#i used to write religiously for it

[bhramarii]

THE PROPHET // THE SAINT

[cupophrogs]

Oliver just

Gently does this to Drew's leg.

“Cherub is a mind boggling balance of incredibly brave, and horrifically stupid. He handles things maturely, especially for one so detached from the suffering of this place, very often to his own detriment. Placing little value on his own state, and thus “risking it for the biscuit” far too much. Still, he is one who loves deeply, fiercely. And to allow such an Angel to damn himself for another, would be a sin most grievous.”

[paulic]

happy birdyyyyyyyy to this one <3

[virgil-upinthestars]

post ep 5 - SPOILERS

okay okay okay i think billy yeeted them out of the road. we see jen clawing up from the dirt in trailer footage, i think billy just chucked em back to westview. i don't think he's quite there at murder yet, seeing his last conversation with agatha, which? slay king. as a witch and practicing pagan, love him. "no, not for me" you take that negative energy and turn it right on its fuckin head sweetheart. but also please for the love of the gods don't get carried away, don't commit murder, your father would probably have a stroke even if your mother would sit there yelling you're doing great sweetie!!

also i think the reason why rio wasn't there in the last scene was bc she was collecting alice's body. now i'm imagining her walking out, seeing billy standing there alone with lighting coming from his hands and a scarlet witch crown like

[prolibytherium]

There's a LOT of things people do wrong when constructing fantasy beliefs in pantheons of gods, but one of the more specific is having only one god related to fertility and it kind of being just a horny sex thing.

Like you'll have one in the entire bunch whose sphere is listed as fertility and it's basically like Yeah this is the sex one. She's always depicted naked (but not TOO naked because censorship and/or the writer's own skittishness). She's going to have the exact body type epitomized in contemporary western beauty standards and there's usually no chance in hell that she's gonna be fat (unless MAYBE they're referencing 'venus' figurines). Her thing is fertility, which means having sex and making babies. Might be a goddess of beauty or love or marriage too, because these are kinda sex things, but that's probably it. And yeah that sort of thing is virtually nonexistent in real life.

Like the concept of fertility is so fundamentally important to the function of most societies in human history in ways that it is just Not in industrialized imperial core countries. Most people are getting food from stores, and not having to worry about harvesting crops or breeding livestock or foraging for food or having enough animals to hunt, so fertility only really comes up as a concern if you're trying to have kids (and there is certainly societal pressure to have children, but your wellbeing and survival is rarely going to Depend on it). And I think writing only from that perspective and not even trying to learn about WHY fertility is so conceptually important is why you see this trend.

There's no absolute universal statement about how people believe in gods but it's broadly accurate that systems with many deities will Usually have more than one deity associated with fertility, and these associations will certainly include human reproduction but also the fertility of livestock/hunted animals, plants, the land itself.

Some fertility deities may also be heavily associated with seasonal changes or environmental factors that agriculture or foraging is dependent on (spring/summer/fall, seasonal rains, seasonal flooding, rain itself, sunlight, good soil, rivers, wetlands, etc). Some certainly might be related to love, marriage, sex, and beauty, but that's VERY RARELY going to be the sole way the concept of fertility is embodied. And they'll often will have other associations not directly about fertility, or related to fertility in culturally specific ways.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

The False God to Guilty As Sin? pipeline because what happens when sex was your default fallback method to reconnect when you weren't communicating otherwise but then you don't even have *that* anymore so you're just... frozen out completely in every sense. 😵‍💫

[fire-lizard-ro]

Lil post about HSR men with religious themes for none have lead me into temptation I found the way myself-

This is for you @pix3lplays <333 (I was screaming at her about it, lol-)

I love???? Religious themed characters and the works that come out of that??? I have an Argenti smut fic in the works with heavy religious themes, but here's a mini ramble about Argenti, Sunday, and Luocha.

