#everyone calm thy salt

[nixie-writes]

Hi everyone! I wrote a short Nixie x Zestial on my phone. I'm not sure if I can do a read below on mobile so you'll just have to put up with this. I would love any thoughts and ideas!

The air was acrid and there was a touch of blood in the atmosphere. Today was extermination day, and souls were running for their lives, only to be stabbed four times. Nixie, a salt water Hellborn, sat on a tall building, watching blood and guts fly. She was perched on the building, her bare legs dangling off the side, watching as sinners were slaughtered. The sound of concrete being grabbed caught Nixie’s attention; she angled her tall bunny-like ears toward the noise. A rather tall, slender spider-like creature arose from the other side of the building. Nixie rolled her single eye in disbelief. “You’re not hiding with me, go find another wall to scale shit head.” Nixie spat, immediately turning her attention to the small gap in Hell’s sky where Heaven could watch them. The exterminators were flying up to that hole before it sealed.

Nixie snorted. “Guess you’re lucky this time, fuck face,” Nixie muttered, crossing her arms. She definitely was not pulling any angelic steel with a witness. Nixie turned to the sinner who crawled up beside her, seemingly very calm. With a small puff of magic he produced two cups of tea, and one fell in Nixie’s lap with a small plate. She looked at the stranger incredulously. “What are you wanting from me?” she inquired, narrowing her eye at the stranger. “Just thine time, a little company,” the sinner replied. Nixie was very on the fence about this sinner but at least he was polite. Nixie was taking a sip of her tea when the stranger began speaking. “My dearest, what is thy name?” Nixie scoffed, looking away. “Like I’d tell you my name before you give me yours,” Nixie snarkily pointed out. She was doing her best to be an ass but this sinner wouldn’t just leave.

“Ah, thou request my name? Certainly; my name is Zestial, and I rule these parts of Hell. The extermination was brutal, yet thy seem unfazed. Doth thou want death again?” Nixie snorted. “I’m a Hellborn, they can’t touch me. Unlike you, who should still be in hiding somewhere else.” She couldn’t get clearer than that. The demon chuckled darkly, looking at her with those four green eyes. “Thou never told me thine name,” Zestial pointed out. Nixie took another, intentionally long sip of her tea. He was right; a deal was a deal.

“Fine, my name is Nixie but my friends call me Nix. And as of now, you’re not a friend.” Nixie replied to him before looking in the opposite direction. The sinner next to her fixed his large spider-esque bowtie and hummed. “Alright, Nixie. Let us meet again somewhere,” he suggested. Nixie quirked her eyebrow in surprise. “You wanna meet my ass again?” She inquired in surprise. Zestial chuckled softly through his invisible lips. “My dearest, your crass attitude is just a front. I aspire to know thee better.” He spoke as he rose to his full height. Nixie had figured he was tall but he reached the sky. He held out a hand with long slender fingers as an offer to help her up. Embarrassed that he had seen through her facade she accepted, suddenly very shy, feeling like this sinner was trying to pick through her with a fine tipped comb. Instead of taking his hand however, she had a trick up her sleeve. She dissipated into mist and turned into nothing. Zestial laughed darkly; “my pretty mermaid, I will find thee again soon.”

[konamochi]

PSA TO THE FFXV FANDOM The vr stuff is nothing new. They announced it a year ago last e3, and they're just now showcasing it. Story content is (likely) still coming.

[jiminrings]

i just reread ll (after seeing that yoongi pic on twt..... loml) AND UGH IM SO MAD AT THAT FIGHT WHY DID HE SAY THAT AND OH MY GOD WHERE IS OC SLEEPING OMG DID SHE STAY THE NIGHT AT TAEHYUNGS (not like that ..... nasties 😑) WHATS GOING ON. WHAT IS JUNGKOOK GONNA DO WHEN YOONGI OR SEOKJIN FIND HIM WHAT IF YOONGI KILLS HIM OR SMTH

cold senior!y/n x stem major!koo masterlist :D

you leave jungkook alone in your dorm after a fight — but at the same time, he gets left alone with yoongi and jin, who still aren't sure what to think of him especially now

aka part two of the ll couple's first fight

"i think i'm gonna crash."

seokjin yawns and says out loud without the knowledge that he's speaking out loud, his hands fumbling for the dorm keys amongst the numerous keychains he has a knack for collecting

"you drank one cup of coffee, jin," yoongi snorts because as far as he recalls two hours ago, jin even made him drink his remaining coffee because he couldn't take any more

yeah well sCREW jin for trying to stay awake the whole day alright!!!! he made a roadtrip out of scouring each individual part he wanted to add to his fancy PC setup he's been saving a pretty penny for

he doesn't say it at all but yoongi carries immense happiness in tagging along with errands even if it serves him no purpose <3 sometimes he just likes being a keychain to his best friends and he's happy!!

"yeah, hot coffee — the worst," jin elaborates his dislike for hot coffee even if both you and yoongi heard it a hundred times before

he's noisily trying to find the right key and he's surprised you haven't woken up and just oPENED the door for them, but he's cluelessly and thoroughly entertaining yoongi aka the guy who hAS his own key yet refuses to use just so that he could see his friend suffering some more

at this point, your neighbors probably think you’re getting robbed but thankfully jin finally manages to put in the right key, a satisfactory sigh leaving him when it finally clicks and turns the right way

the dorm is dark and noT dim like what they’re used to, probably something to be blamed to the hellfire of rain that’s going on outside

jin’s carelessly removing his shoes by his own feet, only stopping when yoongi harshly pinches him on the side before he does it to himselF on the inside of his arm

“ow! what was-“

he soothes the sore spot on his side because yoongi can reallyyyyyy put his two fingers close without pinching and therefore make it hurt even more, eyes all around the place before it stops on a familiar figure

a familiar figure, sure. welcome? not exactly.

"huh. you're still here? are you staying the night?"

seokjin asks out loud to jungkook who’s standing by himself beside the couch with his hands bunched, worried eyes fixed on them

"where's y/n?"

yoongi asks and it’s made evident how the both of them have different intentions to acquire for, but they all boil down to you nonetheless

jungkook’s throat dries because it hasn’t even been an hour that he’s left alone in yoor dorm, not expecting it either that your two friends would come home this quick

"that's the thing,” he mumbles and yoongi picks it up first, slithering around jin to confirm if he’s really hearing jungkook

what does he mEAN that’s the thing???

"y/n left."

jungkook’s with the two of them now but oddly enough, he doesn’t feel cornered even if the two of them are positioned as if they’re trapping him

he feels more alone than he is cornered, fresh tears stinging at the back of his eyes that he doesn’t want to show yoongi nor jin

"what did you just say?" yoongi asks more in confusion than in disbelief, narrowing his eyes at your boyfriend

"why would she leave at this hour and at this weather? not to mention, leave you alone with us."

jin raises a valid point to put into everyone’s head how bizarre the situation is and not to spook jungkook out, but it sounds like the latter to him which is why he snorts at the startled look

"calm down, kid. we're not gonna rough you up if that's what you're thinking," he reminds him because they’re not tHAT unhinged when it comes to you, walking to the refrigerator to down the nearest water bottle, ".... not unless??"

he still carries a playful edge to him because as much as he’s worried about you, atleast one of the three of them in this room should be far from having a breakdown to level the others

yoongi’s not done with his questioning streak because he presses further, sitting at the couch in your exact seat that makes jungkook gulp

god it’s now just hitting him that you left

"why did she leave?"

"w-we fought."

there’s slight hesitance in his tone because he’s not exactly surE if he should be telling that he fought with you to your friends, but he sets aside the possible consequences because after all, it’s you that they’re conversing about

yoongi nods to himself, having a hunch that the both of you must’ve fought and when he looks up at him, he only belatedly realizes that your boyfriend’s now blonde

"what did you do?"

he goes straight for it, startling jungkook

he’s not necessarily offended that yoongi asked him what he did because if you ask him, this is really aLL his fault

"i-i'll get to that but uh shouldn't we look for y/n first?"

...

..... okay that was understandable

yoongi knows where he’s coming from, nodding to acknowledge him

"not the first time this happened," he admits quietly and that leaves jungkook speechless, watching him intently which is why it made sense that yoongi’s not out of his mind panicking just like he is, "y/n left the dorm when she and seokjin fought."

yoongi says it even quieter and jungkook gets why, because as low as his mumble went, seokjin still managed to hear it

it must’ve been a sore spot that jin doesn’t want to tell him all about, atleast right now, because he looks down to his feet as if he’s been burnt

"it was a serious fight, but it was long ago,” he mumbles under his breath and the reminder of their fight which he’s tried to bury in the back of his head throws him off his feet slightly, “she doesn't really leave when it's just a petty fight or something."

yoongi somberly smiles at jin as some sort of apology for bringing it up, not wanting to put salt on the wounds as he just redirects his attention to jungkook

"i'm asking you for the last time, jungkook — what did you do?"

there’s no direct pressure behind his words but the three of them know that it would drastically help if he just said so

there’s no moral compass that he tries to steer because he himself wants to tell yoongi and jin, even if it means having to put the little respect and love they have for him on the line

jungkook doesn’t sugarcoat and retells all the way from what happened with the hoseok situation until he finishes with what happened merely an hour ago, almost scared to look up at the both of them

jin humorlessly chuckles and shakes his head to himself, still perched against the kitchen counter

"low fucking blow, kid."

surprisingly, yoongi became the lenient one

jungkook’s head aches because the two of them switched attitudes in a matter of minutes!!!! jin is the one that sounds like he hates being in the same room as him and yoongi is the one that tolerates hin generally

he could oNLY assume that the retelling of the events must’ve hit jin one way or another, somehow connected to what the two of you fought about long ago

yoongi takes the liberty to speak after jin’s remark, nudging jungkook by the knee to sit beside him

"y/n's hurt, of course, because as much as she had flings and casual fucks and whatnot," he trails around but doesn’t look to jungkook who’s wide-eyed thy he’s even letting him sit beside him, “you're her first boyfriend."

...

....

...... what

“i am?”

jungkook asks in confusion and the regret creeps up to him not a second later, the ringing in his ears blocking out the rain and even jin’s announcement that he’ll call you

he nods and kook knows that he’s not only saying this to pull at his tail, simply because he’s aware that yoongi doesn’t joke around with him

with jin entering his room to call you, that leaves him alone with yoongi and it barely registers in his head that this is the first time it’s only the two of them after that time when he threatened to give him a knuckle sandwich and the sort

"was starting to entertain and like the idea of you in y/n's life — our lives, y'know?"

yoongi initiates conversation and kook gets startled even more, tripping over his words because he can’t grasp at the situation fully

"i'm sorry, yoongi. i-i really am."

"hate to say this but," he clicks the roof of his mouth with his tongue, fiddling with his bracelets, "i know you are."

???

jungkook’s confusion at your friend’s words is what distracts him from his remorse, not believing his ears

yoongi believes him??? he knOws that he actually feels sorry for having done what he did??

"y/n doesn't like being accused, i think no one really does," he starts off carefully, “it's not my story to tell but it's for you to understand that y/n, y'know...."

jungkook swallows the lump on his throat for whatever yoongi’s gonna say next, a furrow in his brow as he chooses his words

“she doesn't come from a past wherein assurance is at face value,” he clears his throat, "that's all i can tell you."

jungkook nods and he tries to contain his thoughts because he doesn’t want to assume. he’s only gonna take what you give and he’ll willingly wait for that time you tell him all about his past

he does have a clue about your family because he asked that one time if he’d be meeting your parents because you’re a senior and you’re graduating soon, but you only shaked your head no and said “yoongs and jin are enough” for your ceremony

yoongi feels sorry, but he’s not sure for who :(

all he knows is that his heart aches, even if it’s for the boy in front of him that he swore he’d hate, but is now unconsciously worming his way into his heart

he’s no stranger to what jungkook feels because he felt the same type of territoriality and the insecurity that came along with it — the one he used to have over you, in that platonic soulmate sense he didn’t realize at the time

"it's not my place to tell you either, but sooner or later, insecurity will consume you, jungkook."

the guy in question nods eagerly because yoongi manages to address the struggle he has in his mind, acknowledging the issue at-hand fully

"y/n can't baby you forever,” yoongi sighs, “but you can't be ditched whenever she feels like it either."

:O

did...

did yoongi just take his side.....

jungkook kNOWS in the back of his head that yoongi’s neutral, but it all just registers in his head that for the first time, yoongi’s on his side, even in a sense

"talk it out. just sleep in her room for the meantime. fix it in the morning,” he starts to gather himself to stand, pausing to look at jungkook in the eye, "i'd hate to see my soulmate hurting."

the thing is, jungkook knows that yoongi’s your soulmate :-)

you told him that once and as much as you explained that it was only platonic, jungkook quickly understood it, much to your surprise

he knows he doesn’t know the entirety of you, but he knows that when he looks at yoongi, he’s looking at you too :)

yoongi gives him the ghost of a smile, making jungkook blink twice

"sooner or later, the two of us need to talk."

jungkook’s contented with that, smiling back at him

"good night, yoongi."

