#i can appreciate a church that serves LOOKS

[switchbackhyperloop]

Fundamental Christians are terrible for a lot of reasons, but one of the most annoying (as opposed to enraging) is that they have no style. No Aesthetic. No granduer. Your Big Beige Box 'Church' inspires nothing in me, except a vague sense of needing to go get some stuff at Target. Where's the awe? The terror? The intimidation factor? They have zero swagger, it's sad.

[yuyu1024]

Prisoner

Pairings: Yoongi × y/n

Genre/tags: Arranged marriage

Warning: 🔞🔞 smut, mention of food/eating, cursing, sensual touching, unprotected sex, making out, needy/clingy, Pet name, lies, kinks, Smoking [lmk if i miss anything]

Words: 3.0k

Disclaimer:

- this story is just made up

- english is not my first language, please be nice 😊

Note: repost. Likes and reblogs are much appreciated 🫶🏻

Check pinned post for more

***

The sound of the wedding bells and the people cheering for your union are still ringing in your ears. You could also still envision your friends and families' warmest smiles and tearful hugs as they congratulate you. Everyone is so happy. They kept on saying that your wedding is the most magical and happiest they've ever seen.

Yes. Your wedding is the grand. The whole castle like church is filled with the whitest flowers that gives an illusion of the place is floating in clouds. You could also see shiniest silvers and krystals all over the place. It felt unreal.

You requested for a simple wedding but you are given more than that and you love it.

The wedding is also filled with people you both love and cherish. So you feel comfortable and loved all through out the ceremony and the party afterwards.

Yes. The wedding is amazing.

Yes. The wedding is to die for.

Yes. The wedding is like a fantasy.

It's because it is... it is a fantasy and no where near reality.

It is only for show to make people believe that you and the man you married is real.

Little did everyone know, your marriage is just arranged. You were just handpicked by the groom because he had no other option. He didn't like the women his parents are suggesting. So he decided to himself to pick someone from the ground and carry to his world. A world filled with darkness and resentment. A very, very, very cold world.

"Miss..." a voice echoes waking you up from your daydream

You slowly open your eyes to see the barely lit room that you are still in. You get up from leaning onto the edge of the bathtub and see your personal maid near the door. Her head lowered not making eye contact with you. She's holding your towel and bathrobe.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But Master asked for dinner to be served soon...he's on his way home."

You look down at your hands peeking from the warm milky water and then pick up the rose petals floating on it. "He's early today..." you mumble quietly

"I heard that the meeting with his father, Mr. Min finished early..."

"I wonder why..." you got up from the bath. She immidiately rush towards you, handing you the towel and bathrobe to use.

"Mr. Min told Master to go home early... because of you Miss..."

"Ah... really..." there is no hint of excitement in your voice. "You can leave now and help them prepare... I'll get ready myself..." you tell the maid, who is still not having any eye contact with you.

You don't sound happy nor sad. Actually, you do sound like a robot with no feelings when you talk.

You were not like this before. Yes you are a quiet person, an introvert and reserved but never like this. You changed quite a lot after getting married. It's not by choice. You just have to adapt with your surroundings.

Living in a big ass mansion with more than fifty staffs and bodyguards but no one to talk to. You have no one to spend your time but yourself. Your world became, quiet.

Yes you do have a husband. You married him. But the man is never home most of the time. And when he is, he does not even make conversations with you unless it's related to his parents; asking you to do this and that. To be present here and there. Telling you what to say and not to talk about. Basically, he only talks to you when its about your deal. Yes, deal.

Funny isn't? You married bound by a contract but that's it. Just by contract. No love is involved.

You know this since the beginning. You signed the marriage certificate plus the contract. You are aware. But you never thought that this will be the kind of life you will have. Alone. But what choice do you have? He offered your parents a huge amount of money for your hands. A money that could let them live a good life even when they retire early. That's how big it is.

And you agreed to it, not because of the money, but because you thought; that maybe, just maybe this is the universe's doing. Him and you meeting under this circumstances but then in the end, getting to know each other and that Maybe...... maybe learn to love each other. But you're wrong. You and Yoongi have been married for more than a year now and its already had taken a toll on you emotionally and physically.

"Miss... Master is just a few minutes away..."

You pause brushing your hair, staring at yourself through the full body mirror. You are wearing the plain black, fitted halter dress that you received as a gift from him. You like this dress because it emphasizes your figure and shows off a little skin because of the slit. He gifted you this dress during your honeymoon. It's probably the cheapest clothing you have in your closet but for you this is the most valuable.

"Do you want me to fix your hair, Miss?"

You put down your hair brush. "No thank you."

Then you sit down and start to put on your shoes. But instead of heels, you put your white canvas shoes.

"Ahm, no heels today, Miss?" She sounds a bit concern

"No." You stand up to look at yourself one last time before going. "My feet hurts so I'll wear something comfy for now..."

"I understand." She hurriedly puts down the heels she had on hand and runs after me.

It is true that your feet is hurting. You've been wearing heels everyday when you go to work. 'Work' meaning is socializing with your husband's family friends and circle. You represent him for charities and parties he can't and won't attend. It's not everyday but these past few weeks, you've been busy. You were away too most of the days of the week. That's why you also barely saw your husband. He's been away for a week and when he came back you got busy too. And tonight, this is the first time you'll be eating dinner with him.

"Tell him to reschedule... I won't be available tomorrow. I have other plans."

You hear him talking to the phone when you enter the dinning room. He's so focused that he didn't even bat an eye when you sit down across him.

"What do you prefer, Miss?" The male servant asks. "We have tender lamb chops braised in wine. Served with pea puree and then wild sea bass with sautéed smoked bacon, red chicory, runner beans and red wine sauce."

"The latter, please..." You try to give a smile to show appreciation but then you halt as you hear your husband slam his phone on the table. It starlted you a bit.

And also, up to now he still hasn't dared to look at you. He just went on to eating his lamb after his phone call.

You want to watch him eat or even glance at him every now and then, just so you could update his image from your memory. You just want to see him, Even just a tiny bit silhouette of his face behind the boquet of flowers between the two of you.

'Fuck.' You curse in your mind.

You always ask yourself why do you even bother wanting to see him or make conversation with him when you know you don't mean anything to him. For him, you are just one of his staff. The only difference is that he talks to about life when he wants to because its part of your business with him. And to add to that, you're only his 'woman' when he needs to release stress. Meaning you two have sex when he needs it. There is no date or time. When he calls you or he comes to your room unannounced, that's it. Saying no is not an option.

But come to think of it, the last time you two had sex was quite a long time ago. It's been months.

'Does this mean... even in sex... he's not satisfied with me? Did he looked for a different woman to do it with?' You talk to yourself

"Leave us." He orders to the servants.

You didn't dare to glance up. You just kept yourself occupied by poking the fish on your plate.

"Your hair got longer..." he says making you pause

Your eyes goes up and see him looking straight at you."Ah... yes..." You answer before looking back down.

"Why ask for the fish if you're not going to eat it?"

You raise your head up again, "hmm?"

He tosses his one up like it's water. "Someone reported to me that you've been eating less lately."

"My appetite is fine... I'm just...off a bit..."

You put down your fork and try to think before you speak again. You can tell him you're tired because how can you be? You have all the assistant you need and more. Plus you are living a lavish life. You could ask for a massage, a facial or swim in the pool whenever you want. You have everything. Except him.

That. You can't mention. You can't dare ask for his attention. He'll get mad. You know he will. He said it in the very beginning of this relationship. That 'You are just his wife in papers. And never expect something more from him.'

"I'll be fine..."

You look straight back at him. You can finally see him clearly. He slightly moved to the side, giving you an amazing view of his face. He's still look as beautiful as you remember. His long hair, sharp eyes, pinkish lips and the scar.

"How's the auction?" He pulls out a cigarette from the pack he have on the table and lights it off. "You bought a vintage jewelry?"

"I did."

"How much is it?" He puffs smoke. His eyes are still fixated to you.

"It's a bit expensive... I'm sorry." You look down at your knotted fingers. "I got it for 1.5M."

"Reasonable."

"I tried to intimidate the other wives... but it didn't work..."

"You need to work on that."

"I will."

"But don't worry about the money... it's going to a good cause..." He stands up and puts off his cigarette on his used plate. "My mother liked the the jewelry set. She said, thank you."

Relief fills your heart and made you relax a bit. You are thankful that his mother liked the one you picked.

It's the only one you bought in the auction. The event is for charity and Yoongi gave you the go signal to throw money like dimes. He said you can buy anything you want.

You liked a lot of things there. Everything is grand, beautiful, meaningful and unique. But none of them bring joy to you. You don't need them so your heart can't afford to splurge.

"I'll go and get ready for bed..." he says as he stand by the window, looking outside.

"Ah... okay..." you look down at your plate and pick up your fork, to continue eating.

"When you finish..." he starts to walk towards the door, "Come to my room."

"Hmm?" You blink, confused. "Your... room?"

He stops just as he got outside the door and adds before totally closing the door "Ask the maid to braid your hair..."

'Braid your hair'. That means he wants to have sex.

"Sure..." you answer in a whisper though he's already not in the room.

***

You are finally walking in the hallway, on the way to his room. Barefoot and naked. Almost naked.

It has been a routine of you to braid your long hair and then just wear a silk robe over to cover your body. He likes it this way. He have particular things he likes and you follow them.

It's almost 9pm. All the staffs are now in their houses. Yoongi asked them to leave earlier so no one could hear and disturb us.

You took a deep breathe before you get ready to knock on his door. But then to your surprise the double door swings open and you see him, in his black jogger pants and a sheer robe over his naked body. "What took you so long?" His brows are furrowed.

"Sorry..." you lower your gaze from his beautiful face to his toned body.

"Get in." He orders, turning his back on you.

You slowly enter the forbiden room. It's like how you imagine it to be; spacious, dark and earth tone colors everywhere. But the things you've never imagined seeing in there are towers of books and comics on the floor. Then there is a gaming area too.

"Do you play?" He asks as he sits down at the corner of his massive bed.

You shake your head, "No... I'm sorry."

He's smoking again. "Come here." He orders as he puff the smoke in betwern his lips. You move closer to him, cautiously. "Why do you look nervous? It's not like it's our first time."

You are now standing in between his legs. "Sorry..."

He rolls his eyes slightly as he puts his cigarette onto the ashtray. "Why do you keep on apologizing?"

"I..." you pause and wait for him to look back at you. "I don't know."

He snorts, "whatever."

He takes off his robe and throws it somewhere behind you. You were about to do the same as his but he stops your hand from untying your robe.

"Are you on birth control?"

You shake your head. "No... we... I mean... you use condom..."

He didn't say anything after that. He just continued; picks up your braided hair thats lying on your chest and pushes it away. Your breathing picks up as you could feel and see him gazing at you. You even felt your body jerk a little when his finger tip brushed over your hard nipple. The sensation is on max. You needed him to touch you. You missed him touching you.

