melanie; the newest member of the quartet was “Peaceful,” Helen Reddy’s follow-up to “I Am Woman.”

       If you know anything about Reddy, it probably starts with that song and its insistent refrain, “I am strong/I am invincible/I am woman.” Reddy wrote most of the lyrics to the future feminist anthem in 20 minutes in 1971, but they were at least a decade in coming. In her early 20s, she left her alcoholic first husband while she was still living in her native Australia, when he became physically abusive during her pregnancy. “Once was enough,” she wrote in her 2006 memoir, “The Woman I Am.” “I would not risk losing the baby I had prayed for.” After winning a singing contest, she moved to the United States in the mid-1960s with a toddler in tow, $230 in her purse and hopes for a career in music, but she was told by one male record executive after another that no one was interested in a “girl singer.” She had to hector her second husband, who was also her manager, to finally secure her a record deal. By the time he did, she was nearing 30, the usual expiration age for pop stardom. Rather than detail her grievances, “I Am Woman” offered a triumphant message of validation, and it landed just as the second wave of feminism was cresting, when Carole King’s “Tapestry” album was ruling the charts, Shirley Chisholm was running for president and Roe v. Wade was being decided. Reddy would claim that of the million or so people who bought “I Am Woman,” eight out of 10 were women. When she accepted a Grammy for her vocal on the song, besting Franklin, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack and Barbra Streisand, Reddy famously thanked God, “because she makes everything possible.”

               But you didn’t have to be a woman, or even like “I Am Woman,” to appreciate Reddy. Maybe that’s as sacrilegious as saying you like Franklin but never cared for “Respect,” or Nirvana but not “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Sometimes, though, when a career moment turns into a monument, it can overshadow everything else. In Reddy’s case, “I Am Woman,” and a few of the monster hits that followed, like “Delta Dawn” and “Leave Me Alone,” were far from her best; they could seem squarely on the nose, catchy but kitschy, passing tones on the way to something better on the radio.

       Dig a little deeper into Reddy’s catalog, and you’ll find the goods — songs like “Emotion,” “Gladiola,” “What Would They Say” and, especially, “Bluebird.” Written by the great Leon Russell, “Bluebird” had a chill disco backbeat, but the jazzy melody and wistful lyric would have made it welcome on Ella Fitzgerald’s set list. On these tracks, Reddy, like the best vocalists of any era, made musical intelligence sound sexy, and her versatility extended her appeal to, at any given time, rock critics and the cocktail-shaker set.

       Reddy placed at least one song in the Top 40 every year for seven years, but then “maybe radio listeners needed a break,” she wrote. “I know I did.” By the time of the next women’s wave in music, with the likes of Madonna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, she had pivoted to theater — I saw her give a strong performance in “Blood Brothers” on Broadway in 1995 — and she left show business altogether for a while to study clinical hypnotherapy. She wondered if “I Am Woman” had been any for naught in the age of “Material Girl.” “I was asked many times if I still believed in feminism! As if it had been a fad like mood rings and pet rocks.”

       Reddy did have a last round of concerts in her, and I caught one of those final shows in Provincetown, Mass., in 2014. The draw was clearly the big hits, based on how the audience — women and men, Reddy’s era and younger, mostly gay — practically drowned her out singing along to them. I was hoping she’d include some of my favorite deeper cuts, but as the show went on, my hopes sagged; there was no “Emotion,” no “Gladiola.” Then, near the end, there it was: “Bluebird,” and she sang it with all the heart and salty affirmation she brought to the song 40 years earlier. “I Am Woman” closed the show, and it sounded newly relevant. Its hold-your-head-up message had never really lost currency, and in a town long known to be a gay haven, the song itself seemed a safe harbor, from which songs like “Bluebird,” and probably many other great recordings by women, had set sail. As we poured into the street with “I am strong/I am invincible” fresh in our ears, I found myself thinking of a different Reddy lyric, from “Peaceful”: “Maybe someday you’ll up and say we had a pretty nice time.” Another estimable songwriter, Kenny Rankin, a man, may have written it. But leave it to a woman to make it sing.

[hi-n-oops]

hiiiiiii!Can you rec Bottom Louis fics please?

