#i like creatures in heaven a lot but it also suffers from this

[hotsugarbyglassanimals]

i absolutely do not fault anyone for enjoying the new glass animals album don't get me wrong but you can tell something upset the balance in me. there wasn't a glass animals song in my #1 let alone in my #2 listens this year

[max1461]

Other people want the world as a whole to "mean something" or "be about something" and I just don't. That's so terribly constricting, so suffocating. I'm much more inclined to positive nihilism.

I'm reading about LotR lore lately, and I really like LotR, but all the Christianity in it distresses me. Why must the world be governed by Eru Ilúvatar's infallible and undefeatable master plan? Doesn't that take out all the stakes? More importantly: part of what I like about LotR is its valorization of the small and the ordinary, as represented in the hobbits but also in, you know, Tolkien's proclivity to spend more time talking about potatoes than he needs to, and whatnot. There's a valorization of the small over the grandiose. It's like, finding dignity in the ordinary or something, that feels like a big part of Tolkien's project, and I'm deeply sympathetic to that. But then he has to go and add, you know, an omnipotent and omnibenevolent creator and omnimalevolent enemy (Melkor, not Sauron) and like...

First of all I hate the combination of omnipotence and omnibenevolence, it just doesn't work in any kind of narrative, it doesn't work in Christianity either, it's just *so* having your cake and eating it too. Like, Christianity itself has something of a "valorization of the small" going on but it also fails there, because (people have already said all these things) Jesus isn't actually just some guy, he's actually god the all-powerful and infallible lord of the universe! And he doesn't even really suffer or debase himself except temporarily, he ascends to heaven in the end, whereas sinners are sent to hell to suffer permanently for their imperfections. And "the meek will inherit the earth" by submitting to God and doing everything he says!

Not really valorizing the small there IMO.

Anyway Christianity doesn't succeed at this but the thing about Tolkien is he gets so close. When he says stuff (this is from one of his letters apparently, I quoted it the other day) like

It had been Sauron’s virtue (and therefore also the cause of his fall, and of his relapse) that he loved order and coordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction… it was the creatures of the earth, in their minds and wills, that he desired to dominate.

I'm like, yeah! I'm with you bro! But then there's the whole thing about, well, Eru Ilúvatar's creation was perfect until Melkor's discordant singing marred it, and now it's imperfect and that's the source of all evil, but it's also fine because Eru's vision is bound to win out in the end, it's like... you're undercutting your whole thing! Eru is doing what Sauron wants to do, it's just that he's winning at it. Maybe the point is that Eru permits free will, or something, while Sauron doesn't. But this still seems weak in light of the whole "Melkor as the origin of imperfection" thing. You can't valorize the small and the ordinary without being comfortable with imperfection. You can't make a story where imperfection is Inherently Evil, as it seems to quite literally be in Tolkien's cosmology, and have it land for me as a critique of lust for power. Like. What do people even want to do with power except Eliminate All The Imperfections? Obviously some just want to enrich themselves, but I think Tolkien's opposition to power-seeking plainly runs a lot deeper than just opposition to self-interested power-seeking, which is

what I like about it, and

why this incongruity is so frustrating.

Anyway, there's that Scott Alexander post, Heuristics that Almost Always Work. I agree with the thesis of the post as such, but there's this line in it that perfectly articulates the reason rationalism tends to alienate me:

The Futurist He comments on the latest breathless press releases from tech companies. This will change everything! say the press releases. “No it won’t”, he comments. This is the greatest invention ever to exist! say the press releases. “It’s a scam,” he says. Whatever upheaval is predicted, he denies it. Soon we’ll all have flying cars! “Our cars will remain earthbound as always”. Soon we’ll all use cryptocurrency! “We’ll continue using dollars and Visa cards, just like before.” We’re collapsing into dictatorship! “No, we’ll be the same boring oligarchic pseudo-democracy we are now” A new utopian age of citizen governance will flourish. “You’re drunk, go back to bed.” When all the Brier scores are calculated and all the Bayes points added up, he is the best futurist of all. Everyone else occasionally gets bamboozled by some scam or hype train, but he never does. His heuristic is truly superb. But - say it with me - he could be profitably replaced with a rock. “NOTHING EVER CHANGES OR IS INTERESTING”, says the rock, in letters chiseled into its surface. Why hire a squishy drooling human being, when this beautiful glittering rock is right there?

Bolding in the final paragraph mine.

"Nothing ever happens or is interesting". Really? Is that what the skeptical futurist is saying? Certainly he's saying "nothing ever happens", that I'll grant. But he's not saying "nothing is ever interesting". You added that, Scott, because to be interested you need something Big to happen. You are not filled with love for the small and ordinary, it is just wasted time and wasted space to you.

I do not particularly like the Big, at least not most of the time. I like the small quite a lot. And, contrary to their names, I think most of the world is small. The world is made of lots of small things, not a couple big things. And I often feel that the small is the only thing that's actually real, the big tends to be illusory. As a small creature it is other small things that affect me most and matter most to me, it is my small dealings with other small creatures that are subjectively the biggest. And the various grand narratives of history, if they exist, only affect me in a diffuse and nonspecific way and are in all their specifics born out in small things.

I am very much a partisan of ordinary things, ordinary dealings, of our daily lives and our individual relationships and perhaps ephemeral but deeply felt emotions as the actual source of value in the world, from which Big things insofar as they matter at all derive their importance. And, aesthetically I suppose, I am also a defender of the inherent dignity of small things and cast-aside things (a different but closely related category). And there are close connections between the small and the vast (which is not the same as Big), and. Well, take my uquiz. But anyway.

[cryptidghostgirl]

Oooo part 2 of Aka Till Death Do Us Part (Alastor x Mad Scientist!Reader) was interesting

Loved it a lot 😭

Just imagining how reader would meet Lucifer (yes I'mma add some short king love) for the first time, whether this the ep where everyone meets him for the first time or he's just visiting is undecided.

Anyways she's a smart gal, she creates viruses, diseases, etc.. in order to destroy the human race (now demon and angel race), so she tries to befriend Lucifer

He's powerful, he could be her ticket out of the deal she was tricked into. Plus Alastor hates him so even better.

Whether the wife collector is befriending her from his hatred for Alastor (aka trying to steal his ex wife) or because he actually likes her or not is also undecided

But they become buddies, keeping her little secret while playing Alastor as this horrid creature that coerced her into a deal

She might not understand how deals function, but just like Alastor she'll find a way out of it. She won't let him interrupt her work for years again.

Another bonus of befriending Lucifer is she can try and coerce him into giving her some samples (blood, hair, skin, etc..) It'll help with the virus she's creating, along with seeing if there's any cell differences between fallen angels and normal ones.

A/N I literally love this idea. It is so on brand for her if she was tuned in with the world around her enough to realize her hanging with Lucifer even made Alastor mad. Also, not you calling Lucifer 'the wife collector,' that made me cackle.

Till Death Do Us Part pt. 3 (Alastor x Mad Scientist!Reader)

Pairing: Alastor x Reader x maybe also Lucifer a little bit if you squint

Previous Parts:

Till Death Do Us Part (Alastor x Mad Scientist!Reader)

Till Death Do Us Part pt. 2

Warnings: I am not a woman nor am I in stem (but an enby in history) so pls be kind about the fact that I don't understand science. Angst, abusive/unhealthy relationship, possessive Alastor. It's not love but its certainly something.

Word Count: 2,176

Master Lists:

Master Lists 

Hazbin Hotel Master List 

Alastor Master List 

Click here and leave a comment if you want to be added to any taglists or send me an ask about it.

Idle hands are the devil's playthings, wasn't that how the expression went?

It had been a month since that fateful day Y/n had struck a deal with Alastor, tying her to his side once again. She railed against it, fought valiantly, but there was no escaping the constraints of the contract. Never allowed a moment to herself, Y/n's life became a series of involvement in group activities she hated and chastisements from Alastor. She sat at his feet, the collar hanging heavy around her neck as a sort of twisted crown in his eyes. The Radio Demon and his wife, his queen, his prisoner.

She was never allowed out of his sight, Alastor even forcing her to stay in the same room as him, to sleep in the same bed. It was nothing Y/n had any sort of frame of reference for. He had never been like this in life, she had never experienced this sort of metaphorical suffocation. Y/n was adrift, the world a confusing blur around her. Every time she tried to make sense of it, thought she had figured out some small aspect, he changed it all again and left her in a lurch that sent her mind spiraling into unformed chaos.

Even when she managed somehow to stole a spare moment, was able to sneak away to her lab of a room, Alastor found her and dragged her out again. Y/n's continual protests and pleas to be allowed to continue her work, for him to hold up his end of the bargain and deliver her an angel, fell on deaf ears or were merely met with a solitary, fragile 'soon.' For all this time, Y/n had thought Hell to be misrepresented. She had found a true Heaven in Pentagram City, a safe haven, a salve. Now, she knew the true meaning of suffering.

