#i keep seeing people giving him snakebites so i just

[aachria]

once again writing as im reading yk how it is

You apologizing in the notes for a longer chapter will never fail toget me hyped and sorta nervous 🧍‍♀️

SABO AND LUFFY REUNION I LOVE THEM

"So did you (get taller) , thank you for staying alive long enough for me to know that" aachria the writer that you are 😭 you always manage to make me emotional

Snakebite/fangs sabo my beloved ALSO SEPTUM PIERCING SABO??? HIM HAVING A SHIT TOM OF PIERCINGS??? AACHRIAAAAA. WRITE MORE SABO CHAPTERS AND MY LIFE IS YOURS.

"…Who the fuck picks a prosethetic that looks like Sans from Undertale???? " Sabo the man you are

AACHRIA. PLEASE. IM AT THE "ACE TO BE EXECUTED" PART. WTF. WHAT WHAT WHAT 😭 UHM. I knew my ass was being too hopeful about both of them being there 😕 i shouldn't have trusted you.

If Ace dies. I'll cry. /th. You'll cry too so please don't kill him 🙏‼️

NOOOO ED DONT BLAME YOURSELF ITS NOT UR FAULT YOU WERE LIKE ⅘S DEAD ATP FR

THE VIVRE CARD OMG AACHRIA PL3ASE HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US HOW COULD YOU 😭😭

"I can’t save him. I can’t save him, I can’t save him I CAN’T SAVE HIM I CAN’T SAVE HIM— " ricky when i catch you Ricky. I dont wanna call this foreshadowing cause that might give you ideas and i predicted quite a bit of stiff right. So i predict Portgas D. Ace will Live.

MONKEY D. LUFFY THE MAN YOU ARE 😭

I want you to know i cried at the Luffy comforting and forgiving Ed part 😕

" “How can you say that?” I croak, trying to find any hint of dissension in his expression. “How can you not believe it?” he counters." 😕😕😕😕😭😭😭😭 you're a bully

ED COWBOY HAT ED COWBOY HAT ED COWBOY HAT OMG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BUT IT WOULDVE BEEN BETTER HAD ACE BEEN THE ONE TO GIVE IT TO THEM IN PERSON ANOTHER REMINDER THAT YOU'RE A BULLY. A MEAN MEAN BULLY 😭

ACES NOTE OMG I LOVE HIM SM HE BETTER NOT DIE 😭

" Bit of a shit way to meet and in law but hi" and then no elaboration is so funny 😭

PLANNING FUCK YEAH I ALWAYS LOVE THISE SEQUENCES IN FICS

Did. Did failure make ed forget about the kuma sending everyone away thing? Or are they gonna try to put it off til after marineford??? Or is it just not gonna happen at all???

Ed repeatedly saying "i love competent people" with kore and more intensity 3ach time is so real what a mood

Jonah mentioned 🤭 love to see sabo and ace bonding

ED AND LUFFY PRISON BREAK ED AND LUFFY PRISON BREAK ED AND LUFFY PRISON BREAK ED AND LUFFY PRISON BREAK

"Unquestionably" 🤭🤭🤭

im still worried abt wtf is gonna happen a propos the strawhats separation

Amazing chapter as always excited to see the next chapter that you might post on Wednesday THANK YOU SO MUCH ‼️

GUYS I PROMIE I'M NOT APOLOGIZING I'M MAKING A STATEMENT BECAUSE I'M A BIG CONSISTENCY GIRLIE AND I FIGURE YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW GOING IN THAT IT'LL BE LONGER THAN YOU'D TYPICALLY THINK. LIKE IF YOU THINK YOU CAN READ A CHAPTER BEFORE GOING SOMEWHERE AND DON'T GET TO FINISH BECAUSE IT'S LONGER THAN YOU EXPECED. I DON'T KNOW.

but yeah getting you hyped and nervous is pretty much the intended effect.

I was trying real hard to keep faithful to the feelings from the canon Sabo and Luffy reunion while also not having Ace being DEAD as the driving force of the thanks (the ASL brothers thanking each other is something that can be so personal—) and I'm, if nothing else, content with where it ended up. Fuckin' love those two.

Nothing shows how much you love a character like giving them fucktons of piercings and just generally disregarding their canon design. He is my special little guy and I will make him strange and weird like he deserves and if that included stealing his fucking eye and making it more awesome and also poking a myriad of holes in his face, who's to stop me?

I am terribly trustworthy excuse you. I never said I wasn't going to do terrible things. I asked if you thought I'd do terrible things and I hoped I wouldn't do terrible things, but I never made any promises. Hheh.

I also make no promises not to kill Ace. For the record. But I will cry absolutely.

If there's one thing about Ed, it's that if they're given a chance they will martyr the SHIT out of ANYTHING. Like pookie please your saviour complex is showing.

I was so ready for someone to call out the recurring smoked fish joke like 'hmmmm smoked fish you say kinda of like SMOKE from something BURNING IS IT?!" and then that didn't happen and I felt vindicated. And please when have I ever used foreshadowing before. Doesn't sound like me at all.

Luffy is my hero you GO bestie COMFORT that idiot YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—

Look that cowboy hat is fantastic and my catalyst for cowboy Ed, who can only get more cowboy cunty from here. Nothing say pirate quite like a cowboy.

Oh yeah baby Ed is very aware of Kuma. There's a bunch of you shits who were real concerned about them forgetting and to that I say the first little sequence of next chapter was supposed to be on the end of last chapter, but it was already too damn long so I had to split 'er up. It'll make more sense when you read it.

I LOVE COMPOTENT PEOPLE ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ ED AND LUFFY PRISON BREAK ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

Yeah.... the separation.........

Anyway yeah I didn't end up doing to Wed update because I had a bad week but there WILL be one this week ‼️‼️

[generic-whumperz]

OC in 3

Choose 3 pics to represent your OC

Oops, I got overly excited and made 10 three-picture collages

Omg thank you @mj-iza-writer for the tag! I am honored that I came to mind! 🥹

No pressure (& open to anyone interested!) tag: @rainydaywhump @eatyourdamnpears @clairelsonao3 @dresden-syndrome @lights-out-knives-out @snakebites-and-ink

| Aid Masterlist | Aid Character Sheet | Character Info

Soooo, I know I’m supposed only to pick three pics, but honestly, I simply cannot (I know, no surprise there). I have been wanting to do a vibe photo dump for The Aid (the Whumpee & title of the story) but have yet to do it (hello, my ever-expanding Pinterest boards), so I’ll take this chance to explore The Aid’s past phases he’s gone through (pre & post-Wyatt {Whumper #2}) and give some explanations because it’s a lot. However, I don’t know if explanations are necessary for this tag game, but I’m famously too much, so of course, I’m going to over-explain myself because of my crippling fear of being misunderstood!

Ironically, I call his time with Madame Eleanor (technical Whumper #1) his “Aid Era” because that’s when he becomes this character we are introduced to and currently know him as. Yet, this is the part of his life he is phasing out of. **Insert something-something about being haunted by your past.**

(In the current storyline, he is going through a succession of more changes, and his world is about to be turned upside down yet again, but I’ll hold off on showing those for now because they’re spoilers, and I have more than enough here!)

Starting from the top, here we goooo—

P.S. The people in these pics are not what the characters look like, this is simply vibes only!

Day 1

1. As soon as The Aid arrives at his new home, Madame Eleanor gets custom-made Gucci uniforms made for him that looks like this. This is his go-to everyday attire. (I spent too long looking at scrubs and hospitality uniforms on and off for over a month—tell me you like it and think it’s cool and sleek.)

2. He has a special built-in in his closet specifically for all his fancy, jewel-encrusted collars Madame Eleanor gifted him throughout the years, but this is what the facility's standard-issue collar looks like for his designation (Grand Servant: Domestic Aid).

3. His favorite Prada frames Madame Eleanor got him. (Wyatt later breaks them because he’s an asshole, leaving him straight up blind for several months).

Fancy Threads

Eleanor Sullivan was a Rich Bitch™️, so best believe she had her servant dressed to the 9s in designer fits when out and about or for Family events and the like. She may also put him in a butler uniform from time to time when they were hosting a party at their residence—which was often, Eleanor was known for her soirées. (To clarify, he’d still wear a collar even when dressed up, and all those attending knew who and what he was.)

The Host

He loved a good party just as much as Eleanor did! He likes serving and seeing people have fun and enjoy themselves (people-pleasing empath). He was known for his food displays and had a knack for creating a proper afternoon tea spread that garnered attention from all those present.

Speaking of Empath…

We can’t talk about him without bringing up his not-so-secret secret! Lil’ homie has a gang of abilities (telepathic empathy, hyper intuition, premonitions, and psychometry) just bubbling up inside him at all times. His relationship with himself and his sixth senses is complicated, to say the least—he finds them burdensome, yet he cannot function without them, despite how much he argues otherwise. It’s a whole thing, but for a certified Telepathic-Empath™️, he sure is dead inside (which only gets worse after Wyatt OFC).

*Sorry for the shitty upload quality of the Emotional Sponge, idk why it looks so bad!

Domestic Duties

Not only can he slap together the best charcuterie board you’ve ever seen and easily untangle Christmas lights, but he’s also a man who can cook, clean, and keep a house. What can’t he do?

Hobbies? Interests?

Don’t be ridiculous, he didn’t have time for leisure activities! But when he had some occasional downtime, he would spend an ungodly amount of it doing facials and grooming himself. He also loved to go to the spa with Madame Eleanor. As far as reading went, he wasn’t into novels, but he would occasionally peruse short-story myths and legends, old fables, or read picture books in funny voices to Eleanor’s grandchildren. Primarily, he’d like to read trashy magazines, comics, and cookbooks. But let’s be real, he considered cleaning, gossiping, and baking his primary hobbies.

RIP Madame Eleanor Sullivan

(She’s been dead for about a year and a half when they story picks up)

First and foremost—above everything else—The Aid was Eleanor Sullivan’s literal live-in medically trained caregiver, which is why she bought him in the first place. They had a very close relationship for five years, and he did everything for her. When she died, his world was shattered, and he took her death really hard. Wyatt was jealous of his Mother’s relationship with her servant from day one, which is where part of his animosity comes from. Quick note—Eleanor was a posh, vintage-Chanel-wearing Grandma and would never be caught dead wearing a bathrobe outside. Eleanor was Queen of being That Bitch.

Enter: Wyatt Sullivan

These pics are pretty tame all things considered, but after Eleanor’s death, The Aid is now in a World O’ Hurt and the subject of Wyatt’s drug-and-alcohol-fueled rage. The Aid went from a high-class servant loved by his Madame and respected by her friends, associates, and family (besides Wyatt) to a human punching bag overnight. The beef between these two runs deep and maybe Eleanor isn’t as innocent as she seems. Stick around and you’ll find out all the Sullivan family tea.

To: Wyatt

Just some memes directed towards Wyatt and The Aid being painfully aware of his shitty situation (I got too many of these and had to sprinkle some in).

Where We’re at Now…

Quite the fall from grace, wouldn’t you say? Our boy is currently bed-ridden and zombified while having the worst time imaginable. He’s drugged up, fucked up, and can’t move half of his body!