Yes, this relationship may not be real for him but to you, it's something. Plus, we all have our needs. And when it comes to sex, he delivers. More than you can imagine. And you like playing along with his needs.

He pulls the string keeping your robe on you and just watch it fall off your skin like feather.

You feel your cheeks heat up. You are exposed. He can see that you are already turned on. Your breast giving it all away.

"Come closer..." he orders and you follow.

His hands slides over your hips then goes up to your torso, for him to hold on to you. Hug you. He begins to suck one of your boobs like a baby. His eyes are fully close and his grasping onto your skin like he had been so hungry for so long. He's really enjoying it.

You as well.

"Ahh..." you exhale as you throw your head back. His tongue doing all the works and tickling your insides by just playing at your tip.

After a few more seconds, he stops and looks up at you. And you looking down at him.

"You're so beautiful..." you whisper to him as you run your fingertips over the scar on his face.

You lower your head to meet his lips. He welcomed your kiss like it was meant to be there five minute ago overdue. He is into it more than usual.

He finally gets naked like you. His length is hard and up. It's already leaking and looked very inviting for you to sit on. But you're too shy to make the first move.

You did try to sit on his lap though, legs spread out and core is so wet and ready; just a few inches away for his throbbing length. Then his hand goes in between and starts to rub you in the most sensual way possible.

"Holy shit!" You gasps breaking off from the kiss for a second just to take it all in.

A smug on his face can be seen catching you off guard. He had never reacted to you reacting to his touches like this before.

Your hips begin to rock just to feel his fingers on you.

"Y/n..." You look at him after hearing him say your name. "No condom today."

"O-okay..."

"Make me feel good." He says softly but sturn, pulling you close to his length.

The tip touching your opening already made you roll your eyes. He's so warm and big.

"F-fuck!" You cry as he eases himself into you. "Holy shit! Ugh!"

You start to move slowly, feeling it all in you, finding the pace and ryth. you think you could do all night but at the same time make him satisfied.

"You got tighter." He grunts as you go up and down on him while holding on to his shoulder for balance support.

"Holy fuck!" Your eyes starts to get filled with tears. You found your spot and his length is hitting it perfectly. "Fuck!"

You watch him close his eyes and his face showing how good you're making him feel. His broes is furrowed and his mouth open and hissing tiny breathes with you.

You can't believe it. Someone like you who was inexperience with sex, is now married and making your man look so damn sexy moaning.

"I'm gonna come." He hugs you tigh and begins to kiss you again. "I want to come in you." He opens his eyes and meets yours.

"Fucking come in me." You say

He then carries you as he stands up, changing your positions. Now you're the one on the bed and he's on top of you.

"I will rip you apart." He snarls.

Every fucking thrust is mean and yet satisfying. You feel like your insides shuffled from every hit. But it's not pain. It's heaven.

"Fuck!" He hisses as he climaxes with you.

The warmth inside you feels like a warm blanket during winter. It's felt relaxing.

He is breathing heavily, your hands are intertwined and his still on top and inside of you.

"Yoongi..." you say breathlessly as you admire him over you.

He moves in for a kiss. A soft gentle kiss. "Stay with me tonight..."

*****

Part 2

[vantaesfairie]

𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖉 : 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗

atlty’s tarot readings: art commissions, paid readings, spell ritual comms open!

choose a pile below:

this is a gender neutral pac. late happy valentine's day 2024 and happy chinese new year!

pile 1, white comb:

when you leave your victim mentality behind, and stop saying things that limit your own potential growth. when you step out of this insecure energy and blossom. when you start to trust your inner voice, your gut, and learn from it. when you become a calm and aware person. when you learn to trust your intuition. when you reach an intellectual spike. when you learn to communicate well and say things without beating around the bush. when you have the mental strength to love and stand firm in your beliefs. when you break free of cycles that do not serve you.

signs: fencing, rock pools, castle, church, a woman in blue, an expansive mountain view, splitting fog, chess, a sunny day

pile 2, pink comb:

when you learn to seek joy by yourself and within yourself. when you are self sufficient and independent. when you start living a life of personal comfort and leisure. when things start getting easier for you. when you are intuitively aware of yourself. when you have grown to be mature on the inside. when you start trusting your gut (similar to pile 1). when you contemplate and learn from things that have hurt or benefitted you. when you have healed and cleared your head from pain. when you are mentally prepared to love. when you have patched yourself up on the inside.

signs: journalling, grapes, winery, robin bird, sunflowers, a crescent moon, stained glass, yoga, pilates, a tomb that stands out to you

pile 3, blue comb:

when you are making progress to where you want to be in life. when you travel. when you are committed to what you want to achieve. when you are looking forward to the future and what it can bring. when you start appreciating what or who is there for you instead of crying over spilt milk. when you step out of self pity. when you start leaving the past and regrets behind. when you start to be gentle in strength. when you master patience and compassion. when you have inner strength to be in love. when you see the positive side of things and learn to be kind to yourself.

signs: big dog, lion, garland of flowers, desert, fast flowing river / stream, chalice, a beautiful sunset, new sprouts on branch

i hope you enjoyed this pac! please consider purchasing a paid reading by sliding into my dms. reblog and share if possible! i’d love to know if this resonates to you. thank you so much! 

[loverangels]

THRONE BOUND; prelude

A UNION. ONE THAT CAN ONLY STRENGTHEN OR WEAKEN THE THRONE.

pairings: king hal x fem!reader

warnings: arranged marriage, death, political insights

a/n: this will be a series from the post I had earlier teased 'the tailor girl' and this is the prologue I hope you enjoy it! Reblogs and feedback is very much appreciated!

One

The Will of King Henry IV, First of His Name

To Be Read and Executed Upon the Event of My Passing

In the Name of God, Amen.

I, Henry of Bolingbroke, First of My Name, King of England, Sovereign Lord of the Isles, and Protector of the Realm, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this my last will and testament, that it may be carried out in full accordance with the law of God and the statutes of this kingdom.

First, I commend my soul to the Almighty, trusting in His infinite wisdom to judge me as both king and man. May the weight of my deeds, both noble and cruel, be measured fairly on the scales of eternity.

To my son and heir, Henry of Monmouth, known as Hal, I bequeath the throne, the scepter, and the kingdom of England. May he wear the crown with strength and wisdom, ruling over this land with honor and justice.

To my loyal councilors, who have served me with unwavering loyalty, I entrust the guidance of my son, Henry of Monmouth, in his reign. Let them continue to support him as they did for me, aiding him in the duties of kingship.

To the Church, I dedicate lands and wealth for the care of our souls and the furtherance of God’s will upon this earth. The relationship between crown and church must remain sacred, especially in these tumultuous times.

And lastly, to my son Henry of Monmouth,

I leave a final decree. On the Feast of St. George in the Year 1412, an agreement was forged between this crown and the noble house of Fairmont, sealed by blood and bound by honor. Despite the fall of Lord Alaric Fairmont’s house, despite his descent into debauchery and ruin, the contract between our families remains intact.

You, my son, are bound to marry (name) Fairmont, daughter of Lord Alaric Fairmont. It is a union forged not out of love or whim, but for the stability of this kingdom. Let it be known, that the fall of her family’s house shall not dissolve the contract, for a king’s word, once given, is unbreakable.

You may wish for a different bride, one of higher birth or nobler blood, but the kingdom’s future is tied to this union. Thus, I command you, Hal, my son, to wed (name) Fairmont and unite our houses.

May God bless this union, for the future of our crown and our kingdom.

Signed this day, in the Year of Our Lord 1418, by my own hand,

Henry of Bolingbroke, First of His Name, King of England

The will lay open on the desk like a predator, its contents baring their teeth with every line. Hal’s gaze had been fixed on it for so long that the words had begun to blur, the black ink swimming against the yellowed parchment. His temples throbbed, and yet he could not look away.

The study was cold, despite the fire burning in the massive hearth. The high, arched windows let in shafts of dying sunlight, but the golden rays did nothing to warm the room. The scent of aged wood and leather mixed with the faint tang of smoke from the fireplace, creating an atmosphere both rich and oppressive.

Hal stood at the centre of it all, his figure tense and unyielding. He paced like a caged animal, his boots clicking against the polished floor, the fur lined mantle of his cloak sweeping behind him with each sharp turn.

"Why now?" he muttered to himself, his voice low and venomous. "Why did he have to tether me to this… to her?"

He stopped pacing abruptly and turned toward the desk, where the will waited, silent and damning. His father’s words still echoed in his mind, a relentless specter. You will wed her, Hal. You will honor this contract.

Hal clenched his fists, his nails biting into the leather of his gloves. His jaw tightened, his teeth grinding as he fought the urge to shout, to lash out at the unfairness of it all.

He could see his father now, clear as day, seated in the very chair that now sat empty behind the desk. He had been a man of iron—cold, unyielding, and immovable. Hal had hated him as much as he had respected him, and now, with the old king dead and buried, that hatred seemed to burn brighter than ever.

"You couldn’t even leave me in peace," Hal spat, his voice rising. He slammed his fist onto the desk, the sound reverberating through the room. The inkpot wobbled precariously, threatening to spill, but Hal barely noticed.

For a moment, he stood still, his chest heaving as he tried to wrestle his emotions back under control. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. But the words on the will remained etched in his mind.

His bethroed.

He knew little of her, only that she was the daughter of a disgraced nobleman—a drunkard and a gambler who had squandered his wealth and reputation. Her name had been little more than a distant whisper in court gossip, a relic of a house that had long since fallen into obscurity.

And now, she was to be his bride.

The thought sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through him. What kind of woman would she be? A simpering fool, eager to please? Or worse, a resentful, bitter creature, forced into this union just as he was?

"Henslowe," Hal barked suddenly, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

The older steward, who had been standing quietly in the shadows near the door, stepped forward. His expression was calm, unreadable, as always, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Send for her," Hal commanded, his tone sharp. "Eleanor Fairmont. Summon her to court immediately."

Henslowe nodded, bowing slightly. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Hal hesitated for a moment, his jaw working as he considered his next words. "And have the maids prepare chambers for her. Something… appropriate."

"Of course," Henslowe replied.

"And the tailors," Hal added, his voice quieter now but no less commanding. "Have them craft a gown for her. Pink. With lace. Something…" He trailed off, struggling to find the words. "Something worthy of a queen."

The steward bowed again and left the room, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Hal turned back to the desk, his hands gripping the edge tightly. The fire crackled behind him, its warmth doing little to soothe the cold knot of anger and resignation in his chest.

For a long moment, he simply stood there, staring at the will. His mind raced, filled with thoughts of duty, of legacy, of a future that was no longer his own. He thought of his father, of the weight of the crown, of the woman who was now hurtling toward his castle in a carriage she likely never thought she would see.