It was different than she had expected. To suffer had always been something physical in her eyes. It had been her victims writhing in pain, it had been the sharp oppression of a world filled with human life. Never had she thought being trapped in her own mind like this could be a curse, rather than a blessed moment of reprieve.

Idle hands are the devil's playthings, wasn't that how the expression went? Y/n's hands were most certainly idle, all she needed was the devil to play with them.

It was just her luck when Lucifer showed up at the hotel, intent on visiting his daughter. Y/n was never the most observant but, since being tricked into selling her soul to Alastor, had become quite wary and watchful of him. It did not escape her notice the way his stance tightened and his eye twitched the minute the King of Hell threw himself through the hotel's double doors and into Charlie's arms.

Y/n watched the interaction carefully from where she sat lazily on the table beside Angel Dust and Sir Pentious. There were exactly three thoughts in her mind. The first was that it was useful to know Alastor hated the man. The second was that Lucifer was standing right before her eyes. He was powerful, maybe powerful enough to get her out of the sticky situation she currently found herself to be in. Not only that, but he was once an angel. This was the most important of the three thoughts, completely eclipsing the other two as soon as they reared their heads. Not quite the real deal but, potentially useful none the less. Getting close to him could mean getting one step closer to her goals. Silently, she slipped down from the table and began to approach the grouping of demons.

With a carful step, she sidled up behind them. Softly, she raised a hand to the back of Lucifer's head, to where his hair peaked out from beneath the edges of his hat. The excitement that rose in her chest was quickly stifled as Lucifer spun around.

"Charlie!" he exclaimed, "Why don't you introduce me to some of your other fr- oh!"

Y/n froze, her hand still raised. She opened her mouth to speak but the words caught in her throat once she caught the glare Alastor was sending her way. Letting out a nervous chuckle, Y/n's hands fell to her sides, clasping behind her back.

"Uh..." Lucifer turned to his daughter, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, don't mind Y/n," Charlie awkwardly tittered, stepping forward, "she is always a bit... odd but, she is actually our newest guest!"

"Uh-huh." Lucifer nodded, his eyes moving back to Y/n and examining her features carefully, "Well, it is nice to be meeting you."

Lucifer stuck out his hand for Y/n to shake but the demon just eyed it warily. The furtive glance she shot Alastor behind his back, and the subtle nod he gave in return, did not escape Lucifer's notice. With another distasteful glance towards his hand, Y/n raised part of her hair up and took it, shaking it firmly.

Lucifer's confusion only seemed to grow as he looked down towards the point of connection.

"Um... okay, then." he hummed in thought as she released his hand.

It was when Alastor went out to solve the problem Mimzy had caused that Lucifer took his chance. All the while, as Mimzy had blathered on to Y/n about the 'good old days' and the shared aspects of their pasts, as soon as the tour of the hotel had ended, she had watched him. Observance was not, however, in her nature. It completely had escaped her notice that, all the while, Lucifer had been watching her as well.

The demon herself was nothing of import. She was strange and unrefined and, to be honest, deeply disconcerting to him in a number of ways. It was the thing lurking beneath it all that caught his attention. There was something going on between that girl and the Radio Demon and Lucifer didn't trust either of them. He may have thought Charlie's dreams to be in vain, known from his own experience how fruitless her project would turn out to be, but that didn't stop him from doing what it took to keep his little girl safe.

Lucifer sidled up beside the girl where she stood, watching the carnage Alastor wreaked with a vague sense of disinterest.

"So, you have a deal with the Radio Demon."

It was a statement, not a question. It was an accusation. Y/n shot into the air in surprise, not having noticed his presence beside her. With wide, analytical eyes, she turned to face him.

"With Alastor?"

"Yep."

"How could you tell?" she asked, leaning forward in curiosity.

"What are you two planning."

Another subtle command that went right over Y/n's head. She sighed, crossing her arms.

"I'm planning world destruction. He wants me to be his wife again and tricked me into this whole..." she waved her hands wildly through the air, "situation."

Lucifer didn't know whether to laugh or to take her out right there. Instead, he shook his head, opting to state in mild shock:

"Married? Again?"

"Yeah. I forced him to when we were alive so people would leave me alone and I'd have some human test subjects for my work. Let me tell you: not my favorite experiment I have ever conducted."

"I..." Lucifer was flabbergasted, struck into silence.

"So he tricked me into a deal. I was hiding from him for decades down here. One little slip up was all it took." she playfully used her hair to hit the side of her head, "Stupid Y/n."

"Where does the again part fit in?"

Y/n raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Why is that the part I have to explain to everyone. I mean, logically, it just doesn't make sense. That should be the question on the bottom of someones list. It shouldn't even be a question."

"Did you get a divorce?"

"In 1930? No. Even I knew that wasn't really an option. I married him to stop people talking, not start it. Besides, he wasn't this much of a bother when we were alive."

"So..." Lucifer prompted after a moment.

"Till death do us part?"

"Ah."

He really did laugh now. Just a light chuckle. Y/n smiled in appreciation.

"There you go. Now, how did you know? About the deal, I mean. Also, why do you guys hate each other so much? I thought you had never met before? And oh! Ohohoh! Also, can I have some of your hair."

Lucifer scoffed, his arms falling loosely from where he had crossed them over his chest to his sides. Charlie had been right, Y/n certainly was odd.

"My hair?"

Y/n nodded her head eagerly. When he gave no response, a concentrated and slightly confused expression flitted across her face. As if struck by a sudden inspiration, she regained her composure once again.

"Oh, yeah. I'm supposed to say 'please' when I ask for stuff. Al always said it was proper manners but I think its just a waste of time to be perfectly honest. It's still the same request, the same outcome. Doesn't really change anything. Why would one word make someone give a totally different answer? I mean, it's just foolish really. Anyway," she cleared her throat, "can I please have some of your hair?"

"I..." Lucifer raised a hand to his forehead, rubbing his temples, "why?"

"Because you're a fallen angel?" Y/n replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "And I want to see what that means?"

Before Lucifer could reply, Alastor stepped back into the lobby, straightening his jacket.

"What a show!" Angel exclaimed, applauding dramatically.

Alastor tipped his head to the side in recognition, his eyes surveying the room. When they fell on Lucifer and Y/n in the corner, his gaze hardened. Y/n payed the commotion no mind. Lucifer, on the other hand, grinned.

"I have a proposal." he hummed, turning back to Y/n.

She narrowed her eyes in sudden doubt.

"You don't like Alastor very much, do you?"

"No...? Of course I don't!" Y/n replied in exasperation, "All he does is keep me from doing my work and drag me around by that stupid chain like a dog. It hurts my neck and..." her voice grew softer and she looked away, fixing her eyes on her interlaced fingers, "and I feel like he's trying to force me into the shape of something I'm not. It's... it's like wearing shoes that are four sizes two small on a twenty mile hike."

Lucifer laughed.

"Well, that certainly is... descriptive. How about we make a deal?"

Her head shot up, her narrowed eyes meeting his once again.

"You're not going to just take my soul like he did, are you?"

"No, of course not my dear. Only lesser demons like him need to do that in order to feel strong, to maintain some sort of power, to get what they want." Lucfier enunciated the last four words sharply, the syllables like needles, "I'm simply offering an exchange."

"That's what he said too."

Lucifer raised his hands to show he meant no harm.

"Look, we don't even have to shake on it. I will give you some of... some of my hair or... whatever... and you will help me get on his nerves, take him down a notch. Who the Hell knows, that might even help you too."

Y/n was silent in thought for a moment. She did want the hair and messing with Alastor seemed all too appealing. Still, there was something eating away at her.

"Would you..." she lifted herself up to Lucifer's eye level with her hair.

Y/n wasn't that much shorter than the king of Hell, just a couple inches. Those couple inches certainly made a difference. Lucifer could have sworn there was a literally electrical spark in the darkness of her eyes.

"You're powerful, yes? King of Hell and all?"

Lucifer nodded.

"Would you be able to help me figure out a way out of this mess?"

It was Lucifer's turn to think now as he mulled the idea over in his mind. Sure, theoretically he probably could but, he had never tried to break another demon's deal and even past that, he didn't know if he wanted to. Y/n was disarming, strange, had mentioned wanting to destroy the world. Lucifer didn't know her well enough to gage if there was any real risk and Alastor seemed to have her on more than a metaphorical leash.

"Maybe." he admitted, deciding on the path of least resistance, the one where he could try and succeed or pretend it was an unknown impossibility all along, "I don't know."

In some strange way, there was something stable about the man before her. Alastor was unpredictable, had sent her life spinning. Lucifer felt safe.

"Good enough for me!" Y/n smiled brightly, "I look forward to working with you."

---

Writing this made me really want to do a Lucifer fic with the idle hands thing.