*This took me an embarrassing amount of time to assemble, but I went the extra mile because this doubles as a reference guide.

[for-some-reason-i-can-hold-light]

(For some context, this is set about two years before the calamity. [Redacted] still goes by Glow, and also hasn’t started to transition yet. And the people talking to them here are going to refer to them with their given name, but I’m going to block it out. Also they’re all in junior high/middle school. They’d be in 9th I think, if I have my ages right.)

“Man that guy was desperate! I’m surprised you didn’t kick his ass ***!”

She rolled her eyes. “[My counselor’s been trying to help me with the anger issues. And helping me work through some of my anxiety problems. But I’m trying to keep calm.]”

Her cousin laughed. “Still, it’s weird seeing you stay so calm! You’re doing good ***.”

She glanced over at them, and smiled without thinking.

“[Thanks Barbs. I’m glad you think so.]”

Since it’s their lunch break, they go to the normal classroom they hang out in. It’s an old art room that doesn’t get used much. But it has a good view of the crystal walls on the north side of the city.

They’ve been talking for a good while now, when all of the sudden she realizes that Barbs is taking a picture.

“[OI! WHAT THE HELL?]”

Without thinking, she flips off the camera, Aura not realizing what’s happening until a second later.

There’s a pause from Aura and Barbs, both registering what’s happening. The magpie wheezes, and a moment after, Barbs laughs as well. She felt her face go bright yellow, and drew her wings in closer, making a sound of anger without really thinking about it.

“Sorry ***. You were genuinely smiling! It’s been a while since we’ve seen it. I wanted a picture.”

She’s quiet for a second. Aura shoots her a grin, and she sighs.

“[It’s fine. Just give me a heads up next time. You know I’m not a fan of getting my picture taken.]”

Barbs nods, and they continue on with their conversation.

And if her smile was a little wider, well… that was nobodies business now, was it?

————————————————————————

Alright! Some backstory stuff, plus tiny details I’ll mention.

As I’ve said before, Aura is the friend who’s based off a friend of mine from when I was much younger. Much like how she bullied me when we were young, Aura commits her own sort of betrayal to [Redacted], switching sides, and causing the battle that directly results in Fultein’s death. She’s M.I.A. at the end of the calamity, but the odds are she’s dead.

Barbs is another one of [Redacted]’s cousins, who’s only 6 months younger than him. The two were really close, but he’s also missing at the end of the calamity, and they haven’t found him yet. But much like Lumen, it’s up in the air if he’s actually dead.

NOW- tiny details. Much like me at this point in my life, [Redacted] has not realized that he’s trans, and has not started to transition. I’ve also given him some piercings he doesn’t wear now. He’s got snakebite piercings, which I’ve honestly wanted to get so many times but haven’t. His earrings are also different, and even though I didn’t sketch it in, he had a nose ring too, one on the side.

Also, since Aura is a magpie, I added some white streaks into her hair. And me making her a magpie might or might not be entirely out of spite for the real person, since magpies are 100% considered trash birds here where I live (they steal our peaches off our trees), and I generally don’t think of this person fondly. So I decided it fits.

[arcticdementor]

I would like to give you an anti-blackpill, but I’m having serious issues with depression partly because I’m having post-viral syndrome, which always comes with depression. I’m also very afraid because I remember how seamless the fraud was in 22 and how many people believed that election was clean. I don’t believe that election was clean, because I don’t believe we’ve had clean elections… possibly ever. But I do believe the fraud has been overwhelming since at least 2012. (I mean, it might have been overwhelming in 2008, except the Obama campaign was seamless enough and they sold his image as super smart and black — did I mention black? — well enough that a lot of brainless and young and gullible voted for him. So while the fraud was enormous, I don’t think it was as bad as in 12 and subsequent.) I think the only reason we got 2016 is because they weren’t expecting Trump to have any real support and so they didn’t fraud enough. But their confidence that her Shrilliness would win definitely means they thought they had enough fraud.

…

And note I’m not putting much faith in the fact that Trump says this time he’ll fight the fraud. I think our Yugely popular president is still naive when it comes to how bad the fraud is. Good men have a big problem understanding the actions of very bad men. And unfortunately and shockingly, given the lack of the left finding anything real on him after all this, we must conclude that Trump is a good man. (Sigh.) So, I’m having serious trouble believing we’ll beat the steal. REAL trouble. Because it’s endemic and entrenched. I just believe it will be sneakier than in 2020. More like 2022. I think the panic we’re seeing is because the left is PARANOID about Trump. He defeated the steal once. And his people didn’t believe in PRESIDENTLOLEIGHTYMILLION’s victory, pretty much ever. So they’re snakebit and think that Trump has magical powers. Hence the panic.

…

However, don’t assume that. Assume they steal it once more. Yes, it’s going to be bad. It’s going to be very very very bad. I’ve seen what population replacement looks like in a Portugal where everyone speaks with an accent and BUSINESS OWNERS sometimes don’t speak Portuguese at all. (This was a problem as the person also didn’t speak English.) And it’s horrifying. That whole thing that the left spend the nineties nattering about, the “anomie of modern life”? Yeah, disparate populations with no common culture or roots and all living together in landscapes they have no tie to is the closest realization of that I’ve ever seen. And that’s not counting the third-worldization of the US, the complete unrepentant allowing of the worst elements in, etc etc, all while throttling our energy, corrupting our information and generally doing everything they can to hurt us, going as far as they can to the “now we shoot” tripwire without tripping it. This year is already going to be very lean for most of us for Christmas. Four more years is almost unthinkable.

…

Keep in mind that if it gets bad for the US it gets unimaginably worse for the rest of the world. The US is the engine of the world economy. When we ache, the world explodes in pain. The sort of pain I expect here means the world coming apart at the hinges. Which in turn, yes, also affects us. (It also means your ideas of refuge abroad are … inadvisable. Remember in 2012 people talking of Brazil and Australia as refuges? Yeah. Here we have the 1st and the 2nd amendment. They give us advantages.)

…

However, even assuming they steal the elections yet again, there are things to remember: Vote. Almost every voice telling you not to bother is on the other side. (The rest are pudding heads.) Because it would make their hiding the fraud much much easier if our side just walks away. Vote. Vote like you mean it. If we lose, I don’t want to hear a peep about Trump. NOT ONE PEEP.

…

So I don’t want to hear a peep. Trump doesn’t have less chance against the tide of fraud than anyone else. Arguably he has more. Yes, yes, mean tweets and unforced errors, and you’re going to hold your breath till you’re purple. That’s cute. Adorable, even. In 2020 Trump got more votes than in 2016. Which was unprecedented. Unheard of. And the election still got stolen. It just got stolen at the last minute and obviously because they weren’t counting on his doing that. Ultimately that’s the biggest take away. Under unprecedented attack and under lockdown, more Americans voted for Trump than in 2016. No one gives a hanging damn about mean tweets is what I’m telling you. And unforced errors are human. When the left stands ready to turn anything you say into one of those this will happen. Consider, perhaps that no candidate could ever match your delicate sensibilities and pure feelings. Become a trappist monk or something. BUT DO NOT RUN TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND LEND FORCE TOT HE STEAL BY CLAIMING TRUMP IS A HORRIBLE CANDIDATE. He never was that, and he never will be. AND what’s more he knows if he loses he (and possibly all his family) will be bankrupted and dead. I think that’s the reason he’s running at all this time.

…

He’s at risk of losing because the democrats have built a rube-goldberg fraud machine. And the only way for us to go against it and win is to NEVER STOP POINTING OUT IT EXISTS. Never engage in a circular firing squad pointing our we coulda shoulda, etc. Sure, we coulda shoulda. But the only republican the fraud wouldn’t defeat is one that is on their side. Don’t close your eyes. Don’t avert them from the horrendous fraud taking place. The Greeks before the walls of Troy burned their boats so they couldn’t leave until the war was won. This is me, I’m running with a torch. There is no backing up. Burn the boats. Win or lose, we’re all in.

[sins-of-the-sea]

There was another pause in the Maestro’s voice, but not as long as the last.  Well, if he was going to give a speech, he should show his face, eh?

The snake unwedged himself from where he was hiding.  For a moment, it was just a ribbon of light, standing upright in a cobralike manner, before expanding into a man’s form.  Forte took his human form in a matter of moments.

“It has been some time since we’ve properly spoken, face to face.”

The wispy old Maestro decided not to include how upset he’d been that he hadn’t been consulted for advice.  Or that he thought Guy ought to leave behind the bastard who nearly took his son away.  Seemed… like a bad time for all that.

“I just want to give you a, as they say, a pep talk.  You know that what they all say about you is bullshit, don’t you?  None of this is your fault.  That is all lies.  Vicious lies.  You shouldn’t feel guilty simply for living, nor punished for having emotions.  I know that.  I understand that.  If ever you doubt your worth, then you come straight to me.

“Now, I know you are strong.  I want you to act like it.  I can’t sit by and continue to watch as you are unable to stand up for yourself.  So, raise your head son, and know truly you are deserving of happiness.  Bite back.. if you must.  Can you do that for me?  It’s the goal of the world to break people like us… but we REFUSE.”

[never-took-a-lesson]

Guy almost drops the tea he was preparing. "Olalalal!! Kwasan?! You were-

"….That explains why Monsieur Cogsworth was asking about you…

"…..And why none of us have died to a snakebite yet despite just letting you slither around freely. Seems it's a good thing Phoebus was afraid of you on principle, snake or no."

Guy hasn't come to Forte for advice or just any other talk lately… simply because he's afraid of exposing him to the Master more, even though the Maestro can likely hold his own just fine. But that is no guarantee for Guy. Seeing how he is so willing to come forward for times of strife, however, Guy thinks twice about his anxiousness to approach Forte for anything. Perhaps he can give advice regarding the mistakes he made. Maybe he knows what can be done to subvert a greater evil. Maybe he knows how to save a lost loved one.

….Or he can confuse Guy over what he's saying. Sure, a lot of things said about him are shameful and disdainful, but….

"…I thank you, good sir??" Guy replies once the speech of fighting back and deserving happiness is complete. "What brought this on? I am thankful for this, I assure you--there are many times I feel I deserve the worst coming to me. And I have been cutting people off who make me think that way. Too much, I think. I'm starting to feel more and more alone…"

He does feel more and more alone. Lately all the antics he's been doing with his Crew are either just typical lollygagging among shipmates at sea, or very self-serving actions that put everyone in danger. Like his attempt at a solo raid. With everything going on, he is praying the Crew won't fracture further despite the Master's demands they remain a coordinated unit.

He understands now where the Maestro is coming from. But G-d in Heaven, it's so hard.

"I'm trying, Maestro. I really am. I'm so very sorry…. I want to believe that. I want to believe what I am doing is right and deserving of happiness. But it seems all I'm doing is driving people further away in seeking out my own. I don't want to abandon myself to please the people around me… but I don't want to destroy them in pursuit of myself either. I don't want the people I care for to keep crying for me when I am the one hurting them."

"Oh, Maestro…. what am I doing wrong??"