The room seemed to grow darker as the sun dipped below the horizon, the firelight casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. Hal’s reflection shimmered faintly in the polished surface of the desk—a lone figure, surrounded by opulence and burdened by the weight of kingship.

"Damned old man," he muttered under his breath, his voice raw.

And yet, even as the anger boiled within him, there was a flicker of something else—a quiet, unspoken fear.

What kind of queen would she be?

The question lingered in his mind, unanswered, as the fire crackled on.

@deadgirlrin @futuristicmiracleballoon @marvellover98 @evangelinesecondacc @matilde-333 @ilovefamousmen11 @confusionmeisss @sensationalstardust @gwenstacyspiderman @ludarg15 @libralovegood @mdzz1e @neznamstvarno @that-one-heartstopper-nerd @tchalamss @wailingp03ts @red-432 @taliavelazquez1234 @vithmein @urdeftonesgrrrl

(rest that wanted to be tagged I apologise but it wouldn't let me tag you!)

[beemochi-art]

Thoughts on the transformers one movie?

Me? you wanna here my thoughts about the TF one?

SURE!!

First off the movie looks amazing, the ost is incredible, the voice acting is pretty good and the writing is Awesome! The pacing a little fast, the story movie kinda quickly which is fine, I’d rather have a fast movie then a slow one.

You can tell the actors really cared about this movie, I have never seen actors get this much into the marketing for anything! Brian Tyree Henry did an amazing job for Megatron, by far he was the best.

There was plenty of action! The fighting and weight of the character was great, you can tell they were really hitting each other hard. This movie had a lot of love put into it. Incredible watching experience.

D16 was the star of the show! In my opinion at least! They were able to capture the innocence and the loss of that innocence really well. The slight character tics also didn’t get past me and did a lot to add to the emotions the character were showing.

I loved this movie, and I will be watching more as soon as I can! I accidentally missed that end credits scene. We were just too excited and wanted to talk about it!

!!SPOILER REVIEW!! ⬇️

Alright! This movie fulfill something the fans have been asking for year for. The Orgin of Optimus prime and Megatron on the big screen. We all knew it was going to be a tragedy! Whether you ship Megop or not, we can all appreciate the loss of someone close, when we think we know someone but then seemingly out of nowhere, they flip. But I assure you, the flip was not out of no where.

But before I get to the main two I want to talk about everyone else first.

ELITA AND BEE

Sorry Oplita fans, Elita is on a path to get that promotion and get that bag! Elita is in fact a mean boss babe, but that not all she is. She is a strong and determined worker. Even tho she is one of the lower classes bots she does everything with a sense of pride, no matter what she’s doing. She cares a lot, her gruff and aggressive attitude may try to hide it but I see past that. Although she really didn’t have an arc to her character you know? Idk I might have to watch it again.

Bee is the goofster to the group. Very cute and very funny. He really didn’t have an arc either and I wish he did. Bee was mostly there to serve as the comedic relief. And honestly I think we all needed. He wasn’t ever too annoying or obnoxiously stupid. I very much enjoyed him!

Sentinel Prime

God what a fantastic villain he was! Kinda sad he died. I always knew Dee would kill him. He was just as pompous and trashy diplomat as I hoped. Such good lines from him. He died like a dog and couldn’t be happier. We didn’t get to see his alt mode which made me kind of sad. He’s like a mega church pastor! They are usually secretly evil. Him turning the tides of the battle with the primes is something else dude.

ORION

Oh god here we go. His character was just fantastic! I’m really happy we are getting an origin story. His personality being the adventurists, rowdy, troublesome questioner is so cool! And such a big contrast to the usual iterations of Orion pax. He’s stray kitten coded. His young age makes him optimistic, selfish and naive. It also causes him to mistreat Dee; having the best intentions of course, even tho he completely disregards what Dee feels. It started off as him just wanting to be seen and help his people to everything quickly getting out of hand and him losing his best friend. I’m sure he regrets making Dee participate in that race. His issue just being childlike innocence and being self centered.

DEE (aka Dean. Aka Megatron.)

Oh god y’all aren’t ready for this one!

Dee starts off as the goodest boy. Will of whimsy! But like most villains all it takes is one bad day. Oh Dee you poor thing. If robots could cry he would have like four times in this movie.

Good Christian boy. Followed the rules, didn’t ask questions and had unwavering love for the Primes. Megatronus and Sentinel being the big two.

It’s cool to think of Dee eyes being a dead giveaway to how he’s feeling. Betraying him even in the final scene.

“NO, I WANT TO KILL HIM!”

This part! This is my favorite part of the whole movie. Dee had the audience full attention. The desperation, sadness and anger in his voice. Fantastic! As D16’s friend, this needed to be addressed immediately. But I can understand Orion not knowing what to say or how to comfort him, cause as a kid yourself what do you even say to that?? Orion always knew something was wrong, he was the questioner, but to Dee this was his life. To Orion, Sentinel Prime’s betrayal wasn’t that deep. But this was Dee’s life, he followed them without question, just to see his hero struck down in cold blood. His anger is something Orion can’t comprehend, he never knew he had that in him. I think Orion could probably right this off the first time but it wouldn’t be that last time D16 would start scaring Orion.

I’ve always heard people describe Dee has flipping his personality. There is no flip. Dee is deceptively passive. His whole life has been flipped and need Orions support. But sadly that moment would never show up. I don’t even think Orion would know how to go about it since he was so focused on his goal. My mom said Orion was a bit irritating because  he couldn’t properly read his friend.

At first I thought he had carved this into himself. Which is bad, really bad. But I think Sentinel doing it to him actually makes it worse. He hasn’t just mutilated Dee once, But twice. He took something he liked, something that was special, something that was a symbol of him and Orions friendship and made it cause him pain. It’s like the last of his innocence being taken away from him.

So when he was trying to kill Sentinels and Orion was holding him back he said “He needs to die.” And that last part sounding so emotional hits so hard. He loved Sentinel. You can hear the hurt and sadness in his voice for megatronus prime, sentinel the other miners, but mostly for himself. And almost all that hurt Orion had to say “you’ll be like sentinel.”

Oh brother that was no the move. Immediately upon it being compared to sentinel by his best friend, the rage returned. Blinded by his rage he accidentally shot Orion.

Finally we have Megatron. Bro is on his Kratos arc. Sentinel was driven by greed. Megatron is driven by his hate and anger.

This by far the best transformers movie. I think ever.

[heathersdesk]

My grandfather was killed in a hit and run accident in 1978.

His mother and sister struggled with life after that. They decided to go on a trip across the United States together to get away from things for a while.

I discovered this trip when I was going through photo albums and suddenly saw a place I recognized.

The Salt Lake Temple.

They went to many places during that trip. But there was something truly special to me that, in one of the worst seasons of their lives, they ended up at the temple.

I served part of my mission at Temple Square. I was waiting for a visa to Brazil that I began to think was never coming. I had a truly horrendous time in the MTC babysitting a district of Elders who spent weeks on end bullying me and tearing down my self-esteem. I was told directly by someone, I forget who now, that I was being sent there to recover. And when I realized that the mission had no young Elders in it at all, that it was only Sisters and senior couples, I came to appreciate what that meant.

I had so many wild interactions there with so many people. Some of them were strange, like the guy who viewed the Book of Mormon as proof of alien interactions with humans. There were moments of heartbreak, like the woman who was in tears at the Christus statue who attacked us when we checked in on her. There were moments of pure delight, like when an LDS family with two young daughters came to that same Christus statue. The oldest girl, no older than 4 or 5, squealed "JESUS" and ran to the Savior's feet, little sister in tow. Whenever I hear someone mention the teaching to become as a little child, she is exactly who I think of.

There were also moments that were meant solely for me, like when I met the first Sister to ever be called to the Boston mission I had hoped to go to to wait for my visa. Boston has a large Brazilian population, many of whom are members of the Church. I had begged in prayer to be sent there and was told by other people it wouldn't happen because "Sisters don't go there." I had an entire conversation with the woman who was going to be that change. It seemed cruel to me at the time, dangling the carrot of something I wanted right in front of my face. In time, I've realized it was so I would remember that God does miracles and is aware of the desires of my heart, even if it means I don't get what I want. Someone needed to exercise enough faith to push that door open for women. I put my full weight behind it, and I can be just as proud that it opened for someone else.

But some of my favorite people I met there were people who just made me laugh. I met a Jewish convert from New York who told us his conversion story, how what drew him in was the Plan of Salvation. He summarized it in a New York accent in a voice I can still hear in my mind: "So you're a god, eventually. But can you pay RENT?!"

One of my favorite people I met was a Scottish convert named Agnes who was doing the Mormon trail across the US, beginning in New England and ending in Utah. She was a much older woman and told us all about her pilgrimage, and how she had cuddled with the oxen at the baptismal font in the Manhattan New York Temple. (I've been there. You enter into the baptistry on face level with them, or did the last time I was there.) She shared her testimony with us, and I'll never forget what she said.

She explained that the story of Joseph Smith was really hard to get her mind around. It truly is an insane set of asks: angels, gold plates, polygamy, and all the rest. She talked about how she came to accept it—not through any kind of empirical evidence or proof, but through faith and what that looked like.

For her, it was the recognition that being LDS was the best way she had ever encountered to live an excellent life. She said that the worst case scenario she could imagine is one where God would say to her, "You know that whole business with Joseph Smith was a load of crock, right? But you lived such a good life, I have to let you in anyway."

That has always stayed with me. Agnes was one of many people who came to the Square looking for something. I saw people come there looking for faith, or a fight, and truly everything in between. And it's only now that I'm older and wiser that I see something clearly now that I couldn't see then.

Agnes didn't need to come to Temple Square to find faith. She already had a tremendous amount of faith. She, and many others, were looking for conviction. I was at Temple Square long enough to learn you don't get that from a place. While a place like Temple Square can illuminate the possibilities for conviction through the lens of history, it doesn't bestow that conviction through contact or proximity alone. Conviction is made from the materials of your own life and your own choices. Your will, how firmly you place yourself into an immovable and unyielding position, is the measure of your convictions. It comes from within.

Faith is the decision to believe in what you cannot see, and what cannot be proven objectively. That never goes away. Nothing we experience in life, no place we ever visit, will create a shortcut under, over, or around that decision to believe, to trust in God. Faith, at its core, is a decision. The ability to continue making that decision over and over again, under all species of hardship and opposition, is conviction.

Where Jesus walked is nowhere near as important as how Jesus walked, and with whom. The same is true for all of us. Our walk with God might never take us anywhere near a temple because of where God has called us to go. But we are the holiest dwelling places of God on earth—not any of the buildings we've made.

Be a holy place of living faith wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be. Worship God, no matter what places you can or cannot enter. There is more than one way to access a temple. One way is to enter a place that people invite God to dwell. The other is to become that place. There can be no separation from God where communion never ceases. It is the refuge that is unassailable by others for as long as the person wills it so. The torch within will not go out.