TAGS:

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[dippable]

hey gang! haven't posted in a while. so let's talk about the boiled one phenomenon/TOE, that webseries with the character that made me unable to sleep correctly for a few days.

okay, so, i do believe that uh. thing with the hands. his name's locust. i'm not very sure how he ties into the story, but i do know a few things. when he gets a victim, he hollows them out- making it look as though nothing happened- and takes their heart (or, in the title, a "love thumper"). i'm not very sure how TOE (the organate enterprises) fits into it, but based on what i'm seeing, it seems to be the company behind the nature broadcast, the ad for the star candies, and whatever showed up after the ad for the star candies. do i know what this means? of course not

okay here's the part that i'm definitely sure of. there's lots of references to the bible, and locusts. i'm not christian, or even that interested in the bible, so if anyone wants to correct me here, do it. however, the locusts in the bible eat everything they come across. also, locust is mentioned in revelations (which i will talk about in a minute)

the boiled one's introduction has heavy, HEAVY references to the bible. mostly, i saw the sky opening up and the trumpets in the ears of the victims as VERY biblical sounding. however, when zamperini's (his name is likely a reference to watanabe matsuhiro, who was in the japanese military and a known war criminal) laying in the bed while being interviewed, we see the sign about jesus turn into "i can see you" above him. we can also see the uh. hair? spikes? whatever? of the boiled one in the window. personally, i see it as very similar to how god watches over people- all-seeing, all-knowing, etc etc. plus, most of the events in the fetal fanfare part (sky opening, trumpets) tie directly to revelations. plus, the "tree of heaven" part ties to it as well... but i don't know about a tree of heaven. maybe it may tie to the garden of eden? but i'm unsure. anyways, time to focus on zamperini, the war vet.

job zamperini, while being a reference to the events of prisoners of war in japan, also references job's suffering in the bible. again, not a christian, but job's story involves god taking everything from him. plus, the ephrata branch (according to comments under emortalmarcus's video) is named after a town in pennsylvania. ephrata, while being a town in PA (which may tie to why it wasn't placed in zamperini's original hometown) sounds similar to efrata/efrat, which is an israeli settlement, believed to be the original location of bethlehem- more ties to religion and christ.

overall, i personally believe it's leading to a focus on zamperini and watanabe. zamperini turned to christ to deal with the pain and suffering he endured while a prisoner of war, and watanabe died in 2003. i do believe the boiled one is watanabe's ghost coming back and using biblical imagery, themes, and events to torment him further. however, i'm not very sure how my boy locust ties into this (and i haven't even SPOKEN about that creature that follows you after the lights turn off) or how TOE ties into that and all. overall, i need me some more lore to figure out if doctor nowhere is focusing completely on zamparini's story, or if he's using it as a symbol of war (like one of the comments on the original series said)

overall 10/10 series i saw the boiled one on a thumbnail of a video and genuinely shat myself

[ninjagirlstar5]

FNAF MENTION‼️THE FUCK IS A BITE OF 87‼️‼️

I haven't read everything on the Hiro post yet but MAN i really really like the world building with all the different "creatures"/states of being, specially how the ghosts can turn into demons via tainting of their solds during the time they linger on earth, so so cool, tho it does make me wonder if there's some kind of force, be it human or otherworldly, that haunts the ghosts so that they don't turn it like that, i think those are the exorcistis you mentioned? But if you did go in-depth about them in the post i must have missed it ^^' either ways i would love to read a full world lore post of sorts that just goes in depth about all the different character types (Ghosts, angels, guardians, demons and whatever the grandfather and father actually were)

I'm also curious on how the world of this universe is? Like is it set in modern time? Past, future or is it a lot more fantasy-esc? Either ways, consider me a fan of sorts

WAS THAT THE BITE OF '87?!!! (reference)(joking)

Take your time reading it, it's quite long, I'll admit. ^^; And yes, the exorcists are the forces that keep ghosts from suffering from the Taint, and helping them move on. I thought I elaborated a little more on Exorcists/gave them their own paragraph but I only gave them, like, a sentence upon rereading the post, whoops. In my defense, I was working all day on that post so it's no surprise that I missed a few things.

Exorcists are able to use the tools at their disposal, usually of religious value but some are able to use tools of magical value with the help of a Guardian or using their own soul to power the tool but at risk of themselves. They come in to help the ghosts come to terms with their death, appeasing their souls, and even helping them with their goals/final wish...if it's morally sound, anyways. If the ghost refuses to see reason or is corrupted with too much Taint, exorcists may have to use force through the tools at their disposal to force them to the AfterLife. Exorcists know they must save their souls before the Taint becomes worse, as once a ghost turns into a demon, that soul is lost forever.

But to answer your question on what type of world this is, it's set in the modern time where supernatural events happen a lot, kinda like an urban fantasy? I don't know what it's specifically called, but if I have to use an example, it's like Gravity Falls where weird and creepy supernatural shit happens all the time but no one believes it even though the very environment they live in can be dangerous. (It should be noted that I have not watched Gravity Falls, it's just the first example that popped into my head.) The town and city that most of the plot takes place in is especially a hotspot for supernatural events. But due to the development of science and such, skepticism of the supernatural and just trying to logic away strange happenings have become a huge norm in society. It doesn't help that there are people that uses exorcisms as an excuse to scam people, so the exorcist community they've built for centuries tends to have a bad rep these days that a lot of them have to take other jobs just to pay their bills. An OC that is an exorcist has to deal with this constantly to the point that she takes literally any job that comes her way for money. She's got bills to pay and rent due for her store/house, her charges are perfectly fair, please hire her, please, please please please please- (half-joking)

There is an otherworldly system called the Reapers, who are Lost Souls that are chosen to help ghosts move on into the AfterLife. It's sort of like a job for them, as many Lost Souls are people that didn't go out of their way to be good but aren't bad people either, just your average person. Some willingly take this job so that they can work towards going to Heaven while others simply do it to pass the time until it's time for them to go into Reincarnation. Those that don't simply just hang out and relax in the safe places in Purgatory. However, Reapers aren't always assigned to take care of ghosts. More often than not, they go down to the mortal realm to take the souls of the deceased, people who haven't become ghosts, and help transport them to the AfterLife from the river of death. Depending on what the soul's destined location is, a Reaper's job can range from relatively safe (the path to Heaven) to dangerous (the path to Hell). This is mostly cause Demons tend to escape Hell or even form outside of it due to any accumulated sin tainting the environment, and will go after the Reapers for the souls they are protecting and transferring. Even souls that are destined for Hell need to be protected as, again, Demons grow stronger through consumption of souls and any that are left behind will only turn them into a bigger problem later. Naturally, Demons are more common near Hell while they're very rare to spot near Heaven. Purgatory is pretty much smack dab in the middle, so it's a toss of a coin if you'll see a Demon on their way to the mortal realm or not. But yeah, Reapers will occasionally help a Ghost move on before they suffer from the Taint and will even work with an exorcist if they cross paths on the same jobs.

(Reincarnation is also a very natural part of life and death in this world, where every soul - with the exception of many souls in Hell, unless some were allowed to work on redemption as a Guardian and genuinely at that - will be reborn as a new person in the mortal realm. Most Lost Souls will reincarnate after some time they've spent there, while those in Heaven can choose how long they want to stay due to how peaceful and serene it is. Most souls in Heaven will go on to reincarnate with family or friends, whether it's those they made back in the mortal realm or people they met in Heaven. Everyone reincarnates, eventually, even those in Hell, whether they accomplish redemption as a Guardian or a Cleansing of their soul. Unless they're in the deepest levels of Hell. That level is reserved for the worst of the worst, and no one plans to let them out. Ever.)

Honestly, I should make an entire Google Doc on the world and it's lore. It'd be easier to keep track of rather than rambling off-the-cuff in a Tumblr post and then having to scroll down all the time to find the specific one I want. Especially since I need to think about the different character types a bit more and what I want to change.

[thealienfantasy]

Alien Fantasy-File 4: Lost in the clouds.

1 Day since impact (8:00 P.M. Terran time):

The Azonians unfortunately got to my ship and we had to make an emergency exit. We were able to make it to the escape pods in time and i've crash landed on a foggy region. i think i must've landed on one of the mountains, cause all i see is sky and clouds for miles. I'm currently setting up camp in a nearby cavern. I've been traversing these mountains for a few hours now and i haven't seen any lifeforms during that time. I think i've found a safe spot for now.

2 Days since impact (1:00 P.M. Terran Time):

I'm still hiking down these mountains. I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me. but i see a lot of islands in the sky. are they floating? There's no way. They're pretty distant. I'm pretty sure those clouds are just obscuring the rocks that hold them up.

I've set up an S.O.S. signal and right now i'm just waiting for someone to come pick me up. Hopefully they can still see through all these clouds.

3:00 A.M. Terran Time

I think i saw a something falling from the planet's atmosphere. must've been a ship. Looks like the fight against the Azonians is still going. i couldn't keep up with the ship. It disappeared into the clouds as quickly as it came. I would tail it, but i'm still trapped on this mountain and unfortunately, i see nothing below me. No paths, no water, No anything. just clouds.

Speaking off water. The supply i salvaged from the pod is starting to run low. i have to be a lot more sparing. hopefully i can find a source soon...