[cowboysuperhero]

how's questions 1-10 for your oc ask thang? Answering for the character that's currently occupying your mind the most

1. Are they happy with their body?

VERY much so. He is VERY aware that other people think he’s hot, agrees with them, and overall is extremely confident in himself and the way he looks. He doesn’t like himself for a number of other reasons, but this is mostly regarding his actions and personality, and his appearance has nothing to do with it. His main theme is choice and one of the reasons he likes the way he looks so much is because he chose it – in some way or another, he had a hand in every aspect of his appearance, from how he styles his hair and goatee to the tattoos and how he dresses.

2. Do they have any secret piercings or tattoos?

None of them are secret, but clothes usually cover most of them. He has four-ish very large, very visible tattoos (he’d have more if I didn’t have to Draw Them all the time). His ears are also pierced, just in the normal lobe spot, but sometimes I draw him with more; I think he probably had others that have closed over time because he forgets to put anything in them. Interestingly I've been consistently drawing in the studs a lot more lately? Probably because I changed the way I draw the structure of ears and now there's actually space for them. Also decided recently that he gets snakebites in the future, so sometimes those are there.

3. Do they collect anything?

Mmm, not really? He has a habit of picking up and buying random small items either on impulse or on accident (not paying attention to what's in his hand), so he has random stuff floating around sometimes, but he's not trying to collect them and usually ends up getting rid of them pretty quickly. Aside from that he does have a lot of band t-shirts.

4. What is their favorite music genre?

Punk and ska!

5. What music genre, if any, do they hate the most?

Country. He hates the ‘beer and hot chicks’ type pop country and finds older stuff slow and boring.

6. What is their phone background/lock screen?

Used to be a band logo though may on occasion be a random picture of somewhere in Silver City. Alistaire sometimes takes his phone and changes the lock screen to a picture of them together, usually something unflattering for Charlie; at first he changes it back every time but once they’re friends he gives up, and eventually sets pictures of them together as his background voluntarily.

7. What is their shoe size?

LMAO

8. Do they have a favorite fabric or texture?

Not that I can think of tbh

9. Do they have a favorite professional sport?

He’s sort of passively into soccer, as in he enjoys it but doesn’t actively play or follow it. It’s big in Silver City because of the major league team there (Rocosa Defenders) and he, like a lot of other kids, grew up playing soccer because of this. He played on his high school team for a year or two before dropping it because he couldn’t keep up the grades required to be on the team.

10. How do they decorate their living space?

Just go check out r/malelivingspaces for an idea. KIDDING I think it's fairly normal? Probably pretty sparse as far as decorations go, but he's got some band posters scattered around haphazardly, plus pride flags. His room is definitely messy. As with his clothes, dark or neutral colors for everything. Also, HORRIBLE lighting. He can see in the dark so it'll take him months and months to get around to changing a dead bulb, if he ever does do it.

[ravenfirethief]

"Did anyone tell you about the stories they wrote about you after they were gone? In one of those stories, they claim you said... just a sec..."

He looked into the distance for a moment, then recited, as if reading from a text,

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

He shook his head and looked back at Jay with a shrug. "So anyway, there are churches that worship you, where people babble incoherently and are told they are speaking in tongues, they handle poisonous snakes - to the point of the preacher wandering around the church with them draped over his shoulders while he preaches, they blame everything from the common cold to schizophrenia on demons, and if they can't heal it by laying on hands and praying for healing, they hold an exorcism to 'cast out the demons of whatever they can't make go away with a prayer."

He made a sour expression. "Yes, they get a lot of snakebite victims, but most of the time the victims die because they pray over them instead of taking them to doctors. And they have a lot of people who die because they rely on prayer and exorcism instead of medicine. That's the kind of church Josh grew up in, in my world."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. You'll find that White Jesus is the predominant one in America. Any time anyone tries to point out that you were Jewish and looked like someone from Israel, not like a white American from the 1930s, the people who say they worship you go utterly berserk. And you don't want to know more about American Jesus. Not if you want to keep your lunch down."

"Michael? Mister 'I have a big stick and I'm not afraid to use it' himself? Well, fuck." Fred rubbed his face with both hands. "You'd know if he'd lobotomized the angels. They'd be like like window displays until whoever is sitting on the throne wants to use them to come down and slaughter a few dozen humans. That's pretty much all the version of your father that lives in my world uses them for. He sits on his throne and sees through their eyes, while he moves them around like dolls to do his dirty work."

Fred gave him a sympathetic look and nodded slowly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a straight-sided bottle with a diamond embossed on the side, a pull-tab cap, and "Coca Cola" embossed inside the diamond. The bottle was cold enough to begin sweating as soon as he took it from his pocket.

"Here." He offered the bottle. "I understand wanting a normal life. It's... something that seems to be out of reach for us, though. Best I can do is see what we can do to help you get as good as you can here. Have you found a synagogue yet?" He paused, then smiled sadly. "Yeah, that's after your time, isn't it? After the Romans leveled the Temple, Jews had to find ways to worship that weren't focused on the Temple. Synagogues are what exists now. And there's one just a few blocks away. You'd just need to give yourself a name that doesn't include a reference to your mother, or Bethlehem, or Nazareth. Thanks to the behavior of your worshipers, and the whole human sacrifice thing, Jewish people consider you a false messiah. Sorry. But as long as they don't know who you are, you should be able to at least be able to go to synagogue."

🌙+ (could be woods, or beach, or creepy industrial neighborhood - it doesn’t matter, all that matters is the whistling) Fred, in human form, in his lab coat, meandering along wherever you think is sufficiently creepy, whistling this particular theme song. Jay looked up seeing someone coming his way down the alley. He knew a lot of humans didn’t like him hanging around back here even though it was warm and he curled up trying to hide in the corner by the dumpster

[nabhx]

Mans took almost getting publicly executed like a champ frfr-

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Hello, could I ask for headcanons of Snake with a s/o who has snakes of their own? Some other characters I would like to include are Cheslock, Violet, Joanne, and Charles Grey please!

absolutely!! this is so cute, I’m sorry Grey is kind of a BUTT in regard to this dfjkldafjkla

but anyway snakes are my favorite animals so I do be VIBING

Just… keep those things away from him, right? There are some things he’s just not fond of, and snakes are one of them. He doesn’t care if his S/O has them, as long as he doesn’t really have to interact with the creatures regularly. It’s not as strong as a fear (the things aren’t ghosts, after all); more he… simply doesn’t care for them.

He’ll give them water to drink or help with baths if (Name) asks, but no way in hell is he going to help with feeding. Even if he liked snakes, he just doesn’t have the stomach for that. He won’t even get as far as trying ― they ask, and he flat-out says that he doesn’t want to. At least he’s good at setting boundaries!

To be clear: if he wakes up to the beasts in his bed or anything along those lines, he will ask his S/O to choose him or them. It’s more about boundaries, again, than anything else. As far as he’s concerned, the bed is not a place for pets, it’s for people. It’s different if (Name), say, asks him to hold the snakes or lets them slither on the carpet in front of the hearth or anything where he knows they’re out and about. He’s fine with that. He just won’t tolerate them nearby, while he’s sleeping and unaware, in the bed. Otherwise he actually handles them very well for someone who’s not a snake person… for a short time, anyway.

Huh… that’s a bit different, innit? Certainly not something you see every day. Luckily, Cheslock is obviously a sucker for the unconventional, which includes pets. So he’s totally well and good with these wiggly little guys, and in fact he really likes them! That said, snakes (and their care, etc.) are something he doesn’t know too much about, so (Name) should expect a good deal of questions to answer and misconceptions to correct. He’s passionate and curious, though, which counts for a lot!

He might be a small bit wary the first few times he holds them, because he’s never really done that before. He likes it, of course; just the idea of getting bitten makes him a little anxious! Thankfully he gets used to handling them fairly quickly. It’s a great way to bond with both them and with his S/O. Plus, he’s not the least bit paranoid about constrictors squeezing him slightly to hang on!

In the future, he’s definitely going to get tattoos dedicated to the snakes, just like he’s got one dedicated to (Name). It’ll probably be like one tattoo on his leg, with all the snakes’ names winding up from his ankle and maybe some scale designs. Hell, he might even be cheeky and get snakebite piercings “in honor of the little buggers!” Don’t let that fool you, he really does care about and enjoy the snakes his darling has made company with.

Breathtaking…! Being into all the weird and strange things, seeing the beauty in places no one else might find it, he’s instantly fascinated. His beloved just keeps getting more and more intriguing, don’t they? These are exotic animals, not the ones he may see all the time like dogs or cats or even birds, for that matter. (Name) found something about them to be drawn in by, which he can undoubtedly appreciate. And, well, he must admit… the snakes are awfully cute.

Sooooooo many drawings of them will be coming practically as soon as he’s introduced to his S/O’s pets. That’s the case with any subject he gets interested in, is that he’s compelled to start drawing them. Artists! It’s endearing, though, to see him just as enthralled to draw the snakes as he is to draw (Name) themself. And he’s so incredibly talented, they’re sure to keep everything forever ― paintings, sketches, etchings, everything, because he works in a variety of mediums and they’re each just as gorgeous as the other.

He’s terribly relaxed about the idea of the snakes crawling on him. Handling them and having them in his lap or draped over his arms or anything like that doesn’t bother him in the slightest. Why should he be at all perturbed by that, really? Not only is he happy to be giving them plenty of warmth, it also takes… quite a bit to faze Gregory Violet. The company is nice, and he also can’t deny that he likes to pet whichever snakes will tolerate that kind of treatment; it’s calming, in a way. If he were just a little less vigilant (or like Edgar), he might fall asleep cuddling with them and (Name).

Oh, that’s… well… well, that’s certainly different! Although he’s heard of people having snakes as pets, he’s never actually known of anyone in real life (in relation to his own life, at least) who’s kept them. Like with many things, he’s quite starry-eyed when it comes to new concepts such as this. He’s been a little sheltered in terms of varied experiences, but thank goodness he’s got an escape in books. It means he’s maybe slightly startled by his S/O’s pets, and not outright terrified. That’s a win, right?

Oh, he loves it when they flick their little tongues out at him!! That means they’re smelling him, which he knows, so he makes sure to never, ever, ever change the kind of soap he uses. This way they can recognize him much more easily and won’t get confused. Plus, a couple of them seem rather keen on slithering into his hair, especially when it’s covering his face, so that’s cause not to switch shampoos either. And their tongues tickle his skin, making him laugh, so he’s never not smiling when he’s with the snakes. Once or twice (Name) has even caught him mirroring the gesture, with the snake sticking their tongue out briefly and Joanne then sticking the tip of his tongue out in return. Cuuuute.

Honestly, he’s excited to have an animal he can actually interact with, without any issues! He’s allergic to pretty much anything with fur, and although that doesn’t stop him from playing with his older sister’s cat, it does make him miserable for hours after. Joanne’s eager to go ahead and ‘adopt’ the snakes after his S/O introduces him, thinking of the creatures as his pets just as much as theirs. As long as the snakes are alright with it and not stressed, he’ll gladly lounge on the couch for hours reading with them in his lap or coiled around his arms. Being lonely has been a constant in his life before things improved, and even now he’s still shy, so… it’s nice to see him happy and peaceful like this.