The temple is not special because it has some holy essence that springs forth out of nothing, to passively be absorbed by others. The temple is special because it directs people to Jesus Christ, who is the giver of healing and peace. The temple is just a building. It's Jesus Christ that is the true power behind it all, whose objective is to make you, me, and every person you know the holiest creature you've ever beheld. You are the end goal.

[stravacious]

i was thinking about fionna and cake’s version of jermaine, and drew her this morning!! i posted her to r/adventuretime and she didn’t do too bad there, so i started writing stuff for fionna and cake world lol more headcanons below the cut :)

i originally posted her under the name “jasmeen” but i think corrine would be better suited for the sibling alliteration with cake :) huge thanks to some of the users in the reddit comments who helped brainstorm some of this!! lemme know what u think lol

fionna was adopted at birth by a (human) couple, cynthia and marlowe. cynthia works in the city’s forensics department and they both own a funeral home/cemetery. they have big hearts, and have a hard time charging folks for caskets and burials. they owned two cats, corrine and cake, and fionna took cake with her when she moved out, leaving corrine at her (now elderly and retired) parents place. if corrine could walk and talk like cake in this world, she’d be running the funeral home and going after people for the money they owe her elderly parents. it’s shitty work and they aren’t hurting for money, but things in this life aren’t free, right? her true passion is sculpture, and eventually she learns to let the debts go and focus on her work.

fionna’s biological parents, milton campbell and mallory mertins, had a nice relationship in the beginning. but when mallory gave birth to fionna, she disappeared from the city with her. having always struggled with her mental health, mallory’s post-partum depression became post-partum psychosis and she left fionna at a safe surrender site in her daze. her psychosis spiraled and she was sent to prison before escaping into homelessness. milton died not long after their disappearance, after serving as a nurse for his entire career and saving thousands of lives. he even had a newly built hospital named after him after his death.

gary prince was on his own at a very early age, leaving the abusive home of his aunt georgia, uncle larry, and cousin chantal. georgia goes on and on about all the wonderful things she was meant to accomplish if she didn’t have to take in gary and his sister, and chantal goes along with it all. larry at least is sympathetic and sends money to them when he can. as a result, most of the money gary makes goes towards taking care of his special needs sister, nadine.

marshall lee was extremely close with his father, elijah, before he died. elijah wanted nothing to do with hana’s money or work, and raised their son in a small home in the forest. marshall grew up knowing how to rough it in the outdoors, before his mother took him away from that life and into a stuffy, proper one. she sold the house he grew up in and he never forgave her.

flora never knew where she came from. her favorite activity is catfishing dudes online. she hates her appearance, and feels like she’ll never truly know who she really is. after the events of the show fionna and cake, she learns all she can about fionna by stalking her online. she adopts fionna’s backstory as her own, and even commits a few instances of identity theft against her. this torments her and she hates doing it, but feels like she has no other choice. her and fionna look strikingly similar, and it has made her actually start to appreciate her own appearance and feel whole for once.

phoenix fleming hates his mother, she’s a big preacher in the local church and raised him as strictly as possible. he was barely allowed to leave the house until he moved out as soon as possible, and discovered his love for raves and DJing. he now devotes all his time to being dj flame, and his mother refuses to let him be. his next door neighbor, miss bundy, is kinder to him than his own mother ever was, and brings him treats every day.

jermaine > corrine

joshua > cynthia

margaret > marlowe

minerva > milton

martin > mallory

gumbald > georgia

lolly > larry

chicle > chantel

neddy > nadine

elise > elijah

fern > flora

phoebe/flame princess > phoenix

cinnamon bun > miss bundy

[serene-sun]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖞 𝕺𝖓 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓, 𝕻𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕽𝖎𝖉𝖌𝖊 𝖁𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖌𝖊

Summary: After a multitude of wrong doings at your catholic church, you and four other nuns are sent on a mysterious transfer to a ministry nobody dares speak of. On behalf of the Count Copia, you are welcomed after a suspenseful journey. Author Note: This is the first chapter to my new series based on some of my favorite movies like Dracula, The Phantom Of The Opera and Labyrinth. You might even get some references to some others as well as a few ghost lyrics. This is going to be a build up to smut, and this will be a romance one obviously but beware this is major corruption kink coming your way. If you need some help, the ghoul in this chapter is Aether, and half of this is quite literally the exact script of Dracula. You can even look it up and see! Please enjoy, all feedback in my inbox is greatly appreciated.

Chapter one of my new series, “𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝕲𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝕱𝖚𝖓𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑 𝕺𝖋 𝕾𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖘”

In a Coach in the Carpathian Mountains, a young woman reads to four passengers from a travel brochure.

“Among the rugged peaks that frown down on the Borgo Pass are found crumbling castles of a bygone age.” The woman is knocked from her seat by a bump in the dirt rural road.

“I say, driver, a bit slower!” Another woman says, her black veil crooked as she shakes in the mobile. 

“No, no! We must reach the mountain before sundown!” The driver says, a crack in his voice as the silent erie sound of the forest starts to swallow all sounds.

‘And why, pray?” One of the female passengers asks, closing the bible in her lap.

“When the sun sets the demons start evoking the mountain side like raging wolves and hyenas, desperate for any vulnerable being to feast upon!” The driver replies as they are enveloped in a cloud of fog, the steep road getting more bumpy.

You held tight onto the rosary in your hands, a charm of Jesus Christ on the cross between your palms as you listen to the man speak.

As the vehicle stops in the center of the small village on the ridge, the passengers eagerly step out of the transport and into the rich moist soil. This is a small village of three homes and one or two inns, mainly farmland and water sources as it fits in a small acre. 

A woman from the nearest inn steps out of the entrance as chickens follow, her hair is in a messy bun and there is soot smudged across her face and clothes with a few patches holes in her dress and apron.

“Oh dear, let me help with your luggage sisters.” She says, wiping her hands on her sides to rid of the grim.

“Oh do not worry madam, we are to arrive up top the mountain by tonight.” you say as she grabs a leathery bag.

“Tonight? But the sun is already half set? The gate keeper, he is afraid. Good fellow, he is. Wants me to ask if you can wait to go on after sunrise.” She says as she sets the luggage back into the trunk.

“Im dearly sorry but im afraid we have specific orders from our adviser to be there by sundown, and I fear we are already late.” You reply, hands still clasped together.

Was what the driver said true? Why would it? Perhaps he was only trying to scare the group of young women.

“And who needs you on the mountain? Who sent you faithful young holy women to the dark abbey?” The innkeeper says in disbelief, she studies the very christian and catholic constant theme on the luggage and clothes.

“Count Copia, I assure you, we are here on holy deeds.” You say, willingly ignoring the description of the abbey, surely it was not truly an unholy place, it was an abbey after all.

‘Count Copia? And to the ministry?” She hides her hands in her apron pockets with her brows knitting.

“Yes.” You nod slowly, unsure of what she means, is he not the holy man they were sent to serve? 

“No, you mustn't go there. We people of the mountains believe at the castle there are devils. Count and his ghouls!  They take the form of wolves and bats, goats and succubi. They leave their coffins at night, and they feed on the blood of the living.” She says, placing her hands on your shoulders and eagerly rushing you inside, “Look at the sun! Its already gone, come we must go indoors.”

“But thats all superstition. Why I…I cant understand why…” You try to reason as the door is slammed shut after the other nuns enter.

“But wait, I mean, just a minute. What im trying to say is that im not afraid. I've explained to the driver that its a matter of holiness and god filled right, We've explained it and we must arrive soon.” You say as she pokes at the fire, letting out a cough into her hand.

“If you must go then take this for your mothers sake,” the innkeeper hands you a small vile of blood, “This will protect you..”

‘W-what is it?” You ask, the other sisters surrounding you in curiosity.

“The blood of christ!” She says, eyes wide with fear.

For a moment you feel the need to call help for the woman, she must be a poor paranoid soul. And there is no way she of all people would have the blood of christ.

The sisters gather back into the small mobile and quickly ride upon the foggy dark mountain as the red piercing sun drowns in the horizon. 

When the car stops in the pitch black court yard, the car hurriedly drives away.

“Wait! Driver! Our luggage!” 

The groups attention is brought back to the stone path to the large entrance doors as it is lined with lit candles that come of flame. The dancing red light illuminates them to follow, you take the lead, as you seem to be the least terrified. 

You push open the large black doors and step into the Obsidian floor of the main castle. Its dark just like outside and candles suddenly egnite.

The nuns look around the room, taking in the shadowed paintings, murals, and stained glass.

A footstep spooks you as the sound comes from a taller man at the top of the main stair case.

“G-Good evening.” You bow your head slightly in respect as you can only make out his shape.

“I am…Count Copia..” He says, thick italian accent in his voice as he begins stepping down the long stairs.

“Its very good to see you. I don't know what happened to the driver and our luggage and…well…with all this..I thought I was in the wrong place.” You say, hoping to not sound rude, but there wasn't a cross in sight and the stained glass showed depictions of devilish things instead of virgin mary and jesus.

“I bid you welcome.” The count says,

Outside the large windows, there the howl of a wolf.

“Listen to them…children of the night. What music they make!” He smiles hauntingly.

The older man starts walking off down a corridor lined with paintings and candles. The hall is painted dark red with black trim. One candle stick is consumed with spider webs, it catches your attention as you follow.

“A spider spinning his web for the unwary fly. The blood…is the life, Ms…” He invited you to say your name.

“Ah of course, My name is Sister _, from the western Catholic church of god.” You say with another pleasing bow.

The man hums, his eyes darkening, “Im sure you will find this part of the ministry more inviting.” He says as he opens the doors to a larger room, it has five beds, dressers, nightstands and even an chest at the foot of every bed. Theres two couches on either side of a coffee table in the center of the room, accompanied with a vase of dead roses, a fire place, and two other chairs of black leather. What is most questionable is why the room is a circle, not one corner.

‘Oh rather! Its quite different from outside. Oh, and the fire! Its so cheerful.” You say with a smile.

“I took the liberty of having your luggage brought up. Allow me.” He says as he takes the groups wool capes, he hangs them on a coat rack.

‘Oh yes, thank you.” One of the sisters says as she sits on the neatly made bed. 

The room is painted a deep purple, black trims and wall designs. The curtains over the large windows were a pitch black, and the beds were of black steel and neatly covered with purple silk sheets and purple cotton. The room was lit with candles and a chandelier.

You pick up the letter on the bed, but you accidentally cut your finger on the sharp note card.

As a droplet of blood rolls down your finger, the man quickly turns away.

“Oh dear im sorry, its just a paper cut, I didn't know you were squeamish.” You apologize as you grab a napkin cloth and hold it.

“The infirmary is on the main hall to the left, I hope you shall never need it.” He says as he holds his hands behind his back.