3 Days since impact (9:00 A.M. Terran Time):

I've been continuing my hike down this mountain. I'm not someone who suffers from altitude sickness, but man.  I'd be lying if i didn't say i get anxious every time a look down and see nothing but clouds. Some of the paths i've been taking have been pretty narrow. One miss step means game over. that is if there's ground below these clouds. It'd be a whole other matter if these clouds were just a bottomless pit. 

The good news is, the risk of crossing these paths was worth it. I seem to have come across some kind of garden. But i'm not seeing anything here. 

There's also some weird looking fruit hanging from the trees. I'm getting a little hungry and i have to be even more conservative with my food supply. Surely they won't notice if i take one.

9:20 A.M. Terran time

I heard something coming from behind the bushes. upon inspection, i found a weird looking ring laying on the floor. It kinda looked like a Halo of sorts.

Wait...did i die and go to heaven?

Nah..no fucking way!

Things started getting weird when the ring began glowing. a sparkle emanated from it and it created a line. like the sparkles were some kind of thread connected to the ring. I followed it and i came across this small creature. It seemed to have a set of 4 wings. But no talons. It's face looked weird too. at least i think that's it's face. There's an eye at the center looking straight at me. it's kinda creeping me out honestly.

The thread of sparkles seemed to be connected to this creature. Did the ring belong to it? I gently laid the ring next to the creature and one of the wings snatched it. The creature looked at me with it's sole eyes and began squirming. it was then that i noticed some weird green appendage sticking out from it's body. Some green liquid seemed to be pouring out of it.

Was it blood? God forbid if it's something else.

Still, the creature seemed in pain. At least that what i gathered from the way it struggled to move. I'll check by med-kit and see if there's anything i can do to help it.

4 Days since impact (9:00 A.M. Terran Time):

The creature is currently resting in my sleeping bag. I was able to bandage it's appendage. right now i'm just walking around the garden trying to figure out what my next move is.

I can still see explosions going off in the sky. I think the fight is still going. I can't really make out what kind of ship's are up there. Still no sign of anyone who owns this garden. I'm not really sure how much more fruit i could realistically take without the owner thinking they were robbed.

Hopefully i won't be around for when they find out.

The fruit has the same texture and crunch as an apple, but it looks like it was made out of iron and it's shaped so... weird.

Oh. looks like the creature is starting to wake up. 

I pulled a pocket knife from by bag and used it to cut the fruit. I don't know if the creature is capable of eating this, but i don't really have anything else to feed it. It seems to like it though. It jolted awake and flapped towards me upon seeing the piece. 

What's weird is. i don't see any orifices on it's body. Maybe underneath it's feathers? i don't know. but hey, it seems to have eaten it. I give it another piece and it happily took it once more.

I ran my hand through it's feathers. they feel pretty soft. It made a weird noise when i did it though. I quickly retracted my hand, but to my surprise it began flapping it's wings and hovering towards my hands. 

I guess it didn't mind me petting it? i ran my hand through its feathers once more and it made that weird noise again. but it's not really moving as if trying to break free. so i guess it doesn't mind.

Another thing i've noticed. The ring i found yesterday is now attached to that weird green appendage of its. (Tail maybe? i still can't tell.) I guess it must've been some kind of accessory to it.

Is it a wild animal? or is it an intelligent life form? my mind is leaning more towards wild animal. but i gotta remember i crash landed on a whole other planet here.

7 Days since impact (2:00 P.M. Terran Time):

I'm still at the garden. Still no sign of the owner. I've been debating the past few days on whether or not that thing might be the owner. 

For starters. Every time i wake up. i would have at least 3 of those weird fruit in front of my face. Considering the trees look more empty. yeah, it's definitely getting them from there.

For another, it's still here with me. it definitely could've left by now. but it's still here. Maybe it's just keeping me company. But between that and the fact and it doesn't seem to have any issue taking the fruits from the tree....

On another note. I still keep seeing explosions in the sky. Just yesterday i  saw few more ships falling from the sky. Those are definitely Azonian ships. But they keep disappearing into the clouds.

i wonder. IS there anything below these clouds?

9 Days since impact (5:00 A.M. Terran Time):

I heard a loud crashing noise just now. I think a ship might've crash landed here in the garden. I took one look at the creature before i decided to head out. Hopefully it won't mind if i leave for a bit.

5:03 A.M. Terran time

CRAP! Azonian ships! And there's at least 5 of them. I'm on my own here. I have a rifle, but it's back at the tent. I think one of them spotted me right as i was escaping. There's no way i can take them on right now.

At this moment i'm scrambling to pick up all the necessary things. i had to stop the creature from flying out of the tent. 

We quickly snuck out and we successfully by passed most of the Azonians. I decided to avoid killing them for now. The garden doesn't really have any reliable hiding spots and the sound of the shots will draw attention for sure. We have to continue our escape.

But then it hit me..

I'm stuck on a floating island.

How am i supposed to get off? 

I can hear the Azonians chanting and marching closer. I guess i better brace myself.

At least that's what was going through my mind at first. To my surprise, The creature clung onto my back. i could feel SOMETHING gripping me. No different from a bird grabbing you with it's talons. But the creature has no visible talons. so what gives?

I didn't really have time to wonder. Because to my shock, the creature effortlessly lifted me off the ground (Equipment and everything!) and we began flying away. I made the mistake of looking down at the bottomless pit full of clouds and had to tear my eyes away from it. What my eyes instead landed on where the Azonians watching us fly away. One of them tried to take a shot at us, but thankfully the creature was able to maneuver us out of the way.

10 Days since impact (1:00 A.M. Terran Time):

We landed on a nearby island. I thanked the creature for saving me by hugging it and caressing it. Hopefully it understood the gesture. i took this opportunity to check if it had talons but. nope, nothing. i don't feel anything.

I decided to ignore it for now. Looking at this creature just raises far more questions than it answers.

Right now we're in what looks like a shrine of sorts. I see a lot of flowing water here. I filled a bottle and looked back at the creature. it doesn't seem to mind. I reached in my back and took out a tablet. Right as i was about to put it in the bottle, the creature flapped it's wings and knocked it out of my hands. it then proceeded to jump up and down. It flew up and pushed my arm towards my face. almost as if it was urging me to drink it as is.

...I don't know how safe that is. It has a weird color. 

But the creature seems to be urging me.

Hopefully i won't regret this.

11 Days since impact (2:00 P.M. Terran Time):

Right now, I'm sitting in the middle of the shrine contemplating where i should hide.  I woke up today and the creature was nowhere to be found. i tried looking all over, but i couldn't find it.

I only got more concerned when i saw a few Azonians patrolling the shrine. I have my rifle with me and this shrine overs much more coverage than the garden did. I hid on top of one of the pillars and waited. 

One of the Azonian foot-soldiers entered the shrine, looking around. i know it's me they wanted. Taking a deep breath, i took aim and fired at it's head. It went down in a second. Another entered and i quickly took my shot too. Once i was sure no others were coming, i made my way down the shrine.

I saw some smoke coming from further up ahead. must've been where their ship crash landed. i made my way over there and sure enough, i saw their ship. They had a cage in the middle where they were keeping the creature trapped.

I stayed hidden. Reloading my weapon. Right as they seemed to be getting ready to board the cage onto their ship, I pulled the trigger on what seemed to be the leader. (He was the only one with a different accessory.)

I was able to get in a few good shots on the others, but a the rest seemed to quickly scatter. I took this opportunity to fire at the lock of the cage, allowing the creature to break free. I quickly retreated back to the center of the shrine before the other Azonians could spot me. I looked around to see if the creature had followed me when i felt something land on my head. I opened my arms and the creature landed in them, eyeing me.

It then flew onto my back and once more began flying us away to another place.

12 Days since impact (1:00 P.M. Terran Time):

We made it to another island. this one seemed to have more trees than the others, an easy place to take cover and lay low for a while. A good thing too, cause the creature looked so exhausted. It had a few scratches and looked more disheveled. i'm sure the capture had something to do with that.

I once more tended it's wounds using my medkit and then we took a moment to rest. there was more of that fruit here in the trees. but this time we seemed to be in the wild. surely nobody will have any complaints about us taking those right?

The creature made a noise again. I looked at it and it landed in my hand before flying and landing in front of me. It put something in my hand. A ring?

It looked just like the one it had on it's tail. i looked at it and then back at the creature. it then began brushing up against my leg. i smiled and ran my hands through it again. It's been a bit hectic. but at least i have company.

13 Days since impact (6:00 A.M. Terran Time):

I woke up today and my heard nearly stopped once more. the creature was gone. again.

Just like last time, i began looking around. my rifle clutched in my hand. i ran for minutes and minutes. but i didn't see any sign of the creature.

*BUMP*

I bumped into someone. i quickly pointed my rifle at it.

"WOAH! EASY! EASY!"

Wait...It's speaking in...

Now that i'm taking a closer look. 

Yes... that the Rescue Team's Uniform.

"Are you okay?" The team member asked. "Please,lower the weapon.

6:00 A.M. Terran time

Turns out they're here because of the S.O.S. signal. Happy to see rescue came at least. I guess the Azonians DID slow them down a bit.