… Snake play dates??? Oh, yes, most certainly, snake play dates. He loves that his friends and his S/O’s friends can just kind of be together and mess around and be snakes with each other. As long as none of them happen to get frisky with one another, (snakes will be snakes), he knows they’ll all play nice. Ergo, he and (Name) don’t have to worry so much if they happen to want to, well, be alone for a bit. Not to mention, he also doesn’t have to worry about his darling not being supportive of the snakes, because, well, they’ve got scaly buddies of their own! He’s really never been more in love than with someone who also prefers the company of snakes.

Both of them serve as snake babysitters for each other’s snakes, too. They’re happy to do it! Snake’s snakes trust (Name), and (Name)’s snakes trust Snake, so it’s really not that hard. (Name) has exactly zero problems learning all of their little quirks and interacting with them, and Snake can talk to them so it’s not an issue for him in any way. It’s rather sweet to watch them interact with each other’s pets, because it’s so clear the love and care they have. Now it’s like they’ve got one big snake cuddle puddle rather than separate groups; neither of them could possibly be more content with that, of course.

This really is something he’s only dared to dream about. Most of his life he’s been quite aware that most people he might befriend, let alone be with romantically, would probably only tolerate the presence of snakes in their life. But he’s so, so excited that here they are, this wonderful person who actively enjoys the company of these creatures as much as he does! It gives him this almost kind of inner peace knowing that they chose him. There’s someone out there, right here, who thinks in a way that he does, likes some of the things he likes, someone who would rather be with him and his snakes than with someone ‘normal’. He’s just so happy they all found each other, and he takes every opportunity to remind them that this is his dream come true.

[abittersweetsongforyou]

wtfock fic recs part 2

saddle up for pt 2 babyyyy

wtfock fic recs pt 1

the underrated (just read them trust me they're brilliant)

wishing, wanting and longing by dottori

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart by orphan_account This isn't our first time around by noobishere this is us, through your eyes by dottori - with yasminas season starting id like to draw everyones attention to this fic from yasminas pov its sweet and sentimental and lovely and the fact that it has under 100 kudos is a fucking crime Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) by berrevy - i love this author so much and this fic is so good, i love the way they're written here, the description is beautiful, 10/10 A morning without you is a dwindled dawn by Createdforyou - so soft i love seeing them just living their lives together Elayna Aan Zee by zetaphiuchi(ryuujitsu) - this one is sad and maybe sander forgives too quickly but its beautifully written and i love it you're an angel in disguise (you're an angel in my eyes) by thekardemomme - this is so sweet and lovely and warm everyone should read it I do now. by irregardlxss - robbe tells jens about the hate crime dreaming of you by ivy_seas - just them being happy at christmas time hold all my cliches on the tip of my tongue by nbrook - they're dorks and they're too horny for their own good but they love each other very much i've never been in love (but i wanna be, i wanna be) by ladypeaceful - what if sander took noors place at the party in episode 1 we have the stars (and this is given once only) by merengue - military au but also childhood friends and its so soft and beautiful and they love each other so much Agents Sliding Down The Chimney by berrevy - i seriously cannot recommend berrevy enough this is a christmas fic thats a little sad but also a whole lot sweet and very real which is what i like

angst bby

I follow you (deep sea, baby) by emotionalgoblin - sander pines in my mind, in my head by cubedmango - canon divergence for s3 last two episodes

gonna help you be free, honey by lamourestout - aftermath of the hate crime

We're always gonna be contaminated by nbrook - sander fucked upppp and everyone is sad but they communicate so its fine

the night we met by themoongirl - college au, sad boys :(((

show me some stars (beneath this ceiling) by peaceoutofthepieces - five times robbe wishes he could wake up next to sander and one time he does You're always there for me by nbrook - the s4 car accident aftermath (don't want anything) but all of you by MajorAccent - s4 car accident but extra extra angsty i know someone who kisses the way (a flower opens) by romantiser robbe and sander see each other again after sander paints the mural

sander and robbe being so in love it hurts

he is the one by themoongirl - marriage proposal im soft

I'm holding my breath, as the seasons change by bruisingknees - robbe moves out of the flatshare

new year's eve by themoongirl - sander is sad but robbe is soft

all you never say by nothingbutniall - fluffffff

you're the one that i want by themoongirl - sander needs reassurance

dark paradise by luckycharmz - sander is coming out of a low and robbe takes care of him

i was grounded (while you filled the skies) by wafflesofdoom - theyre in love okay

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance by allforyoumylove - theyre childhood friends and theyre in love

oh my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight by alsjeblieft - sander painting robbe

Early Morning Dancing by teen_content_queen - flatmates dance in the morning v v cute

(inside my head) I've been at war by nothingbutniall - they're so soft pls

The sun came up and I was looking at you by allforyoumylove

Baby, Home Is In Your Arms by clarecas - robbe comes home to sander after his exam

don't be scared, you are my rock by peaceoutofthepieces - sander is sad but robbe is there purple lips (underwater) by dottori - fluff so much fluff i love it sm

in all your gorgeous colors by nothingbutniall - sander paints robbe you're still the that i love (the only one i dream of) by thekardemomme - i couldve also put this in the angst category but they just love each other so much its so beautiful My darling, I'm rooting for you by allforyoumylove - sander is having a depressive episode and robbe loves him fully formed, ready to run by MajorAccent - sander is down and robbe just wants to be with him paper rings by thekardemomme - they love each other so much and theyre going to get married one day i've always wanted a (boyfriend) by thekardemomme - christmas is sanders favourite holiday and robbe doesnt love christmas but he loves sander Come lie with me by allforyoumylove - they're roommates but they cuddle and fall in love glimpses by foxsake5 - theyre just living their lives, being in love, as they should

boyfriends being boyfriends

I absolutely adore you but we're absolute beginners by nbrook - sander is adorable

boy, i fucking got you by noobishere - yeah its rated e but its so sweet okay

Lovesick by szamsson - sander picks robbe up from school

you're a wonder under summer sky by nothingbutniall - boyfriends go camping

memories painted with much brighter ink by nothingbutniall - Christmas gift giving at the flatshare

we're keeping it simple by noobishere - eenvoud babyyyyy

Meet me in the hallway by nbrook - ahsdka Milan

double date. by fockinglevendcliche - double date with amber and aaron

back to the beach house. by fockinglevendcliche - sander wants to get it on and robbe is weak but their friends are assholes

take me with your constant shame by peaceoutofthepieces - cute date hold me close by sincerelysobbe - robbe is stressed and sander is the best boyfriend you charge me up (like electricity) by howlingsaturn - secret boyfriends if you say swim by soundnvision - another date another pool Modern Love by angelboygabriel - okay yes this is e rated but their. boyfriends and they're happy they're just also horny mkay You make me feel like I am whole again by nbrook - robbe has a rough day but sander is there being all cute and making it better I've been looking so long at these pictures of you by nbrook - much banter very cute You're my favourite kind of night by nbrook - at a halloween party finally kissing the right people Show me a piece of your heart, show me a piece of your love by nbrook - boyfriend tag for the broerrrs channel, unfinished but so much fun thus far working double time by noobishere - sander is wearing a turtleneck and he looks hot in it Ground Control by angelboygabriel - christmas clinging and sex because why not oh and they're in love hopeless romantics by thekardemomme - it's their anniversary and ugh they love each other sm sander driesen versus a mistletoe by dottori - its christmas and sander just wants to fucking kiss robbe okay high for this by flowermaze - sander is drowsy and still finds time to flirt with robbe All You've Got to Do Is Win by berrevy - they actually do play that tennis match years kept in minutes by peaceoutofthepieces - they have traditions and its adorable pls love is the opening door by cryingcancer - robbe and sander facetime on their anniversary after sander was sappy on instagram Home by foxsake5 - sander is a massive simp and robbe looks hot in a robe You don't have to say you're mine by nbrook - robbe is a little insecure and sander is there to reassure him Distracting by sincerelysobbe - v v v cute jahsdjah sander is weak for robbe we all understand bro February 14th, 2021 by foxsake5 - no words bro just cute af if we can make it through december (maybe we'll make it through forever) by nothingbutniall - sobbe at the christmas market This = Love by nbrook - robbe is hungover and sander loves to tease him They ain't living life like this by Createdforyou - halloween but this year they're together

sexy times

Woensdag 16:36 by Anonymous

i don't even wanna fuck, i just like you by eversincewefellapart

Vrijdag 18:26 by Anonymous - hurt and comfort

video phone by tokyometropolis(mesohorany) - quarantine times

Don't know where I'm going from here (but I promise it won't be boring) by skamsnake

snakebite by Anonymous

Zaterdag 09:58 by foxsake5

Wildfire by sincerelysobbe - no smut just kissing but they steamy

come on (mess me up) by MajorAccent - sex but tender 🥺

The Teenage Trifecta by little_but_fierce

i glow pink in the night in my room (blossoming alone over you) by midsummernightoddity

life is a pop of the cherry by icedwhitemocha - the hotel

Ik Win by Anonymous

In his arms tonight by allforyoumylove

long may he reign by tokyometropolis(meohorany) - well considered smut jsdhjhd

Draw Me Closer by skamsnake

When I live my dream (please be there to meet me) by skamsnake

we click, we go boom! by strangeparties Dark Red by nancy_mcfly - friends with benefits play the game of grown-ups by Anonymous - they have a lot of sex but its because they're in love

[thecatholicbozo]

(I hope it's okay to reblog & add my thoughts, let me know if not!) On the point about the creation of Woman - I think there are good arguments to be made for Woman being the capstone of Creation. At the end of most of the days of Creation, God sees that his work is "good," but on the 6th day with the creation of Man & Woman, "God saw everything that he he had made, and behold, it was VERY good." I think this perspective is most fully realized in the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the most perfect of all God's creatures (and probably the most perfect of all of God's creating things period). On the devil depicted as serpent - not an answer so much as jumping ahead to future imagery. In Exodus, there is an event where the Israelites are bitten by asps & falling ill, and God commands Moses to make a graven image of a snake, to put it on a pole, and to show it to everyone, and they are cured of their snakebites. This incident gets referenced by Jesus in John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." In other words, Jesus asserts himself to be the cure to the "snakebite" of sin we first suffered in Eden. Revelation 12 also has imagery of the devil as a dragon or serpent making war with Mary, Jesus, and his followers, which I must imagine was a conscious allusion to Genesis.

On prayer - one of the primary benefits of prayer (even when it feels dry), is turning your mind toward God. It's practice for listening & talking to him, especially in your moments of need. Knowing a couple verses of the Psalms to say a couple time throughout the day is especially good for difficult moments. Prayer in "dry" periods is good for building up the virtues of obedience & perseverance (when it is hard to pray, as opposed to when it is easy). Longer prayers like the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet give us good practice for dedicating decent chunks of our time & attention to God instead of more trivial & "shiny" things. I suspect the majority of most peoples' prayer life is fairly uninspiring & unremarkable (maybe I am just projecting lol), at least when it comes to vocal prayer. Meditative & contemplative prayer "feel" more "prayerful" when I've tried them, so you may have better a experience with that. Praying the psalms is one of the more fulfilling vocal prayers for me than some of the other vocal prayers - my favorites are Ps27, Ps42, Ps63, and especially Ps148. Either way, daily prayer is fundamental to growing in faith, so keep at it!