"good night, jungkook."

( ♡ )

ok.,.,.

“don’t come home, it’s pouring. or go back to your dorm, whatever. i don’t care.”

okay you dO in fact care!!!

it’s been more or less two hours since you left the dorm and you know this because jungkook’s been texting you without fail, only stopping twenty minutes ago that makes you look at the time

it’s 11 o’clock :O

either he’s asleep like he usually would be at this time, or he walked home

in fact, you don’t even know if jungkook is still at your dorm

your phone rings all of a sudden that it makes you flinch, scrambling to see who it was and you don’t know if it’s disappointment or relief coating you when you saw that it was jin

"and where is my favorite girl at this time of the night?"

you could only chuckle as you share a glance with the person whose dorm you crashed in, sending an eager greeting with his mouth full

"i'm at taehyung's. we're eating brownies right now."

when you knocked on tae’s door just two hours ago, the only thing he greeted you with was with a towel!!

he didn’t ask why you’re practically soaked in front of his doorstep because for whatever it is, it must probably be in good reason

truth be told, you didn’t even knOw where you were supposed to go but then tae popped into your head as the only sane person you know that would let you in at this time of the night without prior notice

it was a simple “jungkook and i fought.” to which he only nodded to, turned on the tv for you, and started baking brownies

"mhmm. what kind?"

you chew on the chocolate fudge, slightly chuckling at what jin’s insinuating

"the kind that doesn't leave you disoriented."

he hums at that and you could picture him swiveling on his gaming chair he bought just a week ago, his phone tucked to his ear closely

"the same kind that makes you able enough to come home tonight?"

"yeah,” you breathlessly agree, fiddling with the matching bracelet you have with jungkook, “same kind."

you could only assume now that they've seen jungkook and he's still saying there, all alone but with them

your heart warms at the thought that indirectly, jin’s making you come home to reunite you with jungkook, knowing that there’s an impending conversation sooner or later

"want me to pick you up? you'll get a cold."

"i'll borrow tae's umbrella. i'll come home when we finish the brownies."

the both of you know that it’s code for you just wanting a little more time before you come back, and also because you really wanna dO finish the brownies that tae warmly made for yoy

"mkay," jin smiled at your response, "i'll lock the door but just send me a text and i'll open it for you."

"won't you be sleeping?"

"i'll stay up. i'm not sleepy."

jin replies just as quick, a complete 180 to what he said when he initially came home that he wanted to crash because of the hot coffee he drank

you wordlessly thank him and he acknowledges it, happy to atleast know that you heeded his concern for you to come home tonight

"get home safe. love you."

it’s not only minutes later than you thank taehyung immensely and promise to take him to the aquarium as your thanks, finding yourself in your dorm that seokjin ushers you into with a peck on your head

you rush to your room and you’re greeted with the airconditioning turned on, seeing a lump beneath your comforter that you automatically know it’s jungkook sleeping

you're still damp from the rain but you change quickly to the first set of clothes you can grab from your drawers, not wasting a second longer

you sneak into your own bed, the same one that’s carrying jungkook

his sleep hasn’t even been the deepest and the moment he feels a shuffle beside him, he’s woken up immediately

“i’m here.”

jungkook realizes it’s you with the way your voice is soft and the way you hold his arm when you climb into the covers, wordlessly embracing him from behind

"i'm sorry. it's all my fault,” he says sincerely as he turns his body so he could face you, caging you in with his arm

"i'm sorry i stormed out on you."

he feels you nuzzle to the crook of his neck and it calms him down, the familiar scent of you enough to make his eyes close without fear

it only hits you now that this is the first time the two of you cuddle, much less share a bed

"love you."

it’s barely audible but it leaves you nonetheless, not expecting a reply in return but you get one anyways from a sleepy yet overwhelmingly-content jungkook

"i love you the most."

.

.

.

as always, lmk what you think!! i love answering asks :D what do you want to see from the lunchbox lovers next? send them here <3

[sweetwhumpandhellacomf]

Hi I have a slight fever so this might not flow super great? but I want monster caretaker.

---

When Farai got lost on the savannah, she had few doubts. She was skilled at hiking, knew the signs of civilization and water and how to navigate by the stars.

When she fell in a hole and broke her leg, that changed.

She dragged herself up and out of the loose dirt, clawing her way to stable ground and over to a nearby umbrella-thorn tree for shade. Panting and sweating, she checked her supplies--nothing to use as a splint, limited water in her canteen, and a dirty wound on her leg.

If nobody found Farai soon, she would die.

---

The umbrella-thorn provides shade, but little relief from the heat. Farai counts herself lucky that no lions find her--even with her knife, she’d be no match for more than one. She briefly considered using the last of her water to clean out her wound, but she knows it’s too late, the angry swelling and heat an indication that infection had already set in. Regardless, she wraps it tight with scraps from her cape, wincing and gritting her teeth against the sheer agony.

Help has to come soon. They know she’s missing, they know where she got separated from the group. She’s tough, she’s always been tough, she can just hold on a while longer.

---

Fever’s set in by nightfall. Farai keeps herself propped up against the tree trunk, her vision blurry but still keeping an eye out for movement. Some small night-creatures and nothing more, so far, at least she thinks. Lionesses will be hard to spot. Harder to hear.

In the dusky predawn, she’s only just clinging to consciousness as a pair of strong arms lift her up. She mumbles something, some word of thanks, and lets herself fall into the dark.

---

When Farai wakes, it’s not to the familiar sounds of a camp or the scents of her home. It’s to the feel if her broken bone being yanked back into place, and she lets out a yelp to match it.

“Awake, art thou?”

Her blurry eyes try to focus, but she can only see a vague, dark shape above her. “Uh-huh,” she mumbles.

“Strong, thou art. Expect thou to wake, I did not.” The voice is deep, guttural, but has no feeling of malice. “Tend your injuries, I shall. Rest, thou may.”

With the throbbing in her leg faded to dull agony instead of the full thing, Farai does as suggested and passes right back out.

---

When she wakes again, it’s on a large plush cushion, to the smell of cooking food. Unspiced, probably, but after a day with only trail rations she’d eat a raw fish right out of the river if it was handed to her. Her head is clearer, even if it feels like she stuck it in an oven.

Wiping her eyes with her fists, her vision clears, and she looks up at a ceiling of ramshackle wooden planks. She sits, bracing herself on jelly-like arms, and sees her leg’s been splinted and wrapped, with a poultice over her wound that looks like it’d burn out her nose hairs if she smelled it. The room is cool and dim, and she seems to be alone.

“Hello?” Farai calls out, and is answered with hard footsteps from another room.

“A moment, will thou wait?” her rescuer calls back. “Nearly done, the meal is.”

“Alright,” she answers, letting her arms give out and flop her back onto the cushion behind her. She closes her eyes, turning her cheek into the wood to get some relief from her fever.

The footsteps enter the room and Farai pushes herself up again, only to recoil in fright when she sees the being before her.

They have to duck to enter the room, but once they’re in, they loom many feet above her, taller even than herself when standing. The hard footsteps are from hooves, cloven and almost clawlike, attached to thick legs coated in coarse brown fur. Their body is wide and heavyset, wrapped in dusty cloth and hides. Their head--spirits forefend, they have the head of a wild boar, tusks and beady black eyes and glistening snout.

“Beastman,” she breathes, her arms threatening to give out again, this time from terror. Everyone at home knows that beastmen are vicious and violent, living in roving bands and attacking settlements at the least provocation--

“Beastfolk, I am,” the monstrosity agrees, crouching down closer to Farai’s level. “Beastwoman, I prefer.” Those dark eyes crinkle in a smile, and something calms her. The beastwoman sets down a plate of food near the cushion, along with a cup of clear water, and shuffles back. “Afraid, thou art?”

“Yes,” Farai squeaks before she can stop herself.

“Afraid, thou mustn’t be,” she says. “Harm thou, I shall not. Thy leg, I have already begun to mend. See, dost thou?”

“I-I see. Yes.” She swallows nervously, glancing down at the food--root vegetables and some small fish. Salted, at least. “Thank you.”

The beastwoman nods and stands again. “Rungano, I am named,” she says. “If called, I will come. Eat and rest now, thou must.”

She steps out of the room, leaving Farai in a stunned silence before her hunger reminds her of its presence and she quietly picks up the plate.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Speaking with light.”

Been a busy week, and I have been having to do a lot of my writing during the quiet moments at work. Plus I have also reached the climax on the book, so that is taking up a lot of my time. So this week I am ping to be doing miscellaneous stories based on requests some of you have given me

They watched from below the darkness, an expanse of blank sometimes light by the beautiful light of their hot red star. They knew what it was, despite their inability to see like others, they understood much and knew much more. Across the salted, barren wastes of their planet stretching for miles in all directions dark like the sky except for where their star warmed it. 

They expected the visitors to return long before the visitors knew that they might . It was inevitable and so they waited very patiently floating about their sunny planet, soaking up the heat from their glorious creator above. 

That is until the day a spark of light glorious light lit up the sky in the distance, and they turned themselves to face it. They knew this light, cause by the fusion of particles together, and finally the burning of fuel, It was a strange suite, a glorious little piece of light glowing down from above.

It was good, and they waited.

It landed not far off from them brightening the dark desert with it’s light. They did not approach, knowing that the creatures would come to them and so they waited. Eons they had waited and eons more they would be willing to wait. Time was like the glowing of the  brightness in the sky above, it was immortal and forever, ethereal, eternal and passing.

Little sparks of light appeared on the horizon moving towards them shedding heat in familiar patterns that waved and undulated in pulses off their bodies. There were more than one of them now, more than one type as well in many sizes and shapes.

***

“But how can we know they are friendly?” Sunny asked her breath fogging up the inside of her helmet.

Outside, Krill floated happily along, soaking up the burning light of the star above his head tilted back as if he was enjoying himself. Despite the high oxygen content, there was still more than enough carbon for him to breath. While the humans and Sunny could probably take off their suits, they oud be at risk for quick and coming oxygen poisoning due to the extreme content in the air about them.

Admiral Vir stepped ahead of them, “They saved my life, so I think it is safe to assume that they are at least friendly.”

“Or they had no idea what they were saying at the time.” Sunny muttered to herself 

They walked across the open dessert, their feet crunchin against the salt leaving mild indentations where they feet passed. Everything was so blinding here, even the sky seemed white against the blazing star overhead (a blue giant) 

One of the hottest and brightest stars in existence.In the distance Sunny thought she saw a structure poking out over the horizon.

It wasn’t much, simply a large covered gazebo almost, with walls made out strange white/cream material carved into elaborate organic shapes. Out of all the things in the galaxy thy had seen, this was…. This was one of the strangest and most alien things.

Generally the civilizations tended to have things in common. And that was city structures and geometric architecture, but not these creatures. It was almost like walking up to a giant onion that had been carved out and molded into flowing spiral shapes up the sides.

Sunny could see the creatures now, floating there, as if waiting for them. They were grey in color, their the ends of their tentacles trended towards a strange bluish color tipped in pink.

Large, protrusions, almost like elephant ears stuck out from the sides of their six foot bodies flapping slowly like the fins of a stingray.

“Amazing.” one of the scientists said a xenobiologist who had accompanied them. 

The rundi./vrul pair of xenolinguistics seemed very interested as well.

“And you said they do not speak?” One of them asked 

Adam Vir nodded, “No, I think they might communicate through radio transmission as the vrul and the Mikes can, but I would be lying if I said I knew for sure, The Lumin are still as much a mystery to me as they are to you.”

“And you said they saved your life?”

“Yes, it was strange, like they knew exactly what to do. Hard to explain.”

“Well, hopefully we can make some sense of them before the day is out.”

Adam nodded his head and slowly took front as the others fell into step behind him. They were almost to the font of the large alien structure, watched by the strange floating creatures and their waving tentacles.

Adam paused before one of them not more than six feet away.

He raised his hands to his helmet and unlatched it with a hiss throwing his head back a little and taking in a gulp of high concentrated oxygen.

It felt fine for now, but he only had a little while before he would have to return to the suit.

He raised a hand, “Remember me?” He wondered, knowing that they couldn’t hear him so keeping his voice low.

The creature ahead of him billowed and undulated before floating softly forward and reaching out with one of its delicate tentacles. He kept his hand held up as the creature wrapped a tentacle around his wrist, prodding at his fingers arna farms with the pod-like structure at the end of the tentacle.

He smiled, “I thought you might. I remember you.”

It floated a little forward, tentacles reaching out, primarily its two front tentacles, longer than the others, which brushed through his hair and slowly ran down his face. The skin of the creature was soft and delicate, like the lips and nose of a horse, almost velvety somehow.

HE took his hand and gently wrapped his fingers around one of it’s tentacles, rubbing his thumb over its skin in a, hopefully, calming gesture,  “We come in peace he muttered to himself.

***

Their light shone in great pulsing waves from their skin, shedding heat and light like dying stars. Their warmth, and the light they brought was pleasant,, and the Lumin welcomed it. For sure they welcomed the creature, who took off the casing from around its body, and shed its heat on them personally. They knew this creature, recognized him from long ago as his heat was something they ememembered, and the patterns with which it rolled over its skin.