Right now we were getting ready to return home. As we were boarding the ship and preparing things for lift off, i looked around. Still no sign of the creature. Am i really about to leave it without saying goodbye?

I took a look at the ring it game me. It seemed to be glowing. I don't really know if it's because of the sun or if it's supposed to do that....

The team shouted at me to come aboard. i took one last look. Maybe it returned to it's garden...

..Oh well.

I mean we've only been together for a few days...

6:10 A.M. Terran time

Everything is going haywire right now. Looks like the Azonian ships spotted us and the rescue team is currently engaged in combat. Right now were just being evasive and dodging. It's working well right now, but for how long?

What's strange is, the ring i got seems to be glowing much brighter now. And a trail has appeared. just like the first time i found that other ring. I didn't have time to ponder what was going on, as i heard several explosions go off outside the ship. i peeked out of the window and watched as several Azonian ships went down. The rescue team pulled up the monitor to see where the blasts came from. They saw something in the clouds. it was obstructed by the clouds, and as such, the only thing visible was it's silhouette. It was roughly the same size as our ship, but it had several giant wings. surrounded by what seemed to be a bunch of winged soldiers.

The trail of the ring was pointed towards them. Could it be?

I once again didn't get to dwell on it. The rescue team's ship kicked into overdrive and exited the planet's atmosphere before the Azonians had a chance to recover. Soon enough, the cloudy planet was nothing but a distant ball in the reaches of space. More questions began to creep up as i looked at the ring. the trail slowly faded away, but it was still glowing.

Just what the hell was up with that planet and it's creatures?

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

A few days had passed and an alien had landed in the garden. they looked more. humanoid. it's wings were much bigger. the green appendage was much larger and had spikes coming out of it. It's face seemed to be completely obscured by feathers, but there was a noticeable eye poking through them. The creature munched on the gardens fruit as it slowly hovered around the garden itself.

It then closed it's wings and focused. it's body slowly glowing and it's surrounding slowly morphing. Soon the alien was in a different location. it seemed to be the inside of a house. one completely unfamiliar to them.

It looked around and it's eyes landed on the person it was seeking. An indescribable feeling went through the alien's mind as it saw that they were wearing the ring they gave them. The alien extended it's wings, trying to reach out to them.

"H-Huh?!" The one holding the rifle turned around. feeling someone touching them. It them looked around in confusion. nobody was there. 

"God, i've only been trapped there for what. 11 days? i shouldn't be feeling this paranoid." the one holding the weapon said. it them cocked the weapon before heading out. The alien felt themselves being pulled alongside the one holding their present. A satisfied noise seemed to escape the alien as it's surroundings slowly began to morph back into the garden it knew as it's home.

The alien looked at it's bandaged wing. and then at the sky. the alien didn't know if they would ever see each other in person again. But as long as that person had that ring, they would always have a way to watch over them.

[raayllum]

I don't know if you've already posted about this, but why do you think Claudia seems to have a strong hatred towards Rayla that she refuses to acknowledge her and refers to her as "their elf" in her reflection short story. Could it stem from Rayla being the catalyst that essentially turns Claudia's world upside-down, or does it stem from a sort of jealousy somehow?

Oh bless, as I was just thinking about Claudia's end of her and Rayla's dynamic (given that she also has more of one, tbh)

I've written metas about Rayla and Claudia's dynamic previously (X, X, X, X) but most of that has been from a Foils perspective rather than an interpersonal one. For that, I'd recommend the fic I co-wrote, "if heaven and hell decide," a S2 divergence where Claudia and Soren don't betray the trio right away at the Moon Nexus, and thereby spend the bulk of the season actually travelling together as a group.

As to your actual point of Claudia's view on Rayla, well, first and foremost:

Rayla is an elf, and that means she's not a Person.

“So are you two… Did I interrupt something? Between you and… your elf?” Claudia asked, lifting her eyebrows slightly. (—Book Two: Sky novelization)

Where Terry and Aaravos are exceptions, likely precisely because they are willing to help Claudia with her goals, Rayla is never anything more than an obstacle, and there is never ever given even a shred of conceivable 'humanity'. This is best seen in her response of her smiling at the prospect of Soren murdering Rayla, citing not even that the girl is an assassin, but that she's an elf (although, with Moonshadow elves, that could easily be one in the same):

It is also most likely, given that Claudia is the one (1) other character we see refer to elves as bloodthirsty (whereas Viren reassures Runaan that his drink is berry juice) that Claudia learned stories about elves from Amaya and then told Callum and/or reaffirmed stories that Callum heard from his aunt.

Never mind in the one (1) interaction they've had, it was Rayla arguing that the dragon egg was a baby who deserved to go back to its mother. Claudia didn't even see or know for sure that Rayla had threatened the boys, and saw that Rayla was speaking with them and only (visibly) drew her swords once Claudia showed up.

Claudia's malleable stakes of what constitutes a person reinforced that while despite definitely knowing Rayla's name (Callum introduces her and says it a few times around Claudia) and knowing Rayla's features well enough to pick up that Lain and Tiadrin are her parents (also makes sense, given that being a dark mage means being able to differentiate and identify a lot of very similar looking components), Claudia never uses Rayla's name. Not once.

Zym, with thoughts and feelings and a name and a mother, is not a person. Magical creatures with lives and cultures and languages and families, families she knows Rayla gives a shit about because that's precisely what she weaponizes against her (comparing it to her love for Terry), are not People to her.

And this all loops back into Claudia's big cognitive dissonance, which is that even when she and Rayla are doing or want the exact same thing, Rayla deserves to suffer and/or be punished for it, because Claudia (in her mind) is a Person with Understandable Good Motivations, and Rayla is not.

Keep in mind that Claudia saw Ezran and then Callum consciously choose to go with Rayla. She saw Callum hesitate and then chain her to a wall, stealing her primal stone without Rayla saying a word. Hell, Ezran is even the one Claudia sees take the lead ("Follow me") that Rayla follows. That kidnapping the princes is literally exactly what Claudia is going to do an episode from now, and while she apologizes, she cites, "I have to do what's right" and when she and Soren are punished upon their homecoming (much like Rayla in S3) with being seen as traitors, Claudia insists, "We didn't do anything wrong!"

Aaravos whispering in her ear takes this up a notch, to the degree that Claudia claims that intergenerational trauma is a uniquely human trait that the elves and dragons couldn't possibly understand:

Which like, dehumanization and being willing to cause suffering generally go hand in hand, both IRL and in the show, so that absolutely tracks. But despite literally being an assassin that she knows killed the king, Claudia never shows the same vitriol towards Runaan. If anything, she seems almost sympathetic in the one scene we see of her with him, even if she also took him for "practical" (dark magic "uses".

So why does she seemingly hate Rayla, then, so specifically? Well...

In season one, losing the egg can't be the boys' fault (they're spelled, they're innocent, they're—) and it can't be Claudia's fault (she's going to get it back, really, just like her dad asked), so it must be Rayla's. She invaded Claudia's home. She stole the boys away. She's the one literally stepping in between her and Zym, between her and her goal, between her and her dad's approval. Absolutely not. This evil elf's braid (however cute) will be her undoing. (The fact that the braid is a symbol of someone who loved Rayla is just the icing on the cake, tbh, symbolically.)

Then in season two, Claudia actually meets Rayla and realizes very quickly that Callum is inordinately Close to her. She's seen them interact twice — Callum, noticing that Rayla is missing in the middle of the night, running to her aid, and being in defensive stance for her, not Claudia and Soren; Callum and Rayla sitting closely on a bed, Rayla looking like she's about to nervously confess something while Callum listens patiently, regrouping for their own convo the same way Claudia and Soren did — before she assumes there Might be something between them. Not just that Rayla might've caught feelings for the boy Claudia's always been gently teasing, but that Callum — whose knowingly liked Claudia forever, and whose feelings Claudia has always been very confident in — might've fallen for her, too, in only a week or so's time. Which says a lot, I think.

Then, even after not knowingly doing anything wrong to Callum - and to Claudia, all she's trying to do is safely bring the boys home and keep a weapon from falling into Xadia's hands - he still lies to and betrays her in his own way. With a moon illusion magic spell that Rayla was blatantly, clearly, in on (even if Claudia may not know it was literally Rayla's idea). And that, of course, Callum ultimately trusted this elf over her; it was Callum setting his own Test of Love for Claudia in a lot of ways, and she failed just about as poorly as she possibly could.

She and her brother take down a dragon, and there's the elf, again, getting in their way and wasting their time. But she does present an opportunity: she can lead them to Callum and Ezran. Only Callum shows up - and Claudia doesn't know whether this was the plan or not - willing to do dark magic - which he wasn't before when he offered it - with an angry, vengeful look on his face. Him breaking the chains, and Rayla freeing the dragon (as Soren says) is what leads to her brother becoming paralyzed. And although Claudia doesn't want to think of the lingering ramifications, that is still the moment she knows on a certain level that she Loses her family, because the second Soren tells her that their dad tried to kill the princes, she can't actually come back from that unscathed. From this until the end of S3, she's in damage control trying to hold onto both her father and her brother at any cost.