Day One: Genesis 1-3

4/22/24

I was gonna read through chapter 4 but this post was getting pretty long already so I decided to stop here. I did say I was prone to rambling...

Definitely not going to go this in-depth every single time 😅 my 12th grade Sacred Scripture class just happened to spend a lot of time on the Creation narrative so I have a lot of previous knowledge I want to share.

Genesis 1

Looking through my 12th grade theology notes on the creation narrative, I have a table there that looks like this:

Realm | Ruler Time | Sun, moon, stars Space | Birds Life | Land animals Sabbath | Man

I wish I had taken more in-depth notes. I feel like there should be much more to say on this but I can't elaborate. I think I understand what that means but not enough to explain it. Although, thinking of the sun, moon and stars as being created to "rule" light makes the idea of light being created before the sun make a little more sense to me.

"God said, 'let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit of its own kind within it." Gen 1:11

Okay, maybe slightly off-topic, but I've always wondered if there were any foods that Jesus didn't like. Because I mean, he's God, so he created them, but he's also human, so I would assume that maybe that means he had the human experience of having certain foods he didn't care for. Did he ever eat a vegetable as a kid and then go "why did I make this"?

"God said, 'let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the earth.' Gen 1:26

Let US make man in OUR own image, in the likeness of OURSELVES. I never noticed that before. I thought it might just be this translation but I went and checked RSV and NAB and they both say that as well. Is God referring to himself as the trinity? All the way back in Genesis chapter 1? Or...am I just...thinking too hard about it?

This is one of the scenarios where I wish I could understand Hebrew because I want to go and read this passage in the original Hebrew. I'm marking this verse to come back to later.

Also, my favorite explanation of the Trinity and the one that makes the most sense to me is this: if human beings are made of a body, soul, and a will, and they are made in God's image, then God is also made of a body, soul, and a will—with Jesus as the body, the Father as the soul, and the Holy Spirit as the will.

Genesis 2

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat; for the day you eat of that you shall die." Gen 2:17

From the footnotes: Eating from this tree means usurping the divine privilege of deciding what is good and what is evil; the temptation is to proud independence, questioning God's judgement of good and evil.

This is indeed the way the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was explained to me in 12th grade, which I am thankful for because it used to be so confusing to me when I was younger. I thought it meant that eating from the tree would grant the ability to tell the difference between good and evil, and I could never understand how that would be a bad thing.

It also makes perfect sense because it seems the root of practically all problems in society is that everyone has their own ideas about what constitutes moral goodness. Even as a bad Catholic who struggles to wrap her head around her own faith I cringe every time I hear the "you have your truth, I have mine" line.

"The LORD God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone. I shall make him a helper as a partner.'" Gen 2:18

My mom quotes this verse whenever my dad does something dumb.

"Then the LORD God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he was asleep, he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. The LORD God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man." Gen 2:21-22

According to my theology teacher, the ancient Hebrews believed the soul was contained in the chest/lungs and that the rib protected the soul; so Even being formed from a rib means women are built to be protectors of the soul..? Or...something like that. Again, I wish I'd taken more thorough notes.

There was also this thing I heard from somewhere else about how calling women inferior to men because Eve was created from a piece of Adam is dumb, because the pattern of creation is that each new thing God created was better than the last, and Eve was the last thing he created. But that sounds like a point a radical feminist would make so I'm sure that wasn't the whole explanation haha because I'm fairly certain the speaker was a conservative Catholic man.

Genesis 3

"Now, the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. It asked the woman, 'Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?'" Gen 3:1

I have always wondered why the devil is portrayed this way and that's still something I don't quite understand.

From the footnotes: In Hebr., 'snake' and 'dragon' are the same word; the dragon will lose its proud stance and become wormlike.

If we're imagining the serpent in the garden as not a tiny talking snake, but a giant monstrous serpent, it's sort of weird that Adam just...lets it chat with his wife. Because he was standing right there—

"She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it." Gen 3:6

Another thing my theology teacher said: "Every covenant failure begins with a man failing to stand up for his bride."

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths." Gen 3:7

I have a few things to say about this verse. The first is just that I've heard the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is believed to be a fig tree, both because it mentions Adam and Eve sew together fig leaves here and also because of that one passage in the New Testament where Jesus curses a fig tree.

Also, I noticed that the very first thing that happened after committing original sin was that Adam and Eve felt shame and immediately began to hide themselves from God.

I think there has to be some significance to their being ashamed of their naked bodies, something that relates to how throughout history human sexuality has been perverted, but it's not something I can put into words right now.

"He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you been eating from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?' The man replied, 'The woman you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'" Gen 3:11

This was something else I heard: obviously God already knew that they ate from the tree; what he is doing here is giving them the chance to confess. Like, as in the sacrament of reconciliation, I think.

Also, Adam immediately pointing fingers at his wife like a kid trying to get out of a punishment. Very classy of him. Eve also tries to blame the serpent but I feel like it's a little worse that Adam tries to blame her, since they are supposed to be partners who love and protect each other.

"'I shall put enmity / between you and the woman, / and between your offspring and hers; / he will bruise your head / and you will strike his heel.'" Gen 3:15

First of all, does anyone know why verses 14-19 are written in this format that's reminiscent of books like Psalms and Isaiah?

Secondly—although, this is probably common knowledge so I probably don't need to say this here—

The woman's offspring = Jesus

He will bruise your head = Jesus will triumph over sin

You will strike his heel = At the same time, he will suffer and die

Okay! So, that was Genesis chapters 1 through 3. This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would be. Again, please do not expect this level of detail from me through this whole series. 😅

The thing is, I find this stuff fascinating and I can talk about it like this but when it comes to actually believing it I have such a hard time wrapping my head around it. Even with everything I learned in that class there's still so much I don't understand.

I suppose there will always be things I don't understand, because there are things that we don't even have definite answers to. And those are the gaps that faith is supposed to fill.

Here's one of the stupid questions I have that I mentioned in my first post: does reciting prayers make a difference?

Right now I especially struggle with prayer and reciting prayers such as the Our Father is the only way I feel I'm capable of praying right now. But it doesn't feel like anything. It just feels like me saying words, even if I try to reflect on what they mean. Should I still say them anyway? What value does it have if I don't feel like I'm actually connecting with God?

Thank you to anyone who actually took the time to read this whole thing (if anyone did, that is...) and especially thank you to the support I have already received. I feel welcomed :)

[pitviperofdoom]

"Vet AU" as in veterinarian? Definitely curious about that, vets don't get nearly enough love in fiction :) I had never considered that as an AU, but now I'm immediately picturing how it would go!

The Vet AU! Yes, Vet as in Veterinarian.

This one’s a bit scattered, so I’ll just post what I have written and let it speak for itself:

---

Martin was in the middle of doing payroll when Sasha poked her head into the office with a polite knock on the doorframe. “Hey Martin, Room 2 is ready for you.”

“Oh! Thanks.” Quickly, Martin finished filling in the last number, then saved the spreadsheet and got up from his chair. At the sight of her, he bit back a chuckle—she had one of the new puppies settled against her shoulder, wiggling and poking around like a furry little worm. “Tim leave you on babysitting duty?”

“Not his fault,” Sasha said with a grin. “He’s dealing with the rottweiler situation in 5. You good?”

“Yeah, fine—remind me who’s waiting for me in 2 again?”

“According to the appointment schedule, you’ll be handling a general check-up for ‘Sticks’,” Sasha replied. “New patient, new owner.”

“Right, right, yeah.”

They usually stuck him with the first-time patients. Not that Tim and Sasha weren’t perfectly friendly and welcoming, but Martin—at least according to them—had very calming manners. He had the appearance of someone pleasant, patient, and according to Sasha, far less likely to go off on people who came in asking to declaw their cats.

“I have gone off on people for asking to declaw their cats,” Martin had said when she told him this.

“Oh, obviously. You just look like someone who wouldn’t, that’s all.”

That was what he got for being the only one with years of retail experience.

As he approached the door to the examination room, he took a few settling breaths. First-time appointments weren’t always a big deal. A majority of the time, they went smoothly; the animals weren’t familiar enough with what went on in a vet office to be nervous about it, and their owners were just as eager to be polite and pleasant as he was. But once in a while…

Well, once in a while you got someone like Peter fucking Lukas—

He shook his head. No, don’t think about Peter Lukas. Peter Lukas wasn’t worth wasting the space in his brain.

Martin settled his face into a resting pleasant expression, and opened the door.

It didn’t take a great deal of self-control not to stop in his tracks, but it did take a little. More than none. It wasn’t anything bad! Nothing against this new pet owner.

Less than nothing, if Martin were privately, sheepishly honest with himself.

The person was standing by the examination table, with a cat-sized pet carrier beside them. They were tall enough for Martin to look them in the eye without tipping his chin down, which put them a cut above most. Their hair was shoulder-length, mostly black with a bit of dark blond creeping in at the roots, framing a jawline and cheekbones so sharply defined that there had to be at least a bit of makeup involved. The snakebite piercing and the bar through the eyebrow really rounded out the whole look, especially with the long black coat, and the tattoos on the hand that rested on top of the box.

Very nice hands, Martin noted, then shrugged off the observation and funneled all his nervous energy into the safety of politeness.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’m Dr. Blackwood.”

They shook the hand he offered. “Gerry. Ke—Delano. Thanks for seeing me.”

“No trouble at all,” Martin replied, nodding toward the pet carrier. “I assume that’s my patient in there?”

“Oh, right, yeah—gimme a second.” Gerry Delano unlocked the carrier, then carefully reached in and lifted its occupant out onto onto the table.

“Oh, aren’t you lovely,” Martin murmured. “This is Sticks?”

“That’s him,” Gerry replied, as the small, fluffy, and perfectly black rabbit stretched forward to give a spot on the table a sniff, then retreated back into a loaf shape. Gerry stroked him gently. “Least I think it’s a him.”

“Well, let’s see, then.” Martin reached out, careful not to spook his new patient, and started examining her. He—yes, he—handled it all about as calmly as a nervous rabbit could. Martin didn’t have to grab a towel, at least, nor did he have a repeat of the time a nervous lop tried to jump off the examination table entirely. Sticks tolerated all the poking, prodding, and manhandling, and only got wriggly once before a quick pause and readjustment calmed him back down.

“So how long have you had him?” Martin asked, once he was done. Sticks immediately fled to the nearest safe haven, which turned out to be his owner’s armpit.

“Less than a week, since Monday,” Gerry replied, petting him as he attempted to burrow deeper into his jacket.

“Well, he’s a touch underweight,” Martin told him. “There’s some information I can give you on rabbit care, if this is your first time owning one. He’s not neutered, is he?”

“Probably not,” Gerry replied, grimacing. “I don’t know much about his history. I took him off an acquaintance who got him as a present and wasn’t doing a very good job of things.”

Martin pulled a face. “Pets make poor presents, yeah. Well, he’s old enough to be fixed, and with history like that he probably hasn’t gotten the shots he needs. After we’re done here, you can talk to Rosie out front, schedule another appointment to get those done. What do you feed him?”