Hiiiiii! I dunno if you want PWPs or fics with plots that have bottom!Louis, so I am gonna do both! The fics with plot are going to have hot bottom Louis smut in them to satisfy your blouie needs :) So here we go:

PWP 

Makes Perfect  by checkthemargins 

“What if you practiced on like, a mannequin?” Louis presses. “Or one of those blow up sex dolls? Or even just like, I don’t know, a pillow or something. Whatever it’d fit around.”

Harry tilts his head thoughtfully, curls catching the light so entrancingly that Louis finds himself reaching up to push his fingers through them. “It’s different, though, innit? When it’s a real person. A pillow won’t snog me.”

“Why should it?” says Louis. “You can’t even take its bra off.”

**This is so fucking hot. Harry is bad opening bras so Louis offers to help. Do you see where this is going? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Two Sizes Too Big by SLD24 

Louis is shopping and needs help finding an oversized shirt. Harry is an employee who willingly helps. Things get freaky in the dressing room :)

**The summary says it all.

Gnossienne by navigator, pukeandcry 

Louis sets a challenge for himself; it gets a bit out of hand.

**Harry dares Louis to wear a buttplug all day. Louis does ;) Not an established relationship fic.

Pornstar Drabble 1 and 2 by @crazyupsetter 

(or as we know her, whoknows)

** Louis and Harry are pornstars. Louis has been in the business for a while and is popular and it is Harry’s first time in the industry. Louis is not expecting much but he is about to be swept off his feet. 

This does not have a summary so I kinda made one up. This is hot, okay. Like very hot. If you have been in the fandom for a while you know whokhows and how awesome she is. This one is my favourite smut drabble of hers!! (She is in the non pwp list too. Read all her stories. No one writes bottom Louis like her!!)

Fall Into Some Velvet Morning by brigee (lourrythirst)

Louis shrieks loudly as his body collides with the other boy’s, face smashing into said boy’s back which, of course, made him topple from his weird yoga pose. They lay sprawled on the ground, Louis on top of the weird kid who does fucking yoga in a park. Yoga Boy lifts his head out of the grass and mumbles in a gravely voice, “You ruined my vibes there, mate.”

Louis groans as he sits up and rolls off of Yoga Boy’s back. “Yea, well, you ruined my skateboard, mate. Think we’re quite even.”

or au where harry does yoga in parks and louis may or may not want to get into his yoga pants

**Harry teaches Louis Yoga which some how leads to wall sex ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Hail Mary, Forgive Me  by Clamat_Submissa

Louis is extremely religious and sacrifices sex for lent. Harry teaches him life lessons by fucking him in sacrilegious ways.

**IF YOU ARE EXTREMELY RELIGIOUS (especially Christian) OR ARE SENSITIVE TO RELIGIOUS THEMES DO NOT READ THIS.  ***SPOILER*** Harry fucks Louis with a c**ss, Take caution. But it is one of the hottest fics I have read with kind of a forbidden theme.

i wanna fuck you like an animal by kissingiscool

louis is a fox hybrid harry finds in the woods, and harry has a bit of fun with him.

**Fox hybrid Louis is in heat and Harry decides to help him.

Tight Fit by stylesoftheshire

Louis catches Harry reading fanfiction in which he spends his time wearing ice skating leggings and is inspired, leading to a touch of arse-worshipping.

**Established relationship fic!

Place Your Head On My Beating Heart by hopelesswriter

Based on the Prompt: H/L are both pornstars, but Harry (maybe 25) is a veteran at it while this is Louis’ (18) first day. They get paired up together for a scene. Basically just overstimulation and rimming and riding and Harry instructing Louis on how to get himself off before Harry actually enters him. Some spanking and Harry marveling at how much Lou’s bum ripples after each smack. Bonus points for Louis crying from multiple orgasms and the overstim and just being in complete euphoria.

Or the AU where porn sensation Harry Styles takes his newbie to his place and gets him to come untouched twice before even fingering him and they may or may not fall in love at some point between second and third orgasms.

**This is so fucking hot. And 10k+ full of gratuitous smut!!

down by sky_reid

sometimes all harry really wants is to play with louis’ arse.