CW: blasphemy :))), religious themes, softcore gore almost but not really???, somewhat dark themes/dark romance

Yeah I grew up with church and stuff sorry if some of it does make sense to the general public lololol-

For Argenti (snippets from my fic I'm working on):

"He would sooner rend his mortal form to pieces than ever hurt you. Even a little. He would splay his torn shell across the canvas of stars that blanket the universe that was made for you for whatever other higher powers- whatever fate exists should there ever come a day in which his hands hurt rather than protect. So that they may judge what remains of his soul for his crime."

"At your behest he would present his heart, ripped from his chest, for you to take. You were his heart, anyways… Without you there was only a hollow cage within his chest where never again would the echo of a heartbeat reside. The fire nothing but ash where there was once a blaze of life and passion."

For Sunday:

It's either he makes you his church and his bride (talking about how the church is god's bride) or you make him your elohim your "I am". Perhaps both.

His penchant for control is perfect for this. He will be your only god for you are to have no false idols. Only he must remain in your heart for he is the owner of your soul, your life, your breath. He is the light and the truth. His word is law.

But of course, a god must tend to his flock. He will take good care of you for your devotion.

For Luocha:

The thorns. The almost rosary like item he carries, wrapped around his hand. The words he speaks. "Death is not the end. The dead will return."

Pix brought to my attention the idea that some have about Luocha carrying your body, devoid of breath and life, in his coffin.

And to that I respond:

"So devoted was he that not even the sacred soil of the earth would be allowed to have you. Even in death."

He would search until the ends of the universe to find a way to bring you back to him. Even though his god was made of flesh and blood as he, it mattered not. Only you could possibly be the divine for you were his cornerstone. Without you he would fall apart. God works in the waiting and surely this was his divine burden- His test from you to prove his devotion. He was sure he would one day complete this task for you and bring you back. You, the life beyond death. You the light in the midst of his darkness. His eloah, his elohim, his almighty.

[read-write-thrive]

I wanted to get a head start on palasaki week and now I’m building out a reverse AU. why do I keep doing this to myself I can’t keep starting new stuff without finishing the old stuff 😭

[bluberimufim]

WIP Intro

Title: Devourer of Souls

Genre + tropes: Fantasy, found family, fairytale retelling (Snow White and Rose Red)

Tag: devourer of souls wip

Themes (may be subject to change with the 1st draft): destruction vs creation, inherent contradictions of femininity, anti-war, choosing your own family, freedom from expectation, religious trauma

Status: outlining + first draft

Additional notes: I'm gonna (try to) do this for NaNo!! Wish me luck!!

edit: this is now a duology!

Plot

Seth was supposed to be a healer. That's what everyone said she would be. She would become a healer and fight in the war for the Goddess of Time. But her healing doesn't work like it's supposed to. Instead of giving life, she takes it away. People say she eats souls.

She tries to live a quiet life in the countryside, away from the war, but is rudely interrupted when Theo, a lost demigoddess, wanders into her life. Together, they try to find a place for themselves and their strange magic in this world. But war is never kind, and the Goddess of Time wants her daughter's power on her side - and she won't let some pesky healer get in her way.

Characters

Seth: a girl with terrifying powers who just wants a quiet life in a small town, alone, but learns to be happy after finding Theo. She was expelled from the hospital she was apprenticing for a failed healing that killed the patient and permanently damaged her leg in the process.

Theo: a powerful demigoddess whose magic is making her soul slowly wither away. Her adoptive family sent the Order after her after discovering her unusual powers and ends up finding Seth on her journey. Through her Goddess-Mother's influence, she becomes consumed by the war.

Flick: a teenager touched by the Goddess of Love, whose body houses two conflicting souls. They are cursed to have anyone they meet fall in love with them, and Seth takes them under her wing while on their journey to find themself.

Jane: a sort of puppet created by the Goddess of Time to replace Theo after her death, delivered to Seth when the Goddess couldn't stand her anymore. She's in the mortal world for the first time and trying to figure out who she wants to be.

The Goddess of Time: Theo and Jane's mother. By far the most ruthless - and broken - among her sisters. She lives in her Garden in the plane of the gods, where she takes her daughters to shape them into her champions.