Gerry, as Martin discovered, was an absolutely model rabbit owner. He’d done his homework, read up on how to keep a rabbit happy and healthy, and hadn’t scrimped on expenses. It was no wonder Sticks was happy to hide under his arm for the remainder of the appointment; he had a good home with good food and toys and what sounded like a nice setup, habitat-wise.

“What sort of vegetables are good for him?” they asked at one point. “I’m thinking of growing some. I’ve got the space, but I’ve heard too much causes problems?”

They want to grow vegetables for their pet rabbit, Martin thought, a little dreamily. “Leafy greens are a safe bet,” he replied out loud. “Romaine, parsley, cilantro, kale, that sort of thing. Work them in slowly if he’s not used to them, and he’ll be fine. I can give you a list, if you’d like?”

When the appointment was done, a future one scheduled, and the patient safely back in his carrier, Martin finally let himself ask the question that had been on his mind.

“So, is there a special meaning to ‘Sticks’?” he asked. “Is it short for something, or does he like to play with them, or…?”

“What?” Gerry looked confused for a moment, before the question seemed to click. “Oh, no, not Sticks like—he’s Styx as in the river.”

“Oh! Styx, of course. Sorry, I just—I heard it, but I didn’t see it written down—”

Gerry’s grin was crooked, like they were trying to hold it back but only partially succeeding. “It’s fine. And thanks for everything.”

“Oh, no problem, you’re doing great,” Martin assured him, smiling back. “He’s lucky to have you.”

He was pleasantly baffled when a bit of color crept into Gerry’s face. “Right, well, who can resist a bunny.”

“You’d be surprised,” Martin said as he showed him out of the room. “If I get one more new rabbit owner telling me about their lovely outdoor hutch—”

Gerry looked scandalized at the thought as he left, which was another point in his favor.

“What’s that look for?” Tim asked as Martin passed him on the way back to the office. “Oh dear. Don’t tell me Jon has competition again?”

“Oh my God, Tim, give that a rest. There was never any competition!”

“Yeah, Tim, keep it straight, will you?” Sasha called out from the temporary puppy pen. “Oliver wasn’t competition. Martin was jealous of him, remember?”

“Nothing straight about it,” Tim shot back.

“I have payroll to do,” Martin reminded them primly. “You trust me with our finances and then you treat me like this. How dare you. I’m defrauding both of you, see if I don’t.”

***

It wasn’t that Martin fell in love easily, per se. It was just that he had a very specific set of standards when it came to who he found attractive, and in his line of work he always ran into people who either met every single one of them, or disappointed him in every possible way.

When he stepped into examination room 4 and found Jon Sims trying to herd three kittens away from the edge of the examination table at once, he kept his deep sigh on the inside. Jon was batting a thousand, and he’d been coming around long enough for everyone in the clinic to know about it.

“Hello again, Jon,” Martin said, doing a wretched job of hiding his smile.

Jon looked up with a helpless expression. “It’s kitten season,” he said, and Martin poured all his sympathies into a more situation-appropriate sigh.

“It’s kitten season,” Martin agreed. “So, where did these little ones come from?”

“These came from the colony in Battersea,” he replied. “Well, sort of. The mother already has an owner, and said owner keeps letting her out every day, even though I’ve told her time and again there’s that unfixed tom I’ve never been able to catch—and that’s just the one I know of—”

Martin scowled as he examined one of the squirming kittens. Much easier to manhandle than rabbits, he thought, apropos of nothing. “Better than being born on the street, I suppose.”

“Small mercies,” Jon agreed. “Anyway, when the kittens were born she told me either I could take them or she was going to take them to the park and give them out for free, which really isn’t a choice at all. Poor things.” The ginger kitten in his hands squealed until he settled it more comfortably against his shoulder, where it calmed down and immediately tried to eat his hair.

“Gonna find a foster for them, then?” Martin asked.

“I don’t have much of a choice,” Jon sighed. “I’d do it myself, but—you know how Duchess is.”

“Yes. How is Duchess, by the way?”

“Cantankerous as ever. You don’t happen to have room, do you?”

“Room, yes. Time…” The black kitten was finished with her exam, and protested when she was put back in the carrier. “Did Sasha tell you about the puppies?”

“I haven’t seen Sasha today,” Jon replied, handing over the ginger kitten when Martin reached for it. “What puppies?”

“Rosie came in early this morning,” Martin informed him, wincing when the kitten bit hard on his thumb. “There was a box waiting by the door, with four puppies inside. No note or anything. So, that’s been fun.”

“I can imagine,” Jon said distastefully. “Are you serious? Someone just left a box of puppies on the doorstep? Like foundlings in a Dickens novel?”

Martin snorted before he could think better of it, startling the kitten into biting him again. Jon was the only person he’d ever met who would use a word like foundlings. “More or less. They are cute, though. Tim says his brother might be interested in taking one, and Sasha says she’s got friends who volunteer at a dog rescue. Retrievers usually aren’t too hard to adopt out.”

“Well, good luck to you. I suppose the season’s hard on everyone.”

The three kittens were in good health, which Martin was more or less expecting. Kittens tended to have a better chance when born in a home than out in the street—even in a less than responsible home. Between the two of them, Martin and Jon got them back into the battered old carrier, where they went back to wrestling each other in the blankets. Jon reached in to tickle one between the ears and got nipped for his troubles, but it only made him smile.

“Well, anyway,” Martin went on, realizing that he’d been staring long enough for it to be rude. “I don’t think you need any follow-up care instructions?”

Jon laughed quietly before closing the carrier. “No, I think I’m alright. Thank you, Martin.”

“It’s not problem. Always a pleasure.” Martin beamed. “Good luck on finding them a foster. And—catching that tom.”

“One of these days, I swear.”

Martin showed him back out to the front. Not necessary, considering how often Jon walked that hallway. But it felt nice to walk beside him, talking shop or chatting about nothing, all to the background tune of healthy, vocal kittens.

After waving Jon off, he turned back to find Sasha watching him from behind the front desk, chin in hand, the very picture of unimpressed.

“What,” said Martin.

“He’s been coming in for months,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Are you going to make a move or not?”

“No I’m not going to—Sasha, he’s a client.”

“So? It’s not like you’re his doctor. There’s no conflict of interest or weird power dynamic when your role in his life is taking care of animals he brings in.” Sasha sat back, letting the swivel chair roll backward. “You’re already chatting like old friends every time you see him.”

“I know, I know, it’s just—it’s weird?” Martin shrugged helplessly. “We only ever meet during business hours, so it’s like—how much of our, our, our friendliness is just a working relationship?”

“Easy fix!” Sasha spread her hands wide. “The man works at a cat rescue! You can just swing by and say hello anytime!”

“He works there part-time, and I don’t know what hours! Not like I can just stand outside and case the place until I see him.”

At that moment, the door to the back swung open, and Tim poked his head out. “Could I get some help? Bailey’s giving me some trouble and I need an extra set of hands.”

“Be right there,” Martin replied. To Sasha, he said, “Look, I’m fine. It’s not a big deal, we’re just two people who keep meeting in very specific circumstances. And that’s all it needs to be.”

Sasha sighed. “I just think you’re making this out to be more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Martin muttered, and followed Tim into the back.

[fangirlovestuff]

An Apple a Day - Ransom Drysdale x doctor!reader

a/n - hey lovely people! this one is dedicated to @anobscurename because it’s her birthday!!! ilysm and i hope you had a wonderful day you talented soul! enjoy your murder boyfriend:)

disclamer: I am absolutely not a doctor, I don’t know anything about hospitals or medicine. This work is entirely fictional:)

Summary: you’re a doctor at a hospital, and there’s one patient that just keeps getting hurt. One obnoxiously handsome patient. 

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: Ransom isn’t a murderer in this one, but he’s still kind of an asshole, talk of injuries but nothing really graphic.

"Mr. Drysdale," you read from your notepad, raising your eyes to look around the hospital waiting room, "if you could please come in, you're next."

You weren't sure who you were expecting, but it's certainly wasn't this guy. He was dressed in what seemed to be incredibly expensive clothes, way too expensive to be at a public hospital. His eyes were a clear blue and he had a smirk on his face, one that turned into a grimace once he got up on his feet and limped his way into the room.

"We're sorry for the wait, but as you've seen there was a long line," you said, your voice level. You sat down and motioned for him to take the chair in front of you. Up close, you could notice his hair looked soft to the touch, and that big sweater he was wearing was stretching over broad, strong shoulders. "What brings you to the hospital today, Mr. Drysdale?"

"Mr. Drysdale's my father," the smirk returned to his face, "Call me Ransom."

"Okay then, Ransom," you raised your eyebrow, "I could see you had a bit of trouble with your leg coming in, is that the problem?"

"I mean, yeah," he shrugged. "It's probably sprained or some shit. I don't know. I just woke up this morning and it was hurting like a bitch."

"So your leg got hurt while you were asleep?"

"Probably not," he snorted, "I mean, I guess it happened while I was out last night."

"You guess?" you asked incredulously. You couldn't believe this guy.

"I don’t exactly remember what happened last night, so yeah, I guess," he said, signature smirk still on his face.

You took a deep breath and resisted the urge to roll your eyes. "Alright, Mr. Drysdale, we can check for a sprain or a fracture, but I just want to tell you that if your attitude is any indicator, it's probably not that damaged. You'd be in a lot more pain if that’s the case."

It was sprained, and he was just drunk enough, at 4 in the afternoon, not to feel it that much.

Two weeks later, you were called to assist with a case of a snakebite in the ER. You rushed over there as fast as you could, thinking something really bad is happening if they're calling for more help.

But there he was, drunk guy, as you remembered him, laying in his hospital bed looking… bored.

To be honest, you weren't even that sure how you remembered him at all, with the amount of people you saw in a day, let alone a week, you forgot most of them after a few hours, but something about him just stuck with you. Okay, honesty is the best policy – he was just hot.

"My favorite doctor!" he exclaimed when his eyes landed on you, seemingly bored no longer.

"Mr. Drysdale," you nodded, "here once more?"

"Indeed," he snickered.

"He has a snakebite on his arm," a nurse nearby filled you in. "We treated it, but he insisted you come inspect it as well since you did such a good job with his leg. Wouldn't move until you did."

You nodded in acknowledgment before coming closer to his bed, grabbing his hand and removing the bandages, inspecting the bite.

"Thank you for coming," Ransom said, smiling.

"I work here," you said in a flat tone.

"Aw really? No special treatment for me?"

"They did a good job," you commented, "you didn't need to bring me here, there are other people who need my treatment, Mr. Drysdale."

"But I wanted to," he shrugged. "And I always get what I want," he smirked.

"Somehow I don't doubt that. But I am surprised you remembered my name," you said.

"How could I forget? It's beautiful."

"Uh huh," you said, unimpressed. "Well, Mr. Drysdale, everything's fine with your hand."

"You're not going to ask how I got it?"

"What, so you can tell me how you "heroically fought a snake"? I don't think so." You were looking at his eyes now, his blue orbs boring into yours.

"Alright, you got me," he raised his hands, "I was trying to lift it up and it bit me. The sleek bastard."

"Where would you encounter a snake?"

"It's my mother's. She got it after she divorced my dad to keep her company. Apparently, she didn't know it was venomous."