They did not recognize the other creatures , some of them in shapes that they did not know, and shedding less light than the first, who shone like a beacon. They greeted it with pleasure and joy at it’s return. They had missed it’s light, and craved having some so close,even now.

The burning light of their own little colony greeted it with softness and was, in return rewarded with such.

Together, the Lumin inched forward floating to greet the others as they were instructed by their leader. They came in groups of two touching and prodding at the strange new subjects, who made no sound.

There was one creature, however, that was not so quiet. It burned surprisingly cold compared to the others and was only really a shadow in comparison. But it let of a strange sort of hissing buzzing that made their radio antenna rattle a bit.

They swarmed around it in surprise, pleasantly shocked and pleased when it floated up to meet them, much smaller but quite similar. It had no tentacles but many legs, and there was evidence that it could understand the silent, bright ones that hung around it.

They buzzed in excitement and the creature buzzed back

Extraordinary, and exciting.

It was a pleasure that the creature had returned with friends.

***

The swarm of Lumin took each of them by the hand and gently pulled them back towards the shade. Adam was more than thankful for the sun was hurting his eyes, something terrible.

“They seem happy to see us.:” Sunny mused, “Though I have no idea why.”

“Are you always this suspicious?” Adam wondered.

“Forgive me for being cautious.”

They were brought into the center of the room, and clustered about by the large glowing creatures. Adam smiled and remained still as more of the creatures floated by rubbing their tentacles against the hair on his had, in what seemed like some sort of greeting, though he could have been very wrong.

“I can hear them.” krill muttered staring around at their hosts with wide eyes.

Adam sat up, “You can!”

“Yes, it is like a distant humming that rises and falls in pitch, though I am afraid much of it might be outside of m range of hearing.”

“Alright everyone, turn on your radio receivers and see if that makes any sort of difference.”

They did as he ordered, and he did the same clipping the specially designed earpiece to his ear.

He turned it on, “Testing, one two, can you hear me.”

All around them the lumin billowed and spun. At first he worried that he had somehow bothered or offended them, but the way they touched his hands after he spoke made it seem that it was good news.

“I think they can hear you, and the best part is they understand that it’s you.”

“Well technically since radio frequencies are a form of light, it means they can see you.” Krill added 

Adam turned his head to frown at Krill, “Just go ahead and kill the moment why don’t you.”

“I was just correcting your science.”

“No one likes a know it all, Krill.” He glanced over at the scientists, “Anyway, is this something that we can make sense of?”

The two of them had their heads together whispering together, and when he spoke they looked up, “It is hard to say. I believe their language works in oscillation of radio waves, though the patterns are going to be hard to decipher. They do not have individual words, and because of this I think it is a possibility that they may not speak in…. Specifics if that makes sense.””

“Will we be able to communicate with them at all?”

“I think it could be possible.” hold on

It was just then that Adam heard a strange static in one ear and was suddenly confused when he heard his own voice repeated back at him through what seemed to be TV static.

He turned to stare at the Lumin, which lay a tentacle on his shoulder. It looked like it was staring directly at him.

He heard his voice repeated back at him, “Will we be able to communicate with them at all?”

The scientists stared, “They are mimicking your radio signals back…. This might be possible after all.”

***

They were a very old species, they were a very wise species. These were not the only ones who had come before, and they would not be the last to come. When they changed their vibrating voices to vibrating waves of light, the Lumin understood. Not so much the words, but the meaning. 

As before, they were very old and very wise.

They understood light in a way that it was not understood by anyone else.

They understood the fluctuation in the bodies before them, they understood the fluctuation in the radio signals all around them. There was nothing that they did not understand

Happiness burned bright from the creatures as they mimicked their light back at them. They wanted to communicate, and the Lumin wanted to speak back. They wanted to speak and make peace with these strange curious creatures.

The Lumin understood, and they felt the heat and the light brighten as they made physical contact with the creatures. Physical contact brought out familiarity and warth, bring up the heat even higher than it was before. It worked the most on the one they knew from before.

As it spoke to them, filling their eyes with its light, it ran its strange appendages through theirs, the little tentacles at the end of its fingers winding about them and then letting go, allowing them to slip through. It’s hands were gentle, and they saw no malice from it.

Of course, they knew what the creature was. They knew it had danger.

With the heat it produced it was clearly a consumer, and producing more heat and light than others it was a predator. Predators were the most beautiful with their great ebbing and flowing light, despite how dangerous they were, through the lumin were not one to judge.

They were not difficult to understand, these creatures.

It was not so hard to parse out what they were thinking and saying. They clearly wanted to know how the Lumin communicated, they wanted knowledge that the Lumin were willing to give them. With their great knowledge they would help. They knew these creatures did not speak like the lumin did. They did not speak as a collective, but as individual voices taking turns.

The lumin could do that if they so wished, but after a thousand yars they saw no need.

It was not their desire to speak separately from each other if they did not have to.

So The lumin fed them phrases slowly, and mimicked their own, extrapolating the information from the patterns of light.

Lumin understood light more than they understood anything else.

Light was sacred.

Light was pure.

And now that these creatures spoke with light, they could speak back to them.

THey noticed things.

Words that referenced the self, and words that referenced others. They understood when the creatures were talking bout them and when they were talking about each other.

Slowly they were beginning to understand, and when they understood, every one of them understood with greater comprehension.

It would not be long before they understood completely.

***

Adam Sat on the floor next to one of the lumin, who floated with its tentacles dragging along the ground.

He held one of it’s front tentacles in his palm as if they were holding hands, “We come in peace.”

The creature stared at him, its large flaps billowing slowly  as if underwater.

“We.” It repeated back,, and as it did it waved a tentacle towards the others, and then around to him.

He nodded eagerly, “We, yes.”

The scientists stared on in awe, “How they can understand us so quickly…. I…. Its almost a miracle. How….”

Adam paused looking up at the creature, “They must be far more intelligent than any creature that we have ever discovered. There is no other explanation.”

“They do not seem to have a word that includes me or I just we and us. It is as if they think as a collective.”

Krill shifted and buzzed a bit, floating closer to one of the creatures, “IF they were able to think as one miind, than it would make sense that they could be so intelligent. A single brain that large working on one problem. There is nothing that they could not do.”

“Than why havent they bothered to leave their planet?” Sunny wondered staring at them with her eyes still narrowed.

Adam placed his hand against the creature rubbing over it’s soft skin, “I think…. Well I think they don’t WANT to leave.”

“What gives you that impression?”

“Because….. wellI don’t know. Its just when they speak, it seems so peaceful…. As if they could want for nothing more.”

“Now your just making things up,” Krillannounced 

Adam rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say. I still think that they are…. Peaceful, tranquil almost.

“Wish I could have some of that.” one of the marines muttered, twisting one of the creature’s tentacles through his fingers and then letting it billow away.

“Now we just let the linguists do what they need to do, and hopefully this is communication that we can have sooner rather than later.”

***

They began at first with words, their light had a system of communicating. And when more abstract concepts came, they were s"end strange impressions of…. images , light brought still to their minds. 

It was a strange way to communicate, but any light was important, any light was accepted, and so they brought the light into themselves, and they understood it like none could understand.

The light was what they lived for.

The light is what they hoped for.

The first words that were spoken between the two species and understood was.

“We are here.”

When they had to leave, the Lumin hoped for a return, and received it. The light passed overhead many times as they came and went, and the lumin understood more and more.

The first words that were really understood between the two was.

“We come in peace.”

And the lumin responds.

“We accept your peace.”

The lumin could understand them and they could understand the lumin.

Together they shared light and all was well 

[elsewhereuniversity]

When I first started here, I called myself Ada, because my wordpress as a teen was adamantiumhalfdragonx523 and it was the first thing I thought of when they said I should pick a nickname.

...I know, it’s kinda ridiculous, and I was hoping to present a somewhat more mature persona at college. But at least Ada is an actual name, and I could claim it was after Ada Lovelace instead of my RP blog.

Anyway, I dove into class quickly. Engineering, with an accidental minor in physics: I liked the required courses so I took a few electives, then realized I was only like nine credits away from qualifying for a minor so I went for it. Got immediately bogged down by homework as usual, barely scraping C minuses through humanities requirements and getting extensions wherever I could. I’ve never been good with time management? It’s the adhd.

There were always rumours of strange things happening on campus, but I mean, it’s college. You get drunk larpers and people hallucinating moving shadows from lack of sleep and old buildings with confusing layouts and it’s enough for weird rumours to be spread for months.

There was this weird girl who moved in a couple doors down from me: she turned up around March, I think she was a transfer? Her roommate literally burst into tears and ran away down the hall when I mentioned her, so I didn’t push it. It was a bit weird but I guess they were close with their previous roommate? Don’t know why they left, maybe they dropped out. Anyway, near the end of the semester the girl — she went by hazelnut, I think — invited me to this pre-finals rager out in the woods. I think it was late April, maybe the first of May? Mysty (my roomie) said not to go but I was feeling pretty prepared for my exam so I figured I’d go check it out. She kept, like, tutting at me, and made a big show of pouring salt lines at the window and door and around her bed? I don’t know how you can pour salt sarcastically, but she managed.

It was a pretty decent party, honestly, all through the woods. There was obviously much wilder stuff happening deeper, bright lights and screams and music and stuff, but I met up with a group I vaguely recognized from some class or other, spent a good couple hours playing, like, a music-based chase game around this awesome spiderweb of a slackline rope course someone had set up in the trees, falling off laughingly as we got progressively drunker. Also Cuttlefish (trans dude, marine bio major) with the Bluetooth speaker started skipping erratically between songs with dramatically different genres and beat structures until we all ended up tackling him to make him stop. I was just thinking of heading back to dorm when this girl with really cool dark-fantasy makeup stumbled out of the trees, obviously in distress.

She was dressed in this kinda ragged-but-flowing translucent robe thing over incongruous muddy cargo shorts, barefoot, exhausted-looking, and screaming about being chased. Lark (short girl, I think geology major?) immediately grabbed some big hoola hoops I’d been ignoring (I mean, when there’s a huge multi-tiered rope course with ladders and slack lines and trapezes, hoola hoops don’t stand out) and threw one over Spider-makeup-girl immediately, who kinda collapsed to the ground sobbing in apparent relief, and Lark yelled for everyone else to sit in one as well. Something something salt circles? So we did, kinda bemusedly, two to a hoop.

Spider-girl’s chasers burst out of the trees a moment later, and, like, I had figured Elsewhere must have a pretty substantial cosplay community, considering the larping I’d heard people talking about, but damn these guys’ costumes were good. One had to have been like six and a half feet tall, but they were on tall digitigrade stilts that raised them closer to eight, if you included the mask, and the other had this really clean 4-arm rig and I swear the arms were moving separately. Like, I’m an engineer and I couldn’t figure out how either had put the costumes together, the movements were so smooth they looked practically natural. I hope they get into whatever film studio or props company they want, the prosthetics were definitely movie quality.

Anyway, they came bursting out of the woods, making growling sounds, but they both stopped abruptly when they saw the probably-ridiculous sight of nine twenty-somethings sitting in plastic circles on the grass. I expected them to start laughing, but they were really deep in character.

They kinda circled around us for a moment, sniffing the air. I wanted to comment on their costumes, but everything seemed super serious all of a sudden. Then one of them spoke.

“Have they trapped you, weaver? Do you take salt chains over calm oblivion? Do you think they can hold you against the hunt?”

Their voice was kinda deep and raspy, oddly resonant in the chill night air, like I was only hearing part of it. This was obviously part of some scene, but I dunno. Spider-girl was curled into a ball, shaking, and I felt these guys were taking it too far.

There were a couple moments of tense silence, then Lark spoke up.

“Our bargain is with her, not with you. Leave, or wait out the dark. We aren’t moving.”

The four-armed one literally hissed at that, raising up this ragged crest along their back and flexing all four of their clawed hands.

“If you take her, human, then you take her debts. How certain are you, that you believe yourself capable of filling them? Do you think her gifts worth the cost of her entrapment?”

I still couldn’t tell how the rig was working, there wasn’t much space in their costume for complex pneumatics or anything, which was kinda annoyingly obscure. Was it just puppetry? How the fuck did they get the arms to DO that? And the tall one’s mask, were those articulated eyelids AND ears?

“She is ours, human, hunted and caught. You mettle in affairs of what you know not.”

The big one was circling faster now, striding long-limbed on those stilts. They sounded ominous, but I saw a loophole there, so I spoke up.

“You obviously didn’t catch her? She escaped long enough to find us, and if I understand the setting of your game well enough, we count as scenery or props, not players on the same level as you. So it sounds like she got away on her own and found a hiding place she can wait out the sun, which means you lost and she’s free. Go bug someone else.”

They both roared at that, making charging motions towards us, but thy kept pulling up short about two feet away from the hoola hoops. I’m not gonna lie, it was super intimidating, but they didn’t seem like they were going to get any closer? After like five minutes of this, the tall one broke and ran into the trees and the four-armed one followed, both shrieking.