And I'm not gonna summarize further (after all, it doesn't seem that Claudia knows Rayla was the one who killed Viren, otherwise I don't think she ever would've given back the coins come hell or high water or a massive character arc) but I think it's a few things:

Rayla is an elf, and a Moonshadow elf, and all that comes with it in regards to dehumanization and demonization. A process that Rayla never returns (admitting the pancakes are good, looking happy for Callum when things seem to be okay / Claudia understands why their mission is important)

Rayla's presence and influence being the consistent through line that ruined Claudia's life, culminating in the literal (unknown) death of her father.

Rayla is an enemy by default and because she creates instability / disruption. The boys trust her over Claudia, which would've been unthinkable a week or perhaps a day ago; Soren is on her side and is the primary elf that he presumably knows; Rayla has Callum's loyalty/devotion, not Claudia - not anymore (which, I will be interested to see if they ever give us a moment where Claudia puts it together that they're a thing, but I'd be fine without one, lol).

Claudia already has a smug streak (see plenty of her interactions with Soren and Callum, and even Terry and Viren) and enjoys feeling more secure / in control. Claudia being able to lord something (the coins) over someone has magic ("We were born with nothing") and who just threatened someone she loves... Claudia being able to get Rayla back for tricking her all those years ago?

TLDR; I think there's jealousy for the life Claudia perceives Rayla has having / having 'stolen' from her (for all she knows, Rayla has been living a cushy life in Katolis with the boys the past two years) and for having earned Callum's trust so decidedly and drastically. I think Rayla, subconsciously, is where Claudia has levelled a lot of blame in how her life turned out (because it can't be her own fault; she can't Be Wrong; the dragons leaving the Storm Spire is a "Sign" she's on the Right path, isn't it?), partially grounded in reality, but mostly not. Rayla is just the easier person to blame, and well... Rayla also has a habit of destroying / fucking things up, mostly unintentionally. Claudia's life might as well be one of them, at this point.

[gayhokage]

Hi....! If you don't mind, can I ask, who are your top 7 favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc (can be canon or non-canon) and your top 10 favorite characters ever from any media? Why do you love them all? Thanks if you want to answer....

HIII sorry i left this sitting for so long, but i prommy i was thinking about it lol i'm gonna put this all under a cut since i know it'll get long

this is by no means in any sort of order lol but for relationships:

Ranma/Akane (Ranma 1/2) they were my bread and butter as a kid and they still are. for me, nobody will ever take their place or top them

Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) it does depends on which game but i always love their relationships regardless of if it's more romantic (like in skyward sword) or more friendship (like in wind waker)

Sasuke/Naruto (Naruto) nobody is ever going to do it like them.

Hashirama/Madara (Naruto) ...so obviously i have a type LOL

Flynn Rider/Rapunzel (Tangled) i know this one is probably silly but talk about a movie that changed my life as a kid. they invented love To Me. and honestly i feel like they're the only disney princess couple that are actually in love with each other

Howl/Sophie (Howl's Moving Castle) but only the movie bc still haven't read the book 😖 but again, invented love. one of the most romantic movies to me

Hideko/Sook-hee (The Handmaiden (2016)) TALK ABOUT A MOVIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE LOL it's almost hard to talk about this movie bc i always want people to go in blind on their first watch so they can Experience it

Okay and now for characters :3 (again, in no specific order)

Xie Lian (Heaven Official's Blessing) talk about A Guy lol. i love that he's the ultimate, all powerful guy but is still so teehees about everything. i love a guy who has suffered through some of the absolute worst torments but still manages to find and be the good in the world. he's such a comfort character to me. i would bake him breads and invite him over for dinners <3

Link (Legend of Zelda) link is my Number One Guy Of All Time. he's cool, he has a fairy, he can play instruments, he's a cutie, he has a magic sword...

Zelda (Legend of Zelda) zelda is obviously incredibly smart and wise, but she's also incredibly powerful (usually more so than link or ganon) she has the true power of a god plus she's an archer and (occasionally) also has a cool sword

Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog) another guy that is just so cool. sonic is so cool and he's got a sassy attitude. love that blue creature 💙

Spongebob (Spongebob Squarepants) another silly answer but idc. spongebob is so funny and sweet, he's so nice and loves everyone. and he lives in the ocean. he's my friend :3

Luo Binghe (Scum Villain Self Saving System) MY POOKIE ❤️ he's an all powerful demon who's also a huge crybaby and i'm not supposed to want to hold him in my arms??

Bee (Bee and Puppycat) bee is so funny. i love her lazy whatever attitude, but she's also so silly and loving. talk about a girl who is so me fr

Moira (Overwatch) she's my pookie but for such different reasons lmao. she's mean, she's evil, she commits medical malpractice on people without their consent. i love a freaky evil woman

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) i know miku doesn't technically have a lot of personality but i love her voice and i love "her" music (i love music made using her lol) plus she's so cute :3

Daisy (Mario Bros) SHE IS MY SUPERSTAR <333 i have loved daisy since i was a little kid. she's so cute and she's loud and obnoxious and sometimes rude and i think that's so awesome for her

i'm so bad at talking about things i like without just saying "its cool 👍🏻" lol so i hope you can forgive that this isn't maybe the best list in the world. and ofc there were so many characters excluded from these lists i was just going off the top of my head here.

but tysm for asking ❤️ i always love talking about The Characters

[pollenallergie]

Please can you write something with croquette!reader x eddie 🥺

Hey! So, initially, I wasn’t going to fulfill this request because I’ve heard that the coquette aesthetic has some problematic origins (infantilization and the lolita complex, mostly). However, I really like the idea of embracing your femininity (as someone who adores hyper-feminine aesthetics), so I figured I would try my hand at writing this but without explicitly making the reader coquette… If that makes sense?? Instead, I went for more of a general, soft, hyper-feminine aesthetic. I also tried to balance it out by giving the reader a more mature personality; she’s a bit shy and coy but not helpless or innocent. I hope this works for you!!

As always, you must be 18+ to interact with this post!!

To anyone else, you might seem like this delicate, demure flower. Between the pretty, lightly colored dresses you wear and the dainty gold jewelry you’re constantly adorned in, you appear to be this heavenly, angelic creature. Not to mention, the sort of shy politeness you bring to just about every social interaction might suggest that you’re just this radiant orb of positivity, this delightful ray of sunshine plucked from the sky and sent down to bless mere mortals with your sweet compliments and graceful gaiety. However, Eddie knows that you’re so much more than that.

Other people may think of you as this shy little dove, all coy and sweet, but Eddie knows you. He knows that behind those wide, dewy eyes rages a passionate fire. He knows that those smooth, glossy lips are for more than just sweet-talking; he’s seen them utter words so fearsome that they’d make even the most hard-headed man admit defeat, and he’s watched you, felt you commit the kind of sins with them that would make even the most devout cleric stray from his religion. Eddie also knows that, despite your meek demeanor, you can be brazen when you want to be; that’s actually how you drew him to you in the first place.

Eddie had sat behind you in U.S. History during his second senior year, and though he’d always believed you were pretty, always admired the way you smelled like lavender and vanilla even after your morning gym class, he’d never thought much of you. However, that all changed one fall morning when, during your class’s discussion of the fight for women’s suffrage, Eddie witnessed you launch a meticulous, dare he say glorious, diatribe against Tommy Hagan after the idiot had the nerve to say that women’s suffrage “sure caused men a lot of suffering.” From that moment on, Eddie swore you were the most beautiful, magnificent person he’d ever encountered.

A little over a year and a half into your relationship, he still swears that you’re some divine creature sent down from the heavens above. To everyone else, you might seem like a mild-mannered darling, the epitome of beauty, humility, and purity. However, Eddie knows you’re not some meek little lamb, content to follow everyone else’s lead, too unsure of yourself to make a fuss. Instead, you’re a woman; equipped with sharp wit, a healthy sense of self-worth, a passionate heart, and the litigation skills to get just about anything you want. You may be a bit coy from time to time, you may be introverted, and you may dress like an angel walking amongst men, but you’re nothing short of a fucking goddess; a divine seductress, a clever scholar, a fierce advocate of justice, and a kind, courageous leader all wrapped up into one. Most of all, you’re the woman of Eddie Munson’s dreams.

[ink-flavored]

♟️Entropy Games Inc: Tell us about your antagonist. Who’s your Big Bad Wolf?

wow i TOTALLY forgot about this ask game my bad that this took a week lmao

♟️Entropy Games Inc: Tell us about your antagonist. Who’s your Big Bad Wolf?

My antagonists tend to vary between WIPs, but I think the one I'm most excited to write is Honesty, from Pride & Justice

As implied, Honesty is an angel of... honesty. She's extremely devoted to Heaven and God and literally, physically cannot tell a lie. Everything she says is true in the sense that they aren't outright falsehoods, but the concepts of what is true is a topic I'm going to explore in the story.