"She sounds like a lovely lady," you couldn't contain your smile.

"She's really not."

"Well, Mr. Drysdale, not to be rude, but I hope you won't be coming here anytime soon." You started walking away when he spoke up.

"I already told you, it's Ransom. And if I won't come here, how would I see you?"

You ignored his question and walked away. Sure, from time to time a patient got a "crush" on you, but usually it was creepy old men you didn't dedicate a second thought to. Well, even if Ransom was by no means a creepy old man, you weren't going to give him any more thought than to any of your other patients.

It was a month later, and you had really nearly forgotten about Ransom. Until one day, you were rushed to the ER once more. Someone got beat up, badly.

You burst into the room, where you walked up to the hospital bed. The face inside it was so badly bruised it was barely recognizable, but you recognized it anyways – Ransom's.

His eyes were shut, his breathing shallow. You had seen hundreds, if not thousands of patients who were badly bruised, who were hurting, so you were near immune to it, your job demanded you be. Yet, the sight in front of you sent a wave of worry through your mind.

"Is he on painkillers?" you asked the nurse who was near the bed as well.

"Unfortunately not," Ransom rasped. He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze focusing on you. "I didn‎'t ask for you this time."

"Well, here I am," you replied, checking the initial report of his injuries.

"Could you lift up your shirt or should I do it?" you said, deciding his ribs should be the first order of business.

"Well, I thought you'd take me out to dinner fir-" his words were cut off by a whimper of pain when he tried to move his arm to do it himself.

"Alright," you said, lifting up his shirt yourself trying to ignore his toned abs as you inspected his torso, "does it hurt when i-"

Ransom groaned in pain as you rested your palm on the right side of his body.

"I take it that's a yes."

After going over his injuries, you concluded most of them were minor enough and would disappear after a few days, but he needed some stitches and his ribs were almost definitely cracked, so he needed to be kept in the hospital for another couple of days.

The first day went by and was uneventful, seeing as Ransom was hopped up on the best legal painkillers money could buy.

By the second day however, he was getting a little bit better and was more awake, so when you came to check on him in the evening he was a little more talkative.

"My favorite doctor!" he greeted you with a smile. "My ribs are hurting, could you-"

"No. I already told you Ransom, your wounds don't warrant 24/7 painkillers, despite your belief," you rolled your eyes. "It's not good for you."

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged and then winced at the pain from his rib.

"You should be good to go tomorrow. The rib won't completely heal until about a month from now, but there's no reason to keep you here for long. You'll need to be on bed rest and not make movements that can damage your rib more than you already have."

"Hey, I didn't do the damage. But you should've seen the other guy," he smirked.

"So you did some damage."

"I mean, yeah, but he deserved it."

"I'm not even going to ask," you rolled your eyes. "See you tomorrow, Ransom."

It's been two months since Ransom was released from the hospital, and thankfully, you hadn't seen him since.

It was one of your rare weekends off, so you decided to make the best of it and go out with some of your friends. Your job didn't allow for a lot of social downtime, so it was a good chance to catch up and have some fun.

The lights at the club were dim, the music blaring, and the drinks served quickly – just what you needed to take your mind off of work for once.

You were dancing with your friends when suddenly, you felt a pair of eyes on you. You dismissed it, probably just a weird feeling. But then you felt a hand on your shoulder, nudging you to turn around. You had half a mind to punch whoever it is, when-

"Hey there sweetheart." Ransom's usual smirk was on his face as he looked you up and down unabashedly. "I gotta say, that outfit's looking way better on you than these doctor clothes."

You opened your mouth to tell him they're called scrubs, but decided against it. "Stalking me, I see," you remarked instead.

"Not at all, I swear," he chuckled. "Although I can't deny it's a very pleasant surprise to see you. I was getting bored. A little more time and I would've faked some injury just to come and see you."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't," you chuckled.

"Wanna dance?" he asked, extending his hand out to you.

You eyed him for a moment before taking his hand. He immediately pulled you closer, until you were standing chest to chest. You started moving your hips to the music as his hand left yours and came to rest on your hips, gently guiding your movements.

"You know, it's funny that we met here," he murmured into your ear so you could hear it despite the loud music.

"I know, at least when you were in pain you weren't moving," you smirked. You were teasing him, but you knew he wouldn't take it seriously. The man had moves, and he knew that just like he knew about every other good quality he had.

"Ha ha," he replied dryly. "But you can't tell me you didn't want to see me again."

"I never wish for anyone to get hurt."

"Of course you don't," he drawled. He pulled you impossibly closer, his leg sneaking between yours, his face so close to yours your foreheads were nearly touching. "But that wasn't the question," he breathed.

"And what if I did want to see you again?" you said nonchalantly.

"Well, that could be arranged," he smirked.

"Really?" you raised your eyebrow. He moved away from you for a moment, reaching for his phone and giving it to you. It was so expansive you almost considered taking it and running, but you obviously didn't. You typed in your phone number instead, and when you were done you put it back in Ransom's warm hand, your finger brushing against his for a brief moment before you pulled away.

"Call me," you said. You turned to walk away but stopped. "Oh and Ransom? If you decide to be an asshole about this the next time you'll be in the hospital will be because of me. Just a heads up," you smiled sweetly.

"That's harsh."

"I know you good enough to determine it's necessary," you chuckled and walked back to your friends, who were all dying to know who the hot mystery guy was.

You looked behind you to search for Ransom one more time. He was in the same place, watching you go with his signature smirk. He probably needed to be taken down a peg, but hey – you were definitely up for the challenge.

divider is by the awesome @firefly-graphics, who has dividers for every scenario possible:)

Taglist:  @horny-nd-bored @shannon124 @perfectlyharolds @wintersoldierslut @iceebabies  @sleepingpapermouse @steverogerswasalwaysworthy @holtzkinnon @angelicl-y @stydia-4-ever @thatoneperson5000 @fangirlfree @kaitcordx25 @bequeening @steve-barry-damon-logan @itscrazycherryblossomcollection @hollandxmarvel @stargazingfangirl18 @readsreblogsfics @onetwo3000 @beritmetal @harrystylesholland @jazbot2000 @anobscurename @xxxtwilightaxelxxx​

if you wanna join / be removed from this taglist, comment/message me! much love <3

[weapon13whitefang]

TWD NEW EPISODE TITLES

1101 - Acheron Part 1

1102 - Acheron Part II

1103 - Hunted

1104 - Rendition

1105 - Out of the Ashes

1106 - On the Inside

1107 - Promises Broken

1108 - For Blood

Instantly the titles of 1101 and 1102 caught my attention. Acheron is one of the five rivers in the Underworld. It’s “the river of woe or misery” and is the river where the newly dead would be ferried across by Charon in order to enter the Underworld. At least in some adaptations. In other adaptations it’s the Styx they cross. It’s a principle river. It’s also said the dead who do not have payment for Charon will walk the shores of the Acheron for all eternity.

I thought it was very interesting they’re touching on something that’s heavily related to Greek Mythology. Especially with the underworld which is associated to Hades. And that’s the start of Season 11… Which generally sets the theme for the whole season.

So. It seems we’re gonna be entering the underworld. Which is appropriate considering it’s a zombie apocalypse and they’re surrounded by the dead… Seems our people will be just like the many Greek heroes who entered the Underworld for whatever task they had…

Only thing is, sadly, only 10 heroes entered the Underworld and survived. Er, Orpheus, Odysseus, Psyche, Heracles/Hercules, Alcestis, Aeneas, Theseus, Hippolytus, and Sisyphus.

Now some of these heroes of the underworld went to the underworld to retrieve the dead OR for love. While others it was simply a trial and it was part of their quests.

Like Orpheus. See Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, died from a snakebite on their wedding day. He went through literal Hell to ask Hades to return her. Hades was so charmed by Orpheus’s music, He agreed but issued a condition that she was to follow behind him, and Orpheus could not look back— if he did, she would remain in the Underworld. Spoiler, he looked back and she was returned and Orpheus returned to the living and swore off love.

The story of Psyche and Eros(Cupid) is a well known story. But in case you don’t know it that well, Eros fell in love with the beautiful mortal Psyche and took her away to a darkened palace to be his bride. He kept her well taken care of and gave her lavish gifts. But he warned that she could never learn his true identity, which she promised and agreed to. But poor psyche was tricked by her jealous, evil sisters, who already suspected the truth of who the mysterious voice/being was. Psyche went and looked upon her husband’s face by the light of an oil lamp while he slept. In some versions some of the oil from the lamp spilled onto Eros’s shoulder and burned him. In others he heard her approach and woke up. Either way he reproached Psyche for not listening and breaking her promise before he flew away.

Psyche went looking for him but Aphrodite, who had originally forbid her son from having anything to do with Psyche, who she didn’t like because people would say she was prettier than Aphrodite. Anyway, Aphrodite - in vengeance against Psyche - gave the girl four very impossible tasks. The last task had Psyche go to the underground to ask Persephone to put a piece of her beauty inside it. She gets past Cerberus and even has payment for Charon but she gets curious and looks in the box Aphrodite gave her, and inside was death-like sleep. Eros, who either healed up from his oil burn or because he was keeping an eye on Psyche, rescues her and puts the death-sleep back in the box and gets her out of the underworld. End note, she gets to marry Eros because Zeus sanctifies the marriage and Psyche becomes the Goddess of Soul.

And then there’s Heracles, who had to be extra, and went to the underworld and back twice. His first time was to save the Princess Alcestis (yup the one on the list) . He wasn’t in love with her or anything, he did this for King Admetus after defeating Thanatos (no not the purple asshole, the God of Death) he volunteered to go get Alcestis for Admetus after he forgot to give an offering to Athena for her help in his tasks. He gets her back. The second time was for the trials of Heracles and the last one was to take Cerberus from the underworld. Which he did then returned him to Hades.

Now ten made it back from Hell, but many did not. One such character was Pirithous. He was friends with Theseus (the one I listed above) and these two fools set out to take wives that were daughters of Zeus. Theseus went for Helen (yup, Helen of Troy- THAT Troy) who was 13 at the time and were going to hold onto her until she was of age to be wedded. But Pirithous chose to go big or go hone. He chose to try for Persephone… Yup. He went and tried to steal the Goddess of the Underworld. With Theseus’s help. In the end Theseus escapes the Underworld due to Heracles. But Pirithous not so much. He’d committed a great crime trying to kidnap a God’s wife. Pirithous turned to stone and was condemned to remain in the underworld there eternity.

Now even thought I listed Sisyphus as an escapee of the Underworld, his story is a wee bit different. King Sisyphus was a well-known trickster. See, Sisyphus revealed that Zeus carried off Aspos (the river God’s) daughter. Of course this enraged Zeus. So he sent Thanatos to take Sisyphus to the underworld. But Sisyphus bested Thanatos and chained him up. Well with death in chains, no one could die. So Thanatos was freed by Ares, who was mad that battles weren’t any fun anymore cause no one died. Well then Thanatos found Sisyphus and turned him over. However, before he was taken away, Sisyphus instructed his wife not to perform his burial rites. Because of this, Hades did not receive the customary sacrifices, and so he sent Sisyphus back to scold his wife. He then stayed in his kingdom and died of old age. And for his trickery, Sisyphus was tasked to roll a boulder up a hill with the condition being that he would able to go free once he had finished (as in get the Boulder to the top). Sisyphus tried, but everytime he got close to the top of the hill, the boulder would fall back down and so he continues to try again, and again, and again, forever.