We stayed in the hoola hoops after that. I would have liked to go back to the dorms, but any time any of us moved Lark started shrieking at us to stay still because it was “dangerous” or whatever. Cuttlefish turned the music back on and we ended up playing a trivia game someone had on their phone. It was super uncomfortable but it could have been worse, especially since I was still pretty drunk, so it was all a kinda pleasant foggyness. I must have dozed off at some point because next thing I knew it was a bit brighter and spider-girl was standing over me.

Her makeup was even better in the twilight, extra eyes and weirdly-textured skin and everything.

“If you are, as you said, merely scenery in which I have found my own escape, then I owe you nothing.”

She looked around at all of us, then at Lark, who was getting up with a murderous expression, then back to me. Up close, I could see my reflection in her eyes, including the six fake ones. They looked intimately real.

“Your words unwind me altogether, even from your would-be friend,” she whispered, just to me, “and I owe you, gift for gift.”

Then, suddenly, she was gone. I saw her bolt to the rope course and up one of the support ropes, much further up than I’d noticed it went, until she disappeared into the treetops. It was impressive.

Lark yelled at me a bit, something something she could have made us all rich? I don’t know, I don’t understand the larp setting well enough to understand the context. And then I went back to my dorm and collapsed into bed. I only got three hours of sleep before I had to get up and take my exam, but I did pretty well on it anyway, got a solid 83%.

Couple days later I heard a sound at the window, and when I went to investigate I found a bundle of fabric on the sill. Unwrapping it, i found a hooded knee-length asymmetrical vest thingy with this really cool greyscale-geometric pattern on it, made from the same flowing material as spider-girl’s robe. It fits perfectly. Mysty made a bit of a fuss when she saw it, but calmed down a bit when I told her the context. I’ve been wearing it ever since, it looks really good over jeans.

Anyway, yeah. Probably the weirdest story I have, though there are some solid contenders, actually....College, you know. Stuff happens.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21751201 (wrote this back in December, forgot to submit it)

[tipsycad147]

Binding and Banishing 5

Ice Binding 1

Light a white candle and your favorite incense. Meditate a short while

on the problem. Invoke the Spirits of Protection for you and yours. Then

take a piece of brown paper, like from a grocery bag, on it use a lead

pencil to print and write the name of the offending person or people. If

unknown people are involved, also print and write, "and all persons unknown

that are causing harm to me!"

Cross off each line forcefully and say, forcefully,

" I freeze name(s) to be bound by this spell, unable to cause any more

harm to (name(s)! As I will, so mote it be! "

Then put a spoonful of used coffee grounds on the brown paper, fold it

small, and place it in the freezer. Leave it until the problem is

completely resolved. You may wish to  wrap a rubber band, string, twist tie, etc. to keep the coffee grounds from falling out of the paper. You can also use a ziploc bag. Be sure and burn the candle completely up. Don't  use that candle for a different purpose.

Ice Binding 2

Another way of ridding yourself of an unwanted negative influence is to write the name of the person or event at cause on a piec of paper. Concentrate on putting the negative energy into the paper. Place the piece of paper into a jar of water and put it into the freezer. Allow the paper to remain frozen in the water until all of the negative energy flow has completely stopped, then you can remove it, thaw it, and bury it in the ground.

NEW BEGINNING SPELL

Just before sunrise, go outside with some heather and a feather. Face East, light incense, and hold feather in hand while concentrating on the new day ahead as a new beginning. Say: Flight of feather, Scent of Heather Give me Cleansing With this beginning! Blow feather from hand and let the wind carry it away. Watch the sunrise and feel its rays cleansing you for the new day ahead. It is done.

PEACEFUL HOME

This spell is very good if there is a lot of turmoil or stress in the household. Do the following spell, and while doing so, remember to focus on your intent for a peaceful household. Sew a small pouch of lavender cloth. Place a small trinket in the pouch for each member of your household. Add to this a pinch each of lavender, rose and chamomile, before placing each pinch in the pouch, remember to hold it for a moment and REALLY focus, finally, add a small amethyst. Now, anoint a lavender or pink candle with peace oil(see recipes) and then light it. Sit in front of the candle and hold the pouch in your hands and whisper the following chant over it softly 3 times: Blessed Goddess, most gentle one, calm my home for me. Relieve all tension, send it far, so from stress we shall be free. Touch my family with peace and calm, and the sweetest softest bliss, Bless my home, Great Gentle Goddess, with your calming kiss. Set the pouch with the candle. Allow the candle to burn down completely. Hang the pouch in your home, preferably in the room where everyone gathers the most. Whenever tension seems to build, repeat the above chant 3 times and envision peace and tranquility radiating from the pouch and The Goddess.

Poppet Binding Spell

The purpose of this spell is to rid yourself of the negative energies of someone who is mentally or emotionally abusing you. If done properly, it will not harm the object of the spell nor will it affect his or her daily life in any way. It will simply make the person powerless to mentally or emotionally harm you.

Preform when Moon is dark

Materials:

Small cloth doll,(poppet) leave the head unstitched until you are ready to begin the ritual Needle and thread

Some personal item from the person you want to bind (fingernail clippings, hair, handwriting sample)

Black ribbon

Black candle

Cauldron or other fireproof container

Sterilized needle

Piece of parchment paper and pen or quill

One candle at each quarter (optional)

Ritual:

Call the quarters - I like to use candles at each quarter to form a circle of fire for extra protection. Light the black candle Concentrating deeply on the person you are binding, place the personal object inside the head of the doll and sew it shut.Tie the black ribbon around the poppet's head, signifying the binding of that person.

'With harm to none, my will be done

I hereby bind you (name of person)

Your words cannot harm me

Your thoughts cannot harm me

You cannot harm me'

Continue chanting this or something like it until you feel power surging through you. Visualize the person helpless to slander or verbally and mentally abuse you while you are chanting.

~ Now, to bind the spell ~

If you have a sigil or a craft name, sign it on the small piece of paper. If not, sign your own full name. If others are working the ritual with you, they too should sign the paper. With the sterilized needle, prick one of your fingers and put a small drop of blood over your signature. Again, if others are working with you, they should place a drop of blood over their signatures. (using a different needle, of course) Fold the paper, light it on fire and drop it into the cauldron (which should be on a heat-proof surface!). Meditate on the flames until the paper completely burns away. If you are working with a group, join hands at this point and feel the power surging around the circle as the spell is bound. Ground and center Release the circle. Thank the Goddess and God for their protection and power Bury the doll as far away from you as possible within the next few days.

RID OF NASTY ASTRAL SLIME

After Chakra cleansings in the evening by the ocean or a large body of water like a river or lake or pond. As the sun sets so your bad fortune will drain away. Hold a stone or object that you find and feel is appropriate and project all the nasty slimy and inky feeling you picked up from this person into it. Really focus on letting all your emotions about it as well and let them flow into the rock. When you have done this say: "I release this astral slime And all darkness which is not mine I let go of all that may have harmed My aura is bright all negativity released And I am charmed" Now throw the rock into the water preferably as the sun drops below the horizon and be conscious of its fading light taking away your bad feelings from this person. You can do this spell on then first night of the waning moon (after a full moon) for seven nights if you really feel tainted. Also Place 1/2 cup vinegar, a bunch of fresh or rosemary and 1 tablespoon of sea salt in your bath. Light a white and a blue candle. Imagine yourself surrounded by blue light, giving you positive energy. Visualize all of the negative energy and astral slime leaving your body through every pore.

SPELL BINDER

This is best used at the end of a spoken or written spell. This adds a certain boost to the releasing of energy. It also works best if you are wearing a Pentagram you have attuned to yourself. Speak these word with all the fibers of your body while releasing the spell's energy: By the Pentagram I wear, Water, Fire, Earth, and Air, Ruled by Spirit as All should be As I speak So Mote It Be!

Spell Breaking or Reversal

from Tesa on the kitchen witch list

This spell is performed to either reverse  a spell you have cast, or  to break a spell cast by another.

What you need:

Your cauldron

A black or purple candle (purple for spell reversal,  black for spell  breaking)

During the full or waning moon, place the purple or black candle  inside your cauldron. Fill your cauldron about half way with water.The candle should be at least as tall as your cauldron or slightly  taller. Focus on the task at hand- imagine the energy from the spell  you are reversing or breaking is forming before you into a large ball  of light. Imagine that the energy is now moving

toward the candle and  inhabiting it. Light the candle as you are focusing

and say, "Break the spell, break the curse, the spell which was cast

is now reversed." Now imagine the energy slowly disappearing and that it no

longer exists. Allow the candle to burn down until it fizzles out in the water. Say, "It is done." Pour the water outside in a stream or into the

ground away from your house. You can bury the candle or throw it out with

the trash.

SPELL TO RID ONESELF OF A BOTHERSOME SPIRIT

Say "What is dark be filled with light, remove this spirit from my sight." Before starting place your hand before you, and start the flow of power out of your hand and then say the words, letting the envisioned blue-white light from your power hand fill the room or house or any other place that you might be.

TO FREE A HOUSE FROM HAUNTING

"The Presence that stands Upon the stairs The unseen hands That move the chairs. The lights that play Across the wall, The stains that stay, The plates that fall, The mist , the chill, The wandering scents This gentle spell must speed them hence. At midnight, set A table neat, With cup and plate, And wine and meat, Invite the ghost To sit and feast, As any host Should urge a guest. Presently, clear The meal away, Then open the door and softly say- "Quick or dead, Thou art fed, Cease to grieve And take thy leave" Bid him depart But should he remain Be calm, take heart And feast him again.

CHARM OF THE BEAST SPELL

-- mugwort angelica 3 hairs of an imposing beast black cloth oil of frankincense or myrrh Mix the mugwort and angelica in equal parts, add to it the 3 hairs and bind together in a black cloth. Add a few drops of the oil onto the cloth. then say " He who is strong, he who is mighty Lend thine power to this charm Demons turn on your heels and run" Draw over it a pentagram and the charms of banishment. Burn the mixture to drive away the spirits that ail you. Burn it in your home or room you wish to exorcise. Bury it before your doorstep and no demon shall touch you nor enter. Wear the charm or hide it in the roof to ensure safety against any ills.

TO BANISH AN UNWELCOME ENTITY

Speak directly to the entity, or in the room most affected, saying: It is time to leave here; all is well. There is nothing here for you now, You must be gone Go now, go ~ complete your passing, Go, and with our blessing fare well. Farewell. Remove everything of the previous occupant ~ writing and photos in particular. If there is anything you wish to keep, purify it with salt or incense, saying: With this I purify you of the past Of hurt and memories Keeping only Love

https://crimsonwolfe.tripod.com/id4.html

[springbudeyes]

Placing Mianite’s Gods on an Ideological Spectrum (but not taking it too seriously)

It sucks to be dead center on an an ideological spectrum. Opinions pull at you from both sides. Politically and religiously, I’m – well, I wouldn’t say I’m a fence sitter because that implies hesitation – but I’m grounded between camps. I’ve been Christian, I’ve been conservative, I’ve been liberal, and now I’m realizing that none of the labels fit me. But I know what does. I like being able to wrap my head around as many viewpoints as possible. I like bringing conflicting ideas together and helping people find common ground. Sure, I voted Democrat this election (and please tell me you did, too). No, I don’t believe in the Christian God. But if you’re a Trump supporter, we can have lunch. If you’re an old friend from church, I miss you and would like to catch up. It struck me today that I might be an Ianitee irl. This is all on a whim, of course. I’m not trying to “sort” myself into her “house” or assign anyone else a Mianite god, for that matter. My point is not to assign a label, but to explore an idea.