Notes on the setting

everything in this world has a soul, or life force, which can be transferred by those with the right magical inclination

usually, healers can only direct the "souls" from themselves to other in order to heal them, and when their soul runs out, they die - it is the ultimate sacrifice and a healer's greatest honour, to surrender their very souls to their Goddess

there are three Sister Goddesses, each representing a core aspect of humanity, waging war against each other to see who is more powerful (I expand upon it here)

certain types of powerful magic can cause your soul to start eating itself if not kept in check, as is Theo's case

Edit: you can follow the development of Seth and Theo's relationship in the tag #the great Seth and Theo relationship liveblog

If you've read this far - thank you! I hope my WIP has interested you!

[grislyintentions]

|| Shackling Prison: Commentary ||

[The Xianzhou Interlude has given me a LOT of fodder and validation over Abundance crimes and I shall be elaborating on how this will shape Da-ji's abilities as a Foxian Emanator moving forward. But before that, some interesting parallels I noticed in the Shackling Prison with ancient chinese beliefs on 'Hell':

Disclaimer: It is important to note that interpretations can vary. Ie: Taoism influenced interpretations and Buddhism influenced interpretations can differ. Even buddhism itself comprises of different branches, belief systems etc. What I am touching on is primarily skewed towards buddhist concepts.

The Shackling Prison is similar to what we chinese refer to as 地狱 (translated literally to mean 'Underground/Earth' Prison). While it is commonly interpreted as 'Hell', it's concept is similar to Purgatory in christian beliefs. This realm is where the deceased go to repent for their crimes- ie: they get fucked up. The length of their torture/punishment and sentencing is based on the nature as well as severity of their sins. In some rare cases, these souls don't get out ever.

The souls who have been deemed to have 'earned' their penance will usually be permitted freedom to enter yet another cycle of reincarnation based on Buddhist concepts (ie: Naraka)

In chinese tradition (on the buddhism end), purgatory is divided into TEN courts. Each are overseen by a different judge/Yama-King. As established in the Shackling Prison, it is overseen by ten different judges too.

The exact amount of levels in Hell as well as deities associated with it varies between different interpretations (eg: legends of 18 levels, each differing in torture methods is popularily portrayed in mythology shows, there are some who think it's primarily 4, there are also variations where there are 12,800 hells in total etc).

Common depictions of "Hell" involve multiple chambers/levels, mazes, rivers, lava etc. These themes are also present in the map layout of the Shackling Prison in game.

Based on what Dan Feng and Hoolay were subjected to within the confines, it is also safe to say that the Shackling Prison also relies on torture (physical and mental) as a form of punishment for those who have committed unpardonable sins. Which is yet another reference to Hell/Purgatory and it's...numerous torture methods.]

[nyoomkitty]

Eyes on God - an 18+ Skwistok fic

Sister Toki is a pious and gentle nun who always does as he is supposed to do. He prays daily and nightly, he repents, he puts God first in his mind. Father Skwisgaar makes sure of it.

✨ !!! 18+ only !!! ✨

A meeting of the minds between @pipartuuli and me!

[buffythevampirelover]

Mine

And though I call you mine, I know you will never belong to me. I could never grab your light, hold it steadily in my palms, no matter how hard I tried. Nor does anyone grab their God and pin it in place. Mine in the sense that I worship you; chest beating, always bleeding, bruised knees and all. I live for you, and with you always on my mind, always right beside me— or at least not far behind. You cannot capture someone else but you can carry and hold and caress the love you have for them. And that, too, shines bright. It burns your fingertips. It tastes sweet on your lips. It is fully yours, when your heart is not. When there is nothing else to hold.

[inter-pontes]

You WILL read Inter Pontes. You WILL NOT object. I COMMAND you.

heyy writing gang! this is the inter pontes tumblr account. i designed this story specifically to appeal to tumblrites because it features childhood trauma and religious imagery and the main character gets beat up by gangs and shit. read it now or I’ll cast a spell on you

[introspectivememories]

if you're writing a charles fic, it must have some aspect of boyking. he must lean a little on the childgod side. he has to be revered a little bit, adored even. if people aren't talking about him like they wouldn't wash his feet and adorn it with perfume like mary magdalene washed and adorned jesus' feet, you're doing it wrong.