Honesty, as a literary device, is a representation of Biblical literalism and Evangelical Christianity. She takes everything God says at face value and never questions it—she believes it's not her place to ask questions, as God is the ruler of the world, and asking questions would be questioning existence as a whole. She doesn't like Justice very much, because he dares to question his role and the orders he's given, even when he would save an innocent human life and she would kill them. God is more important that collateral damage. A lot of the other angels trust her implicitly because she's Honesty—everything she says is true, so you can't disagree!

But the thing about that is that things can be factually true without being practically true. Honesty can say, for example, that sinners are condemned by God to suffer eternally. That's true! That's what God ordered for demons to be: tortured forever. She can't say "sinners deserve to suffer eternally." That's an opinion, not a hard-and-fast truth of the universe. But since everything God says is true, it would be wrong (from her perspective) to save a sinner from suffering. It would be a sin to save a sinner, and thus anyone trying to spare one from pain would become her enemy. Enter, Pride and Justice, two creatures she cannot let live at any cost, because they're trying to upend this "truth."

Honesty is able to hand-wave a lot of her atrocities in this book thanks to this worldview. She can't help that she would ruthlessly kill an innocent person because Pride happens to be carrying their soul around—demons are commanded by God to suffer, so she has no choice but to carry that out. She didn't choose to threaten Justice with the Fall—he's disobeying God, and deserves correction or eternal punishment. The situation is out of her hands! It's not her fault! She's just doing what God told her is good and right to do. And you can't argue, because she always tells the "truth."

I'm excited to write a character that can be so objectively wrong but isn't allowed to lie about it. It'll also make me think about what can be considered true by this logic and what can't.

[send me a sunset ask]

[thelegendofeowyn]

There's this comic I LOVE called Crow Time.

The author, secondlina, often posts comics on Tumblr, but I couldn't find the specific comic I want to talk about, so here is the link:

In this comic, secondlina refers to will-o'-the-wisps as omens of death. I hadn't come across this characterization of wisps, so I did some digging, and found a couple things:

1. "Corpse-candles"

We hear the following from William Wells Newell:

"First may be mentioned the so-called " corpse-candles," supposed to precede and prognosticate a death. If luminous appearances of the sort issue from the room of a sick person, and are seen to enter the churchyard, it is taken for granted that the illness will be fatal, and that the sufferer will shortly be borne to his rest along the path followed by the apparition. The movement of the flame answers to that which may be expected from the living man; if the pace be brisk, as that of a youth skipping or running, the death of a child is indicated; if slow and even, of an elderly person. In this case the vision is, so to speak, a present reflection of the future event; inasmuch as it formerly was usual to inter by night, and in consequence torches or candles were borne by the mourners, such lamps belong to the funeral procession, which appears in an anticipatory reflex."

(Basically, that wisps appear as actual harbingers of death and light the way to the churchyard where a sick person will soon be buried after they die.)

2. Spirits of the Dead

I have found that wisps have also been called the spirits of the dead, with variations being

someone who tricked the devil and therefore could enter neither heaven nor hell when they died*

someone who moved a landmark

unbaptized infants

dishonest land surveyors

*There's a huge number of stories mentioning this phenomenon, so many that it is a folkloric motif (ATU 330).

So, the connections between wisps and death is strong enough that some people would say wisps have a stronger correlation to ghosts than to fairies. That's something I have encountered in a few of the abovementioned sources, but I feel like there's a lot more research to be done in that regard. I'm more than willing to take on that monstrous task!

[kaddyssammlung]

The Night Does Not Belong To God – Analysis

Video:

Text:

The funny thing is: by now we know that the night belongs to you, this bough has broken through.

How I love this XD

“When you live by daylight

with angels at your side

in order now bestowed by

the light of the sunrise”

This is a tough one. The only connection that I have with this is someone lying on their deathbed and having the last days with their loved ones.

I have trouble making any other connection.

I am aware of the theories about “sundowning syndrome”. The only connection that I can make is maybe that someone that he know suffered from it. I also know that some say that Vessel suffered from it.

The only thing that can be seen as somewhat similar to something like this, is stress-related paranoia. Sometimes I would feel like my thoughts would spread around in a room and everyone could read them and started looking at me in a weird way.

But that's not really Sundowning Syndrome.

That's why this is kind of a hard one.

I really have this connected to someone elderly who is suffering from dementia.

It's the line “with angels at your side”. As if someone was already kind of on their way “home”.

It's basically what I just said and also “you can remember only when you are alone”. It makes me think about that.

“And you remember everything

only 'til the sun recedes once again”

“The night comes down like heaven”

I have this connected with something totally different.

I'm an early bird and I also like to meditate in the early morning or more or less in the middle of the night for other humans. At this time of the day it's so easy to have a great meditation because the pineal gland is very active at this time of the day. And also everyone else is still asleep and it's so quiet. It's a great experience to meditate at that time of the day.

And also sometimes I just sit there with my coffee at shortly after 3 am and just feel so deeply in the moment or conscious. It's hard to explain. The level of peace that I feel sometimes it really feels like heaven. I can feel that heaven is something that lies within us in some way. Idk how to explain it. It really is something that you can fell but it's hard to explain.

It's a callback to “the whites of your eyes burn from across the room” from Jaws. That makes me think because I wonder if he is talking about the some human being or whoever he is referring to.

“The whites of your eyes

turn black in the lowlight”

For some reason I still have this connected with the white matter of our brain but I still can't really explain why.

Which reminds me of the beginning. Maybe someone is dying?

“in turning divine

we tangle endlessly

like lovers entwinded”

To me personally the line “in turning divine” means a lot.

I do see myself as a divine being that has the power to create. I don't see myself as a victim of circumstances. Not anymore. I spent to many years on the path of spiritual awakening to still see myself as a useless creature that just happens to be on planet earth.

I have found my purpose and I know my purpose. I have turned divine :) at least in my understanding.

“the taste of the divine”

I could write about divinity all day long just because it's so beautiful.

And it's also connected to “we were tangled up like branches in a flood”.

Maybe it's Sleep? Maybe he wants one more night? Or he wants just to sleep in peace?

“I know for the last time

you will not be mine

so give me the night”

No idea XD.

Thank God that we know that the night belongs to you.

I'm going to continue my nighttime meditations and have great experiences. Vessel, I hope you are doing the same thing (and I will meet you in the quantum field XD ).

[seraphim-if]

Can I ask how you plan to portray God (if it’s not a spoiler)? Will they be something of a kind parental figure or more of an unseen neutral creator?

I want to portray him as a kind, wise parental figure. He will assist in Angel MC's creation and will spend time with all his angel creations. (God has ultimate power and can easily temporarily duplicate himself.) I want him to be a benevolent force in the universe, someone who deserves to have people believing in and worshiping him.

Yet, I also see him as having a ruthless streak to him. Casting out and punishing those who rebel or disobey him. With Lucifer/Lucielle, I see God expecting Lucifer/Lucielle to govern Hell and punish wrong-doers. In a way it could be seen as him having trust in L's abilities, by giving him an important role and a responsibility. But he also is making sure he is eternally punished, by forcing him to oversee a realm of suffering and darkness.

He leaves much of the ruling of Heaven to Michael/Michelle, trusting in their judgement.

I also see him as spending a lot of time fighting other upstart Gods and eldritch beings of the universe that might threaten the sanctuary and worlds he has built. That keeps him busy, but he occasionally likes to spend time on Earth or Heaven. To keep him sane.

Originally, I thought I would make him an unseen neutral creator. Someone who doesn't intervene. But... I admit I kinda wanted a God that is more proactive and less of an observer. So this world I created is infinitely more dangerous. Other Gods, monsters, demons, and creatures of the void exist and attack, using their victim's soul to fuel their own power. This God not only creates, but also tries to protect us from those forces.

I probably should have mentioned this first, but in my story, God didn't create everything. He created Earth and Heaven, the angels and humans of Earth, as well as animals. But he didn't create the universe. The universe was always there and there are other gods, monsters, demons, and eldritch entities that live there. God can increase his power by both having people worship him and by defeating and consuming the essence of other creatures.