The goddess of balance walks a tightrope. She holds a scale. She is both light and dark in a photograph—and therefore, she can also be grey. She’s an impartial judge. Her job, although far grander in scope than mine, isn’t totally unlike what I do for my tiny group of friends on the internet. Her followers might be people who struggle to navigate the warring dualities of their worlds. This makes Prince Andor a bit of a chaotic Ianitee if you think about it. It comes naturally, of course. If the balance leans toward Mianite, then Dianite must bleed into Ianite for the brothers to equalize. The goddess of balance wields both order and chaos. If Mianite reigns, the neutral sister stands with Dianite in bringing chaotic revolution to the doorstep of tyrannical order. Likewise, if Dianite has plunged the world into darkness and fire, Ianite joins with Mianite in building armies and sanctuaries. “We are not pacifists, nor are we vindicators,” Andor said. “We are nature. We are whatever balance demands. We are void and we are hurricane. We are the healer. We are the warrior.” If Dianite had ravaged Ruxomar and Mianite had lay dormant for ten years, a blade in his chest, both Helgrind and Andor may have preached quite different yet still conflicting ideas. As a psychological note, an Ianitee will have a hard time if they’re conflict-avoidant, but they’ll go through Hell if they’re ill-tempered. The magic word is temperance. (See the Temperance arcana in Tarot.) I suppose I might as well go ahead and draw the comparison between an Ianitee and a centrist, a term which may hold some emotional charge for you if you follow politics. Put simply, a centrist holds moderate political views. I don’t identify as a centrist, but the term does describe me, and my refusal to accept the label might serve only to exacerbate the problems a centrist already has. My problem – which a certain type of Ianitee might share – is a lack of belonging. Few people consider you their ally because few have the time or interest to let you engage in the long, convoluted process of proving your character and earning their trust. On the surface you might seem – as I said before – like a fence sitter or even an enemy simply because you refuse to accept a proposed solution. Most people wish even their enemies some amount of good, but when it comes to choosing between friends and enemies, most will choose friends. You might not want to make that choice. You might want to save everyone. If you can’t, you won’t. Your stance may sound sensible once you’ve had time to parse it out, but it’s far smoother on paper than in practice, and it’s nigh impossible to preach “love thy enemy” to a wounded wolf. On the other hand, maybe you are a fence sitter. Maybe you genuinely don’t know right from wrong. Maybe you’re a bit of a nihilist. “Is all this conflict really worth it? Return it all to nothing. Void.” (In your local RP group, ever thought of playing an Ianitee who wants to “End It All?”) But hopefully, you’re more of an existentialist. You see meaning vested in people and their accomplishments. You want to help them find the best meaning for them and you don’t think they’ll do it by veering blindly toward every impulse. Extended streams of impulse gratification can lead to extreme ideological thinking, such as totalitarianism. You don’t want a world full of people who all think the same thing. Again, the magic word is temperance. There’s real importance in having two sides to a system. Take, for instance, the political structure of the United States. Democrats and republicans are ever at war, but what are they really doing under the surface? What are they intended to do? Well, that’s up for debate (some might say “kill each other”), but if we take a broad look at history, a pattern emerges. One party – the party of order, you could say – establishes hierarchy. It defines who is who and who gets what. It puts competent people in positions befitting them and treats the less competent with compassion. That’s if all goes well, but the party of order isn’t impervious to corruption. People who tout themselves as servants of God and the State turn out to be monsters who ravage the environment, the economy, the rule of law, and each other. That’s when – take this with a grain of salt – the party of chaos steps in. At first it calls for change. It articulates and expresses visions for a better order. It doesn’t seem so chaotic now, but as the corruption spreads, unhearing and unyielding, moderates and liberals become radicals. Calm discussions become battles for sweeping change. The rebels rage for equality and take it by massive persuasion or by force. They break up the calcified structure of the old order and drag it back down into the primal, bloody sea from which new order springs. (I’m dipping into Mesopotamian mythology here, and if you’re familiar with the Enuma Elish, you’ll know the significance of what I’m about to say.) Order will return, but it must be guided. Someone must ensure that the reborn world is more just and peaceful than the dead one. We need order within chaos—Yang within Yin—white dot within black swath.  I’ve just tried – and perhaps failed – to describe the eternal cycle of order and chaos in terms of real-world society. Now let me place it in a simplistic Mianite shell. Mianite builds hierarchy, Dianite tears it down, and Ianite stands in the middle, bearing two communicating vessels, ensuring that neither too much nor too little blood is spilled in the process of transformation from old to new. 

[clownsgobeepbeep]

gotta be fucking kidding me…”

This is so dumb but whatever X3

Today had been Atlas’ day off, the Friday afternoon being a rather tame one even with the presence of his little piranha. Someone, even she had been as calm as her brother Frankie while Atlas stayed at home with them.

Ula and Schrader were at each of their respective jobs while the older kids did their own things.

The girls had gone over to their aunt Ama’s house while Basil asked to venture off in the woods alone. That only left Rowan, who was now sitting in the passenger seat of the car after Atlas had picked him up from a day at his aunt Cordelia’s.

“And then, Felix was mori’ed by rabies grandpa! It was nasty.”

“Who’s...rabies grandpa, again?”

“The Blight. Ya know, the hunchback guy who looks like he’s on drugs and is always drooling.” Rowan stated before lolling out his tongue and letting a bit of drool drip from it, eventually sucking it up much to his father’s disgust. “I survived though, I found the hatch. Old man almost got me with the rush.”

“It really does sound like you guys had fun.” Atlas smiled to himself as he constantly looked through the mirror to check on the infants in the backseats, seeing that they were both still sound asleep. “Did you call your mom?”

“Yeah, she told me to tell you to buy some food for us. And that she’d be picking up my sisters.”

“Did she really say to buy food?” Atlas darted his eyes at Rowan once they were at a stoplight, squinting at the kid who nodded his head with a grin. “I want to hear her myself.”

“Fine.” Rowan shrugged before pulling out his phone, looking through his contacts before finding his mother’s and dialing her number.

“Hello?”

“Hi mom, it’s your favorite son.” Rowan spoke as he looked over at Atlas who continued driving. “Isn’t it true that you told me to tell deer dad to buy us some food?”

“Is your father there?”

“Yeah.”

“Atlas,”

“Yes, Teacup?”

“Ew.” Rowan jokingly grimaced as Atlas returned an eye roll.

“Schrader might be getting home a bit late, apparently some customers filed a complaint or whatever, and I gotta get the girls first. I wouldn’t want you making dinner for all of us after taking care of Frankie and Dahlia.”

“Oh it’s no hassle, Dahlia wasn’t even fussy or putting things in her mouth today.” Atlas laughed as he looked at Dahlia through the rear view mirror again. “But alright, I’ll let Rowan decide what we eat today.”

Atlas slightly chuckled as he heard Rowan quietly give a ‘yes’ as he fist bumped the air.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you guys later, maybe I’ll get a tub of ice cream on the way.”

“Yes!” Rowan now said a bit louder, biting his lip to contain his excitement as Atlas gave another chuckle.

“Alright, see you later. Love you.”

“Love you too.” 

Rowan soon hanged while his father didn’t bother to face him, very well knowing that the fawn was looking at him rather smugly.

“Alright, alright. Quit it.” Atlas focused on the road. “Where to?”

Rowan remained quiet for a while, thinking of all the wonderful choices he had…there were too many, it was far too difficult to pick just one.

“How about…” Rowan tapped his chin in thought before giving a sly smirk. “McDonald’s?”

_____________

Ula’s day had been somewhat tiring, having to deal with a good amount of customers. Well, that was just how Fridays tended to be, especially with her cafe being right at a corner leading to the beach.

“Don’t forget to grab your backpacks.” she called out to Flora and Willow who had just hopped out of her teal vehicle, calling out in their small voices before running towards the front door. “Make sure you take showers.”

“But we’re not dirty.” Willow blinked at her mother as she made her way to the door, key ready in hand as she reached up to unlock the door. “I don’t want to sound rude mommy, but we didn’t do a lot of messy stuff.”

“Wait, wait.” Ula lifted a finger at Willow, now placing her ear on the door as she heard a series of sounds coming from inside. “Stay behind me.”

“What’s wrong?” Flora watched as Ula carefully unlocked the door, slowly opening it as the chaos from inside sounded much clearer. “Oh, the babies are crying.”

“Oh.” Ula sighed in relief, eventually walking inside with the girls still behind her, just in case. “Atlas?”

“Y...yeah?” 

“What’s going on?” Ula shooed the girls away, really just motioning to them to go shower as Ula now caught sight of Atlas in the living room with their crying infants on the couch.

Right beside them was Atlas who attempted to comfort them, especially Dahlia who was throwing quite the fit. Ula had even noticed some broken glass on the ground, specifically leading to the other couch where she found one of her eldest sons.

“That’s what I keep on asking.” Atlas rubbed his temple, a headache having formed after hearing a terrible amount of crying from Dahlia who showed no sign of stopping. “One minute I had left Rowan in the car with Dahlia and Frankie while I went to go buy some soda, the next I find them crying like this.”

“Rowan?” Ula turned to Rowan who had his legs pressed together while his hands were clasped. “What happened?”

“Like I said to dad, Dahlia just got cranky because I wouldn’t let her take too many fries. So she started crying, and Frankie followed.” Rowan shrugged rather innocently, receiving a squint from his father. “I gave her a little bit, but she wanted more and I was just trying to save the rest for everyone else.”

Ula now had her hands on her hips, giving Rowan a rather suspicious look before reaching over to grab Dahlia who continued to cry loudly. Meanwhile, Frankie actually started to settle down.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me!”

“Hey!” Ula yelled at Flora, who had been the one to exclaim. “Language!”

“Sorry, but we saw that there’s McDonald’s.” everybody watched Flora peek into the bags that had been set on the dinner table, realizing that she looked somewhat upset. “But there’s no fries!”

“They’re in the other bag.” Atlas mentioned before Flora shook her head.

“No, that other one has chicken nuggets. The fries packs are nearly empty!”

“What?” Atlas made a weird face, before Flora gasped rather loudly.

“It was Rowan! Rowan ate our fries!” she accusingly pointed at her brother who’s eyes widened. “He didn’t want to give anymore to Dahlia so he could eat them!”

“Excuse me?” Rowan finally spoke up, a clear look of shock on his features. “Such an accusation! How do we know you didn’t eat them just now?”

“I didn’t eat anything!���

“You were about to eat some fries…” Willow quietly added on, now receiving a look of betrayal from Flora. “B-but..there aren’t very many…”

“Well, I didn’t eat anything.” Rowan defended himself, going as far as standing up and walking up to his mother to point at his baby sister. “It was Dahlia! She’s just throwing a tantrum because I stopped her from finishing them all!”

At this, Dahlia merely cried even harder despite being cradled by Ula who now gave Rowan a deep frown. Soon enough, the calmed-down Frankie followed along as well.

“If Dahlia ate them, they why are your fingers covered in salt?” Ula questioned before a look of panic came onto Rowan.

“Darn! I didn’t wipe them enough!”

“A-ha!” Ula exclaimed. “There isn’t any salt on your fingers, I looked.”

“B...But! But, but mom!” Rowan stammered out, looking at how everybody stared at him in an anger. “What...but...fries!”

“Fries, what?” a new voice sounded, everybody seeing Schrader walk into the house with Basil right behind. “Is everything alright?”

“No!” Flora shouted before pointing at Rowan once again. “Deer dad bought McDonald’s and Rowan ate all the fries!”

“Not all of them!”

“There’s only like three fries left!” Flora continued before Willow surprisingly gave her a weird look, not being the type to really out somebody.

“Flora, you were eating them.”

“I was not!”

“So...no fries?” Schrader blinked, soon noticing that Basil had already taken out his knife. “No.”

“No because Rowan ate them all, apparently.” Atlas shook his head, a realization soon coming to him. “Wait, even my fries are gone?”

“I’d never do that to you-” Rowan began, eventually having to dodge what was a baby bottle being flung at him.

“Dahlia!” Ula looked at the baby who had magically conjured up said item, having angrily thrown it at her brother while she glared at him with curled up hair and no smile.

“Alright, alright! I might have eaten deer dad’s fries too.”

“You, what!?” Atlas now slightly fumed. “My own son!”

“He ate Basil’s, mom’s, both dads’, mine, Willow’s and even the tiny ones for Frankie and Dahlia!” Flora let it all roll out, pulling out but a single fry pack that was much fuller than the rest. “Only his is full!”

“Alright! Fine!” Rowan threw his arms into the air, a silence now filling the air. “Twas I who consumed all thy fries!”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Ula was now the one to say it, shaking her head and placing her free hand on her face before Dahlia mimicked her action.

“I’m a hungry boy! I need to eat, scavenge!”

“Rowan, just stop.”

“I ate them! And I am not afraid to say that I’ll do it again!” Rowan nodded to himself, noticing his twin roll his eyes at him. “What else am I supposed to do, starve? Save it all for the rest of you who don’t appreciate fries like I do!?”

“Yes!” Flora shouted.

“Well, no! I ate your fries, and there’s nothing you can do about it! So cry all you want, but those sliced potatoes have been digested and sitting perfectly well in my stomach. So, ha!”

“Rowan.” Ula sternly called her son who looked her in the eye with absolutely no fear. “No Dead by Daylight for three days.”

“Mom, please no.” Rowan’s facade fell as he gave a panicked smile. “Mom I was just kidding.”

“Would you like it to be a day for each person who no longer has any fries because of you?”

“Come on mom, I-I’ll go get some more fries for everyone.”

“Room. Now.”

“B-but-!”

“But first, give Dahlia your fries.”

“Why does she get the fries!?” Flora groaned, not very happy about Dahlia who giggled to herself in glee.

Before anymore words could be spoken, Rowan shamefully made his way over to the dinner table where he received a glare from Flora. He took the last pack of fries, attempting to slip one more into his mouth before being smacked on the hand by her.

He soon enough went over to Ula, handing her the last fries before slowly walking to his room. Every now and then, he would look back at his family with puppy eyes, his parents only pointing to his room before he eventually disappeared.

“Well that’s settled.” Ula sighed and shook her head.

“I’ll order some more for the kids.” Schrader chuckled to himself, actually finding the situation quite hilarious.

“I’ll take Dahlia to her room.” Ula announced before making her way to the nursery, sharing a smirk with Dahlia before whispering. “And we’ll be sharing Rowan’s fries.~”

[ezzisaur]

So, I found an incorrect quotes generator and had a bit of fun with some of my OCs.