**Arse worship

Be Professional by writtensoul

Basically, Harry’s the Prime Minister of England and Louis is his hot and willing personal assistant.

“Louis, I- no. Do you know how unprofessional that is? We’re, you’re my assistant.”

“Then let me assist you to an orgasm,” Louis grins, and that’s enough.

**Harry and Louis fuck in the office 

miss sugar pink by softestsuga

Louis rides Harry in his office chair with his co-worker in the room. Only a desk separates them

(It may or may not be one of the hottest encounters they’ve ever had with one-another)

**Voyeurism kinda. So beware!!

Blue Velvet by larrydotcum

Or Louis is a pornstar and very talkative during sex and Harry kinda wrecks him.

**Another pornstar au (i am so sorry rip)

This has already gotten really long so I am gonna do another list of non pwp bottom!Louis fics!! Happy reading! 

[devsavesdaworld-blog]

So. I’m gay. That’s pretty neat.

Some people might be surprised by this, some others maybe not. It doesn’t really matter anyhow, because the way I am is really the way I am and there’s no changing that.

But even just a year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to talk about this so freely and candidly. A year ago, my life was entirely different. Two years ago, three, five, 10. So much has changed from that dorky kid who grew up in a small farming town where the cows outnumbered the people.

It was in this small farming town where I learned that “gay” was synonymous with “wrong” or “weird” or “broken.” Kids would throw gay around as an insult, and some of those insults were thrown at me for being a sensitive kid who would rather lend someone a pencil to make them like me than actually stand up for myself, even though I knew I was never going to get that pencil to come. I cried when the dogs in Where the Redfern Grows ended up dying. I didn’t want to be mean, and I loved hugs. I was skinny and not that athletic, but smart, and felt more comfortable around girls even though they made me feel like shit most of the time because most of my cousins were girls. But really, I was just always myself. I didn’t even know what “gay” was at the time, let alone sex or any of those R-rated concepts that were thrown around.

High school wasn’t much better, but I started learning. My friend groups shifted a few times, but I always more of an innocent kid. Still smart, but long and gangly after a growth spurt that left me a bean pole. My mom even thought I was going to die one day from being so skinny. Awkward, gangly, etc. But innocent and unaware of much outside of small farming town.

Then high school continued, and I started growing and maturing, and I started noticing more of these impulses and intrigues I had towards guys instead of girls, though I was so confused at the time because, well, guys were supposed to be in relationships with girls, right? I didn’t even know how that all worked, but I tried my best to do the typical teenage stuff. Tried going after a few girls, tried kissing a few, ended up kissing one. But it was never really exactly the most comfortable of experiences.

Still gangly. Still a dork.

Then I hit a major depression, and that sucked, but at least during that time I grew a lot and I learned more about myself. But I still never really understood the whole gay thing.

And then I became a Christian. I felt like God brought me into his arms, and I fell in love with Christianity and the Church and everything that came with having Jesus in my life. But there was one thing that was always off, and that was that I started understanding my sexual attraction toward boys instead of girls. When it finally hit me that I had the oh-so-sinful “same-sex attraction,” I was scared in a way because everything so far had reinforced this tainted image of what being gay meant. In college, I came out to a few people in the first couple of years, but I was so cared.

I even came out to the pastor of the church I was going to at the time. His first questions for me was “Were you ever sexually molested as a child?”

No, pastor.

“Have you ever heard of the Exodus program?”

Again, no. Looked into it. It was a “reparative therapy” program that attempted to make gay people become straight.

What it really did was make people want to kill themselves, which they did time and time again. It was shutdown for being inhumane, and I’m glad I never followed that pastor’s advice.

But I was stuck in a place of pain, of struggle, or having to put on a façade and lie constantly and not be open with myself and with others because I was afraid of how the world would react, especially the world of American Christianity. I heard the horror stories, and the pastor I came out to really didn’t help me feel comfortable with it either.

I was constantly praying for change, while at the same time feeling guilty for how I felt, and seeing and hearing Christians condemn homosexuality. I was confused, I was struggling, and I tried to repress so much but ended up just getting hurt more and more.

In my college Christian group, I had better support. People who were “praying for me.” Praying for me to change, for me to be delivered from this “sin,” etc. Proud of me for not falling into that “lifestyle.”