[profanepurity]

Beelzebub, Mammon, and Belphegor Lore

On days when I can't seem to get myself to draw, I'm going to start writing out character/ world concepts. WARNINGS BELOW THE CUT: Mentions of gore/ blood, disorderly thinking related to food/ eating. Lots of dark themes here. Please don't hesitate to tell me if you'd like me to add more tags!

The Archangel of Mercy, Zadkiel, is Prince over the Dominion Angels. They are the Sovereign Chief of grace and forgiveness. They, along with three other higher-ranking Dominions, ruled over the lower choirs of Heaven before the dawn of humanity.  Zadkiel never wanted to harm another living soul unless they had to. But, when the Host came to them one day and asked them to draw out their sword, Zadkiel was grief-stricken. The Host told them that his closest fellow Dominions were losing their grace and needed to be corrected. Zadkiel begged the Host to forgive them, for their actions could surely be corrected without punishment. Why could they not just confront the other Dominions peacefully? The Host told Zadkiel that mercy cannot always be lenient. How can there be clemency for some when it results in the suffering of others? The Host tells Zadkiel that their fellow Dominions have been transgressing against their own virtues without them knowing... 

Judiel, the Dominion Angel of Diligence, has been more idle than he has been active in his work lately. Judiel can’t afford to slow down, for he oversees the efficiency of the lower choirs. The Archangel Gabriel, along with many others, have praised Judiel multiple times for how often he delivers innovations to the lower Choirs. But that praise is going to run out soon. Zadkiel plagued Judiel’s mind with vivid, maddening nightmares to keep him awake at all times. They didn’t want to see their friend imprisoned for his slothfulness.

Cassiel, the Dominion Angel of Temperance, has been encouraging indulgence amongst other angels and allowing himself to be excessive at the banquets in Heaven. How could this Dominion be trusted to bring abundant crops for the Host’s future creations? He’ll take what he doesn’t need from humanity! The lower choirs have been living peacefully and contently under Cassiel, but for how long? The Host had to guide Zadkiel’s sword to disembowel Cassiel. Surely a period of agony would be more merciful than the true punishment for refusing to abstain. Sachiel, the Dominion Angel of Charity, and the one who Zadkiel loved, has transgressed as well. His eye has been on the golden paved roads and the embellishments on the towering walls more than he has been worshiping the Host. Zadkiel remembers Sachiel telling them the reason for this. The Angel of Charity predicts humans will develop a currency in the future. They could give Heaven's excessive gold to humans so they could afford to survive. Not only did Sachiel stash away some of this gold in preparation for this, but he also spoke about the Host’s future creation living in sin. Zadkiel, in their mercy, cut off Sachiel’s left hand and gouged out his right eye. That way his beloved could never commit something so atrocious again. But Judiel, Cassiel, and Sachiel were still punished. They fell with Lucifer. Now, when the Archangel of Mercy looks at their friends, their beloved, they see them in the pain they caused. 

Judiel’s- Belphegor's- inventions are now making Hell prosperous. He experiments on the damned souls who were too indolent in life to invent anything themselves, but abused others to create it for them. When they become too insane, he alters their minds to make them compliant. Belphegor denies himself sleep when he hasn’t worked enough.

Cassiel- Beelzebub- is more gluttonous than he ever was, and his legions live in hedonism with him. But for those souls that used substances to abuse others while they were living, and lived in such excess that there is nothing left for others, he keeps them in total and eternal deprivation in Hell. Beelzebub starves himself when there are times of conflict.

And when Zadkiel looks at Sachiel- Mammon- they see a cold, sick, and angry beast. An animal that is longing for more but refuses to take, hunting and devouring those that are corrupted by their wealth. Mammon despises money and those who worship it, but at least it makes them easy enough to tempt with promises of lucre.

Mammon told Zadkiel he forgave them a long time ago, but Zadkiel will never give themself that same mercy.