“Thank you,” You smile.

‘I will have a ghoul take you there, and get a bandage.” He says with a large swallow. 

You tilt your head, “ghoul?” You ask, what is with this odd abbey?

Suddenly, out of the darkness of the room, a masked entity approaches you. His silvery devil mask shines in the candle light, through the slit shines his piercing white eyes, pupils so thin and slit like a snake your unsure if they're even there or if its the shadows playing tricks on you. Hes in a nice suit attire, a skull tie and button up pants. His dark hair is slightly wavy and is cut short at his ear and neck, he has a calming presence and you notice his ears are long and pointed. You take in the fact that this man was not infant human, but rather a demon. 

So the innkeeper was correct? About unholy ghosts here?

He leads you to the infirmary, the walk there is silent as you continue to study his form. He has a spaded tail, and his hands are a pale muted purple and his veins are visible in a lighter white color. The ghoul had long sharp claws too, as well as a thicker build. 

He opened the door to the infirmary, he lets you sit down as he gathers materials to address the minor cut.

As he comes back, he kneels in front of you and takes your hand. The pads of his fingers are rough but smooth, hes very gentle and has a calming affect to him.

You swallow, your afraid to speak.

The ghoul parts his lips, like hes about to speak but doesnt know what to say, “Your heart is racing.” he says, deep voice like a deep cave filled with echos and shadows. Its warm and heart filled, he truly means no harm.

Your hands tremble as you shiver, “w-what?”

‘Ah uh…sorry…I meant that your frightened and there is no need too be.” He quickly blurts out, like he hasn't talked to a stranger in years.,

“This is not what i was expecting..” You say as you start to ease up.

“Nobody does, don't worry, you are safe.” He says as he cleans the wound. 

“This…is not a place of god is it..?” You finally ask as he lets go to cut a piece of gauze to use.

“No. It is not.” He looks into your eyes.

You had the feeling that when your church said they were moving you, that it wasn't because you were the best sister of god there. You had started asking to many questions and you always knew that when they transferred people it was never for the better but to rather rid of the so called delinquents that questioned god. In a way you knew you would be thrown out, but not like this and to the wolves.

“Im sorry…I just…I don't want to die..” you start to tear up, ‘I don't want to burn for eternity.”

The ghoul quickly looks up at you, ‘no no no don't worry,” He chuckles, “Your not going to die here and you wont burn for eternity, I doubt god even knows you exist.” 

Your taken aback some, “But don't you eat people? Kill us for blood? Sacrifices and such?” 

“Your demonology books are far outdated…” He says as he wraps your finger.

“So….you ghouls are…kind?” You say, standing up.

He nods, “yes, everyone here is.”

You look down at your feet, “I apologize, I feel I need to introduce myself and start over.” 

The ghoul stretches his hand out, “You may call me Nameless Ghoul.”

You take his hand, “Im Sister _, I hope we can be friends.”

[bhaalsdeepbat]

unhinged Durge & Orin thoughts

i'm just fascinated by Orin. she's the little sister seething with jealousy bc they're fighting over scraps of love from a Father (Bhaal) who will never give either of them what they deserve.

and like. Her entire life is lived in ways that are meant to serve him bc she was raised from birth in the church. She's an artist who focuses her artistic vision on her kills and the way she presents her offerings. It's looked down upon, even though Durge also plays with their corpses, but Durge is also daddy's special little bhaalspawn, and Orin knows it. Always compared to the golden child, never measuring up, until she finally bests her older sibling by savaging their skull.

Durge literally just waltzed one day and told them that Bhaal said it was their turn to lead the church, even though Orin had also been born and raised believing that was HER purpose. The rage when some little street rat comes in and starts shaking up the Church. AND EVERYONE LOVES DURGE. They all hate Orin, but everyone WORSHIPS Durge. Durge, who is imperfect, who wasn't raised living the doctrine the way Orin was, and introduces cannibalism (which Orin does not seem to approve)

so all that suffering being raised in the church doesn't even garner her favor with Bhaal or the other Bhaalists. she's not Durge. she'll never be Durge. she can take Durge out and make it so they have no choice to follow her, and the Bhaalists will out of loyalty to Bhaal, but they still dislike her. They miss their new age worship when she takes over.

Durge just constantly frustrated with their little sister's antics. Orin is too rash, she runs her mouth, and she doesn't appreciate death for what it is, she keeps trying to make pretty little arrangements when she should be focused on perfecting the art of dealing death in droves, numbers...like razing the grove or taking out last light inn. bhaal doesn't care if you play with the corpses if you have enough deaths under your belt to make it count, it seems.

Orin choosing to use the tadpole on Durge rather than just allowing them to die was absolutely out of spite. It traps Durge's essence so they cannot be reunited with their Beloved Father. So, Orin is resentful because Durge seems to just have Bhaal's love and favorism without going through any of the agony of being raised entirely in Bhaal's temple. Then you learn from balthazar that this is literally worse than death for durge, especially while they're being used as a living cadaver.

durge had 0 idea of the resentment, too. saravok says something along the lines of durge being blinded by pride & the love of everyone to the point of never even suspecting orin would have anything else but the same blind devotion.

and then durge and orin begin butting heads, as siblings do, but also added layer of bhaalspawn being fated to slay one another and like. i interpret it as their very essence screaming at them to slaughter their sibling bc the divine essence recognizes itself in that other being. just desperate to slay and release it.

also laughing bc orin was raised a traditional Bhaalist church girlie basically. she's christian girl autumn but make it murder

[ghuleh-witch]

Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: none for this chapter Relationships: Cardinal Copia x Female!Reader Additional Tags: one-sided enemies to lovers, eventual smut, dom!Copia, AU, witchcraft, no beta Chapter Word Count: 2202 Summary: After it’s discovered you are a witch, you seek refuge at a satanic church. The strange Cardinal that let you inside didn’t seem to like you even though you had no idea why. One thing you did know though, you wanted him to like you.

Ao3 || Masterlist Fic divider by @gothdaddyissues

Chapter Two

You woke to a gentle tapping on your door the next morning. You sat up, disorientated at first, before remembering where you were. The sunlight was filtering through the window, illuminating the room and allowing you to see the dust particles floating in the air. Another gentle knock on the door brought you out of your haze and you stumbled out of the bed. You reached the door and opened it a crack to see two silver-masked figures. One was tall, the other short, and they both looked back at you.

“Can I help you?” You asked, breaking the awkward stares.

“Cardinal Copia sent us,” the shorter one said in a feminine voice. “We’re to help you with clothing.”

The taller of the two gestured to the bundle of clothes in her arms. “May we come in?” Their voice was also feminine.

“Oh, yes,” you said, remembering what Copia told you the night before. You opened your door and stepped back, allowing them to come in.

“Thank you. I’m Cumulus and this is Cirrus,” the shorter of the two said.

You tell them your name as they position and measure you with a cloth tape measure. “I hope it’s not rude of me to ask, but why the masks?”

“Humans can’t handle our true nature,” Cirrus said as she measured your shoulders. “Much like how they can’t handle angels in their true forms. We demons chose to disguise ourselves to prevent chaos.” 

“Not sure I want to know what you look like under the masks,” you said with a slight shiver at the thought. 

Cumulus giggled. “Probably not, but you’re a witch, so you’d be okay. Now try this dress. It might be a little loose, but we can take it in if needed.” 

You did as you were told, finding the dress fit you perfectly.

“Wonderful,” Cumulus said, clapping her hands in excitement. “We’ll have more of this size for you later today, then. And we’ll get you some undergarments and sleepwear.” 

“I appreciate it,” you said.

“Can I do your hair?” Cirrus asked, playing with a lock of hair that hung off your shoulder.

“Uh, I suppose,” you shrug before feeling her fingers in your hair to untangle it. “So, you two are demons?”

“Yes,” Cirrus said. “All the ghouls here are.”

“Are you summoned?”

“Yes, but we all willingly come to this realm to serve the Papas, even though Papa didn’t summon us,” Cumulus answered.

“Who summoned you?” You asked curiously as Cirrus braided your hair down your back.

“Cardinal Copia,” Cumulus said. “It’s very rare that anyone other than Papa gets to summon us. The Cardinal is special.”

You thought about Copia and you could see what Cumulus meant about how he was special. You could sense power from him, but not in the same way Sister Imperator radiated power. No, it was different.

“He’ll be Papa one day,” Cirrus said. “Just like his brothers.”

“You mean like Terzo?” You ask, remembering the other man you met the night before.

“Yes,” Cirrus said. “Terzo is a good Papa, but he can’t be Papa forever.” 

The ghoulettes continued to make small talk with you. Once they finished their measurements and went over what they thought you’d look best in, they left, leaving a couple of dresses that fit. You changed into a dark green one, pulling it over your chemise and tying the laces up the front to fit your form before slipping into your boots. 

You stepped out into the hall to see women in black habits ranging from modest to very revealing, leaving their rooms and catching up with their friends before making their way out of the wing. You followed them, not wanting to get lost on your way to breakfast. 

As you walked, you heard your name being called from behind. You turned to see two men in long vestments and black and white paint covering their faces. One of them even had his entire head covered in black paint. 

“Terzo?” You questioned, recognizing the Papa after a second.

“ Si . How was your first night in our humble abode?” He asked, coming to stand in front of you.

“Fine,” you said. “Thank you again for letting me stay here.”

“It’s nothing. Allow me to introduce you to Papa Emeritus II and my brother Secondo.”

The taller man with the painted head bowed his head to you. He had the same mismatched eyes as Terzo and Copia.

“It’s nice to meet you,” you said.

“It’s not often we get to host a witch,” Secondo said. “I’m interested in seeing what you can do.” 

“I hope I can help wherever I can,” you admitted. 

“I’m sure you and the Cardinal will make great things happen,” Secondo said.

You frowned, thinking about Copia, and how it seemed he didn’t like you. “I get the feeling he doesn’t like me very much.”

“Copia likes everyone,” Terzo said. “Maybe he’s just being shy because you’re so good-looking.”

You flushed. “Uh..thanks? But I don’t think he’s shy. He just seems disinterested in having anything to do with me.” 

Terzo and Secondo shared a look. Both of them frowning. “That doesn’t sound like our dear younger brother,” Secondo said. “Perhaps he was just having an off day?”

“Maybe,” you considered, not feeling surprised to hear the news of Copia’s relation to the Papas. They all shared the same mysterious white eye and other small features here and there. “I suppose we shall see.” 

“Allow us to walk you to breakfast,” Terzo said, holding out his arm for you to take.

You smiled and looped your arm through his, allowing yourself to be guided the rest of the way to the dining hall. While you walked through the corridors, you tried to take in your surroundings. Everything fascinated you; from the strained glass to the cobbled stone floor to the sconces of fire lighting the passageways. Soon they were entering the chamber you were in the night before. People and ghouls filled the chamber, sitting on long, benched tables and eating. At the end of the room, there was a high table where two older men, both wearing black and white skull paints, sat on either side of Sister Imperator. A little way down the table Copia sat. You noticed he looked stiff, like he didn’t want to be there as he clutched a mug in his gloved hands. 