But then I left that college Christian group after graduating. I loved it, and I still do, and I had lots of love come from it as well. But I still always had to hide, and had to be ashamed of who I was. I had some hard, difficult things happen.

After the group, I found some friends who started showing me even more support, and a different kind of love. Not a love that asked me to change, but accepted me for where I was and who I was. These people I started hanging around – Christians and non-christians – helped me to understand that I shouldn’t be ashamed of who I was. But it still wasn’t enough for me to accept myself, to feel that freedom.

And then a group of pastors and other people came together to create the “Nashville Statement,” where 14 articles (without any scripture referenced) were thrown together to condemn not only gays, but gay Christians, transgendered individuals, and anyone who supported them, saying that they were all barred from heaven. But they said it nice. But it was still damaging, and completely tone deaf in the midst of Hurricane Harvey, as well as a complete blindness to all of the harm and damage that the church has done to people and to the mission of Christ, all of the people the lost their lives because of hatred and bigotry and ignorance from the church. All of the people they’ve pushed away, or made feel wrong, or drove to killing themselves.

I was close a few times myself.

But these articles were so bad, so dumb, so atrocious and ignorant that it motivated me to dig more into the Open and Affirming side of Christianity. Side A, they call it. Accepting of anyone, no matter the gender or sexuality. An open church, with open doors and open arms. Rachel Held Evans, in her book Searching for Sunday, wrote about it a lot as well, which honestly made me cry more than once because of how close to home they hit.

That’s when I decided to accept my sexuality, accept that I was gay, and own it. Nothing about who I was changed from that decision, though. I just became more confident, more comfortable, more in tune with myself. I’ve felt freer than I ever have before, and honestly more in touch with God than ever before as well. Because that’s the thing. I can be a Christian, and I can be gay, and it’s amazing and comforting.

“But the scriptures!” people will say.

But that’s for people who think that the bible is an inerrant, magical book without flaw, which is not how I see it. Sacrilegious, I know, but this “inerrant” bible hasn’t really been used in the best ways when interpreting it literally, without sense of context, translation errors, man’s influence, etc.

The truths still stand to me. God as creator, Jesus as savior. If we agree on that, then there may as well not be more conversation unless we come at it on the same basic assumptions about the bible and its nature.

Anyways, now that I’ve finally accepted this huge aspect of my life, I feel great. I came out to friends, parents, siblings, and I have a loving, supportive circle of friends who love me a lot, and I love them a lot as well. It’s helping me to be a better friend and family member as well because, well, now I don’t have to continue to hide, or be someone I’m not.

So the reason I’m writing this is…well, there are a few reasons.

1. I wanted to come out publicly so that people know where I stand and where I’m at, which will hopefully challenge a few people’s perceptions on the whole topic, and so I don’t have to be in the dark anymore.

2. Because maybe someone, somewhere, will see this and understand that there are people here for them, and that if there is something weighing on you like this, that me and a lot of other people are out there who will love and support you no matter what.

3. So I don’t have to be afraid anymore.

Anyway, if you made it to the end. Thank you for hearing my story. If you have any questions, feel free to ask over messenger, as long as you’re not some religious idiot who’s going to tell me I’m going to hell, or tell me I’m living in sin, or encourage me to turn from my sinful ways or whatever.

Those people are literally the absolute worst, and Jesus cries whenever they do shit like that.

But for everyone else, thank you. Nobody should have to live in fear or in the dark just for being themselves.

[aurimeanswind]

Autumn—Sunday Chats (10-1-17)

Fall has finally arrived, and boy do video games just not stop.

Podcast Train Stop

I’m curious if anyone else has tun into the issue where their podcast rotation just stops? I’ve basically stopped listening to all my podcasts except for My Brother, My Brother and Me. I am not sure why, but I’ve fallen off of all of the GiantBomb Podcasts, any other video game podcast, except for really The Easy Allies podcast. Of the group, that one that I’ve gotten into the most recently still sticks with me for whatever reason.

Maybe it’s the want to not listen to hours-long podcast recently? Which is odd because I usually binge many podcasts together back to back. I think the most likely answer is that I had fallen behind and then not been able to catch up. 