[corvicarum]

so i like mixing up pc, and lor lore for darkin & shurima. it melds so well, and makes the story more cohesive than it felt before. and im not sure but i think that riot may have confirmed a lot of this to be canon anyway? eh, here we go:

𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍

a REALLY long time ago, the kingdom of shurima was at it's prime. they had this really cool sun disc, that could concentrate celestial power- and pour it into a single individual. creating what we know as the ascended. these were very powerful humans who shared features with animals. i.e nasus( jackal ), and renekton( crocodile ), and many more. this was the golden army, and-- as any nation might do when they have an all powerful army-- shurima sought to expand. and they did so under the rule of an ascendant emperor named azir.

so there was also this rlly cool nation called icathia, led by the mage king axamuk. he was as you can assume, not eager to give up. unfortunately, icathia didn't stand much of a chance against shurima. and so as a last resort; they used their magic to rip open a portal to the void. a place devoid( haha ) of all reason, all time, all space. what they didn't know, was that the voidborn would destroy EVERYTHING they touched. and so not only did shurima suffer losses, but so did icathia. and only when the land was desolate and barren-- did shurima retreat.

unfortunately, there are consequences for interacting at all with anything from the void. the ascendants who's minds were touched by the creatures would begin to go mad. threatening to turn on one another. and in a grim twist of fate, azir would be killed by one of his kin. leaving the maddening ascended on their own without any leader to guide them. enter: zolani

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍

zolani was an ascendant, who began to delve into blood magic. and found a way to use this blood magic to fix everything. this is kind of where it goes into headcanons and stuff ig people found through LoR? im just theorizing based on what i've read from various content / people's thoughts.

zolani gave other ascendants blood magic? promising that the magic would give them a great deal of power. the blood magic of course did change their forms and appearances to what we recognize now as general darkin biology. and did in fact, make them stronger. but what they didn't know, was that due to zolani's vast knowledge, and her being the source of this magic-- she could? control them?? and what was seen as a gift, turned out to be a curse.

in truth, she wanted to use the magic she gave them, to control them. which would have stopped them from trying to kill one another,

in a way i guess? this makes her an anti hero? definitely relatively good intentions done in a really fucked up way. which backfire, because they find out her aim, and mark her a traitor. so now you have a bunch of insane ascended god warriors, each one infused with VERY powerful blood magic. BIG OOF.

and BAM! thus begins the darkin war.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐑

the darkin war nearly destroyed the world, and actually ruined parts of pretty much every continent in runterra. eventually, the aspect of twilight, came from the heavens to do something about it. creating a special weapon( the chalicar )that could harness moonlight and use it against the darkin. we know this aspect at current, as zoe. but at this time her name was myisha.

the way it worked i think is p vague. but in short: using the chalicar, they could seal the souls of these darkin into their own weapons. not killing them, as they were nigh impossible to kill-- but trapping them. of course one aspect could not do this on her own. so thats where everyone kind of comes in! with this gift, mortal races could finally fight back against the darkin.

the method wasn't perfect though. as sealing them worked fine, up until a mortal creature touches the blade. see, when a celestial creates these weapons they are very powerful. but when a mortal makes them, they're not quite as efficient. so while the darkin were in fact gone for the moment. the darkin curse was born, and now anyone who wields these weapons-- will become new physical vessels for these darkin to return to the world in.

and to make matters worse, the weapons are unbreakable.

it's interesting too, because it implies also that none of the darkin we see in game at current- are what they originally looked like. aatrox, rhaast, naafiri, to name a few, did look a bit different back int he day. and their current forms are a mesh of their new host body and their own original form.

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘

again. the few darkin we know about have hosts. some of the hosts have melded perfectly with their darkin. some were overtaken entirely, and in the case of kayn, he fights his parasite. and actually manages to keep his influence under as much control as he can manage. all things considered.

zolani's influence is also still kind of seen? i haven't looked a whole lot into vladimir, but i do recall hearing he has ties to the darkin as well.

[cappuccino-bear]

What about Eve? How is she like? Also is Cain her son? Also also, is Lilith Adam’s first wife in this AU? I think you mentioned something about her being in the garden with Eve (?)

let me preface this by saying EVE MY ABSOLUTE BLORBO, I WISH I DIDN'T SUCK ASS AT PLAYING YOU CUZ I LOVE YOU QUEEN (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

You'll get me to talk for a long, long while. You've wanted this Pillo, now suffer ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Ok, now for her story:

Lilith was the very first woman ever created, meant to be with Adam in Eden's Garden forever. Lilith was not loving the idea, being independent and curious, while Adam was more down to Earth. Noticing this, God made Eve to give Adam someone he could marry, and this did not make Lilith mad. What did make her mad is that God and every Angel in Eden stopped caring about her, wouldn't even talk to her, and basically chastized her for not following her role. She basically said "fuck it" and left.

Adam told Eve it was because she was jealous, and Eve (not having spent too much time with Lilith) bought it. She was head over heels for Adam, like God intended, but even then she was not always satisfied: when asking questions, a lot of Angels talked to her about how it was not her place to ask. When asking them Adam, he'd say he didn't care about it. "Why must these animals and plants die, but not us? Why must we eat, if we never suffer consequences from not doing so? Why are we the only humans in this place?" were some of her more constant questions.

Then one day, a snake tries to convince her to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve is skeptical on this, but she's told something that convinces her: she'd get the same knowledge God had denied her. Plus, If God put this here, wouldn't it want them to eat it, like a test? Adam strolls up a couple minutes later, sees her eat the fruit, and does not even think twice before biting into it, too. Not because he wanted to be with her, but because he truly thought since she did it, he could do it too.

Cut to them being thrown out. Adam screams at her, it was her fault after all, what were they gonna do now? They'll die one day, was their life in the Garden so bad? Was she so bored out of her mind dying was worth it???

And Eve is just thinking... I just wanted answers. I trusted that snake was one of God's creatures, and now I'm being punished for it. Why is God like this, did it hate me? It did warn me, but it should have known about it, right? It was all knowing after all! (Spoiler: God is not all knowing. At all. But it claims to be, otherwise it would not be God, yknow?)

Their relationship is strained. Adam prays all the time, only devotes his life to God, not to Eve or the other humans they end up meeting. He ignores his sons most of the time, just reminding them to sacrifice the best cattle and scolding them if they do not. He likes Abel because he does so willingly, and chastizes Cain for not doing so that often. He thinks getting attached to things is useless, because God will take them away eventually, so you just gotta pray and devote to him and him only. He was an absent father and lover, basically. Eve, on the other hand, is still able to find love for things on Earth: she loves her sons, her new friends, her community, the little newborn calves and chicks they raise... just, quietly, to not anger Adam. But she still despises God. She prays, but makes it clear often and loudly that she doesn't like it. This is later reflected on Cain, who prefers her over his father (for obvious reasons). So when Abel is killed, she grieves hard, while Adam is just scolding and beating Cain. Cain is killed a couple years after, and she goes numb. A few days later she goes to bed and never gets up again, she dies of heartbreak.

And she wakes up not in Heaven, but in Limbo, the first circle of Hell, alone and covered with darkness and mist because of her distrust in God. She's asked for help by Satan later on, but she eventually rejects him and gains the WOB curse for not marrying him, basically casting her as this horrible beast and temptress and Mother of Harlots, despite never being one.

Also she is mildly FUCKING OUTRAGED that Adam is in Heaven, having been forgiven by God because he asked for it while Eve rejected to do so. She does not think she's in the right, but she wants to give God a piece of her mind face to face before admitting defeat and asking for forgiveness.

OKAY that was long I could not help myself ╮(╯▽╰)╭

Anyway, Eve is first and foremost protective: even if from a distance, she keeps an eye out for everyone, stubbornly refusing to not aid others, almost like she thinks it's owed of her. That being said, she's also not the most open: she cares deeply about others, she feels everything hard, but she's not... the best at handling emotions that are not anger at this point. She comes off as cold, aloof, aggressive, because she cannot bring herself to open up in an healthy way, her emotions either get buried down deeper or she shouts them out in the worst ways. Even then, her caring nature shines through, maybe by helping Cain bandage his stump, or cleaning Lilith's blood from her cheeks, or quietly hugging Maggie when she panics.

She's trying to fix her relationship with Cain.... emphasis on trying, because it's so darn hard from her, so they always end up fighting. She wants to tell him that she's sorry she failed as a mother, that even if he did something horrible she forgives him, while he cannot handle asking her if she ever even loved him in the first place, for fear she'll say no.

Also she's the disaster lesbian of the two, and like 70% of Lilith's impulse control.

[muchlovedson]

God the Righteous Judge - ( regarding the mountain lion incident )

A Psalm of Asaph.

50 The Mighty One, God the Lord,

Has spoken and called the earth

From the rising of the sun to its going down.

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God will shine forth.

3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;

A fire shall devour before Him,

And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

4 He shall call to the heavens from above,

And to the earth, that He may judge His people:

5 “Gather My saints together to Me,

Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness,

For God Himself is Judge. Selah

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,

O Israel, and I will testify against you;

I am God, your God!

8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices

Or your burnt offerings,

Which are continually before Me.

9 I will not take a bull from your house,

Nor goats out of your folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,

And the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know all the birds of the mountains,

And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;

For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,

Or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer to God thanksgiving,

And pay your vows to the Most High.

15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right have you to declare My statutes,

Or take My covenant in your mouth,

17 Seeing you hate instruction

And cast My words behind you?

18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him,

And have been a partaker with adulterers.

19 You give your mouth to evil,

And your tongue frames deceit.

20 You sit and speak against your brother;

You slander your own mother’s son.

21 These things you have done, and I kept silent;

You thought that I was altogether like you;

But I will rebuke you,

And set them in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,

Lest I tear you in pieces,

And there be none to deliver:

23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;

And to him who orders his conduct aright

I will show the salvation of God.”

Psalms 50 NKJV

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.””

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