(Sorry for the long post, my internet is crap atm and so the Read More thing isn't working :( )

***

Bathy: You’ve got to learn to love yourself.

Melly: But don't you hate yourself.

Bathy: Yeah, but this is about you. Stay focused.

(How was this my very first one after a scene I wrote just yesterday? 😂)

👾

Melly: Help! I’m drowning!

Bathy: Calm down. We’re only in six feet of water!

Melly: NOT ALL OF US ARE TALL!

(This is especially hilarious to me because Bathy is like 10 feet tall and Melly is like 5 feet.)

👾

Melly They couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.

Bathy: That's not true! I found my way out of a paper bag yesterday!

(Okay, I included this one simply because it's the first one that uses pronouns and the default was they, which are Bathy's.)

👾

Melly: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I’ll wait.

Bathy: You and me!

Melly: *tearing up* Ok.

(Hekhekhek this could go both ways for these two!)

👾

Bathy, grinning: I have a knife!

Melly: Put it down, Bathy.

Bathy: Make me! *sprints away*

(Impulsive, thy name is Bathy)

👾

Melly: We’ll find another route, it’s not safe for amateur adventurers.

Bathy: That sounds like a challenge.

Melly: I have to stress, that is not a challenge.

Bathy: ...Is exactly what you say to dissuade the weak of heart from accepting the challenge. Well, challenge accepted!

Melly: There is no challenge!

(Melly, you're never going to win this one, chief 😔)

👾

Melly: How do tall people people possibly sleep at night when the blanket can't possibly cover you?

Bathy: Melly, it's four o'clock in the morning.

Melly: So, you can't sleep, huh? Is it because of the blanket?

(Again, Bathy is 10 feet tall 😂)

👾

Melly: You’re charged with…..breaking into a pet store?

Bathy: I thought the animals might be lonely.

(OKAY, BUT BATHY WOULD ACTUALLY DO THIS. Especially if it sold fish and stuff!)

👾

Melly: I’ve only known Bathy for a day and a half but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.

(It takes more like a week-ish, but yes.)

👾

Melly: That was a joke. Say ha.

Bathy: Ha.

Melly: Now do it again.

Bathy: Ha.

Melly: Congratulations, you are officially the life of the party.

(Bathy: REALLY?!

Melly, softly: ... Yeah Bathy, you are.)

👾

Bathy: Can you pass the salt?

Melly: Can you pass away?

Bathy: Too much salt.

(This is Melly at all the tourists until he decides Bathy is A Okay)

👾

Bathy: Being half asleep and feeling someone gently plant a kiss on your forehead is one of the purest kinds of love in the world.

Melly: Unless you're home alone.

(Why u gotta bring down the mood melly)

👾

Melly: I'll offer you some friendly advice-

Telly: I don't want your advice.

Melly: Well, then consider it unfriendly advice.

(Haha, you tell 'er, Melly)

👾

Skid: I think it's time to start fucking some shit up.

Melly: Oh no.

Bathy: More like "oh yes!"

(Their friendship gives me life okay)

👾

Melly: *Pulls a glass a water from out of nowhere*

Bathy: Where did you get that?

Melly: My pocket.

Bathy: How do you keep a glass of water in your pocket?

Melly: Skills.

(This is hilarious because all of Melly's pockets have holes because he stores things inside himself. In plastic bags so his jelly body doesn't ruin things.)

👾

Bathy: I have a problem.

Melly: If it's harder than 2+2, I can't help.

(And then he helps anyways, the nerd)

👾

Bathy: Try not to roll your eyes at me.

Melly: I don't have pupils.

(He doesn't)

👾

Melly: I am in charge of this disaster!

Bathy: I have a name, you know.

(Aww, Melly, you gotta soft spot, bro? 😉)

👾

Melly: When I said bring me something back from the beach I meant like a conch shell!

Bathy: *Struggling to hold a seagull* Then say that next time!

(Melly hates the beach 😂 All the sand gets stuck in his body)

👾

Melly: If you don't stop talking, I'm going to jump out of that window.

Bathy: ...We're on the ground floor.

Melly: I know but I want a dramatic exit.

(Melly: I'm not dramatic!

Everyone else:

👾

Melly: I regret nothing!!!

Bathy: I regret everything!!!

(Stop shouting at each other friends and just escape the giant hungry lizard)

👾

Bathy: It’s nice to be wanted, you know?

Melly: Not by the law!

(This is so accurate 😂😂)

🦖🍋

Overall, this was super fun! Nice generator. You can find it here!

[alisayamin]

A Dragon in Thy Pocket (Platonic VLD fic) Part 1/?

So, based on @grimkohai‘s prompt on twitter, comes this fic that is basically a crack fic treated seriously. I’m currently testing my writing compatibility with @inatrice by writing from the same prompts! Note that nothing makes sense in this fic but Keith is a small dragon that currently lives in Shiro’s pocket, hoarding everything it can. 

Read on AO3

Matt was ecstatic when a messenger informed him that all the knights had returned safely. Princess Allura would be so thankful. Banishing a whole group of thieves from the forbidden forest couldn’t have been easy. Wanting to be the bearer of good news to the princess, Matt quickly made his way to the drawing room where the princess was most likely taking her afternoon tea.

Surprisingly, he caught sight of Shiro at the courtyard. Just….standing there, staring at his palm. He hadn’t even taken off his armor yet. Matt paused his steps. Curiosity got the better of him, so he walked towards his friend, “Shiro, what are you doing?”

Shiro simply acknowledged Matt by turning his body towards his friend but his eyes were still glued to the object he held. Shiro stared incredulously at the small ball of… crimson scales and curled ebony wings. He couldn’t even see the snout of the tiny dragon but at least it was warm on the palm of his hand. He could see Matt’s eyes widening comically out of the corner of his eye.

“Shiro.” There was definitely underlying panic in Matt’s voice, “Is that a dragon?”

Holding up the small curled dragon on his palm to Matt’s eye level, Shiro placating said, “Matt, meet Keith.”

The dragon drew both their attention when it started purring somewhat and then all of a sudden, sneezed a small ball of fire towards Matt, who opted to stare at ‘Keith’ blankly after mutely dodging the stray burst of flames.

In that flat (disapproving) voice that Shiro absolutely despised, Matt asked, “Shiro. Why?” Matt started gesturing with his hands to stress on his distress of the situation, “HOW?”

And that made Shiro think. How does one explain that a tiny dragon decided to reside in his right pocket? Looking at Matt and remembering how utterly skeptical his friend was, Shiro huffed. One does not.

From where Pidge sat on the low branch of the red pine tree, she saw Shiro stuff a handkerchief into his pocket. She had no idea what her expression was like but it must have been something that bordered between curiosity and incredulity because Shiro looked up to her and explained, “Keith will get cold when I go to the mountains tomorrow.”

Right. The dragon. The dragon currently residing in Shiro’s pocket. The small dragon that drove Matt crazy for some reason. Shiro’s dragon, Keith. Pidge rolled her eyes. God forbid the dragon from freezing to death by refusing to leave the knight’s pocket.

Pidge, being the responsible mage that she was, floated down from the branch, wrestled the handkerchief from the dragon in Shiro’s pocket, charmed the damn cloth to be fireproof, and then returned it without saying a word.

Keith thanked her by donating a piece of lint from Shiro’s pocket.

“You,” Pidge said in a distant voice as she studied the lint, “Are a very generous dragon, Keith.”

Shiro smiled proudly at his little dragon. Keith never parted from anything in its hoard after all.

Lance rarely questioned his superior (and idol) but he seriously thought he imagined the whole thing. It’s not every day that you see a knight purposely climb a tree just to pluck a single small acorn and just… drop it into their pocket.

And Lance didn’t even have to ask because Shiro was already approaching Lance with a huge grin, “I got Keith an acorn.”

Shiro then proceeded to show Lance the content of his right pocket pouch.

They both peered inside to the sight of a very satisfied purring dragon wrapped around the recently dropped acorn.

After multiple encounters with the ‘wild and the weird’, the sight warmed Lance’s heart as he cooed, “Aww, he likes it.”

Not even Keith biting Lance’s finger (because he wanted to pet the dragon) could deter Lance from continuously adoring the small red dragon. Lance did scream however when Keith started spitting multiple fireballs to his hair.

Lance scowled the whole journey back to the castle with his uneven hairline but occasionally, he would give Shiro small trinkets he found that Keith might like.  

Shiro’s pocket was heavy with Keith’s newest hoard thanks to Lance. Keith especially loved the small shard from Shiro’s chipped blade that Lance picked up for the little dragon. Lance received TWO pieces of lint from Keith in return. Returning to the castle in high spirits, Lance showed off his lint to Pidge and bragged about how he got more than she did.

Pidge refused to fix his hair that evening.

Everyone knew Keith the Dragon. Most avoided Shiro because it was logical to stay away from a dragon. But those that had actually seen Keith would pounce on Shiro just to see the little thing. One of them, was Hunk. And Hunk, adored Keith, debatably, more than Shiro did if not the same. Hunk even carved a plate for Keith.

Hunk was the only other person Keith allowed to lift it out from its humble home that was Shiro’s pocket. Whenever Shiro was available, Hunk would offer to feed Keith. Keith’s diet was a healthy breakfast of a peeled grape, a satisfying lunch of one fried potato stick dusted with salt and a hearty dinner of a thin strip of roasted beef.

Accepting the plate from Keith, Hunk served up the dragon’s meal, “Here ya go, Keith.”

Hunk’s plate for Keith was one of the objects that the dragon did not hoard to itself all the time. Keith seemed perfectly fine to let Hunk use it whenever he wanted to feed Keith. (But Keith did fuss whenever Hunk would keep the plate away longer than necessary)

At the end of every meal, Hunk would return Keith to Shiro and they would both watch as Keith curled around itself and drape its wings over its whole body for a short nap in Shiro’s pocket.

Hunk made a sound that resembled a high keen, his own form of cooing after the dragon. Keith always ignored it instead of reacting unfavorably. Never bite the hand that feeds you. The dragon allowed both Shiro and Hunk to watch it rest.

As strange as it was to bend over and look into someone’s pocket for a questionable amount of time, everyone accepted the notion when it involved Shiro and his dragon.

Everyone always asked if Shiro had a charmed pocket to keep all of Keith’s hoard. Pidge would gladly do so but that wasn’t the case. To be honest, it was the princess who suggested an immobile ‘treasure chest’ for Keith. It wouldn’t do to have one of her best knights to drag a dragon’s hoard but it was dishonorable to simply throw away a dragon’s hoard. So, after a dubious discussion involving Princess Allura communicating with Keith through her trusted mice in the presence of a very serious Shiro and a very confused Matt who kept frowning at the whole scene, the princess and the dragon came to an understanding.

In Shiro’s quarters at the castle, there was a niche, an alcove that was built for Keith’s hoard. Every time Shiro came back, he would allow Keith to rearrange his old and new items in the alcove. At first, it looked like an organized mess. But as days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, Shiro realized that Keith arranged all the items according to color.

The alcove was beautiful with its slow transition from light colors to darker ones. Only four items were a permanent fixture in Shiro’s pocket: the fireproof handkerchief, an acorn, a blade shard, and a small piece of carved wood that was Keith’s plate. These were the four items that Keith would not part with to the safety of the alcove in Shiro’s room.

Shiro never questioned it.

Some would ask what Shiro got out of taking care of Keith. They didn’t see the point when Keith did nothing for Shiro.

Then again, no one seemed puzzled when Shiro braved extreme cold climate without the safety of extra layers of fur in his attire. No one questioned how strange it was that Shiro never got lost in any forestry which he had never ventured into. No one commented on Shiro’s luck at avoiding strike after strike from his enemies.

All the while, Keith purred around its precious hoard and ignored the swaying of its home every time Shiro ventured on his missions.

Keith didn’t like to leave the lovely domain of Shiro’s pocket except for when Shiro was asleep. Shiro had a strong heartbeat that Keith loved to listen to. It was always erratic when the knight was awake but when Shiro rested in his quarters or in his tent, his heartbeat would slow to the perfect rhythm that Keith appreciated. Whether it was sleeping over Shiro’s chest (when Shiro slept on his back) or perching in the crook of Shiro’s neck (when the knight slept on his side/stomach), Keith preferred Shiro’s calm heartbeat rather than the confines of his pocket any day.

If Keith woke up with Shiro stroking the dragon’s red scales, Keith would sigh and emit the loudest purr, enjoying the resulting rumble that resonated in its body when Shiro chuckled out loud.

No one was ever there to witness their little adorable morning routine. By the time Shiro was ready to leave his room and start the day, Keith was already nibbling on a newly peeled grape, nesting against the fireproof handkerchief and surrounded by other precious trinkets in Shiro’s right pocket.