This is unfortunate though because podcasts are typically my main source of news and now I am getting a little aloof with the gaming news. But I still manage to keep up thanks to the show I help host!

Has this ever happened to any of you? What do you do, try and listen to all the episodes you missed or just jump right back in?

What’s on Tap

Danganronpa V3

This is the big one. Consuming most of my time like Danganronpa is ought to do. 

It’s very good y’all.

Danganronpa has a great talent of building off of its predecessors in completely unorthodox ways, essentially carrying forward concepts but in logical ways so it doesn’t seem like all of the characters are jumping to conclusions based on nothing. It just seems like this different group of people decided to take a wildly different approach. Chunsoft then ties that to the personalities and style of those same characters, and it’s a brilliant mix-mash of those intelligent designs.

These games always play with my expectations and take me by surprise, but boy... this one really is messing with me.

Not only that, they’re using loss in a way that is even more emotional and moving then it has been before, which for me has been a first in the series. I actually got choked up after the first chapter because of how this was done.

These games are so good, and Danganronpa V3 is not a disappointment by any stretch of the imagination.

Destiny 2

Finished the raid this past week, and hopefully soon will be finishing it with my original team.

We’ve run into plenty of trouble, but I know we have it in us to knock it out.

Metroid Samus Returns

Uh, y’all? It’s still so good.

Got to some of the new and added stuff to the game and it was absolutely phenomenal. 

Very tense, very cool, and very, very fun. I love it.

Questions

Remember to look for my tweet with the hashtag #SundayChats in it on Sunday afternoons and reply to it with your question! That’s the way to do it!

Normally I would have asked a question to you all this week, but I’m holding it off until next week.

So, real quick, as I was going through questions, I noticed a ton of SNES-classic related questions, which reminds me I’ve been playing that too! Let me insert that real quick...

SNES Classic

It’s so cute!

This is the one I wanted, I got it, I’m v happy.

So I jumped right into Zelda A Link to the Past and played through the opening, and it’s still wonderful.

It’s fun playing on an OG SNES controller, though I do really like the classic controller form the Wii Era. The original too, not the pro, because you get a little best of both worlds.

The big one I sank the most time into was actually Super Mario RPG. It’s been so long since I played that that it’s basically a whole new game for me. Plus, I was a kid, and had no clue what the hell was happening. It’s been super funny and super fun to really see that game with fresh eyes for the first time ever.

Okay, back to questions.

Yay! I didn’t know this!

I’d say I am at about an 8.5. I really like the Jackbox games, and they’re especially fun to get a new one before ExtraLife, when we have a ton of people watching a stream and also a ton of people in the room. With the streaming improvements from JBPP3, I think this one is gonna be pretty stellar. Curious to see what games are in there. Hopefully a Quiplash 3!

This is a very gross question Tyler, not because of the subject, but because you narrowly refer to a character as a “bubble butt baddie” which, at the end of the day, I don’t even know what that narrows it down to? Like, who qualifies for that?

I dunno, but the one answer that came to mind was Miranda from Mass Effect 2.

Oh man this is a pretty good question. I never really got into Costume Quest, which, I know, is sacrilegious to say, but it’s true. The text speed was too fast? I know, dumb complaint, but I’m a terrible reader, so I couldn’t keep up.

Anyway, I’d like to think I’d either turn into some kind of lame superhero, or just straight up Banjo and Kazooie. I don’t know why, but that’s the first thing that came to my head...

Here’s the deal, there is no correct way to play video games. Full stop. You can take your time and savor something, but you can also rush through something and savor it too. Like, I played Persona 5 at what I considered to be a slow pace, because folks like Nabeshin beat it before me, because I wanted to “savor it”. That being said, I still beat it in 2 and a half weeks, and 103 hours split into two and a half weeks is still a whole lotta hours per week. But neither of us played it “wrong”.

Like, folks that get qualified as “casual” are going to be seen as the ones that play it slower, but it’s likely because they have other things they need to do. Like sleep. And eat. I don’t do these things! At least not regularly! 