“Here we are,” Terzo said. “Have a seat anywhere and a ghoul will bring you a plate.”

“Thanks,” you said. “Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask…am I allowed to set up an altar in my quarters?”

“Of course,” Terzo said. “We’d never tell you what to believe and how to believe it here. Believe and worship however you’d like, cara . Do you need supplies?”

“Some candles, herbs, crystals, oh, and a table or desk or something to put it on.”

“I’ll have Copia source the furniture for you. As for your other supplies, I’m sure between Secondo and Primo they can come up with all you need.”

“Primo can get you the herbs and I can get you candles and crystals,” Secondo confirmed. “Primo is our eldest brother,” he said when you looked confused. “Papa Emeritus I. I am Papa Emeritus II, and Terzo is Papa Emeritus III, our current leader. It gets confusing, I know.”

Which would make Copia Papa Emeritus IV one day , you thought, remembering how Cirrus said he’d be Papa someday. You tucked that information away for later before smiling up at the two men before you.

“Thank you so much,” you said, feeling a weight lift from you. That was one less thing you’d have to worry about. Once you could get back into the groove of things, you’d feel much better. You sat down at the end of a table as Terzo and Secondo made their way to the high table. You watched as Terzo sat next to Copia and leaned over to whisper something to him. As a ghoul placed a plate full of eggs, toast, and sausages down in front of you, you saw Copia’s eyes flick to you as Terzo spoke. Copia narrowed his eyes at you and looked away. You deflated slightly, wondering what you did wrong. 

Nothing, you concluded. If the Cardinal had a problem with you, he could be a man and just say so. You weren’t going to sit there and yearn for the approval of a man who didn’t care about you. You turned to your breakfast and ate, keeping your eyes on your food and away from the high table.

After breakfast, unsure of what to do, you wandered and explored the ministry. You visited the library, the sanctuary, the confessional, a meditation room, the residential wings, and the wing that held offices for the current Papa and the other clergy members. You then found yourself outside in the walled gardens and greenhouse. Feeling at home amongst the plants, you eventually sat in a clearing of flowers and shrubs to meditate. 

You found yourself in one of the greenhouses, gently touching the vines and the flowers that sat in pots and hung from planters. The magic was strong in them and you immediately felt at ease being amongst the plants. You smiled, silently thanking the plants one by one as you walked through the greenhouse.

“Can I help you?”

You spun around to face the direction the unknown voice came from. You saw an older man in white and black skull paints and the same green and white eyes as the other two Papas and Copia. He wore khakis and a red knit sweater. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and he wore a gray apron over the top of his outfit that he wiped his hands on. You knew this must be Primo, the first Papa, and eldest brother. 

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” you said. “It was unlocked, and I just wanted to look.”

Primo looked you over and then nodded. “You’re our new charge,” he said. “The witch?”

You nodded and gave your name. “I wanted to connect with nature and since I can’t go beyond the garden walls, this was the next best thing.

Primo smiled gently at you. “I understand,” he said. “Plants have a way of grounding us. Their beauty draws us to them and if we take care of them, they’ll take care of us.” He touched the tip of a growing rosemary bush. “My brothers said you need some herbs?”

“Oh, yes,” you said. “For my craft.”

“I’ve gathered you some. I don’t practice witchcraft, but I know herbalism, so I’ve selected the ones you’ll most likely need in your workings. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask. And if it’s something I don’t have, I’ll get some seeds and saplings for you.” 

“Really?” You asked, feeling incredibly touched. You couldn’t remember when the last time someone went out of their way for you. “Thank you so much. It means a lot.” The three Papas had shown her more kindness than most had.

“Think nothing of it. You are sharing your gifts with us, so the least I can do is share with you.” 

“You’ve all been so kind,” you said.

“It’s one of our tenants. We’re kind to those who deserve our kindness.” Primo said. He turned and reached for a small wicker basket sitting on a work table behind him. “Here is your starter kit.” 

You took the basket from his hand and looked inside to see bundles of sage, lavender, rosemary, and thyme, as well as a couple of small jars of dried flowers. You smiled and looked up at him. “This is perfect, thank you.”

“Of course. Take as much time as you need here. I’m just going to pop next door to finish some repotting.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

“Please, call me Primo. My days as Papa are long over.” The older man gave her a gentle pat on her arm before making his way out a back door. 

You took your time looking over at the plants in the greenhouse before doing some meditation and grounding. About thirty minutes later, you walked back to your room, carrying your basket of herbs and flowers. She unlocked her door and went inside to find a simple wooden altar sitting in the middle of the room and a few differently shaped cloth bags. You opened one bag to find many crystals inside. In another bag were different colored taper candles and tea lights. You smiled, glad to see that Terzo and Secondo kept their promises. Your eyes then landed on a handwritten note sitting on the altar.

Meet me in my office on Thursday at 1 pm. Do not be late. -C.C. 

“So the Cardinal wants to meet,” you said to yourself as you read over the note written in a tight, neat script. You suddenly felt nervous, remembering the glare he gave you at breakfast that morning. You hoped that when you met one-on-one with him two days from now, something would be different and that maybe he wouldn’t be so cold toward you.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for August 16, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 22:28 (KJV): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28 (AMP): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

Thought for the Day

This verse has both natural and spiritual implications. Landmarks in ancient Israel marked property boundaries. A stone, a stake, or other monument was used to establish and prevent infringement of property rights. A wicked person would remove a landmark, either out of coveting someone else's property or to mislead people in order to attack them. In Western cultures, a landmark has come to mean primarily some conspicuous object or building that serves as a guide to travelers. Therefore, this verse is telling us to respect the property rights of others, as well as the hereditary rights that our fathers have set up in the past. Neither should we tear down a marker that is used for guidance. This causes confusion and can cause people to lose their way. For instance, when I go back to my old home town, they have changed the streets and torn down old buildings. I cannot find my way around and must get a new map or ask a local person for directions. This does not mean we should not change things for the better - but with change we need to consider those who look for the old landmarks, and identify the old streets by leaving or referencing the old names.

Young Christians should respect their elders' boundaries. There are reasons for the boundaries, and the younger generation would be wise to honor them. This is actually part of obeying the commandment to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12). Young people, in their desire for independence, will often disregard their elders' advice, sometimes to their own detriment. Satan is trying to rid our nation of the ancient moral landmarks that our founding forefathers set in place, especially the Ten Commandments. He knows that without these standards in the earth, he will be able to destroy society. Without respect for authority, our world will be reduced to chaos.

The same can also apply to teachings. Some of the so-called "new" teachings in the Church are really not new at all, but old erroneous ones. They are "winds of doctrine" that toss people to and fro. The Lord gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to help us walk in the right way, that we may mature in Christ. It is wisdom to listen to our godly church elders. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-14).

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the elders in my family, and also the church elders before me, who have paved the way for my life to be blessed. Even though I qualify for this office myself, may I always be childlike and humble in realizing that without my elders, I would not be one today. May I always honor and appreciate them. Help me to respect the young people in my life and not discard their ideas, but be able to embrace those ideas that come from You, not allowing pride to prevent me from recognizing the things You are giving them. Lord, may You restore the hearts of the fathers to the children in our day. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Group Thursday, August 15, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.  X … @ParkermillerQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA, Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956 #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO.

[lunastrophe]

Hi! 🩶 Super specific question, but do U have any info/reading/books on drow clerics, like how they are perceived, their status among drow etc.? Either to Lolth or Eilistraee, with the latter obviously being secretive.

I'm planning a story about a cleric drow and began to think that they might be at an extreme end of the spectrum... Either super respected and valued, or seen as particularly weak and disposable... I'm new here so 😅 any help is appreciated, thank you!!

Hello! The church of Lolth is very different from church of Eilistraee - in a way, they represent the opposite end of the spectrum of drow spirituality.

In a very, very general sense, clerics of Lolth are respected and valued in Lolth-sworn drow societies, and clerics of Eilistraee are respected and valued in Eilistraean drow societies. They both wield power and they are often leaders of their communities. Also, they can be formidable opponents, able to fight with their weapons and divine spells - their skills also make them valuable.

The main difference is, clerics of Lolth are typically feared and despised in their communities. If they show weakness or fail their duties, or lose the Favor of Lolth for any other reason, they are instantly marked as disposable - and they can even end up being sacrificed. There is also a lot of rivalry among priestesses of Lolth.

Clerics of Eilistraee are much kinder. They can be dangerous to their enemies, of course - but they do not want members of their own communities to be afraid of them or to mindlessly obey them. They are not as cruel, capricious and controlling as Lolthites, and they do not encourage ill-natured rivalry.

Some general information on drow priests and their status in drow societies can be found, for example, in Demihuman Deities (2e):

🕷️ About priests of Lolth:

"Lolth's priests are the rulers, police forces, judges, juries, and executioners of drow society. They wield power daily, and most do so in a manner in keeping with the cruel and capricious nature of Lolth herself."

"Priests of Lolth strive to act as Lolth wishes and to manipulate (often by brutal force) their fellow drow to do so too. The ultimate aim of every priest is to achieve and keep the Favor of Lolth."

"The duties of a good priest, then, are to do whatever is necessary to gain and to keep the Spider Queen's favor. Although treachery and cruelty are often rewarded, Lolth does not look kindly on those who let personal grudges and revenge-taking bring defeat or shame to their House, clan, city, or band."

🕷️ Lolth's Dogma:

"Fear is as strong as steel, while love and respect are soft, useless feelings that none can lean on. All drow who do not worship Lolth must be converted or destroyed. All weak and rebellious drow must be weeded out. All who impugn the faith must perish."

"Males or slaves of other races who act independently of Lolth's dictates (and those of her priests) must be sacrificed to Lolth. Those of the faithful whose loyalty is weak must be eliminated. Children are to be raised as loyal worshipers of Lolth, and each family should produce at least one priest to serve the Spider Queen better than his or her parents. Arachnids of all sorts are to be revered, and anyone who mistreats or kills a spider must die."

"Such are the commands of Lolth - but the priest who follows them blindly is on a slippery path leading to swift death. Success in the service of Lolth lies with those who are attentive to the ever-changing, often contradictory will of Lolth. Lolth's capricious nature makes hard-and-fast rules few and uncertainty great. Of course, questioning Lolth's motives or wisdom is a sin."

"Aiding non-drow against drow is a great sin, as is ignoring the Spider Queen's commands in favor of love. (Lolth often tests her priests by ordering the sacrifice of a favored consort.) Drow who lose the favor of Lolth are always given a single chance to redeem themselves. This is usually a dangerous or difficult mission, though Lolth may test certain individuals by setting no task at all and observing what they do. Those who willfully fail are destroyed. Lolth commands other worshipers to do this (in turn, testing them). Those who fail through mischance or poor planning or execution are usually transformed into driders."