[rebuildhq]

                                    Know thyself. Know thy enemy.                                A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

 The quiet was unsettling. The citizens of New York had grown used to explosions, screams, the sound of death and battle raging on every corner. But one night, it was over. Registered and Unregistered, hero and citizen alike, ventured into the streets, but no Strike Force appeared. No hooded Syndicate figures. Everyone stood and waited, a few even dared to hope.

When the sun rose without bloodshed, the relief in the city was palpable. Early in the morning, a broadcast came over the news. “Karl Orse has been arrested for treason,” a young woman declared. “The Strike Force disbanded. We’re still waiting on reports about the Syndicate, but thus far, they have not been seen on the streets. Attilan is little more than ruins.”

She and the other newscaster went on to describe how Orse was found and taken in by the proper authorities. How nothing had been seen or heard from in Attilan. How the Strike Force members would face charges, too, though many had disappeared. How the curfew was finally lifted, and how major changes would be coming in terms of the Superhero Accords. The Accords and Accountability Panel would be under new management. The chairman had yet to be decided. But the important part was, the war was over.

Over the next few days, the cleanup began. Just like after 9/11, the city came together. Stores were fixed and restocked. Homes rebuilt. The wounded stabilized. For those few days, crime was at an all-time low. The entire city worked to restore everything that had been lost, and nearly lost.

And they all waited for the trial to begin.

The Syndicate had all but vanished. A few hooded figures were spotted and arrested, but most managed to pop their cyanide pills. Those that didn’t, refused to speak. No one knew what had happened to the organization, but few were sorry to see it go.

Orse’s trial was rushed, due to public outcry. Crowds gathered outside the courthouse, waiting for him to appear. Many had signs. Most were there to speak out against him, but some supporters still held strong on the opposite side. One side chanted “Free Orse, Free Our City!” and the other chanted “No More Accords, No More Wars!”

The man himself seemed strangely calm through the entire ordeal. He stepped out of the prison van slowly, head held high, dressed in a military officer’s uniform. Some saw this as proof of his innocence, others called it a vicious mockery, a slap in the face. Salt in the wound. And there were plenty of wounds.

He did not wave or smile, his face was stone. But his eyes were shining, shining in that vicious, cold way that the city had become so accustomed to. He stared straight forward, at neither supporters nor detractors. People screamed, shouted obscenities. But it was as if he heard none of it.

At the top of the steps he stopped. Froze for a moment. The few who could see his face said that for a moment, he closed his eyes. And was suddenly tense.

Then the shot rang out.

One shot was all it took. A single bullet tore through Orse’s skull, spattering blood and bone fragments onto the steps of the courthouse. The officers escorting him jumped back, but not because of the bullets. They stepped back, because the body that hit the ground, was not human.

Screams of fear tore out now. News cameras zoomed in on the body, green skin, pointed ears, strange markings on their chin. Many ran, and the news spread quickly. The fear returned The city had experience with aliens. Many of them. Almost none of it good.

Unconfirmed reports that Orse was an alien quickly became fact. Confirmed, on the evening news. What kind exactly, no one seemed sure. But a few key members of the government were given key information, information they kept from public knowledge. And of course, some in the city recognized the species immediately.

Orse was a Skrull. A race able to change their appearance at will. The oldest known empire still in existence. What once had been a single planet dubbed ‘Skrullos” in the Andromeda Galaxy, had over ten of million years, built themselves into one of the most formidable and imperialistic races in the universe.

Those who knew were afraid.

Those who knew nothing were afraid.

The city was once again quiet. But the silence this time came from fear, instead of peace.

[radzenworld-blog]

Full Moon and me...

Effect: 

Full moon can leave different effects on different people. A female could react differently than a male. If you are alone you might experience a swing effect that is, you might be thrown in different directions emotionally. Highs and lows are common. Constant need to change or a high level of insecurity. Study your reflection today. If you are surrounded with people you might feel the need to depart. You can stay a bit disconnected and do not indulge in opinionated conversations. Let’s talk about the highs, some people might feel energetic and the energy needs to be diverted. You can start a small project or cook an easy recipe. Any kind of win can help keeping the energy positive. Do not get distracted as the flow can take you into downwards spiral.

Personal Care: 

You need to take some time off today and help yourself with a warm salt bath. Make few changes in your bathing routine. Use some fragrance in your water. Brew a cup of green tea. Command your body to relax. Put up some soothing music keep the lights low to relax your eye muscles ( they work a lot). Dip your feet in warm salted water for some time. Think of your achievements and think of your goals. Making a full moon diary helps a lot. Note down your thoughts today. Get your mind off also the thoughts by penning them down. Listen to what your inner self needs. 

Ritual:

Their cannot be any particular ritual to follow today. It’s you who can decide what your body and mind needs. Meditate with the things to like to do. Burn some sage if you feel too low or make a flower arrangement with crystals. Light some candles in the places that need your attention, have a thought behind each candle. Pray to the power or energy source you believe in. The moon is with you always even in the eclipse. Chant a mantra that relaxes your soul.  

Food Indulgences:

Keep your palate fresh and low on spices today. Emotional roller coaster can lead to unhealthy diet resulting into imbalance in bowel. Seasonal fruits can help keeping your mind fresh and relaxed. Do not consume oily or spicy food today. Help your self with salads and juices that can keep you feel energetic. Reduce intake of artificial sugar and salt, it will help you meditate better.

Quote:

Today is the time to trust your instincts. You will have to let go of what you can't control. Do not be a people pleaser. Life is too short to be acknowledging everyones opinions. Stay calm and truthful to your Soul. Ask the question to your self : Am I Happy, Do I deserve this, Can I do better, Is this my purpose, Is this where I belong. Lift your soul and you will see the difference in yourself. You are not always in the right situation, keep hope and thy shall pass.   

[okuri-okami]

Poetry Meme!

Famous first lines of poetry! BOLD the ones that apply to your muse.

i saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked // tyger tyger, burning bright // i have done it again. //do not go gentle into that good night.// the sea is calm to-night. //let us go then, you and i,//  april is the cruelest month, //  pretty women wonder where my secret lies. // here is a place where the sidewalk ends //i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)// two roads diverged in a yellow wood, // whose woods these are i think i know  // let us twain walk aside from the rest; // once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary, //i taught myself to live simply and wisely// it so happens i am sick of being a man // i wandered lonely as a cloud // does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? //o my love is like a red, red rose// o captain! my captain! our fearful trip is done; // out of the night that covers me, // it was many and many a year ago, // you may write me down in history //do not stand at my grave and weep// some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. // hope is the thing with feathers // the wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, // no man is an island, //remember me when i am gone away, // i met a traveller from an antique land // ‘twas brillig, and the slithy toves// this is thy hour o soul, // when we wear the mask that grins and lies, // death be not proud, // and death shall have no dominion.//laugh, and the world laughs with you// the art of losing isn’t hard to master; // to see a world in a grain of sand // is there anybody there? said the traveller // nobody heard him, the dead man, // that crazed girl improving her music.  //come to me in the silence of the night;// where the mind is without fear and the head is held high // when you are old and grey and full of sleep, // in flanders’ fields the poppies blow // i thought of you and how you love this beauty // life, believe, is not a dream // it may be misery not to sing at all, // if starry space no limit knows //come live with me and be my love,// had we but world enough and time, // my heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains my sense //bright star, would i were steadfast as thou art–// thou still unravish’d bride of quietness // how do i love thee? let me count the ways. //HEAVEN IS WHAT I CANNOT REACH!// my dear, my dear, i know // in visions of the dark night //shall i compare thee to a summers day?// break, break, break // she walks in beauty, //i had a dream, which was not all a dream.// he clasps the crag with crooked hands.

Tagged by: @salted-earth (Thank you so much! <3)

Tagging: @anyways-heres-manawall @little-purple-thundercloud @skar-ffxiv @ganchinuaxiv @lori-floof @doman-swordswoman @yekulan-dothkah @gaethancharlemend @kiztra @ceruleaniris @kasumi-ffxiv @bryterbythenight @rokachan @sagolii-snowflake @chidorifarcloud @celestial-opposition @tsukihana-hasaki @serenityoftheforest @qurcaqi @dayuuqi @jaliqai-the-red @daylightandnightsky And literally anyone else who wants to do it! I couldn’t get everyone on there! XD Just @ tag me though so I can read it!

[the-fae-icarus]

@mr-henry-lascelles

July 1781

Kennedy takes the pitcher and grins, disappearing towards the dormitory. Henry (he is Henry now, never George, not inside his own head) is the last boy in the washing room. The floor is wet with spilled water. A single lantern left behind illuminates the long, narrow space. There are no windows here.

His feet are bare upon the stone floor. The tails of his long sleeping-shirt barely cover his knees since his last growth spurt. Henry has gained height but no mass, and it has done him no good; Kennedy and the others only seem to take it as another provocation. Thinks he's tough now he is tall. We'll show him everyone is equal at Harrow.

He knows that Kennedy has poured the contents of that pitcher out on his bed. He knows that because that's what Kennedy does every night. His eyes swivel to the pile of used and discarded towels, and he reaches out to pick some out to tuck under himself, when something goes... wrong in his head, like a bee-sting of madness. He goes for his breeches instead and pulls them on over his night-shirt and takes up the lantern, turning down all the sides to hide the light.

He tiptoes out into the corridor, past the door to his dormitory, his heart beating faster. His feet are swift; no other dormitory's boys come trundling towards him, no maid turns a corner for him to run into. The hall is dark, and in another moment he is half-way down the stairs.

The master's rooms are down the stairs, the door right at the foot. Henry hugs the banister to avoiding the pool of golden light at the foot of the stairs, as if brushing it would call the master down in all his fury. He rounds the banister and pads down the hall, towards the library, his toes curling on the floor. How can stone be so cold even in high summer?

The library is not locked, neither is it lit. He feels his way in. Moonlight is scarce and bumping into a chair now could mean expulsion and dishonour. He climbs up on to the second floor then behind three rows of book-cases, away from the windows, where no-one will see his light. There, he slides up one of the lantern's sides and looks around. Books, only books and silence.

Henry sits by the solitary desk wedged between two bookshelves, breathes out, then rests his head on his hands.

He did not even bring his pencil. What is he going to do? How does this change anything? He will have to go back to the wet bed and everyone will know he is a coward and an idiot. In the morning lessons, the Cockerel will deride him for his dark circles and have him recite until he is blue in the face. Treacherous tears rise up, and for a moment he indulges them, gulping his breaths, hand over his mouth to keep mum. At least in here no-one will hear him sniveling. 

@the-fae-icarus

Alair has been dead for a hundred and fifty-three years, and frankly they like it much better than being alive. There's no secrets, no spying, no more worrying, and all the freedom eternity can offer. Lately, what they've done with this freedom is haunt libraries---Alair figures they'd start with the ones in the British Isles and work from there---the Summerlands have nothing on a moonlit midnight and a good book. Harrow's is the latest in a series; they have never been fond of schools like it, thinks the type hasn't the slightest idea how to properly teach children and more traumatizes them besides, but this particular one has a decent Greek section. In fact, they are heading towards it when they see the light.

It's a lantern, that much they can tell. A couple more steps and a peek around the bookcase reveals one of the students. He can't be very much older than early teens---gawky in a way only those who've had their growth spurts much too quick can be, brown-haired and very thin and trying to muffle sobs behind his hand.

Alair's heart, if they'd still had one, would have wrenched. Poor dear.  They kneel down next to him, reach a hand out to a shaking shoulder, frown fiercely when their fingers pass right through him. "What's wrong, little one?”

@mr-henry-lascelles

Henry jumps, gasping aloud. There was a voice, and words--unmistakable, and right by his ear. He scrambles backwards out of his chair, and wipes the back of his hand across his eyes.

Hellfire! Did his chair make a sound? Was he caught? He backs up away from the desk carefully, slowly sliding the plate back in place over his light.

There is a silver outline near where he just sat, like luminescent spider-web, or a trail of dust that has caught the dew. It moves with the unmistakable roll of a human shoulder, and there is the shape of a head, and the shift of something large behind it, like feathers--

Henry puts his hand over his mouth again and bites his index finger; this time it is to keep from crying out. A part of his head is telling him to stop, that he is imagining things, that he must stay calm; it helps. He forces his breath to slow down and stares harder. The moon comes out from behind the clouds and the high window casts its light upon their nook of the library.

@the-fae-icarus

They don't know quite why moonlight has the effect on them that it does---perhaps something to do with its magical properties; Alair hasn't quite figured all the various intricacies that come with being a ghost, after all. But the why doesn't matter right now. All they know is that it lends them a bit more power, a bit more detail and solidity.  The boy would be able to make out their face, their ragged clothing, the individual feathers of their wings. They stand, hands raised in the most calming gesture they can muster, hunching, drawing their wings together----in short, making themself look as nonthreatening as possible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw the light, and then you were crying, and I just...I just wanted to help, that's all. That's what I used to do."

@mr-henry-lascelles "Holy God," Henry whispers. The tears well up again. He had cursed in his head. Does the angel know? "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy--I am sorry--I will confess--" He is lying. The fact that he still whispers betrays it. "Please don't make me go to the master. I know I shouldn't be out of bed."