On the subject of Destiny 2 specifically, I think it does have minimal post-game content, mainly the Raid, the Nightfall, and Trials of the Nine. Which, like, still seems like more than the original, to be fair? There are hidden exotic quests too, and I have a feeling as we roll into Iron Banner this month, there will still be plenty for folks to do after they’ve finished the game. But ultimately the folks that charged through to 280 in the first weekend knew exactly what they were doing and got themselves into that situation. I just started up my third and final character on Destiny 2, so getting that guy up to 280 is going to be a fun trip for me still.

I dunno, there isn’t a right answer to this i think. But power through games or savor them however you like, because I think you’re the best judge of how fast or how slow you should play a game. Plus, you’ll probably put a different amount of time into a given game depending on how you feel about it, so I get it either way.

Weird. Uneasy. Aroused? Horrified. 

Also, it has taken me the full twenty minutes since I screen grabbed this to now when I am typing this answer to form the line “ready to smash” in my head, and I hate me, and you, and everything.

Pumpkin Spice is trash.

I said it.

I’ll say it again.

Take your trash and get out of here.

November is right around the corner. And you know what that means?

Motherfucking Gingerbread Latte.

Aww yay! Favorite month! A lot of folks love October too because they’re into that cool spooky fog feeling! Which is rad, I am not, personally, but I do like the silly Halloween aesthetic. I just don’t like actual scary stuff. Except the occasional scary video game. 

As for me, December is my favorite month, for similar reasons. It is the beginning of Winter, which is my favorite season (unpopular opinion, I know) and it’s also when Christmas and new years happens, and if we’re lucky, a bit of snowfall. Ideally, it just means I’m getting plenty of my hot cocoa on.

This a great question. and I think it comes down to what kind of game you want to play. Like, Earthbound is quirky, and with Undertale having just hit the PS4, maybe it’s time to get into that. Mario RPG is cool and timing based and funny, and it may be a great trip for folks who haven’t played it, or don’t remember it, like me! Final Fantasy 6 everyone keeps telling me is great but I haven’t been able to get into it. That said, it’s super traditional, so if that’s what you’re in the mood for, it’s calling. Secret of Mana has the edge because it’s an action RPG, so it’s different then all the rest. Knowing you like Tales, I’d start with that, since it may be the most fun! Also, goddamn is the music in that game great. But it is in all of these.

For me it was either Mario RPG so I could finally really truly play it, or Earthbound, which I was a bit too intimidated at the time commitment to jump into first. For you, Brendan? Try out Secret of Mana! And keep what I said about the rest in mind.

Baked Potato is the superior potato, IMHO. I really love just barely slicing open a baked potato, loading it up with cheese and butter, closing it back up, letting the cheese melt all in it, then cutting it open again, mashing it a bit, then eating it nice and chunky style. It’s a pure delight. 

Oh, and I don’t eat the outer skin, but I’ll like rip all the potato I can off the skin, and it’s amazing. I love it.

I just fucking love potatoes though. I’d eat mashed potatoes all day if I could, I just prefer baked potatoes.

Here we go, two lists, back to back. Now since you just said top 10 SNES games I will not limit myself to the SNES classic list, but damn that’s a good one to pull from. In NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

Zelda A Link to the Past

Super Mario World

Secret of Mana

Chrono Trigger

Super Metroid

Super Mario RPG

Mario All Stars Collection

Mega Man X

Final Fantasy 2 (Final Fantasy 4)

Kirby Super Star

I know I’ll get a lot of flack for choosing FF4 over 6, but Sunday Chats readers should know my current situation with FF6. Maybe someday...

Now I do want to say this tweet turned into an N64 hatefest, which I am not a fan of, I love the N64 and the PSone, that era holds something special for me. I understand its issues, and probably in the grand scheme of things, It’s the weakest of the console generations, but there are undeniably great games for those systems.

Now, this list will be tricky, but I’ll give it a shot:

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Super Mario 64

Zelda Ocarina of Time

Zelda Majora’s Mask

Mario Kart 64

Star Fox 64

Pokémon Snap

Yoshi’s Story

Paper Mario 

Super Smash Bros

Bomberman 64

This was actually way easier than I thought it’d be. I even left out a few games that I’d have love to see on there and opted to keep the ones I really like there. I kept to the no Rare rule even for Diddy Kong Racing (better than Mario Kart 64) and DK64, even though those would definitely still make and N64 Classic. 