"Lolth often plays favorites among her drow worshipers, but those who ride high one season are warned that Lolth can turn her dark face upon them without warning and undoubtedly will sometime soon."

🌙 About priests of Eilistraee:

"Whenever and wherever possible, faithful of Eilistraee encourage drow to return to the surface world and work to promote harmony between drow and surface-dwelling races in order to establish the drow as rightful, nonevil inhabitants of Faerun. They nurture beauty, music, the craft of making musical instruments, and song wherever they find it, assist hunters and hunting, and help others in acts of kindness whenever they see ways to do so. Priests must be skilled in the playing of at least one of the Dark Maiden's favored instruments - horn, flute, or harp; be adequate singers; and be fit, graceful dancers. They gather songs and musical knowledge constantly and acquire training in the use of the sword when they can."

"Priests of the goddess are allowed to keep and accumulate money given them as offerings - with the understanding that this wealth is to be used to buy food, musical instruments, and other tools (such as good swords) to serve the will of the goddess. Priests of Eilistraee are allowed to go adventuring, so long as they feed, aid, and defend the needy along the way. They are encouraged to aid adventuring parties, with the price of their aid to be provision of some sort of beneficial magical armor they can use (or failing that, an enchanted sword of some sort)."

🌙 Eilistraee's Dogma:

"Aid the weak, strong, grateful, and churlish alike; be always kind, save in battle with evil. Encourage happiness everywhere; lift hearts with kind words, jests, songs, and merriment. Learn how to cook game and how best to hunt it. Learn new songs, dances, and ways with weapons, and spices, and recipes, and pass this learning on whenever possible. Learn how to play, make, and repair musical instruments. Practice music and sword-work. Defend and aid all folk, promoting harmony between the races."

"Strangers are your friends. The homeless must be given shelter from storms, under your own roof if need be. Repay rudeness with kindness. Repay violence with swift violence, that the fewest may be hurt and danger fast removed from the land. The faithful must aid drow who are in distress. If the distressed are fighting with other drow, the combat is to be stopped with as little bloodshed as possible."

"So long as the drow met with are not working evil on others, they are to be aided and given the message of Eilistraee: "A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."

Hope this information will help you in some way 🙂

[troutfur]

Ars Magica 4th Edition: The Cats of the New Forest (Interest Check)

Do you like wizards? Do you like tabletop roleplaying games? Do you like historical settings with a generous serving on fantastical elements on the side? Do you like Warrior Cats?

Well, my friend, you're just in luck! I am currently looking for interested players wanting to try out the Ars Magica 4th Edition system for a crossover campaign. (Core rulebook is free on the link below, you just gotta sign up for an email newsletter.) For the unfamiliar, Ars Magica is a tabletop roleplaying game about wizards in historical 13th century Europe. You take on the role of a member of the secretive Order of Hermes and use your magical resources to research magical phenomena, invent new spells, go on adventures, and gain more magical power.

Ars Magica also supports a style of play called "troupe style play", essentially in addition to your wizard every player also creates a companion character, a non wizard that for their own reasons associates with them, and a few grogs, common folk working under the wizards and doing their dirty work. This allows for players to take turns being the main character of a stort, as those who are not playing their powerful wizards can take the role of a companion or grog.

This campaign would follow a newly formed covenant led by two Bjornaer magi, Midnight and Sol, on the outskirts of the New Forest in Hampshire, England. The area has a strong magical aura and abundant sources of raw vis, magical energy given substance. Four colonies of feral cats live in these woods and it seems they have been infused with magical might. The Bjornaer magi are currently researching the causes of this phenomenon, and at the same time have to contend with royal officials who pester them (as the New Forest is a royal hunting ground), mundane people trying to settle close and thus threatening to spread the Dominion Aura with their churches, and rival covenants within the Order of Hermes who are jealous of their abundant magical resources.

The two Bjornaer magi seek the help of newly gauntleted wizards within the Order to aid them in their research and to defend the unspoiled magical ecosystem. In exchange they offer access to an enviable magical aura and rights to harvest from the vis sources.

If you couldn't tell by this pitch, this is absolutely a Warrior Cats crossover and the feral cat colonies are the Clans. Depending on the interest of the group we could end up having many sessions of our characters shape shifting into cats and tangling with Clan drama. But my intention is to also have our characters interact with mundane and wizardly politics regularly.

If you are interested, reach out to me via ask or DM. A Discord username is not necessary, but highly appreciated nonetheless. Once we have enough players showing interest we can begin hashing out logistics.

[pardi-real]

Honeymoon Knight / Chapter 21 - The Secret Vow

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[Kalliste, Church]

Opening the door and stepping inside... There, a majestic and beautiful space unfolded before me.

> "It's so beautiful..."

Muu: "It really is amazing. U-um, by the way... Is it okay for us to just come in like this?"

Berrien: "Yes, it's fine. We have received permission in advance."

> "Did you bring me here for something?"

Berrien: "Yes, that's right. This church is the largest in Kalliste... It's such a beautiful place. Since you've come all the way to Kalliste... I wanted you, my lord, to see... even a little bit of the beauty of this world."

> "Thank you"

Bastien: "My lord, feel free to look around as much as you like."

Lono: "The decorations and the adorned flowers are so beautiful. Please, enjoy yourself!"

> "Okay…!"

And so, as recommended by the butlers... I decided to take a look around the church. 

~ A little while later ~

I carefully examined the church.  Inside, it was dimly lit with only the light of small candles, and... the starry sky visible from the windows seemed to complement the beauty of the church's decorations. After thoroughly exploring, I spoke to Berrien and the others...

> “It was so beautiful” > "Thank you for bringing me here"

Berrien: "Fufu, we're glad you enjoyed it."

Lono: "Then, my lord, won't you come with me for a moment?"

> "Huh?"

With that, Lono guided me to the front of the church altar.

> "What are we going to do?"

Lono: "Hehe. We have something to tell you."

Bastien: "We... want to make a vow to you here today, my lord."

> "A vow?"

Berrien: "In this place... Many people have reaffirmed their bonds with their loved ones... and made promises for the future. In such a wonderful place... we also want to promise a future with you, my lord. Would you please listen to our feelings?"

> "...yes"

Berrien: "Thank you very much. Then, my lord... First, from me...  I swear to continue to serve you as your butler... I will always be by your side. I won't let you feel lonely. No matter what happens... I'll be there to support you.  I promise to continue being a place where your heart can rest.  So... please continue to rely on me. When things get tough... I want you to confide in me. I'll always be on your side."

> "Berrien..."

Lono: "My lord... I swear to protect your smile in the future. Devil's Palace will always be... a warm place where you'll want to come back every day. I'll do my best to keep it that way.  Since I'm a chef... I'll start by... promising to always serve delicious food! I'll make lots of your favorite dishes from now on! I... like your smiling face. So, I'll definitely protect it. I promise."

> "Lono..."

Bastien: "Lastly, it's my turn.  My lord... I swear to protect you in the future. Because I only have a sword. No matter what enemies come our way... I won't let them lay a finger on you. I will protect your life.  Even if, by any chance... I'm not by your side... and you're in a dangerous situation, don't worry. I'll definitely come to help.  I want you to stay by my side... always. That's how much... I care about you, my lord."

> "Bastien..."

Bastien: "Did I manage… to convey my feelings properly?"

> "Yes"

Bastien: "I see. That's good then."

> "Thank you, everyone"

Berrien: "We should be the ones thanking you. Thank you for becoming our lord... and for being by our side until today. We really appreciate it."

Lono: "Thank you."

Bastien: "Thanks."

With that, the three of them gently smiled at me... The promises I received from the three of them... They were all so wonderful... and warmed my heart. And then... I suddenly had a thought.

> "Can I make a vow too?"

Berrien: "A vow from you... my lord?"

> "I promise to fight alongside everyone until the end"

Lono: "My lord..."

> "And I want to make everyone happy"

Bastien: "Heh... You're a reliable lord."

Berrien: "Yes. We really think so."

Lono: "We've heard your vow, my lord. Let's make it through everything and be happy together someday."

> "Yes"

Then... Muu, who had been quietly watching, stood up and gave an applause with his small hands.

Muu: "Everyone, you're all amazing! I can't help but feeling so moved."

Bastien: "Muu. Please keep what you saw today a secret from the other butlers."

Muu: "Huh? Why?"

Bastien: "We want to keep it as memories only for us and the lord."

Berrien: "Fufu... That's right. Let's cherish the secret vow we made in Kalliste.”

Lono: “You’re okay with it, right, my lord?"

> "Of course"

And so, we promised each other to keep it a secret... and left the church with pleasant feelings. It was a wonderful day making memories with the butlers on the first floor on my first visit to Kalliste.

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[laylawatermelon]

Now that I'm thinking about it I wanna theorize/call for action outside of buddie (don't worry i WILL return with a vengeance) but now I'm on a bit of an Eddie Diaz kind of run.

I'm reading a fanfic now of Eddie's sisters which kind of spawned me to think about his relationship with them and kind of think about his family dynamics and expectations and what's coming up for his storyline.

Now they mentioned bringing his family in, specifically his sisters, and i think this storyline ties into Marisol (noname i swear this drives me crazy when i think about it?!??! PLEASE if you want me to care/be invested gimme a last name!) and his Catholic guilt/sense of responsibility/man of the house complex.

They've introduced how his upbringing brought him a lot of guilt and a sense of duty (to serve and protect amirite? Dang religion can be a perfect line to how modern society works but lemme save that for a thesis or something this is about 911 on abc🤣)

Back on topic though, there's a really nice post talking about how he's military family and how that affected his and Shannon's relationship. (x)

Reading that helped me to appreciate the writing and details.

I also want to talk about the beautiful work being done on Twitter and Tumblr about the Miami Vice costume theory and coincidences.

(heh throwback Tuesday and takeover thursday came in clutch with finding these x )

Yes i do ship buddie, but if I look at it not just as a romantic things but as they are written as kind of parallel soulmates who run along the same line of development.

One always spurs the next to grow and change and are heavily involved in some way even if that way it's just being themselves.

Buck being open with his sexuality will trigger something in Eddie. What it is can vary.

I think if we look at it with non shipper glasses, Buck's freedom will lead to Eddie's freedom. What I mean by that is since Eddie had came to the 118 Ryan mentioned how each year he was there the more he learned about himself and other people.

I think what Eddie would be at free from the image/expectations of what a family should look like/be.

He knows what a family could look like in a queer/unconventional way. Bathena's unit, Chimney and Maddie's family (let's say cause they're not currently married with a toddler church would pass out), and HenRen's family.

The could be and should be is the important part.