Basically you can see that going to the underworld can work out or there’s a terrible consequence. It’s a nod to the ole belief that going to hell and back is a torture and can affect a person.

So for the first two episodes to be named after a river associated with death… It’s terrifying but fascinating. This paints the rest of the season… Will they survive the trip or loose to it..

[padme-amitabha]

Anidala Week 2021

Day 3: Mythology/Fairy Tales or Favorite Touches

A Serpent in the Garden of Eden

This is based on Hindu mythology about two lovers named Behula and Lakhindar. Some aspects of the original story have been tweaked :)

Once upon a time, two seraphs in the kingdom of heaven fell in love – a love so deep and profound they would attract the envy of the other angels who served in the court of gods. They were Vader and Amidala, the most beautiful out of all the angels.

Vader was descended from the bloodline of the Father himself, creator of the heavens. Vader with his enormous black wings – a black as sinful as midnight – was the angel of death. He could be as beautiful or terrible as the person whose soul he intended to take with him.

Amidala was descended from the Sister, the deity of light, love and purity. She was the queen of the celestial maidens. She inspired all to follow her and was well loved by the citizens of Zion. Her soft wings were as white and pure as snow itself.

This couple’s union caused quite a stir in court and attracted the attention of everyone. The gods felt they were an excellent match and gave them their blessing to marry. They lived together in harmony for centuries and had many children including the twins Luke and Leia, who became deities of the sun and the moon. But after a while, like most immortal beings, they grew weary of living eternal life and craved adventure. They desired to be reincarnated and sent to Earth so that they could find each other and fall in love with each other all over again. The gods granted them this request.

Amidala, being the elder of the two angels, was sent to earth first as the youngest daughter in a well-off family in Theed. Four years later, Vader was sent as the son of a woman named Shmi. Shmi Skywalker was a middle-aged woman who lived on her own in a city called Mos Espa. It so happened that her family had been cursed and killed by the god of snakes and destruction, Sheev due to a grudge he bore against the Skywalkers. He had spared her since she was a child at the time, intending her to become his devotee, but the iron-willed Shmi vowed never to worship the god who had taken away her family.

Sheev, a vindictive god, was affronted by her refusal and placed a curse on her. Any child born of her would never reach adulthood. Shmi went on to have six sons and all of them died under mysterious circumstances in their infancy and Shmi suspected it was from snakebites. Which made sense, of course, since snakes were associated with the conniving god and it was said that was how he took the lives of people who incurred his wrath.

When she found herself with child again, she briefly considered giving in to Sheev. This seventh son was conceived without a Father and Shmi suspected a divine intervention. The child was born with stars in his eyes that reflected infinite wisdom. He was too aware as a child and emitted a godly aura. Shmi knew he was no ordinary human child as soon as she held him in her arms. With his unnaturally bright blue eyes and soft golden curls, he looked like an angel descended from the heavens. Shmi named him Anakin.

Shmi was fiercely protective of her boy and always kept a close eye on him. Anakin was not to step a foot out of their extremely safeguarded house. Anakin, naturally because Vader’s essence still lived inside him, was born with the desire to explore worlds and make a name for himself. But he was aware that his mother’s overprotectiveness came from the sorrows she had endured so he (mostly) remained an obedient child. He dreamed of leaving his house once he reached the age of twenty-one for that would render the curse null and void. 

As a child, he had discovered he was an excellent craftsman and a natural artist. He painted everything he had heard Shmi talk about the world beyond Mos Espa and even Tatooine. Sometimes, images would flash in his mind about a place where there was only happiness. These visions would also show him a strangely familiar face.

Anakin hadn’t seen many girls and most of the women he had encountered were his mother’s age but he knew she was the most beautiful girl in the world. He wasn’t certain she really existed and perhaps, she was just a figment of his imagination and he decided to bring her to life with a portrait. He deftly painted her big brown eyes, delicate features and soft brown hair. It proved to be his finest work.

Meanwhile, Shmi began looking for a potential bride for Anakin. She knew he was lonely and she knew she wouldn’t be around forever to look after him and Anakin had just turned twenty. He had been mostly nonchalant to the girls she had considered for him and spent an awful amount of time thinking about some fictitious girl of his dreams.

She went to Jira, the fruit seller, who lived nearby. The old woman knew every girl in vicinity and she had doted on Anakin since he was little. Shmi told herabout Anakin’s reluctance to marry.

“Don’t look so down, Shmi. I have good news for you,” Jira assured her. “I know about Anakin’s curse and it seems like we have found a solution. A month ago, I visited my sister in Theed and heard the most interesting news. The Naberries are devotes of Shiraya and on a recent visit to the temple, they have heard a prophecy about their second daughter. It is said she would never be a widow.”

Shmi rejoiced at the news. If Anakin were to wed this girl, that would secure his life. “Where can I find this girl?” she asked.

Anakin did not want to marry this girl. His mother had gushed about her countless qualities. Shmi believed she was as special as her own son.  She was well known in all of Theed for being wits, virtues and beauty. But he was growing weary of living life as a prisoner inside his own home and he longed to live a normal life. Maybe this Naberrie girl was the answer. He agreed to meet her.

All his initial reluctance faded once he saw her. It was her. The girl from his dreams.

Anakin immediately agreed to marry Padmé, who seemed just as much taken with him as he was with her.

On their wedding night, Shmi prepared a chamber for them and took every precaution to keep out any snakes that could slither in. Unfortunately, Sheev was one step ahead of her. He conspired with Watto, the builder, to sabotage their accommodation and leave a carefully concealed hole.

Anakin and Padmé were fast asleep on their wedding night, after conversing for hours about their shared visions and memories. The snake upon gazing at the couple felt a pang of regret and hesitated to bring misfortune upon the innocent young couple. Sheev then used his godly powers to compel the serpent and charmed Padmé to fall into a deep slumber. The snake caused the lamp kept next to the couple’s bed to topple and the spills of hot oil forced Padmé to wake and she found her husband bitten by the serpent. She took out the dagger she always carried with her and with she threw it at the snake, which caused its tail to be chopped in half.

Shmi rushed to her son’s side but it was too late. The poison was already in his system and within a few hours, Anakin was dead. Shmi was inconsolable with grief and so was Padmé after becoming a widow at such a young age.

As per the tradition, Anakin’s body was to be put on a raft and set to sail on the river as was done to people who died from snake bites. Padmé refused to accept his death.

All her life, she had known her husband would never die before her. She wished to be on the raft and accompany him. The people thought she had lost her mind from the grief. She waited for them to leave after the ritual and then sneaked in the raft and started sailing on the river. She prayed to the gods to not let the raft sink.

It was said if you went far enough, you would reach the heavens. And that exactly was Padmé’s intention. She would enter heaven and beg the gods to restore Anakin back to life.

The gods were impressed by her perseverance and put her through many trails along the way. Padmé, with Amidala’s essence in her, proved she was worthy and passed them all.

When she reached the heavens, the gods welcomed her.

“We are impressed by your devotion to your husband,” said Yoda, the god of wisdom.

“Then help me by bringing him back to life,” pleaded Padmé.

“It is too late,” said Sheev, ever the schemer. “You have taken too long to reach here. We can only resurrect him within 3 days of his death. You have taken a week.”

Padmé was heartbroken. She besought them to find another way for her to be reunited with her Anakin again or take her life as well.

“There is a way,” said Qui-Gon, the god of compassion, thoughtfully.

“We can make him a god again, as he was once. But he would be bound to serve another god for eternity. That is the price you must pay.”

Sheev was quick to step up and offer to be Anakin’s master and Shmi, realizing her son’s life was more important to her, allowed Anakin to be Palpatine’s apprentice.

Shaak Ti, the goddess of power, was impressed by Padmé and offered to take her in if she was willing to give up her mortal life. Padmé agreed without a second thought. Anakin was restored to life and he was euphoric on seeing his beloved at his side. He felt very fortunate on having such a capable woman as his wife. In the end, Padmé’s endurance and good faith was rewarded. The couple was welcomed back in heaven as gods, reunited after the adventure of a lifetime, and as the happiest of husbands and wives.  

[johnnys-green-pen]

Random E! Thoughts: S5E1 - The Stewardess

Johnny bothering poor stewardesses on the job is giving me intense second-hand embarrassment. 

Okay, I gotta say, Roy really delights in being a pessimist about Johnny getting with that stewardess. Something about the way he insists that you can’t tell by a ring these days and that she probably has a husband who’s MUCH STRONGER than Johnny... *snrk*

ngl, I kinda love how Johnny thinks that sidling up to somebody and dumping a few years’ worth of weird stories on them is more socially acceptable than asking people for their names. 

As somebody who made friends before by essentially going “LET ME TELL YOU EVERYTHING ABOUT FOUNTAIN PENS”, me judging Johnny for being a massive dork is, of course, absolutely not hypocritical at all.

Johnny going “boy have you been out of circulation for a while” and Roy’s answering look of impending self-doubt.

For bonus points, Roy and Joanne met when they were still in grade school, so depending on how their relationship developed, there’s a non-zero chance that Roy was never really in circulation... which is kind of hilarious.

Makes sense that Johnny’s the one treating the victim - if the episode Snakebite and that traffic accident they were faces with in that one is any indication, Johnny’s better at keeping a cool head in situations where they’re operating outside of their normal capacity and have to improvise.

And oh boy does Johnny ever keep cool this time, too

Johnny managing to start an IV on a moving plane. 

Also, I’m not going to nerd out about that too much, but I frickin love the vintage plane aesthetic. That intersection of mass transport and flying still having a certain air of elegance during the 70′s is just so incredibly fascinating. 

Roy’s laconic “Ah, gee, finally got her name, huh”

Johnny and Sue somehow managing to find time to exchange phone numbers in that whole mess.

Roy being peeved that no girl’s ever asked him for his phone number

"Not even Joanne” - dude, she probably didn’t have to if you met while you were ten, she probably had that one memorized years before you started dating.

Johnny finally finding someone he’s on a wavelength with, and not even that works out

Johnny walking off to take that phone call, and Roy just standing there looking lost for a moment. 

The midnight phone call. Cap’s completely Done “do you mind??” when Johnny turns on the light. The way he crawls back into bed after and decides that now is a great time to talk to Roy

Roy snapping at him, and Johnny just going “you grouch”

Johnny and Roy reaching into a pile of firefighting foam and pulling out Cap

Sue probably wasn’t as much “relentless” about correcting Johnny about shit, Johnny’s just very, very bad at telling people to quit it. 

Same thing with him not managing to break up with her properly

Poor guy probably wants to be liked so badly that getting people to stop liking him goes against every instinct he has. 

Johnny’s petulant little “I never wanna see her again”

Reasons why Johnny’s broken up with girls: Too right about things, and too good at bowling. Oh boy. 

Johnny wants to be IN a relationship, I think, but he doesn’t actually want the relationship.