There are few more to shoutout too, but I’ll keep my list at my 10. Boy, looking at this I’d actually totally be down for one of these.

That’s all I got. I know I am bad at covering all my segments recently, but my life has been a bit of a mess as of late. So I apologize!

But thank you for the amazing questions, I adore you all, and I am gonna go let Danganronpa eat my whole soul now.

Thank you all. From the bottom of my heart. For your support. I’ve been terrible about making things lately and you all have not waned with your patience for me. It means the world. I won’t wast your time for much longer, and hopefully this patience will breed something.

Keep it real.

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

I'm going to be obnoxious and say M A D S W E E N E Y ;)

So many E’s! So many E’s Jess! What the fuck am I supposed to do with that??? xp

M: What is their favourite dessert? 

Ahhhh, fuck. Hmmm, well, we know he’s not into too fruity or too sweet. I bet he’s into chocolate. I bet he is. Although carrot cake might be a thing too. I say this not because of the obvious carrot top joke but  because he’s old enough to remember when carrots were literally the only dessert the British Isles had. Before the import of sugar, shit was not all that sweet, and maybe he harkens back to that. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. So I’ll go with carrot cake, especially with as much grated carrot and as little fucking about as possible c:

A: What are/were this character’s best subjects in school? 

I mean... he was born and died and became a god WAY before school was even a thing ^^; But, in a modern AU where Mad Sweeney was just Some Guy, I suspect his best subject would be philosophy. He certainly has a degree in getting his ass kicked by gods, only fair he gets to tell mortals what it all means xp

D: How they react to being flirted with? 

Well... this depends ENTIRELY on whose idea it was to start flirting. If Mad Sweeney started it and this person is reciprocating, his strategy is to shed clothing and continue to badger offers that could EITHER be vulgar invitations to sex or a fight... wrapped up in a quaint sexual metaphor. Basically, if Mad Sweeney wants to fuck you, you and about 50 other people will know. Not a subtle man.

But if you made the horrifically poor decision to flirt with Mad Sweeney, he would do everything possible to avoid you the rest of his life. The man does not have good reactions to affection, although he desperately needs some. Just keep trying, his bark is worse than his bite. He actually feels all wobbly inside that someone looked at him for 3 seconds straight and didn’t hate him. Also just straight up kissing him never fails. It will DEFINITELY work. Pro Tip.

S: How stealthy are they? 

...let’s see, 6′5″ god regularly chooses to hide behind 5′2″ dead wife. I'm gonna go with: none stealthy.

W: Can they dance? 

Can he dance??? Listen, my trash son may not be good for much, but HELL FUCKING YES, he can fucking dance. No question.

E: How are they with children? 

Literally no idea. His original wife was awful and I can’t remember a mention of any kids. But then... leprechauns are mostly believed in by children, Essie was certainly taken in at a young age. There’s a high chance he’s perfectly good with children. The swearing... and smoking... and drinking is a bit of an issue. But he probably has the sense not to do that shit around kids ^^; I think he has a soft spot for... well, let’s be real, MOST of him is a soft spot, but he really likes the innocent. And he’s got a HUGE, almost suicidal, protective streak. Chances are, when faced with the pure innocence of a child, he’d respond with the uncontrollable need to preserve that innocence ^^; 

There’s so many fucking E’s in his name oh my god, we’re just moving on

N: What do they usually eat for breakfast? 

I”m really not sure I can top @zorja-polunochnaya‘s response of whiskey. Just... straight whiskey. That’s... yep, yeah, that’s accurate. Whiskey and maybe the first hand-rolled cigarette of the day ^^;

Y: What is one question they’ve always wanted an answer to? 

Oh FUCK. Oh... god. “Why me?” That’s... that’s it. And he genuinely means it. Why him, why does he have to suffer, why was HE the one who got cursed. There are other kings and other cowards and other sacrilegious pricks who could have been punished. But he got the short straw. And he continues to get the fucking shaft. And god... he’d just like to know when he’s suffered enough, when he could finally be free. Poor... my poor, sweet trash son.