Eddie grew up being told what he should be and what his life should look like. Evidently his life went none of the ways it was intended to go.

He's a widower single father from a teen/young pregnancy and veteran. Sure he's a firefighter now but he has no "complete" family.

The way they're emphasizing the mother aspect throughout his story is still fascinating.

(i also thought of something hilarious as like he probably imagined/process mothers as like the Virgin Mary or something when they brought up how he can see woman as mothers but not really women at the same time)

(also Madonna whore complex was mentioned and it's also a fascinating way to look at it as he can either desire or love.)

Shannon seems to be the only exception and even that is iffy. I would also say that when she became a mother the desire kind of left? I think the mother aspect solidified for him when she left them I would say.

Yes they did have sex but that was a (very bad, horrid) form of communication between them. They both avoided stuff at some point in some (eh it's like 20/80 her and Eddie) cases.

Every other woman he has dated has kind of been a substitute, for a lack of a better word, replacement for the role of mom.

Now he knows what moms should look like in all shapes and forms. He knows what dads should look like. He's knows what his family should look like.

Granted he did get rid of some of the flaws of his father and the way he was raised which also ties into the way he is.

Eddie was parentified at an early age. (I will say as a black/poc person that there tends to be adult responsibilities placed on our communities kids from young partially because of culture but mostly because of the inherent unevenness that we have to struggle to make balance worldwide in different facets and environments.)

Once again, this is about 911 on abc, not my thesis😭.

I just imagine him standing on a stool to cook food for his sisters or some other things like laundry. Or even worse the cannon car accident with his pregnant mom. (I love to make myself cry)

Eddie had technically been a parent since he was a kid. He literally became the man of the house or the father. So i guess that entailed taking on the emotional and sometimes physical burden of the father role.

I guess when he was actually a father and not just the role he felt the weight of responsibility again and panicked. It makes sense he has a habit of running since he never had the opportunity to do so as a kid (since he never got the chance to be one).

So after Chris it was once again role of the father but now with added responsibility of bringing money to provide the household which he didn't have to do in that role.

It was hard then so it became even more difficult.

So he gave his body to the military and returned wounded in mind and body, and with a disabled son who needed insurance and stability and a wife who just needed him.

And he needed to be a man. Again and again and again.

He broke out of the loop when he got to the 118 (bless the haven that is that building) met Buck, then Carla and Bobby who offered a safe place for his kid.

He was no longer alone and had distanced himself physical from the church but mentally still shackled in his beliefs.

After this Buck and Tommy things and he's not present we're going to focus on how a family could look for him.

Last season and recently they mentioned the fact that his aunt had been divorced and he didn't know.

There was also mention of family secrets.

There was also Marisol and Chris together which I'm guessing he wasn't to happy with her but it's either or since we haven't seen them together so it's a 50/50 chance. More like 90/10 he's annoyed or feels weird about his mom being replaced). Since we touched on him repairing his relationship with his mom and subsequently girls and women/relationships he wants to be in now that may shift his image of Marisol suddenly being more present.

Slight Buddie tangent (i gotta let the beat out for a sec raaa-) but the fact that he's still hanging out with Buck pretty consistently (well we can say he's his other parent who's sadly been in his life almost longer than his mom 🥺 lemme stop I'm crying) but it might decrease due to his and Tommy's relationship. (They're two firefighters with very busy schedules ofc he's not present they got work to do chop chop!/j)

In turn this leaves Chris with one less stable parent figure and it's forced to turn to Marisol who may be overeager to please him.

This can lead Chris to probably feeling uncomfortable with the changes because he's happy his dad's happy but he's not happy because it feels like his family's changing again too fast, and what if she leaves then his dad's not happy and a whole other sleet of teenage issues and angst.

So what I predict their storyline to be going it's that Eddie tries to find his own freedom from the church and maybe even the expectations of his home community would have on him.

Buck will be radiant in himself at the wedding, so will Hen and Karen, and Marie and Chimney, and Bobby and Athena.

He'll look around and look inward.

He'll stop focusing on what his life should look like and focus on what it could.

And that life could be just as radiant as the family he's apart of now.

(and that's all i could ask for 🥹)

[cantstoplovingjude]

Underneath the Black Veil: Victor Ch.1

This is from Ikemen Villains EN, Cybird owns everything.

Soft rays of sunshine illuminated the study in the palace.

The aroma of Earl Grey tea and freshly baked scones drizzled with honey wafted through the air.

While I ate, I proofread my report to Her Majesty.

Victor was the one who'd served me the delicious tea and scones, of course. And speaking of Victor...

Victor: "Oh, that Jude. He ripped another shirt of his!"

Victor: "Well, he is very well-acquainted with the edge of a knife, so I suppose it can't be helped."

Victor: "Ah! The buttons are coming off Harrison's jacket! He's so troublesome."

He was cheerfully sewing repairs into the clothes of the Crown members.

Kate: "Haha. I see you're hard at work, Victor."

Victor: "I certainly am! And when Jude sees his neatly repaired clothing. I just know what he'll say."

Jude: "Ya sewed it up for me? Not bad for Queenie's right-hand man. Appreciate it."

Victor: "Heheh, and then I'll get one of his rare smiles! And then Harrison will say..."

Harrison: "You're so considerate, Victor. How about I take you out for lunch sometime?"

Victor: "Heheh, and then we'll finally have a lunch date together! Just imagining it makes my heart race!"

(...I highly doubt either of them will say those things.)

Regardless, I was doing my job as Fairytale Keeper, working once again alongside the ever lively and cheerful queen's aide.

Being with Victor felt comfortable, and honestly it was the place I could relax the most.

The only problem was that his homemade sweets were too delicious, and I ended up eating way too much.

Victor: "Oh, that's right! I was just thinking I needed to alter something of yours as well."

Kate: "What?"

I widened my eyes when Victor snapped his fingers and produced a piece of clothing.

It was a beautiful, jet-black wedding dress.

Kate: "It's lovely!"

Victor: "Isn't it? It's a one-of-a-kind item, so it's not your size just yet."

Kate: "Hang on a second, Victor. I'm not following you here."

Obviously, I had no recollection of buying such a beautiful wedding dress, nor did I have the occasion to wear it.

Victor: "Hm?"

Victor: "Oh! I got ahead of myself there! I'm so silly!"

Victor shrugged and put the wedding dress aside, then gave me a serious look.

Victor: "There have been rumors circulating amongst couples in London about a certain organization called Amour."

Victor: "Supposedly, those who join the organization and get married at their facility can obtain 'eternal love'."

Kate: "This is the first I've heard of it. It sounds like fortune telling or a superstition. It's kind of laughable."

Victor: "Oh, I thought so too. Before the disappearances happened, at least."

Kate: "Disappearances?"

He explained the whole story to me.

Apparently, many couples who went to Amour's church disappeared.

Victor suspected there was something sinister happening, so he and William began to investigate.

The two of them discovered that the leader of Amour was behind it all.

Their theory was the man killed the couples to steal the money they'd been saving for their future together.

(That's horrible.)

I thought it was odd that Victor and William hadn't taken action yet, if they discovered that much so far.

Kate: "Is there any reason no one's condemned them yet?"

Victor: "Well, the leader doesn't usually show his face in public."

Victor: "He only appears at the wedding ceremonies."

(Oh, then that explains the wedding dress.)

Kate: "So in the other words, I'm going to have to pretend to be engaged to someone and infiltrate Amour."

Kate: "And when we have our wedding, the leader will appear and we can condemn him."

Victor: "Precisely! You're always so quick to catch on."

Kate: "So? Who's going to be my fiancé?"

Victor: "Well, as you can see by all these torn clothes, the members of Crown have been quite busy lately."

Victor: "Right now, I'm the only one who can accept the mission."

Victor: "In other words, Miss Kate..."

Victor: "Will you marry me?"

Kate: "Victor..."

Victor: "I, Victor, swear that I shall always protect you. I will never make you feel anxious or sad. So, what do you say?"

The way he looked at me with his eyes that sparkled like jewels made it difficult for me to say no.

Kate: "I'm the Fairytale Keeper after all, so I have no choice but to say yes. Please, let me go with you on this mission."

Victor: "Really?! Thank you, Kate! I'm so happy!"

Seeing how thrilled Victor was made me happy too.

(Come to think of it, this will be my first mission with Victor.)

(Except, wait a minute. If worse comes to worst... can Victor fight?)

He was fully competent with his work and household chores, but I'd never once seen him anything remotely close to combat.

And no matter how many times I tried to imagine it, all I could see was him happily skipping down the hallway.

(Well, that just means I'll have to protect him if anything happens!)

It would be a major incident if anything happened to the queen's aide.

Victor: "Now, let's give into the darkness of our wicked hearts. And also have a blast!"

==========

After we packed our bags, we headed to Amour's church.

Follower: "Welcome to Amour!"

The followers dressed in pure white clothes greeted us at the door.

We told them we'd like to have a wedding, and they all smiled brightly at us.

Follower: "Very well, then. First, we'll conduct a test to see if you two truly love each other."

(A test?)

(I guess I should've expected that, but... now what?)

I anxiously looked over at Victor, who firmly squeezed my hand.

It was like he was telling me it would be all right.

Victor: "Yes, of course. But you know, love is very difficult to prove since you can't see it with the naked eye."

Victor: "Therefore..."

Victor: "If I can make Kate smile in an instant, will you take that as proof that we love each other?"

The follower conferred with each other and then nodded at his suggestion.

Victor: "Thank you so much for being flexible, and for being so generous!"

Victor: "Now, everyone! May I have your attention, please?"

Victor: "I have here an ordinary jacket, but I'm going to shake it and make Kate's favorite flower appear!"

Follower: "...I guess he's doing some kind of magic thick?"

Victor: "Now, watch carefully. I'll shake the jacket and..."

Victor: "Ta-daaa!"

All of a sudden, a white dove flew out of Victor's jacket.

Followers: "Eek!"

Victor: "Whoa! Why doves?!"

Follower: "Open the windows! Quickly, open the windows!"

Kate: "I-I'll help you!"

Everyone quickly opened the windows, and the dove gracefully flew out and up to the sky.

(That startled me!)

Kate: "Heh..."

Victor: "Hm?"

Kate: "Pfft, ahahaha! Another dove?!"

Kate: "I swear, every time your magic tricks fail a dove appears! Ahaha!"

Follower: "Haha... That surprised me! I certainly wasn't expecting a dove."

Victor: "Well, all's well that ends well. She did end up smiling, after all!"

Follower: "A promise is a promise. We shall acknowledge that you two truly love each other."

Victor: "Wow, really? Thanks!"

The followers all chuckled with chagrin as they stood around Victor.

(I was afraid of what would happen if he failed, but he didn't only make me smile... He made everyone else smile too.)

Follower: "Well, then, let's hold the wedding tomorrow morning. Until then, you're free to do as you please."

End Ch.1