@the-fae-icarus

"Wha---wait, what?" Alair crouches down to eye level again, pulls out a handkerchief---not that it can do much. "Oh, poor little one. You're not in trouble at all. No need for praying. Shhh, it's alright."

@mr-henry-lascelles

Henry reaches out for the handkerchief instinctively, only to have his fingers pass through it. There is a sensation of cold, and a slight tingle. He breathes a laugh; a part of him wonder why. He wipes his face on his sleeve instead. "I apologize for my dress," he whispers, serious once again. "I did not think I would meet an angel here. You are very beautiful, sir."

@the-fae-icarus

Alair smiles. "I thank you for the compliment, young sir, but I am no angel. Simply the ghost of a winged man who was very fond of libraries. And even if I were one, I would think that dress would hardly matter to a real messenger of the Lord. After all, wasn't Jesus himself swaddled in rags as an infant?"

They glance down at themself, tucking the useless handkerchief into a pocket. "Besides, I'm in a pretty sorry state myself."

@mr-henry-lascelles

"The ghost of a good man is a saint," whispered Henry with unfounded confidence in theology, "and the rags of saints can only serve to elevate them."

Henry had known God and His saints and angels were real, of course, but he had never for a moment thought they would be so easy to talk to. "Have you come to help me, truly?"

@the-fae-icarus

Alair wonders if ghosts can blush. Then they wonder if it would be visible. "I would make a very odd saint, then, being the man I was. But I will help you, if I can. I only need to know what I would be helping with. Why were you crying, little one?"

@mr-henry-lascelles

"I'm not that little," Henry murmurs. He hugs his arms to himself. "It was silly to be snivelling. The other boys don't like me. They don't let me sleep and they take my food and call me horrible names. I tried fighting them but they beat me, and then the master beat me for fighting. I don't care if they don't like me, they can all rot. I wish they did." He grits his teeth in the dark. "I put salt in the prefect's soup. I bet I could put arsenic, if I had some."

@the-fae-icarus

There is a moment in which Alair only looks at the boy, filling with a profound kind of regret, the kind that only comes with the realization that they are looking down the years into a mirror. They remember that age, that desperation, that hurt, that hatred.

"Come," Alair says. "Would you sit by me again, please? There's something I would like to tell you about revenge. And it's not all that poppycock about never taking it. The people like the other boys, like the master, they need to know there's consequences to actions like theirs. They deserve to be stood up against. But there is still something I need to say."

@mr-henry-lascelles 

Henry hangs his head. "I wasn't really going to. I just like thinking about it." He shuffles closer, then remembers himself, corrects his stance and stops dragging his feet. He sits and watches the almost-there ghost with wonder, but no fear.

@the-fae-icarus

"I know," they say. "I know. It's not about that, either. Not exactly."

Alair turns away, towards the window, towards the moon. They cannot bring themself to look at him during this part. They think this will be the first time they've told someone this story, and the thought seems fall through them, blurs their outline a little. "I was younger than you when it started; maybe six, seven years old. I...I didn't look quite as human as I do now. And that was why they choose me, I know. There were three of them; I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did. I took the bloody noses, the winded lungs, the broken leg, because I knew that if I did both me and my mother would be run out of the village. I kept trying to make friends with them, and kept failing. Gods, I was naive."

A deep, shuddery, unnecessary breath. "One day, they invited me to play with them at the base of the cliff our village was built on. I think I knew it was a trap, on some level, but I wanted to try  to make peace, if only for Mam's sake. So I went. Two of them came up behind me, tied my wings shut, caught my arms. The other one started dragging me towards the ocean. The next thing I remember is a hand on the back of my neck, forcing my head under the water. So many people talk about drowning being a cold death, but it's not. It's like your lungs are raw and burning. Like something is scratching to get out. That was the first time I died."

It is obvious that their story isn't over yet, but Alair pauses and risks a glance at the boy again, shame in every inch of their expression.

@mr-henry-lascelles

Henry smiles at the thought of trying to make friends with one's tormentors. The ghost, when young, was both braver and more optimistic than he. The smile twists at the description of following the children when invited to play. That is how Henry got tripped into a mud puddle right before History.

It is so easy for them to gain your trust, even after they have done things that should revoke it forever. One friendly conversation and you follow them like an idiot. It is perhaps the hope that the torment might finally be over.

He swallows. He has not really considered the prospect of being killed. "But you look like a man, not a boy. And you said it was the first time. You survived?"

@the-fae-icarus 

"Yes. A...a man named Kee was passing by, hunting for clams. He saw me floating in the shallows and dragged me out. I had been dead for two minutes. But somehow, he knew to expel the water from my lungs. Kee took me home to my mother; and then he asked if I could become his apprentice."

A smile, small and shining, makes a sudden appearance. "The days I spend with him were some of the happiest of my live. We traveled, we traded, we repaired. It was an entirely new world, a world full of woodsmoke and colors I never knew the name of---and the music. Always the music. I never wanted to leave. But eventually I had to come home. And when I did, I was furious. The elders had left my mother on the outskirts of town, to rot, and my tormentors were now powerful. Happy."

"So I watched. Observed from a distance, used what skills Kee had taught me. And then I cornered the ringleader in his home and tore his heart out."

Here now was the real shame.   Alair curled up in the other chair, wings, hands, arms wrapping around themself to hide. 

@mr-henry-lascelles

Henry leans forward to listen, his body almost keeling off the chair. He wants that! For someone to come and take him away! His life has been laid out before him his whole life, with only a moment's consideration for the sea to vary the straight line. He reaches out to touch the apparition's wing, but his hand encounters only cool air.

"Sir, did you really? His actual heart? You must be a very old ghost. It sounds like the kind of thing people could do a long time ago, when there was magic in England. Did you save your mother? Did the others run away?"

[cfijerusalem]

THE DOUBLE BLESSING

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35, NIV).

Bread (l’chem), in Hebrew, is something we all keep in our homes. It is a food staple and there’s nothing like a good piece of bread, be it home- made or bakery purchased. We probably never stop to think about the importance to the ancient Hebrews of this principal and essential item in the Jewish communities of yesterday and also today. If one visits Israel today, they will find all kinds of bread, from all over the world. Wherever Jewish people were scattered, they would take with them their ancient ancestral recipes. When Shabbat rolled around, the Shabbat bread was on every Jewish table (Leviticus 26:26). It was made according to kosher baking and there is nothing tastier than this wonderful ancient bread. It was very much a basic part of every diet and usually made from wheat flour, water, salt and sometimes adding olive oil.

Illustration of the temple priests replacing the shewbread each week (CC BY 4.0 via Wikipedia)

In ancient times, there was Ezekiel bread, manna, matzah, and the Showbread. The holy showbread was on display in the Temple and placed on the altar of the Most High God. Every Shabbat the High Priests removed the loaves and replaced them. The loaves were seen as something like a sacrificial offering. Prof. Baruch Levine suggests that “two different modes of sacrifice are reflected in the prescribed manner of offering the bread of display. The loaves themselves were a presentation to God for which no altar of burnt offerings was used. The bread was viewed by God and, by this means, accepted by Him. Subsequently, the loaves were apportioned to the priests. In an effort to adapt this widespread mode of sacrifice to the more distinctive method of burning offerings on the altar, frankincense was to be burned near the loaves of bread; just as with other offerings of grain, a small amount of flour was burned on the altar. God was pictured as inhaling the aroma of the burning frankincense as “an offering by fire.” “According to medieval commentator Ibn Ezra, the twelve loaves represented the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and the offering was symbolic of the pledge of the Covenant between the Twelve Tribes and God. Just as a contract between men was sealed and a form of friendship forged by their taking of a meal together, so did ancient Israelite sacrifice seek to strengthen one’s connection with God. As in the case of all ancient sacrifice, the bread of display sought to bring about God’s appearance and his blessing. And God himself, by accepting the gift...as part of the ritualized renewal of the covenant, binds and obligates Himself in some way. (Jewish Heritage Online Magazine).

Six Braided Jewish Challah (CC BY 3.0 via Wikipedia)

I do not know how many loaves of Shabbat bread are sold in Israel every Friday when we all visit our bakeries, but it must be millions of loaves. Who would set a Shabbat table in Israel, without this wonderful loaf of Shabbat bread either baked at the local bakery or baked at home by the mother of the house? It reminds me of the covenant God has with Israel every week when I take it and it also tells me over and over again, that the “bread of life” for me, is Yeshua, who allowed His Body to be broken for all who believe in Him. As a Christian, I cherish that tiny portion we take to our mouths as we pray “Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha olam, Ha Motzi Lechem, Min Ha’Aretz” (Blessed art thou oh Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the bread from the earth). The next time you go to your local bakery and purchase bread, take time to think about the meaning it has for Israel and the meaning it has for all of us, as followers of the Jewish Messiah. This bread will strengthen your soul and give you immediate energy to go on serving the One True God of Israel, and as Christians, to follow the One Redeemer and Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Think and ponder the next time you eat bread at your table. You will receive a double blessing for taking the time to stop and consider its true importance to us all. Thank you Lord, for our daily bread.

LET’S GO TO THE THRONE ROOM OF PRAYER

“From the golden altar rose the sweet cloud of incense, symbol of Israel’s accepted prayers...” (Alfred Edersheim). Israel today is passing through some deep waters. With the constant lies about Israel, propaganda from Israel’s enemies, and an anti-God and anti-Christ world, Israel’s oppressors in their might and pride are continually threatening to destroy the entire Jewish nation with the press of a nuclear button. Jews and Christians need to be imploring the One True God of Israel, for His intervention in today’s shaky and unsteady world.

The headlines in the Times of Israel read, “After Gaza Flare-Up, Ministers Hear War Drums as Army Seeks to Return to Calm.” Israeli ministers have been saying that it is not a matter of “if’ but “when” the war will begin here. Israeli military leaders do not want an escalation in hostilities with Hamas but the threats from Gaza continue day after day, threatening to harm Israel and her citizens. Everyone is guessing when it will start, but only God knows the exact timing.

Thank God for the soldiers in the IDF who have sought to do all within their power to restore calm and lessen some of the tensions surrounding the Gaza Strip. May they be strong in the Lord, as there are many believers in the Israeli Army. There are God-fearing Israelis who love the Lord God with all of their hearts. Many Christians serve in the IDF as well as Messianics and Arameans. “But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto Him” (Psalm 4:3).

Praise the Lord for the determination of Israel’s soldiers to protect the People of Israel living in the Land. Israel has been retaliating when rockets are sent into population areas, but Hamas then holds Israel accountable – just for protecting her citizens and everyone else in the Land. “Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me” (Psalm 55:3).

Beseech the Lord for Israel to remain strong in the face of world opposition to the possessing of her God-given Land. Almost the whole world is against Israel returning and making prosperous the once desolate and barren land left after many invading armies for centuries over ran her and treated her as a barren land. Praise His Name that HIS WORD is coming to pass just as He promised it would. “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).

Rejoice that many new homes have been approved for construction in Judea and Samaria, the “heart land” of Israel. Condemned by the world and the Palestinian Authority (PA), their threats resound around the world to punish the Jewish state for the new construction. May God bring confusion into the camps of the enemies of Israel in order to chastise Israel with “death to the Jewish state”. “Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me” (Psalm 35:26). As a Christian living in Israel for many years, I can truthfully say that all Israelis want is a safe place to raise their children, as well as protected borders. Israel is robbing no one of their land. They are being obedient to God to possess it whenever they can.

Intercede, for in the camps of those who continually plot the killing of innocent Israelis, terror is reigning. The light is very dark in the tents of the wicked and they walk continually into a snare. ISIS is the king of terror today but they will be stopped. “O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou has destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them But the LORD shall endure for ever: He hath prepared His throne for judgment. And He shall judge the world in righteousness...” (Psalm 9:6-8a).

Thank God that in the midst of all of Israel’s Islamic enemies, Israel agreed to accept 100 orphan children from Syria, refugees from the Syrian Civil War. This unprecedented stretching out of the hand will have an impact upon these children for years to come. Israel will give them the freedom to attend institutions of learning provided by the Education Ministry, and will place the children in foster families in Israel. They will eventually become temporary residents, receiving identity cards, passports, and will be treated as citizens in every way. What other nation on earth would be as benevolent? Thank God for the kindness of Israeli people. When the people are strong in the Lord, He is strong on their behalf and is a fortress of defense for Israel. “Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me” (Psalm 31:2). 

For all of the wonderful intercessors around the world who utilize this Watchman’s Prayer Letter, let it be known that your prayers are not in vain. The Lord has searched for intercessors before and found none. Today there are thousands stationed at their posts around the world. Let us be found serving Him in prayer for His Chosen People when He comes. It is my honor and privilege to facilitate and provide you with fuel for prayer each month. As guardians and a shield of prayer for the nation, you have the privilege of sending forth sweet smelling incense to the Father, through the Son, into the heavenlies in a loving form of prayer and intercession. God bless each of you for your calling.

Until He Comes,

Sharon Sanders CFI Co-Founder

Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem www.cfijerusalem.org email: prayer@cfijerusalem.org